White Horse Surry Hills: Review, Menu, and Booking Tips

The White Horse in Surry Hills has been transformed from a neighbourhood pub into a modern Australian dining destination, backed by a multimillion-dollar renovation that relaunched in 2024. This article draws on independent editorial reviews, customer feedback, and verified facts to help you decide whether its pedigree restaurant and relaxed bar are right for your next dinner out.

Last checked: 2026-10-22

Address: 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney · Type: Public hotel and restaurant · Cuisine: Modern Australian · Reservations: Recommended (walk-ins welcome)

What Does the Menu at White Horse Surry Hills Offer?

The kitchen, led by a team focused on modern Australian cuisine, turns out dishes that balance native ingredients with European technique. A Time Out Sydney review noted roasted chicken skin topped with spanner crab and a smoked eel dip with raw vegetables as highlights. Good Food’s Callan Boys singled out the beetroot millefeuille with native berries and native thyme oil (AUD 24), the toothfish (AUD 55), and the wagyu tri-tip (AUD 45). A steak sandwich fries AUD 34 and a char siu pork and prawn fried rice AUD 20 also appears on the a la carte list.

Larger plates include marron with sweetcorn and ice plant (AUD 58) and a dessert-riesling custard with frozen sheep’s-milk yogurt and desert lime (AUD 18). The set menu, described as “very good” by multiple Tripadvisor reviewers, offers a curated path through these dishes.

What this means: The menu is built around premium Australian produce—seafood, native herbs, and sustainable meats—with a clear focus on flavour rather than pub staples.

Set menu options

Reviewers on Tripadvisor’s current listing frequently mention a set menu that delivers several courses for a fixed price. One guest described it as “the best value tasting menu in Surry Hills” while Good Food estimated two people can eat well for about AUD 180 excluding drinks. The exact set-menu price is not publicly listed as of this writing, but the a la carte prices suggest a mid-range fine-dining spend.

Standout dishes

Across editorial reviews, several items appear repeatedly. The sourdough with fermented honey butter is said to be a must-start. The chicken skin with spanner crab and the smoked eel dip are also frequently praised. Among mains, the marron and the toothfish are recommended. The dessert-riesling custard stands out for its unusual use of sheep’s-milk yogurt and desert lime.

“The pub’s most delicious iteration yet.”

The bottom line: “The pub’s most delicious iteration yet.”

— Callan Boys, Good Food

What Are the Best Reviews of White Horse Surry Hills?

Customer feedback is split between the older pub incarnation and the current restaurant. On Tripadvisor, recent reviewers praise the elevated dishes, the wine list, and the relaxed-but-polished vibe. “The service was impeccable and the food was stunning,” one diner wrote. “We loved the duck-leg cigars and the lobster pappardelle.” A second reviewer called the set menu “a steal for the quality.”

However, older Tripadvisor reviews—attached to a listing now marked closed—describe burgers, mac and cheese, and halloumi that disappointed. Yelp reviews from earlier years also mention a pool table and craft beer, painting a very different picture. The current operation is a separate entity in terms of menu and concept.

“It’s not really a pub anymore.”

— Sian Meades, Time Out Sydney

A Reddit discussion in the foodies_sydney community describes the venue as a “refined modern Australian diner” rather than a budget pub meal. “The food was a let down,” one user wrote, but another countered that “the flavours were incredible.” The split likely reflects the gap between expectations formed by the old pub and the current restaurant’s standards.

Where Is White Horse Surry Hills and How to Get There?

The venue occupies a three-storey corner building at 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, a short walk from Central Station and the heart of Sydney’s dining precinct. The area is known for its terrace houses, independent shops, and a convivial restaurant scene.

Public transport: Central Station (10-minute walk) and multiple bus routes along Crown Street. For drivers, street parking is limited; paid parking lots are within a five-minute walk. The large silver stallion sculpture on the roof—installed during the 2004 refurbishment—makes the building easy to spot. The ground floor is restaurant-focused; the upstairs bar remains a more casual space for drinks.

Getting there: Ride-sharing drop-off at the door is straightforward. The venue’s policy is walk-ins welcome but reservations recommended, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.