Surry Hills Transforms as Independent Cafes and Studios Fill Former Warehouses

Twelve new food and drink businesses opened in Surry Hills between January and June this year, according to City of Sydney licensing records.

The suburb sits between Central Station and Moore Park, a location that has drawn operators priced out of nearby Darlinghurst. Property data from Domain shows median commercial rents on side streets off Crown Street rose 8 percent in the past 18 months while foot traffic along those lanes increased after two new office buildings on Elizabeth Street reached full occupancy in late 2025.

One example is the former printworks at 45 Holt Street, now home to the Common Ground cafe that opened in March. Two blocks away on Devonshire Street, the old warehouse at number 82 now houses the Surry Hills Print Studio, which runs weekday classes for local residents and hosts a monthly market on the first Saturday.

Retail mix shifts toward smaller operators

The City of Sydney counted 245 active food and beverage licences in postcode 2010 this financial year, up from 180 in 2023. The same report notes that 34 percent of those licences belong to businesses with fewer than five staff, a higher share than recorded in any other inner-city postcode.

Operators cite the short walk from Central Station and the presence of the Surry Hills Library on Crown Street as steady sources of daytime customers. Evening trade has grown since the reopening of the renovated Dolphin Hotel on the same street in April, which added 120 seats across its courtyard and upstairs bar.

Practical steps for visitors

Early arrivals can park at the Wilson car park on Chalmers Street for $12 on weekdays before 10am. The Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre on Raglan Street posts a weekly list of new openings on its noticeboard each Monday. Walkers heading south from Central can reach both Crown Street and Devonshire Street in under ten minutes via the pedestrian laneway beside the Paramount building.