In partnership with Concrete Playground, we’re celebrating what makes Surry Hills such a vibrant community to live in and visit: its local businesses. It’s been a tough year, and these bars, restaurants, shops and cultural spaces need your patronage more than ever. It’s time to hit the streets, spend consciously, and throw your support behind these local gems.
Image (above): Surry Hills Library; Leticia Almeida
DAY
HOW TO DO SURRY HILLS
Do as the locals do by DAY
Coffee
Surry Hills is overflowing with great coffee spots. Whether you're a cold drip drinker or a skim cap sipper, the cafe scene has your caffeine fix sorted. Here's where to start.
- Reuben Hills: A cafe that encapsulates the slick inner city vibe of Surry Hills with its seriously good coffee roasts.
- Single O Surry Hills: This Surry Hills coffee stalwart now has self-serve filter on tap.
- Veneziano Coffee Roasters: This coffee roaster has two decades of experience and a reputation for some top-notch beans.
- Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery: No food. Minimal seating. It's all serious coffee business here.
- Sample Coffee: What this hole-in-the-wall joint lacks in size it makes up for in coffee expertise.
Image: Reuben Hills
Cafes
Cult favourite hotcakes, diet-busting brunches and dietary requirement-friendly bites — brunch and lunchtime options abound in Surry Hills.
- Bills Surry Hills: When this Crown Street breakfast institution moved next door, it scored an updated menu and look.
- Cuckoo Callay on Crown: A second outpost for the team behind one of Newtown's busiest (and best) brunch spots.
- Shift Eatery: Sydney's first vegan deli serves up classic sambos without the meat.
- Paramount Coffee Project: Paramount to those that surround it, this Surry Hills cafe does ripper coffee and fabulous food.
- Nutie Surry Hills: An entirely gluten-free (and mostly vegan) cafe and bakery in Surry Hills.
Image: Cuckoo Callay
Leisure
With great parks, a standout pool and a next-level workout zone, Surry Hills has a slew of outdoor activities for when the sun's out — plus, plenty more for when the rain moves in.
- The Indigo Project: Where you'll find workshops, therapy, yoga and lunchtime nap classes (yes, nap classes).
- Barry's Bootcamp Surry Hills: The Los Angeles-founded workout studio brings its high-intensity workouts to Surry Hills.
- Paramount House Hotel: The hyper-local hotel in Surry Hills has 29 luxe suites, a rooftop cafe and a natural wine bar.
- Cork & Chroma Sydney: A BYO art studio — because it’s easier to be creative when you’ve had a bit to drink.
- Prince Alfred Park Pool: This inner-city pool boasts a heated 50-metre lap pool, an aquatic playground and cafe.
Image: Prince Alfred Park Pool
Shops
A mecca for luxe, bargain and window shoppers alike, Surry Hills is dotted with shops for all tastes. You can find your next read or finally commit to that ink you’ve been considering.
- Title Store: There is damn good taste to be found among these books, records and films.
- Hibernia Tattoo Studio: Get inked at this appointment-only tattoo studio in an iconic Surry Hills building.
- Vampt Vintage Design: Make your world a little bit more 'Mad Men' with the Sydney specialists in mid-century modern.
- Snog the Frog: This haven of fun, frivolity and fancy dress is hidden in a Surry Hills backstreet.
- Oscar and Friends Booksellers: Visit this independent bookshop that's small in size but vast in range.
Image: Snog the Frog
Arts and Culture
From an iconic artist’s home and studio to a ceramics studio where you can get your hands dirty, Surry Hills is a veritable design hub, offering some excellent arty experiences.
- Brett Whiteley Studio: The space in which one of Australia's most acclaimed artists produced some of his best works.
- Belvoir St Theatre: A mainstay on the Sydney theatre scene with a roster of innovative works.
- China Heights Gallery: The unique contemporary space ties art and design together.
- Golden Age Cinema and Bar: This revamped screening room and small bar brings a little old-school charm to 'going to the movies'.
- The Pottery Shed: Clear your mind and let your hands do the hard work here.
Image: Golden Age Cinema
Shop online
Can't visit the area soon enough? Do some online browsing and get gems from these Surry Hills-based businesses sent straight to you instead.
- Brix Distillers: A craft rum distillery, bottle shop and bar in Surry Hills.
- Hay Store: The sleek two-floor space specialises in contemporary Danish design.
- The Standard Store: The standard this store sets is one of smart coolness over bombastic label gauche.
- Buds & Bowers: Visit Surry Hills' always blooming florist for a stunning arrangement or new plant baby.
- Published Art Bookshop: Find some of the best-looking published material in town.
Image: The Standard Store; Cassandra Hannagan
Editor's itinerary
Here is how our editor loves to spend a few hours in Surry Hills.
- Paramount Recreation Club: An intense workout is a little more palatable when it's happening atop one of the city's best boutique hotels.
- Reuben Hills: The cafe and roaster's reputation for its coffee is well-deserved, but you can't ignore its South American-inspired food. Order the brekkie roll with LP's chorizo and horseradish mayo and thank us later.
- Nutie: Head to this bakery for vegan, gluten-free sweet treats like these fudgy cake-like doughnuts. For more dietary requirement-friendly food, check out Shift Eatery, Mark + Vinny's and Yulli's.
- The Pottery Shed: Up for getting your hands dirty? Visit this warehouse studio for wheel-throwing and glazing tutorials.
Image: Paramount Recreation
NIGHT
HOW TO DO SURRY HILLS
Do as the locals do by NIGHT
Restaurants and Pubs
The only issue when it comes to dining in Surry Hills is deciding where to go. You may never make your way through every eatery, but you should definitely start with these.
- Sang by Mabasa: Artfully plated, delicate Korean fare in a quiet corner of Surry Hills.
- Chin Chin: Sydney's first outpost of Melbourne's famed loud, punchy and queue-inviting Thai eatery.
- Arthur: The 35-seater offers a changing 11-dish menu over two sittings each night.
- Nomad: 'Nomad' appears to be a misnomer: this is one place we'd be very content to set down some roots.
- Nour: Contemporary Lebanese food with a twist.
Image: Sang by Mabasa; Trent van der jagt
Pubs and Bars
Tucked down alleyways and behind clandestine doors, some of Surry Hills' bars make you work to find them — but once you do, you'll be well rewarded.
- Dead Ringer: The Bulletin Place team reinvent Bacardi Breezers, Redskins and so many nostalgic favourites.
- Tokyo Bird: Tokyo Bird is ruling the roost with a focus on hot-right-now Japanese whisky and yakitori sticks.
- Four Pillars Laboratory: An experimental distillery, a gin shop and stunning bar by the Four Pillars crew.
- Dove & Olive: The first rule of Craft Beer Fight Club is you do not talk about Craft Beer Fight Club.
- The Dolphin Hotel: Maurice Terzini's revamped version of the pub.
Image: Four Pillars Laboratory, Gin Shop; Anson Smart
Live music
From intimate local favourite to joints where you get a go on the mic, catch some tunes and throw some shapes at these live music haunts around Surry Hills.
- Button Bar: Avast ye small bar enthusiasts. This is Button Bar. Welcome aboard.
- The Soda Factory: Venture beyond the Bobby's storefront for boozy spiders, $1 hot dogs and 50s tunes.
- Cricketers Arms Hotel: Known more intimately as the Crix, this is the kind of local that will make you want to move into the area.
- Goros: A kitsch Japanese dive bar with a late-night DJ, arcade games and three karaoke rooms.
- The Gaelic Club Sydney: A dose of Irish fun.
Image: Goros
Shops
Fashion, funky cheese or a first-rate haircut. You want it, you’ll find it — all post 5pm in Surry Hills.
- Fringe on Crown: This Surry Hills favourite specialises in extensions and balayage.
- Formaggi Ocello: Rare imports, cured meats, and cheese and wine nights — welcome to Sydney's fromage epicentre.
- Cleveland's: This former cafe-cum-barber has changed hands and gone back to basics, focusing on all things hair, all day long.
- Above the clouds store: Head to this Crown Street store for the freshest kicks and streetwear labels from around the globe.
- Crown Street Grocer: Small but mighty; this is where you'll want to do your weekly food shop.
Image: Crown St Grocer; Cassandra Hannagan
Takeaway feeds
Grabbing a quick bite after work or fuelling up before a night on the d-floor? These spots will curb your late-night cravings.
- Shwarmama: Surry Hills' hole-in-the-wall kebab shop by Ester's Mat Lindsay.
- Butter: The ridiculous palace of fried chicken, sneakers and champagne Sydney deserves.
- Pizza Fritta 180: Order calzone-like pizza frittas filled with pork cheek and burrata-topped pies from this Surry Hills restaurant dedicated to fried pizza.
- Mark + Vinny's: It's not all about neon spaghetti at this vegan-friendly restaurant.
- Bar Ume: Bourke Street's Ume has gone casual with burgers and a sizeable whisky and sake selection.
Image: Shwarmama; Kitti Gould
Concrete Playground Staff Faves
Here are our favourite haunts for when the sun goes down and the streets of Surry Hills come alive.
- Tio's Cerveceria: Surry Hills' home of tequila, cocktails and free popcorn.
- Poly: The Ester team's still-very-elegant take on a casual restaurant and wine bar.
- Don't tell Aunty: Rule-breaking curries, retro Bollywood films flickering on the walls and a self-serve beer fridge in the old 4Fourteen site.
- Yulli’s: The quintessential vegetarian experience in Surry Hills.
- Firedoor: No gas. No electricity. Only wood-coal fire and some very punchy flavours.
Image: Poly; Kitti Smallbone
Editor's itinerary
Here is how our editor loves to spend a few hours in Surry Hills.
- Four Pillars Laboratory: Pop into the sleek retail space by the award-winning Yarra Valley-based distillery to pick up a limited-edition gin.
- Poly: Is it a bar or a restaurant? Does it even matter? When the share-style plates and skin-contact drops at this space from the Ester team are this good, we think not.
- Cricketers Arms Hotel: Affectionately known as the Crix by locals, this understated watering hole offers up excellent pub grub, rock 'n' roll bingo, live music and all-round good vibes.
- Bad Hombres: Every dish at this grungy, Mexican-inspired eatery is vegan — and most are gluten free, too.
Image: Bad Hombres; Marissa Ciampi
Content provided through a content partnership. To find more guides on Sydney visit Concrete Playground.
All details are accurate as of 01 May 2021. Information may change. Check businesses websites for the most up-to-date information.
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