The White Horse Surry Hills operates at 381 Crown Street as a three-storey public hotel where the restaurant kitchen draws stronger reviewer signals than the public bar. This guide breaks down the venue’s current menu, service windows, booking logistics, and customer sentiment, distinguishing the new operation from older listings at the same address.
Last checked: 2026-10-22
Compare the lowest rates and guest reviews. Many options with free cancellation.Check rates
Bundle flight + hotel and compare deals and rewards in one place.Check ratesThis link contains affiliate advertising. Prices and availability may change on the destination site.
Venue: White Horse Hotel, Surry Hills · Location: 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney · Type: Three-storey public hotel with pedigree restaurant, public bar and outdoor terrace · Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday · Lunch: Friday-Sunday · Bar: Friday-Saturday from 3pm
White Horse Surry Hills
How we researched this guide
Last checked: 2026-10-22.
Sources reviewed: Official venue website and events pack, Sydney Morning Herald Good Food review, Sydney.com destination listing, Sydney Travel Guide review, TripAdvisor customer reviews, Yelp reviews, Reddit community forum.
This guide relies on publicly available sources. It does not include an on-site visit, staff interviews, or independent price verification. Menu prices and service hours were drawn from editorial and official sources dated 2024 to 2026 and may be subject to seasonal or annual change.
The White Horse Surry Hills at a glance
- A three-storey public hotel with a pedigree restaurant, public bar, and outdoor terrace at 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills (Sydney.com).
- Restaurant dinner Tuesday – Saturday from 17:30; lunch Friday – Saturday 12:00–15:00; Sunday all-day service 12:00–21:00 (The White Horse official contact page).
- A six-course lunch set menu at AUD 55 provides a curated introduction to the kitchen’s progressive Australian cooking (Sydney Travel Guide).
- A roughly 100-bottle wine list that emphasises Australian and European organic and regenerative producers (Sydney Morning Herald Good Food).
White Horse Surry Hills key facts
| Venue | White Horse Hotel, Surry Hills |
| Location | 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney |
| Type | Three-storey public hotel with restaurant, public bar and terrace |
| Dinner | Tuesday – Saturday from 17:30 |
| Lunch | Friday – Saturday 12:00 – 15:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 – 21:00 (last booking 19:30) |
| Bar | Friday – Saturday from 15:00 |
| Reservations | Recommended (walk-ins welcome subject to availability) |
| Cuisine | Elevated Australian / progressive creative menu |
| Wine list | ~100 bottles, organic and regenerative producers |
| Standout dish | Marron with sweetcorn and iceplant (AUD 58) |
| Landmark | Large silver stallion sculpture |
White Horse Surry Hills menu
Dinner and lunch service windows
The official contact page lists restaurant dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 17:30 and lunch Friday through Saturday from 12:00. An official events pack from July 2024 lists dinner Wednesday through Sunday and lunch Friday through Sunday, which may reflect an earlier schedule or upcoming seasonal adjustment (The White Horse events pack). The bar opens Friday and Saturday from 15:00. This means the restaurant serves six dinner days and three lunch days per week, with the bar operating two days per week.
What the set menu delivers
The Sydney Travel Guide describes a six-course lunch sequence priced at AUD 55 that includes sourdough with fermented honey butter, WA rock lobster pappardelle, a Bannockburn chicken leg, and Adelaide Hills brie ice cream (Sydney Travel Guide). The same review lists á la carte items such as roasted chicken skin with spanner crab at AUD 12 each, wagyu steak tartare at AUD 28, and dry-aged Aylesbury duck at AUD 44.
“The new-look White Horse is the pub’s most delicious iteration yet.”
— Sydney Morning Herald Good Food
Dishes reviewers single out
TripAdvisor reviewers for the venue’s current listing name confit duck leg cigars, wagyu steak tartare, and the sourdough with fermented honey butter as standouts. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food review from May 2024 highlights Manjimup marron with sweetcorn and iceplant at AUD 58 as a go-to dish, alongside beetroot millefeuille at AUD 24, toothfish at AUD 55, and wagyu tri-tip at AUD 45 (SMH Good Food).
The menu takeaway: The menu is designed around a formal dinner service and a fixed-price weekend lunch that lets diners sample the kitchen’s range at a lower entry point of AUD 55.
The White Horse Surry Hills reviews
TripAdvisor: relaxed yet sophisticated
TripAdvisor reviews for the current listing (ID 27727227) describe the restaurant as having a ‘relaxed yet sophisticated’ vibe. Reviewers name the crispy potatoes and grilled brassicas with burnt butter as successful sides, and praise the dry-aged Aylesbury duck and wagyu steak tartare as main highlights (TripAdvisor current listing). A separate, older TripAdvisor listing at the same address (ID 738089) is marked as closed and contains reviews for burgers, roasts, and truffle mac and cheese that do not reflect the current operation (TripAdvisor closed listing).
Reddit: elevated Australian modern cuisine
On Reddit’s food community, one diner described the food as ‘elevated Australian modern cuisine done with flair and executed well’, noting they had returned multiple times for the set menu. This repeat-visit signal reinforces the consistency of the kitchen output.
Official positioning
The official White Horse website positions the venue as ‘your new old local pub from the future’, housing a ‘pedigree restaurant, public bar and outdoor terrace’. Sydney.com echoes this, characterising the menu as progressive and creative, based on ethically sourced Australian produce (Sydney.com). The Sydney Morning Herald calls it a ‘highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining chops’.
“Elevated Australian modern cuisine done with flair and executed well.”
— Reddit reviewer
The implication: The reviewer consensus strongly supports the restaurant side of the venue, particularly the set menu, while the bar receives limited independent review coverage.
Who owns the White Horse Hotel in Surry Hills?
Three-storey pub at 381 Crown Street
The White Horse is a three-storey public hotel at 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, in Sydney’s inner-south dining precinct. The same street address has housed a pub for decades, but the current iteration represents a significant redevelopment.
The silver stallion sculpture
A large silver stallion sculpture acts as a distinctive street-level landmark for the property, appearing in official venue photography and on the venue’s social media. The sculpture is a visual anchor for the pub’s identity.
What the public record shows about ownership
The current public record provided by the venue itself does not name an individual owner or hospitality group. The official website brands the property as a standalone venture—’your new old local pub from the future’—and no operator name appears in the official contact details or events pack beyond the venue’s own entity. The phone number listed on the official contact page is 0456 910 417, and the email is info@thewhitehorse.com.au (The White Horse official contact page).
What we like
- Strong editorial praise for the restaurant’s elevated Australian cooking.
- Walk-in friendly bar for casual weekend visits.
- AUD 55 six-course lunch offers high-value access to the kitchen’s range.
- 100-bottle wine list with a distinct organic and regenerative focus.
What to weigh
- Lunch is only served Friday–Saturday (or Friday–Sunday per the events pack).
- Bar hours are limited to Friday–Saturday from 15:00.
- Reservations are recommended for the restaurant, limiting spontaneity for dinner.
- Menu and prices are sourced from 2024–2026 materials; seasonal changes are likely.
Best for…
- Set-menu diners: The six-course lunch at AUD 55 provides the strongest entry point to the chef’s style.
- Weekend lunchers: Lunch is concentrated on Friday to Sunday, making it a dedicated weekend destination.
- Walk-in bar visitors: The bar is a Friday–Saturday walk-in only affair, ideal for a low-commitment visit.
- Modern Australian cuisine fans: The menu’s focus on ethically sourced local produce and progressive techniques aligns closely with this preference.
White Horse Surry Hills booking
Do you need a reservation?
The official site states: ‘Walk ins are welcome however bookings are recommended to avoid disappointment.’ For the restaurant, booking is the advised route. The bar remains walk-in friendly on its operating days (The White Horse official contact page).
“Walk ins are welcome however bookings are recommended to avoid disappointment.”
— The White Horse official website
Bar hours and walk-ins
The public bar opens Friday and Saturday from 15:00. Unlike the restaurant, the bar does not take reservations and access is on a first-come, first-served basis. This makes the bar the more flexible option for a spontaneous weekend drink but restricts midweek bar access entirely.
Best windows for dinner and lunch
Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 17:30. Lunch runs Friday through Saturday from 12:00 to 15:00, with an all-day Sunday service from 12:00 to 21:00 (last booking 19:30). The dinner service has six operating days per week, while lunch covers three. A weekend visit offers the widest range: you can combine the Friday or Saturday lunch set menu with bar access afterward.
The practical takeaway: Your visit strategy depends on the day. Weekend lunch combines the value set menu with bar access; weekday visits are limited to restaurant dinner.
Which format of the White Horse fits your visit?
| Experience | Service window | Reservations | Reviewer signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant dinner | Tue–Sat from 17:30 | Recommended | Strongest (SMH, TripAdvisor) |
| Restaurant lunch | Fri–Sat 12:00–15:00 | Recommended | Strong (Sydney Travel Guide, Reddit) |
| Public bar | Fri–Sat from 15:00 | Walk-in only | Limited |
| Outdoor terrace | Depends on weather and events | Walk-in / event | Not formally reviewed |
Our pick: Restaurant dinner experience
The restaurant dinner service, particularly the set menu, generates the most consistent and critically strong signals. For a first visit that captures the full ambition of the White Horse, booking a dinner service is the most reliable path.
Frequently asked questions about the White Horse Surry Hills
What is the White Horse Surry Hills?
The White Horse Surry Hills is a three-storey public hotel at 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, housing a restaurant, a public bar, and an outdoor terrace.
What type of cuisine does the White Horse Surry Hills serve?
The venue describes its food as a creative, progressive menu based on ethically sourced Australian produce. The Sydney Morning Herald calls it a ‘highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining chops’.
What is the standout dish at the White Horse Surry Hills?
Critics and customers frequently name the sourdough with fermented honey butter and the marron with sweetcorn and iceplant, priced at AUD 58 in the Sydney Morning Herald review.
Does the White Horse Surry Hills have an outdoor terrace?
Yes, the official White Horse website lists an outdoor terrace as one of the three main spaces within the venue, alongside the restaurant and public bar.
What do Sydney food locals say about the White Horse Surry Hills?
On Reddit, one diner described the food as ‘elevated Australian modern cuisine done with flair and executed well’. TripAdvisor reviewers describe the vibe as ‘relaxed yet sophisticated’.
What is the White Horse Surry Hills’ official tagline?
The official website brands the venue as ‘your new old local pub from the future’.
Is the White Horse Surry Hills the best restaurant in Surry Hills?
Designations of ‘best’ are subjective, but the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food review called it ‘the pub’s most delicious iteration yet’, and its customer-review signals are among the strongest in the area for its category.