Soho House Sydney pairs with Iconic dive bar Shady Pines Saloon after approval for 256 Crown Street Darlinghurst goes ahead

An exclusive, multimillion-dollar members only club – where phones are banned and celebrities are common – will share a building with one of Sydney's most iconic dive bars in Inner Eastern Suburbs. See the details here. 

Concept images of the new Soho House development in Sydney

An exclusive members only club, known for its celebrity clientele and worldwide presence, has been approved to open its doors in Sydney’s inner eastern suburbs but will have some unlikely company.

The $24.8m bid to transform a dipilidated Darlinghurst warehouse into an outpost of worldwide lifestyle club Soho House has been given the greenlight.

Founded in London in 1995 and touted as “a place for creatives”, the global chain of members only clubs and hotels is renowned for its pricey membership and exclusive clientele, with Taylor Swift and Leonardo DiCaprio among its members.

First lodged in March 2023, the proposal will convert the Crown Street site into a five-level clubhouse featuring a cabaret room, studio, rooftop terrace and swimming pool dedicated for members.

However, a new development will now see the ultra-exclusive club shack up with one of Sydney's most iconic dive bar Shady Pines Saloon, that offers cheap drinks, free food and a grungier atmosphere which is a stark contrast to the high prices and lavish layout SOHO offers. 

SOHO House will occupy the top three levels while Shady Pines will maintain the ground floor according to council documents.

According to planning documents, the club will operate from Monday to Saturday, between 7am and midnight, with a maximum capacity of 973 patrons.

Architect Tim Greer, told the Sydney Local Planning Panel that the development was “exactly what City of Sydney hoped to attract when they set out to revive Oxford St”.

“Soho House will make a significant contribution to the evolution and revitalisation of the precinct.”

Soho House in Berlin.

Hampton Property Services, Planner Kristy Hodgkinson, said the club would be a “fixed space” for Oxford Street’s creative and cultural community, with a new cabaret space, green room and performance space.

The proposal hasn’t been without controversy with some locals voicing concerns about the increased noise, traffic and garbage the completed development is expected to bring.

Several submissions to council opposed the development, including one from fellow developers TOGA, who questioned if the plans could impacts the views of nearby TOGA developments.

Toga’s senior development manager, Vincent Santos, said while the company supported the proposal to rejuvenate the Oxford St area “in principle”, the planning needed to be done “in a consistent and considered manner” to minimise the amenity impacts of neighbouring buildings.

Concept of the Miami Pool House in the pipeline by Soho House group.

Another concern flagged in several submissions was increased garbage exacerbating the area’s pre-existing issue with vermin, with one resident describing sanitation as “a huge issue”.

Darlinghurst man David Chivas, who lives in the neighbouring building adjacent to the site, told the panel his particular concern was the disturbances coming as a result of the Cabaret Room.

The City of Sydney Local Planning Panel voted unanimously on approving the proposal, with the developer now having consent to proceed with construction.