The Skinny Dog Hotel in Kew is a local icon. We’ve served Kew locals and visitors for more than 150 years and are still as popular as ever.

Of the nine hotels established in Kew in the 1870s the Skinny Dog Hotel, known for most of its existence as the Greyhound Hotel, was the seventh to be built sometime between 1873 and 1874.

It is known that a license was granted in June 1873 to James Bennett to operate the Greyhound Hotel. It’s understood the hotel began operation in 1874.

Today it is one of just three which have survived – the others are the Hotel Kew (Clifton Hotel) and the Harp of Erin.

The re-naming of the hotel to the Skinny Dog Hotel carries on a connection to the hotel’s earliest period, when its first licensee was a successful greyhound breeder and the hotel hosted regular meetings of coursing clubs.

The Kew Historical Society notes that in 1873, when licensee James Bennett died in 1881 leaving a wife, five children, and many greyhounds. “The latter presumably roamed the extensive yards of the hotel, which extended to Brougham Street,” it notes. “Kew Lass, Kew Maid, Kew Belle, Kew Lad, Kew Lily (winner of the Oaks), and Kew Lady as well as assorted puppies were advertised for auction in Kirk’s Bazaar.”

Kew Historical Society notes the first twenty years of the twentieth century was a “stable” period for four of the main hotels in Kew.

“Advertisements for the Greyhound, the Council Hotel, The Prospect Hill Hotel and the Kew Hotel appear with great regularity in the local and daily newspapers,” it notes.

A sale notice for the hotel in 1901 noted that the hotel was “situated on the tram route, with constant vehicular and passing traffic” and was “situated in the centre of a dense population”.

Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges ran the Greyhound until her death in 1916. In advertisements she placed in newspapers she noted her billiard room – a strong drawcard of hotels at the time – as well as the “leading brands of ales, wines and spirits”.

Today the Skinny Dog Hotel is a friendly inner-suburban pub specialising in local beer and wine, great food and a warm welcome.

We offer traditional pub favourites to seasonal dishes showcasing the pub’s flair for local ingredients. The venue consists of comfy booths, a beer garden, sports bar and function spaces. It is a meeting place for friends, family and corporate catchups.

Come in soon and say hello.