Friends enjoying a day of shopping at Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills
Surry Hills
Whether you’re looking for an organic brunch, vintage fashion find or late-night cocktail, Surry Hills has you covered. This inner Sydney urban playground is creative, fashion-forward and delicious. Explore the street-art adorned streets, and you’ll find funky boutiques, acclaimed art galleries, lively pubs and award-winning restaurants.
Things to do
Belvoir St Theatre is one of Australia’s most respected theatres, with Cate Blanchett and other stars gracing its stages. For over 30 years, this much-loved venue has engaged prominent and promising playwrights, actors and directors to offer an evocative annual artistic program.
Uncover a treasure-trove of wonderful art galleries. Visit the Brett Whiteley Studio to admire a selection of one of Australia’s most notable contemporary painters’ works. Visit M2 Gallery for a mix of artworks by painters, sculptors and photographers, while Badger and Fox Gallery showcases art across all genres and is located in a convict-built terrace house.
For shopping, browse for collectable homewares at Vampt Vintage, funky fashions at Zoo Emporium and carefully-curated books at Oscar & Friends.
Other attractions include tours of Surry Hills’ distilleries such as Brix Distillers, an urban rum producer, and gin lab Four Pillars Laboratory. Or, for something seriously unique, learn to paint while sipping on wine with Cork & Chroma.
Eat & drink
A culinary adventure awaits in Surry Hills, with some of Sydney’s best cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants found along Crown Street and in the narrow leafy backstreets. Many of which are featured in the national Good Food Guide, including Nomad, Porteno, Poly, Arthur, Nour and Firedoor.
For more casual eats, there are just as many delicious choices. Try Butter for perfectly cooked fried chicken, Bastardo for excellent Italian, The Dolphin Hotel for delicious pub fare, Spice I Am for Thai, Don’t Tell Aunty for Indian and El Loco for Mexican.
There’s also an impressive line-up of bars, pubs and live music venues to enjoy. Small bars such as Vasco, Button Bar and Tokyo Bird are popular, as is The Winery, Bartolo and Soda Factory, which offers elaborate cocktails and live performances. There’s also no shortage of a-grade pubs such as the Keg & Brew, The Beresford and Dove & Olive.
Embrace the neighbourhood's coffee culture. Single O is the go-to, but other popular spots include Reuben Hills, Sample Coffee Roasters, Artificer and Paramount Coffee Project, found in the heritage-listed Paramount Pictures building. This is where you’ll also find Golden Age Cinema & Bar in the basement of the boutique Paramount House Hotel.
Getting there
Surry Hills is a 10-min walk from Central Station, and a number of buses stop at Crown Street, Taylor Square and Riley Street. The light rail also has a stop at both Surry Hills and Central.
Highlights
Plan your trip
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