Golden Age Cinema & Bar, Surry HillsCredit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a night out at the Golden Age Cinema & Bar, Surry Hills.
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Surry Hills, on the fringe of the Sydney’s city centre, might feature Netflix-famous chefs and vintage stores that are celebrity hangouts, but it has low-key charms, too. There’s a cosy boutique hotel that you can book out entirely, enough specialty coffee bars to jolt you out of your mid-week slump and countless market stalls that could be hiding your next favourite fashion find.
Check in
There are many reasons to stay at Paramount House Hotel. The design-driven boutique hotel sits in the former Paramount Picture Studios building and has modern, stylish rooms full of character — expect a Peanuts-inspired print on the wall, rather than anonymous corporate art. The hotel shares its location with Paramount Coffee Project (which means you can order room service from this excellent café), the old Hollywood-esque Golden Age Cinema & Bar (so you can pop in for a well-curated movie screening) and the Paramount Recreation Club (head to this rooftop fitness complex to give your day an energising start).
For something different, there’s Little Albion, where no room is the same. This century-old former convent has been updated into a pet-friendly, cosy space that’s filled with a colourful art collection. You can book a snug room for a solo traveller or, for a grand occasion, reserve the entire guesthouse.
Eat
Chin Chin is known for its queues and immense popularity — one guest once made a group booking nearly a whole year in advance, just to guarantee a table. The restaurant’s bright neon-pink bunny entrance is as attention-seeking as its big Thai-inspired flavours and inventive cocktails. Don’t miss weekend yum cha, where chicken dumplings with sriracha and mango custard buns are available.
Another Surry Hills standout is Firedoor, where Lennox Hastie cooks everything over wood fire — even the butter (the smoky spread is memorably served with toasted rye and Pioik Bakery bread). The local star of the Chef’s Table: BBQ series on Netflix is known for his steak, which is aged for around 200 days, and a changing five-course menu that reflects what’s fresh and available from his artisan producers.
Porteño’s award-winning chefs, Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate, also achieve impressive results with smoke and char. Their menu has an Argentinean barbecue focus and includes skirt steak with salsa asada and chimichurri. Recent additions to the Porteño Group's Surry Hills offerings also include Humble Bakery with their nostalgic bakery classics and sandwiches, as well as Bastardo, an Italian restaurant with an old-school vibe.
For the rustic flavours of Italy, head to Pasta Emilia for pumpkin and ricotta tortelli with truffle cream sauce and strozzapreti with organic slow-cooked beef ragú.
Paramount Recreation Club, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
At Paramount House Hotel, you can start your morning with a rooftop workout session.
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Paramount Recreation Club, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
At Paramount House Hotel, you can start your morning with a rooftop workout session.
Pasta Emilia, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
Exterior view of Pasta Emilia Italian restaurant on the corner of Riley and Reservoir Street, Surry Hills.
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Pasta Emilia, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
Exterior view of Pasta Emilia Italian restaurant on the corner of Riley and Reservoir Street, Surry Hills.
Shop vintage
Add some retro flair to your wardrobe — and home — at Zoo Emporium, which promises “two floors of vintage fun” inside. Here, you might score an Anthea Crawford licorice-striped dress with 1980s belt, some glamorous 1970s satin flares or classic mid-century shadow boxes for your wall. The team here has a good eye for a vintage find and has been seeking out gems for three decades now.
At Storeroom Vintage, there’s a classic tee for every taste: from Beatles to Harley Davidson shirts. After an old embroidered Ralph Lauren jumper? Chances are you’ll find it here, too. The store’s wide-ranging collection is as diverse as its fan base (which includes celebrities like A$AP Rocky and Halsey).
For more bargain-filled racks, head to Surry Hills Vintage Market, held on the first Saturday of the month, for more than 60 stalls worth browsing.
Find the best coffee
Looking for a caffeine fix? Reuben Hills features its own micro roaster and offers a menu inspired by the team’s coffee-sourcing trips in Central and South America, from chicken tortas to breakfast burritos. Sister café Paramount Coffee Project is also serious about its brews — its espresso of the day might be Everyday Coffee’s fruity Aricha single origin from Ethiopia, while the batch brew might be Wood and Co’s José Quintero filter coffee from Colombia.
Single O offers limited-edition specials, such as the $20 cup of Rumudamo Ethiopia, its price tag reflecting its scarcity and high ranking in the Cup of Excellence program.
For more specialty options, you’ll want to power up at Sample Coffee, Reformatory Caffeine Lab and Artificer, where knowledgeable baristas (like the award-winning Dan Yee, pictured) can talk you through the carefully sourced beans on offer.
Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of shopping at Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills
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Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of shopping at Zoo Emporium, Surry Hills
Artificer Coffee, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying a morning coffee from Artificer Coffee in Surry Hills.
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Artificer Coffee, Surry Hills Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying a morning coffee from Artificer Coffee in Surry Hills.
More Inspirational Stories
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.