The White Horse on Crown Street in Surry Hills has been repositioned as one of Sydney’s most discussed dining destinations after a $6 million renovation that concluded in April 2024. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food documented the transformation, which saw the 1930s pub comprehensively reimagined as a design-led gastropub. This review examines the history of the venue, the details of its latest makeover, and what it means for the current pub landscape in Surry Hills.
Last checked: 2026-10-21
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Name: The White Horse · Address: 381 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney · Cuisine: Pub, Australian, Gastropub · Reopened: April 2024 after $6m renovation
How we wrote this review
Last checked: 2026-10-21.
Sources reviewed: official venue events pack and furniture case study, independent journalism, neutral review platform, and government tourism website.
Limitations: We did not conduct an on-site visit, interview staff, or independently verify menu pricing beyond publicly listed ranges. Historical claims about the 2004 renovation and earlier ownership rely on a secondary encyclopedic summary.
White Horse Surry Hills: snapshot
- 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales 2010 (official events pack)
- Interior design by Farago Han Studio (Time Out Sydney); reopened April 2024 after a ~$6 million renovation.
- Kitchen led by chef Jed Gerrard, with Jun Hwang also named in venue coverage (Destination NSW).
- Ground-floor restaurant, upstairs public bar, rooftop terrace, and private function room.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | The White Horse |
| Address | 381 Crown St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 |
| Cuisine | Pub, Australian, Gastropub |
| Reopened | April 2024 after $6m renovation |
| Opening hours | Dinner: Wed–Sun from 5:30pm; Lunch: Fri–Sun from 12pm |
| Price range | $$ to $$$ |
| Year originally built | 1930s |
| Head chef | Jed Gerrard |
| Interior designer | Farago Han Studio |
Why is White Horse Tavern famous?
The $6 million renovation is the obvious headline. Directed by hospitality veteran Craig Hemmings, the project fundamentally rewired the venue. According to a detailed renovation report, the entire ground-floor layout was gutted: the traditional public bar shifted upstairs, and the ground level became a dedicated restaurant space. The interior design was handled by Farago Han Studio.
“There’s nothing left except the horse.”
— Craig Hemmings, White Horse director
The rooftop stallion is the only element that survived the redevelopment intact. “There’s nothing left except the horse,” Hemmings said. The silver sculpture, reportedly installed during a 2004 refurbishment and attributed to Scottish artist Andy Scott in a historical summary, remains a fixed landmark on the Surry Hills skyline.
The result is a venue that deliberately blurs the boundary between pub and fine-dining restaurant. The design team drew inspiration from local sandstone bedrock, using reclaimed French oak tables, neutral tones, and a mix of Danish and Australian chairs. The mood is relaxed but unmistakably polished.
The trade-off: Surry Hills’ landmark has traded its neighbourhood pub identity for a finely tuned dining room, retaining its iconic rooftop horse but transforming its ground-floor experience.
Who owns the White Horse Hotel in Surry Hills?
Hospitality veteran Craig Hemmings led the latest redevelopment alongside silent partners, according to The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food. The kitchen is led by chef Jed Gerrard, whose previous posts include Bilson’s, Tetsuya’s and Black by Ezard. Jun Hwang is also identified as a key figure in the current kitchen. The drinks program is run by consultants James Audas and Michael Chiem, both named in coverage of the reopening.
The cuisine is listed as modern Australian, with an emphasis on progressive, produce-driven cooking.
Previous ownership records are less detailed. A historical summary notes that Precision Group acquired the hotel in 2005 for a reported $7.5 million.
The pattern: each chapter of the White Horse has been steered by a different hospitality team, and the current lineup — including Gerrard, Audas and Chiem — is the most credentialed yet.
White Horse Surry Hills history
The building was constructed in the 1930s, when Surry Hills was a working-class industrial suburb. It has undergone at least five significant identity shifts since then, as documented by historical sources.
1930s
Construction of the hotel on Crown Street. The suburb is a working-class, industrial area.
2004
Major refurbishment adds a bar and brasserie. A silver stallion sculpture is installed on the rooftop. The sculpture is reportedly the work of Scottish artist Andy Scott, though this attribution relies on a single secondary source.
2005
Precision Group is reported to have purchased the hotel for $7.5 million.
2014
According to a historical summary, refurbishment updates covered lounge areas, the restaurant, a function room, and the rooftop terrace and garden.
2017
The venue is temporarily rebranded as “The Horse”. Interior is lightened and artwork by Sindy Sinn is added, including a mural in an upstairs area called the Schooey Forest. Licensee Justin Surplice tells Australian Bartender the team focused on creating a relaxing ambience through lighting.
Late 2023
Craig Hemmings and partners begin the latest redevelopment.
April 2024
The venue reopens as The White Horse after a ~$6 million renovation. Ground floor is now a restaurant; public bar moves upstairs.
What this means: the pub’s evolution tracks Surry Hills’ own shift from a working-class area to a cosmopolitan hub. It has rarely stayed the same for more than a decade.
White Horse Surry Hills reviews
Professional reviews of the 2024 reopening have been broadly positive. Good Food’s Michael Harry described the venue as the pub’s “most delicious iteration yet” and characterised its identity as a highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining capabilities.
“The White Horse’s public identity has shifted from conventional neighbourhood pub toward fine-dining-led hospitality.”
— Michael Harry
The food, dining room, and pricing were praised, noting that the venue offers good value relative to the quality. The review explicitly stated that the venue no longer fits a conventional pub definition because of its restaurant-led transformation.
User reviews are limited. On TripAdvisor, the venue holds a 4.6 out of 5 rating from nine reviews. Those reviews describe attentive service, renovated decor, and carefully executed dishes. Social media buzz, particularly on Instagram, has centred on the $55 set menu and the cocktail program.
The bottom line: professional reviewers are largely unanimous in praising the 2024 overhaul, but the pool of user reviews remains too small to draw firm conclusions about ongoing consistency.
Is Surry Hills a rich suburb?
Surry Hills has transformed from a blue-collar, working-class neighbourhood into one of the more expensive postcodes in inner Sydney. The historic context of the White Horse — originally serving a local factory and warehouse workforce — is directly relevant to its latest reinvention.
While Surry Hills is not among the top five richest suburbs in Sydney by median income, its real estate prices and cost of living place it firmly in the upper bracket of the city’s inner suburbs. The gentrification that has reshaped the area over the past two decades explains much of the logic behind the White Horse’s current fine-dining positioning: a venue that once served beer to dockworkers and factory hands is now catering to design-conscious, higher-spending residents and visitors.
The implication: the pub’s reinvention mirrors the suburb’s demographic shift. A venue that once served factory workers now caters to design-conscious diners.
Pros and Cons of The White Horse Surry Hills
Pros
- Design-led transformation with high-quality interior fit-out by Farago Han Studio.
- Strong culinary credentials from experienced chefs.
- Historic architectural charm retained alongside the rooftop horse landmark.
- Good value is noted relative to the price-quality ratio by professional reviewers.
Cons
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- The ground-floor restaurant takes precedence over the traditional public bar experience.
- Limited user review sample size makes it difficult to assess consistency.
- Approximately two million dollars of the renovation budget was spent on compliance and building code upgrades, not guest-facing amenities.
Pricing and value
The venue occupies the $$ to $$$ price bracket on TripAdvisor, which aligns with its gastropub positioning. A $55 set menu provides a practical entry point for diners looking to sample the kitchen without committing to full a la carte. The drinks program, developed by James Audas and Michael Chiem, supports the mid-to-premium price positioning.
Location and how to get there
The White Horse is located at 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, within a 10-minute walk of Central Station. The suburb is well served by buses along Crown, Elizabeth and Oxford streets.
Where to go on a Monday night in Sydney?
The White Horse is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For visitors exploring Surry Hills on a Monday, nearby options include the Strawberry Hills Hotel on Elizabeth Street, which offers a different pub atmosphere and operates more flexible hours. The Eveleigh Hotel in nearby Redfern is another well-regarded alternative for drinks and a meal on quieter nights.
Our recommendation
The White Horse’s current chapter is best suited to pub enthusiasts and foodies seeking a refined, design-led evening without the pretense of a formal restaurant. History buffs will appreciate the retained architectural cues, but Monday night explorers should plan around its schedule. For high-end pub dining in a heritage shell, the White Horse is a strong candidate in the current Surry Hills lineup.
Frequently asked questions
What is the address of the White Horse Surry Hills?
381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales 2010, Australia.
What are the opening hours?
Wednesday to Sunday, dinner from 5:30pm to late. Lunch service runs Friday to Sunday from 12pm.
What type of cuisine does the White Horse serve?
The menu is positioned as modern Australian pub fare with gastropub and fine-dining influences. The kitchen is led by chef Jed Gerrard.
Is the White Horse suitable for a Monday night visit?
No, the venue is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Nearby alternatives include the Strawberry Hills Hotel and The Eveleigh Hotel.
How much did the recent renovation cost?
The 2024 renovation cost $6 million, with a reported two million dollars attributed to compliance and building code upgrades.
Does the White Horse have a set menu?
Yes, a $55 set menu is available, offering an accessible entry point to the venue’s current dining approach.
What is the price range?
The White Horse falls into the $$ to $$$ range, reflecting its gastropub positioning in the Sydney market.
When was the White Horse originally built?
The building was constructed in the 1930s.