Few venues in Surry Hills carry a history as layered as the White Horse. Built in the 1930s as a working-class hotel, it reopened in April 2024 after a multimillion-dollar overhaul that traded a sticky-floored pub for a chef-led restaurant and terrace bar. This article unpacks that transformation, what the current iteration offers, and how it fits into Sydney’s competitive gastropub scene.
Last checked: 2026-10-20
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Name: The White Horse · Location: Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney · Cuisine: Pub, Australian, Gastropub · Meals: Lunch, Dinner · Recent Renovation: Completed in 2024, costing $6 million
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-10-20.
Sources reviewed: official venue website and events pack, Sydney.com tourism listing, Sydney Morning Herald / Good Food review, Time Out Sydney review, Broadsheet coverage, Wikipedia historical entry, TripAdvisor user reviews, Yelp user reviews.
No on-site visit, no staff interview, and no primary menu data were obtained for this article.
Snapshot: The White Horse in 2024
- Restaurant on ground floor, public bar upstairs, open-air terrace (Time Out Sydney)
- Modern Australian, ethically sourced produce, native ingredients (Time Out Sydney)
- Hospitality operator Craig Hemmings; executive chef Jed Gerrard (SMH / Good Food)
- Multimillion-dollar renovation by Farago Han Studio (Time Out Sydney)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | The White Horse |
| Location | 381 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney (official site) |
| Cuisine | Modern Australian, Pub, Gastropub (Time Out Sydney) |
| Meals | Lunch (Fri–Sun), Dinner (Wed–Sun) (official events pack) |
| Recent Renovation | Completed April 2024 (SMH / Good Food) |
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | The White Horse (formerly White Horse Hotel) |
| Address | 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 (official site) |
| Executive Chef | Jed Gerrard (ex-Tetsuya’s, Bilson’s) (Time Out Sydney) |
| Operator | Craig Hemmings (SMH / Good Food) |
| Interior Design | Farago Han Studio (Time Out Sydney) |
| Lunch hours | Fri–Sun, from midday (official events pack) |
| Dinner hours | Wed–Sun, from 5:30 pm (official events pack) |
| Venue features | Ground-floor restaurant, upstairs public bar, open-air terrace, rooftop space, private function facilities (official events pack) |
Why is White Horse Tavern famous?
From Blue-Collar Pub to Fine-Dining Destination
The White Horse’s reputation rests on its stark reinvention. Once a noted hangout for bikers and police officers, it cycled through formats as a piano bar, brasserie, and live-music venue before its latest iteration (SMH / Good Food). As Besha Rodell of the Sydney Morning Herald noted, the 2024 version is “the pub’s most delicious iteration yet”. The retention of the rooftop silver stallion—installed in 2004 and briefly contested by the City of Sydney as potential advertising—anchors a narrative of continuity amid radical change (Wikipedia). The current operator, hospitality veteran Craig Hemmings, along with executive chef Jed Gerrard, have positioned the venue as a destination for modern Australian dining backed by a reported multimillion-dollar investment.
“The new-look White Horse was described as the pub’s most delicious iteration yet.”
— Besha Rodell, restaurant critic, Sydney Morning Herald / Good Food
What is a must eat in Sydney?
What to Order at The White Horse
The menu under executive chef Jed Gerrard centres on modern Australian cooking with an emphasis on ethically sourced produce and native ingredients (Time Out Sydney). At launch, Broadsheet reported that dishes such as smoked Ora King salmon and dry-aged Aylesbury duck were priced below A$50. The wine list contains around 120 bottles, with many priced under A$80 (Broadsheet). This places the restaurant in an accessible bracket compared with Sydney’s fine-dining tasting menus. Time Out’s review praised the value relative to the food’s technical ambition while noting the venue’s “affordable luxury” positioning.
White horse surry hills history
A Landmark Since the 1930s
Constructed in the 1930s, the White Horse Hotel originally served a working-class Surry Hills (SMH / Good Food). Over the decades it operated as a piano bar, brasserie, and live-music venue, alongside its reputation as a hangout for bikers and police officers (SMH / Good Food). A 2004 refurbishment added a new bar and brasserie, and saw the installation of the rooftop silver stallion (Wikipedia). According to the venue’s Wikipedia entry, the sculpture was created by Scottish artist Andy Scott, shipped in sections from Scotland, and assembled on site. The City of Sydney initially questioned whether the horse constituted art or outdoor advertising.
The 2024 Revamp
The hotel was purchased by Precision Group in 2005 for a reported A$7.5 million (Wikipedia). A further refresh in 2014 touched the lounge, restaurant, function room, and rooftop (Wikipedia). The most dramatic change came in early 2023, when Craig Hemmings took over the lease and assembled a team to execute a full-scale overhaul (SMH / Good Food). The venue reopened in April 2024 after a multimillion-dollar renovation by Farago Han Studio, which created the current ground-floor restaurant and upstairs terrace bar (Time Out Sydney).
Timeline
- 1930s: White Horse Hotel constructed. (SMH)
- 2004: Refurbishment; rooftop silver stallion installed. (Wikipedia)
- 2005: Precision Group purchase. (Wikipedia)
- 2014: Further refurbishment of lounge, restaurant, rooftop. (Wikipedia)
- 2023: Craig Hemmings takeover. (SMH)
- April 2024: Multimillion-dollar renovation completed, venue reopens. (Time Out Sydney)
What is the number one restaurant in Sydney?
Where The White Horse Sits in Sydney’s Culinary Scene
Rather than declaring a single “number one”, Sydney’s dining landscape operates in several tiers of ambition, and the White Horse occupies a specific niche. Good Food critic Besha Rodell described it as a “highly tuned pub-restaurant with fine-dining chops”, emphasising that the food quality punches above the venue’s casual classification. It competes with other refined gastropubs in the inner city, offering technical polish without the four-figure tasting bills of the harbour-side establishments. Time Out’s review concluded that the venue “is not really a pub anymore”, a sign of how far the kitchen and design have departed from the original concept.
White horse surry hills reviews
What the Critics Say
Early critical reception has been broadly positive. Besha Rodell’s review for the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food section gave the venue a strong appraisal, praising the food and the renovation. Time Out Sydney praised the interior design by Farago Han Studio and the accessible pricing. Broadsheet’s coverage focused on the operational format, detailing the ground-floor restaurant and the upstairs terrace bar. User-generated platforms such as TripAdvisor and Yelp have limited samples for the reinvented venue as of mid-2024, and one TripAdvisor listing for the earlier business is marked “closed”, so future reviews will provide a more complete picture of public reception.
“The venue was described as not really a pub anymore after its renovation.”
— Time Out Sydney reviewer
Pricing Overview
- Main dishes: below A$50 at launch (Broadsheet)
- Wine list: approximately 120 bottles, many under A$80 (Broadsheet)
- Estimated meal for two: approximately A$180 excluding drinks (SMH estimate)
Best For
- Foodies seeking a refined pub dining experience
- Couples looking for a stylish bar with cocktails
- History enthusiasts interested in a landmark venue
Location
381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 (official site). A short walk from Central Station and bus routes along Crown and Oxford streets.
Alternatives
- Strawberry Hills Hotel — A more traditional Surry Hills pub with live music.
- The Eveleigh Hotel — A Redfern venue with a similar bistro-style menu.
Our Pick
The White Horse is our recommendation for food-focused travelers, pub enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a quality meal in a pub setting without sacrificing culinary ambition. It bridges the gap between casual dining and fine dining, making it suitable for a special dinner or a refined night out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price range at The White Horse?
Main dishes are priced below A$50, and a meal for two is estimated at approximately A$180 excluding drinks.
Where is The White Horse located?
381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney.
What type of food is served?
Modern Australian cuisine with ethically sourced produce and native ingredients.
When was the most recent renovation?
The venue reopened in April 2024 after a multimillion-dollar overhaul.
What are the opening hours?
Official material lists lunch Friday to Sunday from midday, dinner Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 pm (official events pack).
Does The White Horse offer a set menu?
No set menu is listed in the official sources reviewed, which instead highlight an à la carte menu featuring dishes like smoked Ora King salmon and dry-aged Aylesbury duck.
Who reviewed The White Horse in a major publication?
Besha Rodell reviewed the venue for the Sydney Morning Herald / Good Food in May 2024. Time Out Sydney and Broadsheet also published reviews following the April 2024 reopening.