0°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
2 May 2025
The Crows Nest Hotel in Sydney’s north has completed a $1.6 million internal refurbishment, debuting a new dining room and upgraded entertainment spaces as part of a broader repositioning strategy that retains its late-night music offering while expanding into elevated food service.
The renovations, which began in late 2024, included the conversion of the former One Willoughby events space into a new public bar with screens for live sport, and the establishment of the venue’s first dedicated dining room. The Lounge Bar has been rebranded as the Main Bar and now hosts a large stage and screen for regular live music events, trivia and drag bingo. The Rooftop area has also been redesigned to accommodate daytime and evening patrons with a dining zone and DJ booth.
Venue manager Bronte Williams said the aim was to maintain the hotel’s identity as a late-night venue while offering more for daytime patrons. “We are still continuing that legacy of nightlife where you can dance until 6am but also making it a spot for a great pub feed any day of the week,” she said.
The redesign was undertaken by pub and hospitality specialists Cayas + Ward Architects, with Sydney-based Paul Kelly Design responsible for the new Gaming Room. Cayas + Ward has previously worked on other venues within the group including the Newmarket Hotel, The Forest Hotel and Brisbane’s Manly Hotel.
A new food menu has been introduced, featuring pub staples alongside Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Head chef Nathaniel Madrangca, formerly of Kirribilli Hotel and Rey’s Place, leads the kitchen team, supported by sous chefs Claudette Cabaron and Pablo Martinez. Menu highlights include a whole slow-cooked lamb shoulder for sharing, souvlaki plates, and a steak sandwich with salsa verde. Produce is sourced locally, including seafood from Poulos Bros and meat from Andrews Meats Industries.
Weekly promotions such as $18 schnitzels on Tuesdays and 50c wings on Thursdays will continue. The cocktail list features variants such as a burnt pineapple and jalapeño margarita, while the wine list has been expanded to include pet nats and chilled reds. The drinks program was developed by ALH’s national destination venue lead Troy Landers and assistant manager Asher Hagan.
The Crows Nest Hotel will maintain its live music credentials with Friday and Saturday night DJ and band performances across its Main Bar and Rooftop areas.
The venue, known colloquially as “The Crowie,” remains open daily until late and is located at 1 Willoughby Road. It is operated by the Endeavour Group’s ALH Hotels division.