White Horse Surry Hills Review: 1930s Pub to Chef-Led Dining

The 2024 relaunch of the historic White Horse Hotel in Surry Hills transformed a 1930s corner pub into a chef-driven modern-Australian dining destination that critics have called the venue’s “most delicious iteration yet.” This article traces the revival, examines the menu and pricing, assesses the reservation culture, and weighs the evidence behind the reviews — so you can decide whether a table here belongs on your shortlist.

Last checked: 2026-10-29

Address: 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney · Building: Three-storey public hotel constructed in the 1930s · Dining style: Elevated Australian modern cuisine with a set menu · Reservations: Recommended for dinner; walk-ins welcome from 3pm on Saturdays

What is the White Horse Hotel in Surry Hills?

The White Horse is a three-storey public hotel at 381 Crown Street, built in the 1930s and described on Wikipedia as a landmark Surry Hills pub. Its most visible exterior feature — a silver stallion sculpture by Scottish artist Andy Scott — was installed during a 2004 refurbishment, made in Scotland, shipped to Australia in pieces, and reconstructed on site, according to News.com.au.

Heritage building and style

After Precision Group purchased the hotel in 2005, the venue underwent a further major refurbishment in 2014 that added lounge areas, a new restaurant, function rooms, and the rooftop terrace. The 2024 relaunch repositioned the building as a modern dining destination with a completely reworked floor plan.

Modern dining concept

Chef Jed Gerrard — attached to the relaunch — designed a menu built around native Australian ingredients and ethically sourced produce, Good Food reported. The dining room replaced the former downstairs bar space and now features warm timber, artworks by local artists, and banquette seating. Farago Han Studio handled the interior design.

Overview of the venue’s spaces

The redesigned public bar moved from street level to the first floor, where it now includes a green-tiled bar and a leafy outdoor terrace, according to Broadsheet. The ground-floor dining room anchors the experience, while the rooftop terrace — dating from the 2014 works — remains available for private functions. The total effect, one critic wrote, is that of a “highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining chops.”

Inside the menu: pricing, signature dishes, and the six-course lunch deal

The opening menu in April 2024 offered modern Australian cooking with a strong Western Australian imprint, including wagyu from Pardoo station and marron from the state’s south-west. Pricing at relaunch, as recorded by Good Food in May 2024, provides a reliable benchmark for the venue’s positioning.

À la carte dinner pricing

The wagyu tri-tip drew particular attention from Good Food, which quoted Gerrard saying: “We’ll have it on the menu for $45 — in other restaurants, it might be twice the price.” Good Food’s reviewer estimated a meal for two at approximately A$180 excluding drinks.

The six-course weekend lunch

A fixed six-course lunch was offered at A$55 per person on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from noon to 3pm, per coverage on Hotel Australia. That format — a single price for a curated sequence — contrasts with the à la carte dinner and represents a more accessible entry point for the venue’s modern Australian cooking. Whether the lunch remains on the current menu should be confirmed directly with the venue before visiting.

Drinks and wine program

The drinks program was overseen by Broadsheet-cited consultancy PS40. The wine list contains approximately 100 bottles, weighted toward Australian and European producers with an emphasis on organic and regenerative farming practices, according to Good Food’s May 2024 review.

Who owns the White Horse in Surry Hills?

Precision Group reportedly purchased the hotel in 2005, according to News.com.au coverage of a 2015 sale listing. Current ownership is not publicly disclosed in the sources available for this article. No verified public record of a subsequent transfer could be identified.

Current ownership status

The venue’s operational leadership is documented: Craig Hemmings serves as general manager, and chef Jed Gerrard is the culinary director for the restaurant. Broadsheet’s preview of the 2024 relaunch names both individuals, but does not identify the ownership entity behind the renovation.

How hard is it to get a reservation at the White Horse?

Reservations are recommended for dinner, per Good Food’s initial coverage. Walk-ins are accepted on Saturdays from 3pm. The venue initially operated dinner service Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm in April 2024, with hours expected to extend from May 2024.

Comparison with other Sydney hotspots

The White Horse is not described in any of the reviewed sources as being among Sydney’s hardest tables to secure. That reputation attaches to different venues in the city — subscription-style restaurants or tiny omakase counters with months-long waitlists. The White Horse’s booking system appears conventional: book ahead for dinner, take a chance on a Saturday walk-in from 3pm.

What makes the White Horse a ‘cool’ restaurant in Sydney?

The vibe is consistently described as “relaxed yet sophisticated” — a phrase that appears in multiple review summaries. Sydney Morning Herald Good Food called it “the pub’s most delicious iteration yet,” while Time Out Sydney described the food as “exciting, clever and delicious.”

Atmosphere and guest feedback

Consumer reviews on TripAdvisor (snapshot: 4.6 out of 5 from nine reviews at time of research) highlight duck-leg cigars, roasted chicken skin with spanner crab, wagyu steak tartare, lobster-stuffed pappardelle, and dry-aged Aylesbury duck as standout dishes. However, the review sample is small — nine reviews is insufficient for broad generalization. Multiple reviewers noted the dessert highlight: brie-infused ice cream.

Surry Hills alternatives: how the White Horse fits into the neighbourhood

Surry Hills is dense with notable dining rooms — from long-running favourites like Bistrode CBD and Chin Chin to newer entries like Ester and Mary’s. The White Horse differentiates itself by combining a heritage pub shell with a chef of Gerrard’s pedigree, creating a format that Good Food described as “highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining chops.”

Where other Surry Hills venues lean either casual-pub or formal-fine-dining, the White Horse attempts both under one roof — the first-floor bar for walk-in drinkers, the ground-floor restaurant for a committed meal, the rooftop for events. That multi-format approach is unusual even by Surry Hills standards.