Surry Hills is one of Sydney’s most charming inner city neighbourhoods, and a perfect area for visitors to Sydney. The hilly backstreets are dotted with independent cafes, wine bars and boutiques, nestled amongst gorgeous heritage terrace houses. Central Station makes it easy to get around Sydney, and it’s only a few Metro stops from Circular Quay. 

After staying in Surry Hills on my most recent trip to Sydney, it’s now one of  my favourite neighbourhoods in the city! 

I’ve written this Surry Hills Guide to help you find the best of the neighbourhood – especially as some of the best finds are tucked away!

Is Surry Hills a good area to stay in Sydney?

In short, yes! Surry Hills is an excellent area to stay in Sydney for visitors, because it is super close to the city, while having a lot more character and charm than the CBD (downtown). Surrey Hills is close to Central Station, and it was easy to get into the city or Circular Quay in just a few stops on the Metro.

Hotels in Surry Hills

On my most recent trip to Sydney, we stayed at Crystalbrook Albion, which is a stylish boutique hotel tucked away in the backstreets of Surry Hills. The rooms are comfortable, they put out complimentary fruit & pastries for breakfast every morning, and it’s a short walk to Central Station, and to Crown Street. 

• Crystalbrook Albion $$$ – Where I stayed on my most recent trip, I loved the rooms & the location! Would stay here again in a heartbeat.
• Paramount House Hotel $$$ – A stylish hotel, this part of the neighbourhood feels a bit more like the CBD, but very close to Chin Chin and Parami onigiri cafe (see below!)
• Ace Hotel $$$ – The first Australian outpost of the stylish US hotel chain, technically it’s located in the CBD / “Sydney” but one block from Surry Hills

Restaurants & Bars in Surry Hills

The Winery

The Winery is a Surry Hills institution, perfect for dinner or drinks – and with more than 30 wines available by the glass! On a girls weekend in Sydney with my best friend, we had a lovely dinner at The Winery, which is in the heart of Crown Street and a perfect start to the evening. It’s also very popular for its bottomless brunch. I work for the company that operates The Winery, but I can genuinely recommend it as one of my favourite spots in the neighbourhood.

Armorica Grande Brasserie

Armorica is a beautiful French brasserie, on Crown St in Surry Hills. It’s got Balthazar-vibes, and inspired by La Coupole in Paris. We had dinner here on my most recent Sydney trip, and it was the perfect post-Sydney Marathon feast for Dave! Think steak frites, excellent sides and a killer wine list. They also have some great non alcoholic options, I had the non-alc margarita which was excellent.

Bills

Bills is a Sydney institution best known for brunch, however it’s also a great spot for dinner. The Surry Hills outpost has warm, stylish interiors and a great, all-rounder sort of menu. We went for dinner the night before the marathon, with David’s parents, and there was something for everyone. I had the tomato & zucchini orecchiette, which was very good!

Lokal Wine

I wasn’t drinking on my most recent trip to Sydney, but if I had been after a glass of wine, Lokal Wine would have been the spot! I spotted it in the backstreets of Surry Hills and it looks like the perfect neighbourhood wine bar. I’ve bookmarked it for my next trip to Sydney.

Don’t Tell Aunty

Don’t Tell Aunty is another Surry Hills spot that I discovered in the backstreets, but did not have time on the most recent trip to try, but wanted to mention because it looks so cute! Flamboyant, fun interiors and Indian cuisine with a twist (hence the name), I’m keen to try this one next time I’m in town.

Cafes & Bakeries in Surry Hills

Parami

Parami is an onigiri cafe, and the first of its kind that I’ve seen in Australia! Onigiri are triangle-shaped Japanese rice balls, filled with a variety of fillings such as tuna, salmon, greens, pickles, teriyaki chicken, salt plum, etc. We were absolutely obsessed with onigiri when we were in Japan, so I was super excited when I saw this tip on Dressed Down, and realised it was only a short walk from our hotel! They have seating, but onigiri are the perfect take away (very picnic friendly!).

Bills

I recommended Bills up above for dinner, but it would be remiss of me not to mention its breakfast potential! Bills is Sydney’s most beloved brunch spot, with locations in Surry Hills, as well as Bondi, Darlinghurst and Double Bay. Bills combines stylish interiors with fresh, produce-driven menus that combine beloved classics with fresh ideas.

Bills was founded by the late Bill Granger, a self-taught cook and food writer, who built a hospitality empire with his partner Natalie, beginning with Bills cafes in Sydney and expanding to locations in London, Japan and Korea. He wrote 14 cookbooks and hosted 5 cooking television series, earning himself an Order of Australia for services to hospitality and tourism.

Single Origin

This is a very cool cafe, with an extensive coffee menu (yes, that sort of cafe), they’ve got chic Japanese crockery and they have a sister store in Tokyo. Coffee was great. This recommendation comes with a caveat, that it took us around forty minutes to get seated, have our coffee order taken, and receive our coffees, when it wasn’t very busy (but perhaps short staffed). Everyone around us got served much much faster though, so I think we might have just been unlucky.

AP Bakery

AP Bakery is one of Sydney’s best bakeries, and can be found in the backstreets of Surry Hills. AP Bakery works directly with farmers, milling the grains into flour in-house in their Marrickville bakery, in service of baking some of Sydney’s best bread. We tried their gluten free bread at Bills, which was so good you wouldn’t know it was gluten free!

Brooklyn Boy Bagels

I didn’t get a chance to stop in here, but after a very long wait for a coffee at Single Origin I wished I had. Brooklyn Boy Bagels is a super cute bagel shop in Surry Hills that does coffee as well. 

Things to do in Surry Hills

Crown Street

Crown Street is the heart of Surry Hills, so a stroll is essential for getting to know the neighbourhood. You’ll find pubs, bars, and restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, and because it’s Australia, a proliferation of ice cream shops, including a Gelato Messina and a Yo-Chi (both faves of mine).

Golden Age Cinema & Bar

A super cute cinema & bar, with tables spilling out onto the streets. It’s unlikely I’d have time for a film when travelling, but it looks like a very chic spot for a drink, film or no film.

Further Reading

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