Sydney’s famous The Royal Albert Hotel in Surry Hills for sale
One of Sydney’s oldest and most colourful pubs, that was once the second home to some of the city’s most notorious criminals and cops, was a virtual location during lockdown, and more recently was voted Australia’s ‘Craft Beer Venue of the Year’ is seeking its next incarnation.
Well-known inner city watering hole, The Royal Albert Hotel on Commonwealth St Surry Hills has hit the market for the first time in 10 years.
After a decade of service to some of Sydney’s most loyal drinkers, publican Michael Bain has decided to move on.
The Royal Albert as it was …
… and pretty much still is.
MORE: NRL icon lists home for sale after record purchase
Rebel Wilson lists her beloved Sydney Harbour house for $9 million
The cosy venue, which boasts an old school pub vibe most newer establishments could only dream of, was once a regular post-work haunt for the city’s toughest cops, given it is only a few minutes walk from the Surry Hills Police Area Command, one of the biggest police stations in the country.
Notorious criminal Arthur ‘Neddy’ Smith, who died last year in Long Bay Gaol and whose rap sheet included drug dealing, theft, armed robbery and murder was once a regular at The Royal Albert, with disgraced Detective and convicted murder Roger Rogerson as a drinking buddy.
Mick Bain, owner of Royal Albert Hotel., is selling his beloved pub. Picture: Dylan Robinson
Smith later turned whistleblower at the Independent Commission Against Corruption and testified against Rogerson and other allegedly corrupt cops.
Rogerson is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of Sydney student Jamie Gao over allegations of a drug deal turned sour.
Smith and Rogerson were just two colourful character who enjoyed a beer at The Royal Albert in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was colloquially referred to as the ‘Jam Tin’ when Surry Hills had much more of a working class flavour.
Roger Rogerson.
The gentrification and popularity of Surry Hills, where the median house price has grown from $985,000 in 2013 to $2.04m at the end of 2021, can be evidenced by The Royal Albert’s win as the 2021 Australia Craft Beer Venue of the year in 2021.
Mr Bain created Taps and Tins during lockdown, which relied on a canning machine to can 4000 kegs of beer sitting in a warehouse in Botany destined to be thrown down the drain, to support Aussie craft breweries and transform the hotel into a virtual pub.
Arthur Stanley ” Neddy ” Smith.
“We had to move quickly when we got notice we were being shut down because craft beer doesn’t have a very long shelf life,” Mr Bain said.
Both the pub and the property that houses it are open to expressions of interest until April 13, it’s the first time the property’s freehold lease has been for sale in 30 years.
The Royal Albert boasts annual revenues in excess of $1.5m with strong existing food and beverage business.
The site is 221 sqm with sold underlying land and building value combined with development upside, according to its listing.
MORE: Homebuyers targeted in pre-election Budget pitch
