Sappho Wine & Tapas Bar

There are few combinations more sublime than books and booze, as Sappho proves. This quaint second-hand bookshop is almost as well known for its grungy cafe and wine bar as it is for its bread and butter – recycled and hard-to-find books.

WEAVE YOUR WAY THROUGH SEVERAL TINY ROOMS and past the share house-style kitchen to reach Sappho's famed courtyard. It is home to a generation of graffiti – a legacy of its former life as a youth centre – which the owner, Meredith Baillie, has made a feature. The dishevelled courtyard has a whiff of cheap motel beer garden – palm fronds, red neon lights, rickety tables, smouldering ashtrays – but it somehow works a charm. The grungy setting could, however, benefit from a few more creature comforts. We take a seat down the back of the dark courtyard and lament the lack of heating and music on a chilly Friday evening. A few cushioned chairs, heaters and relaxing tunes would do well.

THE CROWD IS AS ECLECTIC AS THE DECOR, with tourists, locals, oldies and students occupying the mismatched tables. Some tap away on laptops, some chat loudly and others read a book over a glass of wine. A gaggle of students man the kitchen counter, pour the wine and serve the food. It's no frills, order-and-pay-at-the-counter service but genuinely friendly.

FROM A SMALL MENU OF TAPAS we order the lamb meatballs (with coriander, apple and pomegranate chutney and pine nuts, $6.50), Lebanese chicken skewers ($7), spiced red wine chorizo ($8), homemade dips (hummus, babaghanoush and beetroot with pita bread, $12), Indonesian corn fritters (with spicy chilli dipping sauce, $6.50) and baby tomatoes stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts ($6.50). Except for the haloumi, we've pretty much covered everything on offer. The chorizo is succulent and spicy, served with beautiful, crusty ciabatta bread. The meatballs, skewers and corn fritters are all tasty in a simple, homemade sort of way. The dips lack flavour but the stuffed tomatoes brim with it. It's all fairly basic nosh, well-suited to the hungry, cash-strapped students and scholars that frequent Glebe Point Road's many old-fashioned bookstores and cafes.

SIMILARLY, THE WINES ARE basic, hip-pocket-friendly choices. The 2008 Tin Soldier Semillon Sauvignon Blanc ($7) is fairly lively and fresh but not quite cold enough. The 2007 Vinot Merlot ($7) is a decent medium-bodied red and the 2009 Tin Soldier Rosé ($6.50) is lovely, too. Other than the handful of wine choices there are a dozen bottled beers to choose from. It's all very simple and a little rough around the edges but the Glebe crowd seems to like that. Grab a book to read and you're sorted.