Surry Hills

Sydney's restaurant-and-cafe engine room: Crown and Bourke Streets are lined with Good Food Guide names (Porteno, Firedoor, Nomad), legendary bakeries, and small bars in converted terraces and warehouses. Ten minutes' walk from Central Station. If you eat one dinner out in Sydney, odds are a local sends you here — book ahead.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book restaurants in Surry Hills?

For the big names, yes — a week or more ahead for weekend dinner. The good news is the density: if you strike out, there's a wine bar or bistro with walk-in space within two blocks, especially on Crown Street.

Is Surry Hills expensive?

Mid-range with splurge options. Cafe brunch runs standard Sydney prices, the famous restaurants are a proper night out, but the bakeries, banh mi shops, and old-school pubs keep a cheap-and-cheerful layer alive.

Why is Surry Hills famous for food?

It's had thirty years as the launchpad for Sydney's restaurant scene — a dense cluster of hatted restaurants, wine bars, and cafes in a walkable grid of Victorian terraces. Porteno, Firedoor, Nomad, and Bourke Street Bakery all call it home.

Is Surry Hills good for bars?

Excellent — it was ground zero for Sydney's small-bar movement, and hidden rooms and rooftop pubs are everywhere between Crown Street and the Hollywood Quarter around Foster Street. Start early on weekends; the good rooms fill by 8pm.

Surry Hills or Paddington for a wander?

Paddington is prettier; Surry Hills is livelier and tastier. If your priority is architecture and galleries, go Paddington; if it's meals, coffee, and bars, Surry Hills — they're adjacent, so a long afternoon can cover both via Oxford Street.

How do I get to Surry Hills?

Walk 5-10 minutes from Central Station's Chalmers Street exit, or take the L2/L3 light rail one stop to Surry Hills station on Devonshire Street. It's one of the easiest neighbourhoods in Sydney to reach.

What's the best cafe in Surry Hills?

Fighting words. Bills (of ricotta-hotcake fame) is the international icon, Bourke Street Bakery's original corner store still draws queues for sourdough and ginger brulee tarts, and single-origin specialists dot every second corner. You genuinely can't go far wrong.

What's there to do besides eat and drink?

Browse the design and vintage shops on Crown Street, catch a play at Belvoir St Theatre — one of Australia's most important stages — and just walk the terrace-lined backstreets. But be honest with yourself: you're here to eat.

Nearby in Ask Sydney

• NourRestaurant0.28 km · 3 min walk
• Bourke Street Bakery (Surry Hills)Café0.53 km · 7 min walk
• Tio's CerveceriaBar0.71 km · 9 min walk
• Three WilliamsCafé0.73 km · 9 min walk
• Chat Thai (Haymarket)Restaurant0.84 km · 11 min walk