Some venues reopen with a fresh coat of paint. Goros has reopened with a whole new heartbeat. The Surry Hills favourite returned on Friday 25 September after a full refit, and the centrepiece tells you where it’s headed: a bespoke vinyl DJ booth, framed by the venue’s own record collection.
The new look is warm and low. Pine panelling, dim lighting and cosy booths make an after work drink easy to stretch into a long night. The sound has been given the same care, with a custom Martin Audio system and a handcrafted Condesa Rotary Mixer, all built to do justice to the records behind it.
Goros now runs a vinyl only music programme from 4pm till late, Tuesday to Saturday, with some of Sydney’s most respected DJs behind the decks. The soundtrack shifts through the week, from hip hop and jazz to disco, boogie and soul, carrying the room from first drinks through dinner and into the kind of impromptu dancefloor that only happens when the mood is right.
This is still a Japanese drinking house at heart, and the menu leans into that. The Goro Kans are a fun place to start: a Yuzu Spritz, a Chu Hai and a Whisky Highball, all canned in house. From there, the signature cocktails draw on Japanese ingredients and styles. There’s a Shochu Sour with sudachi and lime leaf, a Vodka Martini made with olive oil vodka and rice shochu, a Matcha Fizz, and an umami laced Old Fashioned built on pumpkin seed bourbon and miso caramel. If you’d rather keep things simple, a dedicated shochu and awamori list is poured over a single block of ice.
The kitchen follows the same lead. Yakitori comes straight off the charcoal in chicken thigh, wagyu beef and glazed salmon, alongside tempura corn with miso mayo, house made gyoza and fresh sashimi. The full menu is available till close, which is exactly what you want from a place made for lingering.
Longtime regulars will be pleased to hear karaoke remains part of the Goros rhythm. The four private rooms have been refreshed, with food and drinks delivered to the door and thousands of songs ready for anyone who ends up behind the mic before the night is through.
To mark the new chapter, Goros is throwing an official launch party on Thursday 15 October, and it’s free. Two of the country’s most respected names in sound are headlining. Brisbane’s Sampology has spent fifteen years deep in Australia’s hip hop, deep house, future jazz and broken beat scenes.
He cut his teeth behind the decks at the iconic record store Butter Beats before taking his sound global through a Worldwide FM residency and his own label, Middle Name Records. He’s joined by Melbourne’s Cazeaux O.S.L.O., the alias of hip hop poet and lyricist Dominic Wagner. Known for his work with SO.Crates, Sunset Cities and Man Made Mountain, he pairs literary songwriting with neo soul inspired beats. Rounding out the night are Sydney scene stalwarts Diola, Flywaves, DJ Moto aka Dusty Moto and Naiki, all with deep collections of their own.
If the launch party gets you hooked, the regular programme is easy to follow. Tuesdays belong to the Goros team, who dig through the venue’s own collection for modern classics and forgotten gems. On Wednesdays the booth goes to Sydney’s record stores, labels and collectives, with names like Low Key Source and Fanatico Records dropping in. Thursdays are resident takeovers, where familiar faces invite friends and fellow collectors for sessions built on shared taste. Fridays and Saturdays are Selector Sessions, with the core residents steering the weekend from afternoon through to close.
Goros
84/86 Mary Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Opening hours: 4pm till late, Tuesday to Saturday
Launch party: Thursday 15 October, doors open at 5pm
Entry: Free and open to the public. Arrive early to avoid missing out.
Music: Vinyl only, Tuesday to Saturday, with a monthly programme shared online and on Instagra
