Small bar pioneer Christophe Lehoux opens Soultrap hat bar in Surry Hills

In a city already obsessed by hats of the chefs' variety, Christophe Lehoux could be onto the next big thing.

In one of the increasingly unusual pairings of bar and concept (hello, barbershop) he's marrying millinery with the swizzle stick at his new Surry Hills bar, Soultrap.

The venue opened this week in Surry Hills.

Lehoux is one of the pioneers of the Sydney small bar scene, having sold his stake in the House of Pocket Group (Button, Stitch bars) this year.

"I've always loved hats. I'm not trained in making them, I've learned on my own with books and videos. I'm busy, there are 25 cabinets to fill of hats for sale," he says of the display cases at Soultrap.

It's a buzzy precinct, with Bar H and Nomad as neighbours and Chin Chin opening nearby.

"The process [of making a hat] is way longer than making a cocktail," he says.

While there's a focus on vermouth in the bar, and a few organic and biodynamic wines on the list, the food menu is deli-driven.

And there's always the specialty, a house-made hat.

Open Mon-Sun 4pm-midnight.

70-72 Campbell Street, Surry Hills, 02 9211 8771, instagram.com/soultrapbar.