Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Maureen Er
Executes the highest standard of hospitality relevant to their establishment, from attitude and skill to knowledge and personality.
Presented by Oceania Cruises
White Horse, Surry Hills
Surry Hills’ White Horse pub was built in the 1930s, and has enjoyed stints as a live music joint, piano bar and brasserie, plus a slightly suspect hangout for bikers and cops. After a $6 million renovation and relaunch in April, the White Horse 17.0 may be the hotel’s most successful iteration yet. It’s certainly the most delicious and professionally run.
General manager Maureen Er is key to its success, coming to the refurbed boozer after roles at Cho Cho San and Tetsuya’s, and co-ordinating a well-rehearsed floor team across a hatted dining room and cracking upstairs bar.
Calm, poised, friendly and wholly informed, Er confidently recommends wines from the 100-strong list, talks guests through some of the more left-field dishes (“brie ice-cream”, come again?) and ensures your glass is never less than half-full. Service at a pub has rarely been so on song.
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