Ending decades in the wilderness, Marty Short has reopened a local institution, pivoting the old Court House Hotel to become The Redfern.
The original hotel was built 1853, before Tooths & Co constructed the current building in the 1920s. The pub operated for over 100 years, until its closure in 1990. In the ’90s it was used for retail, most recently home to a Domino’s Pizza.
W. Short Hotel Group (WSHG) bought the tired Hotel late 2016, and reopened the upstairs, former Mr Mary’s, as the quirky and retro-inspired Misfits, in 2017.
WSHG has now completed the restoration and resumed hotel trading at street level, under new moniker The Redfern.
The Redfern’s façade has been modernised with contemporary, teal-coloured tiles and ornate timber window framing. Inside is a warm and welcoming new Public Bar, displaying its heritage through exposed brickwork and timber beams, with sports on TV. Beside it is the tiled, brass and zinc Top Bar, offering a mix of low and high seating.
The Public Bar ranges over 26 beers on tap, an approachable wine selection, a selection of cocktails on tap and pub food “with a twist”.
The food menu is offered across both levels, providing an array of share snacks, pastas, burgers, and pub classics. There is an ever-changing list of chef’s specials, including a guessing-game-style ‘chef’s secret’ pasta each week, and freshly baked pie by the slice for dessert.
Upstairs, Misfits is connected to street level courtesy of internal and external stairways. It comprises multiple different but integrated spaces over split levels, with a lively bar flowing through to relaxed dining areas. There is a laid-back cocktail lounge and rooftop terrace, looking west toward Sydney University.
WSHG operates 10 pubs, including the nearby The Tudor Hotel Redfern, bought in early 2015.
“In the late 1800s, this building began as a small one-level corner pub known as the Royal Albert Hotel,” offered Marty Short, Group CEO.
“By the early 1900s, it had been renamed the Court House Hotel and expanded up to a second level with the same façade structure we’ve restored today.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring it back to its former glory and create a warm and welcoming space for all.”
