Henson Park Hotel — Restaurant in Sydney

VALE Henson Park Hotel. June 20, 2025. Change of management in March 2025 for both bar and kitchen…end of an era and what a loss of good pub food and service.

Came back after June 20 following Jets game - and as always following footy, it was packed and full of jovial punters…including old boys from The Newtown Jets. Sadly it reinforced this review…only 2 bar tenders, and the staff struggled…a post Jets pilgrimage to The Henson is an inner west ritual….and the drinks flowed on sooo slowly…sadly current management simply doesn’t get it…and is cutting corners on staff…the warm Henson and seasoned hospo crew on the frontline are no more….

Cont…

Sad loss for Marrickville. Reilly Group should intervene asap to steer this Inner West legend back in the right direction. The unique, delicious, and super efficient kitchen is no more…super slow service and closed off doors to the beer garden say this place has lost its loving feeling. Fortunately Marrick has plenty of amazing pubs, breweries and restaurants…but my heart breaks to see The Henson go down this mediocre path.

Old review: 😢 This is without doubt my favourite Inner West pub and I am fortunate to call it my local. Consistently serving great pub food, from classics to Henson’s one and only creations that are menu mainstays: Chicken roti tacos. Knuckle (brisket) sandwich. I love the front bar for Friday lunches and lazing the nights away with mates. The large comfy bistro is great for groups and family dinners and the beer garden tops on a winters day and summer nights. Takeaway a great option too, to grab a meal and a sixer from the brilliant bottlo to sit on the hill at Henson Park with the kids and the pooch. Awesome selection of brews, with all the faves and always something new to sample. Long...

I want to love this place because the LOCATION, VARIETY OF DRINKS, ABSENCE OF POKIES and STAFF are all bloody marvellous but for some reason I can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to the kitchen. Either I’m cursed or they should just leave certain dishes off the menu. A fish burger is not rocket science. If it’s not gonna be fresh (or even Barramundi as advertised) just leave it off the menu PLOISE!! THANK GOSH FOR REBECCA who was working on Anzac Day when I was on a first date and I bit into my alleged ‘Barramundi’ fish burger only to find it was black in the centre and chewy on the outside and it tasted like what I imagine a stray cats tongue would taste like, if you rolled it in crumbs, stored it in a freezer for 7 years and then threw it into a deep fryer full of whatever the f kinda oil that was. I have enjoyed the odd salad in the past but TBH they’re always too small and I find that insulting, as if vegetarians aren’t hungrier than all of us! So I took a gamble on 2 fish burgers and within 2 mins of tucking in we simultaneously decided to back out before we allowed this meal to make us both sick. Rebecca was the MVP of the day. I didn’t want to make a scene and she could tell, so she just took one look at the inside of my fish burger, had some quick words with the kitchen and she offered me a cash refund. That was that! So, for initiating an effective and efficient solution in a calm and respectful manor, I salute you. You saved my date from going downhill fast. PS I have no idea how Henno get away with charging $9 for a takeaway can of fella but that will be the last time I do that as well. I’ll definitely be back cos it’s the bloody Henno but IMO that burger...

The Henson was my me and my partner's favourite pub for years. It used to have one of the most unique Indonesian-fusion menus. Whenever we'd have out-of-town friends or family stay with us, we'd take them to the Henson. My MIL will literally mention the gado gado salad they used to sell whenever we talk about Sydney.

In recent history, they have changed the menu. The amazing salads are now gone, and the the Dirty Bird and Sirloin now come without salad. Many meals now seem to come with a gratuitous amount of chips. It seems like some kind of cost-cutting. The price is the exact same. Honestly one of the best menus completely destroyed, I don't know why they did that.

They also recently put TVs in almost every room. It used to be the case that the front bar was for the sports fans, and the rest of us could enjoy a screen-free environment. Now every room is sensory hell; not conducive to hanging out or catching up with friends.

For three or so years, I used to go to the Henson at least once a week - sometimes upwards of three times. It was actually a problem for my bank account and cholesterol, but I was seriously addicted to the menu and the atmosphere. Now my friends and I go to other pubs, because the menu is not good anymore but just as expensive.

I am not a person who typically leaves Google reviews, and I think leaving a negative Google review is kind of embarrassing, but the desecration of what was one of the Inner West's best pub menus has impelled me to do so. Please, Henson management, hear my plea and revert the menu. It was...