Sydney’s Surry Hills is set to welcome the White Horse back to the neighbourhood this Wednesday.
The venue we were all once familiar with has undergone a major transformation led by Craig Hemmings, with the space now covering a ground-floor restaurant, upstairs public bar and garden terrace, and function rooms.
“We’ve approached the White Horse with a contemporary lens, elevating the offering without the price tag,” says Hemmings.
Executive Chef Jed Gerrard has now finalised the menus for the restaurant and public bar, with the chef relying on locally sourced produce for inspiration.
“My focus is on the smart [usage] of great ingredients so our guests can enjoy dishes that deliver more than they expected,” he says.
“Ethically sourced produce forms the backbone of our menu, and native ingredients also have a strong showing.”
At the restaurant, diners are encouraged to commence their meal with pieces of roasted chicken skin with liver mousse and Davidson plum priced at $8 a pop before moving onto veal tongue French toast or Abrolhos scallops served with kohlrabi and wasabi leaf.
Larger plates include Pardoo Wagyu tri-tip with chestnut mushrooms and a mushroom sabayon; Berkshire pork jowl with sugarloaf cabbage and nashi pear; and toothfish glazed in squid ink.
For those who prefer a set menu, $75 will get you four courses.
PS40’s Michael Chiem is behind the cocktail offering and has taken cues from Gerrard’s culinary direction.
There’s a strawberry and yuzu spritz on tap, with bartenders set to shake up an Old Fashioned with white miso caramel as well as the Queen’s Gambit which combines white rum with Davidson plum, maraschino, and lime.
Lo-Fi Wines’ James Audas has put together a 100-bottle wine list that showcases producers from Australia and New Zealand as well as makers from Europe.
Guests can choose from 16 by-the-glass options or go for a bottle, with 20 selections sitting below the $80 mark.
“We will offer some more well-known names in the organic space alongside those that might be a new discovery for many,” he says.
“Some styles will be more classic drinking and others are there to challenge and thrill.”
The upstairs bar has its own menu and focuses on snacks including Jerusalem artichokes with sheep’s cheese and saltbush; toasted brioche with liver mousse; and black olive-crumbed lamb cutlets.
Cocktails at the public bar take a more tropical route, with Chiem putting together the Billionaire with Giffard rhubarb, dark rum, pomegranate, and lime and the Continental with bourbon, grapefruit juice, smoked maple, and lemon.
The venue officially launches on 17 April with the restaurant and public bar open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm.
White Horse will operate at a reduced capacity during the launch phase before full trading hours including lunch and dinner service commence later this month.