Restaurant Reviews
Pub grub’s come a long way since ham steak and pineapple. Here are the bistros, taverns and hotels with the best food on tap.
Forget schnitty night: Australia’s pubs are raising the bar
106 Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9360 3554 theunicornhotel.com.au Open ThursdaySunday for lunch and seven days for dinner Setting the benchmark for a recent throng of refurbished pubs, The Unicorn Hotel has tapped into our nostalgia to deliver the archetypal Australian pub, free from pokies, the TAB and TV screens screaming live sport.
It’s a welcome respite and the grub is damn good, too. Eat in the beer garden, dining room or around a large oval bar and sink your teeth into classic suburban Australian dishes given a contemporary, tongue-incheek twist. Start with Jatz and French onion dip or a prawn cocktail of three plump tiger prawns, iceberg lettuce and Marie Rose sauce before succumbing to the “fancy steak” – a 350-gram Rangers Valley Wagyu onglet with a side of crinkle-cut fries and honeyed carrots. Just leave room for a lamington. THE DOLPHIN HOTEL 412 Crown Street, Surry Hills (02) 9331 4800 dolphinhotel.com.au Open Friday-Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner When restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar) was given the keys to monolithic hotel The Dolphin, Sydneysiders were eager to see what would unfold. What emerged was a multifaceted venue Sydney never knew it needed and it’s been packed ever since. The establishment’s outstanding public bar, wine bar, dining room and cocktail lounge will have you speculating whether it is in fact a pub. A quirky design featuring crimpled-whitecloth-adorned walls and white-on-white décor provides a blank canvas for plates of inspired Italian food. Salsa verde and dense kipfler potatoes form a foundation for sweet Western Australian octopus, while buffalo ricotta and gremolata add comfort and zing to pappardelle Bolognese in equal measure. The Roman-style pizzas (note: thin and crisp) shine, too – try the classic tomato, garlic, basil and mozzarella. Just fantastic. ↓ PADDO INN BAR & GRILL 338 Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9380 5913 paddoinn.com.au Open Friday-Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner One of Sydney’s most popular pubs has received a major shot in the arm, courtesy of chef Matt Moran, who has created a menu that holds its own with dining rooms all over Sydney. Of course, don’t expect spheres and foams – as always, Moran’s food relies on quality produce and classic technique. In casual bistro-style surrounds of brass, dark woods, cane chairs, white brick walls and black-and-white sketches, staff deliver food that, for the most part, has been given a kiss from the grill. Start with a salmon gravlax, duck liver parfait or steak tartare with a glistening egg yolk on top. On the grill you’ll find everything from snapper served with greens and Berkshire pork cutlet with charred cabbage and apple sauce to an array of steaks typified by a whopping 900-gram dry-aged T-bone. THE CRAFERS HOTEL 8 Main Street, Crafers (08) 8339 2050 crafershotel.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner There aren’t many suburban pubs where you can kick off your meal with an $11,000 1929 vintage Château Mouton Rothschild. If you’re so inclined, you can pair the wine with the usual pub grub of burgers and schnitzels or go upmarket with beef bourguignon or duck confit with rhubarb compote. Chef and avid fisherman Ben Carli’s seafood dishes – such as mussels with saffron and white wine – are always a treat, too. For those on a beer budget, there’s a much more down-to-earth wine list to go with a menu that draws customers from around the Adelaide Hills and across the city. That said, a half bottle of Château Guiraud sauternes at $1400 really would be perfect with the crème brûlée... THE QUEENS HEAD 117 Kermode Street, North Adelaide (08) 8267 1139 queenshead.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner It may be the oldest licensed venue in its original location in South Australia, dating from 1838, but The Queens Head has a menu as modern as they come. All the usual pub favourites are there as weekly bar specials, from topnotch wood-oven pizzas and burgers to a massive plate of mixed grilled ribs. But the restaurant menu, served in a small, well-dressed and relatively quiet dining room, sparkles with dishes such as wood-oven-roasted pulled lamb shoulder with pumpkin wedges on miso-infused hummus or whole roasted cauliflower with pancetta and hazelnut crumble. Despite its compact size, the room offers plenty of seating options, from covered courtyard to discrete spaces around the front bar. And there’s a kids’ menu that would tempt most grown-ups.
SETTLERS TAVERN 114 Bussell Highway, Margaret River (08) 9757 2398 settlerstavern.com Open seven days for lunch and dinner Plenty of high-vis shirts in the beer garden. A packed calendar of touring acts. To the casual observer, this squat brick building on Margaret River’s main street looks like your stock-standard Aussie pub. Beyond the country-casual style, however, a foodand-beverage operation of substance awaits. On the verandah, a mighty American-made Yoder smoker – the gold standard among meat enthusiasts – is one sign of owners Rob and Karen Gough’s commitment to sweating the details. The pay-off is excellent barbecue (chicken wings, sandwiches, the ribs of many a delicious beast) that’s smoky and juicy in all the right places. The rest of the menu is equally gratifying and features pub classics such as chicken parmigiana, curries, and fish and chips sourced and cooked with care. The kicker? The pub’s legendary wine list (thrilling imports, hot new locals) and great tap beers that include Settlers’ own brews. PRINT HALL Brookfield Place, 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth (08) 6282 0000 printhall.com.au Open Monday-Friday for lunch and Monday-Saturday for dinner First things first: the public bar at Print Hall, a glam shrine to eating and drinking in the former headquarters of The West
Australian newspaper, sits at the flasher end of the pub spectrum. But once this white-collar favourite finds its voice, Print Hall’s decibel level can match it with any watering hole in the land. The clamour could be guests discussing the drinks list, an encyclopedic tome that runs from trophy wines to cult beers and a saffroninfused Martini made in a Tibetan singing bowl. Recently arrived chef Fabio Lopes upholds a reputation for elevated favourites so the burger is grilled over wood, the fish in the fish and chips changes frequently and the oysters are shucked to order. Great handmade pasta – fat pappardelle dressed with a chunky pork and beef ragù; potato gnocchi with gorgonzola – is another win for business entertaining. O’CONNELL’S 407 Coventry Street, South Melbourne (03) 9810 0086 oconnells.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner One of Melbourne’s first and finest gastro pubs, O’Connell’s hides its whitewashed good looks in a pretty inner-suburban backstreet and does a nice line in alfresco quaffing behind a wall of potted greenery. The colder months demand the smartened dining areas, replete with wainscoting and cricket memorabilia, where the Britishleaning menu suits the season. Beef and Guinness pies with mushy peas leave the kitchen at an alarming rate, closely followed by beer-battered fish and chips, keeping good company with aïoli and a pickled onion – and the British Raj shines through with fried nests of cumin-accented onion bhajis and suckling-pig croquettes with curry mayonnaise. Really, you could be in East London rather than South Melbourne – but the solid Aussie wine list will get your geographical references in order. THE LINCOLN 91 Cardigan Street, Carlton (03) 9347 4666 hotellincoln.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner It’s the Aussie pub from central casting: a corner old-timer that opened in 1854 and has been saved from the good intentions of interior designers. A pub first and foremost, it has 12 craft brews on tap and a wine list that sources drops of lo-fi distinction – a creed that applies equally to the kitchen, where a DIY ethos results in house-cured free-range bacon (try it in a grass-fed-beef burger with chips) and accoutrements such as housemade bread and pickles (say hello to both with the farmhouse pork terrine). A classic two-speed menu lets diners head deep into ye olde territory with Lancashire sausages, mash and caramelised onion, then surface in the modern age with fried chicken to dip in nam jim sauce and pork schnitzel getting its tonkatsu on. HEALESVILLE HOTEL 256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville (03) 5962 4002 yarravalleyharvest.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner The jewel in the crown of the Yarra Valley, the grand Healesville Hotel has grown into a mini empire with its own butcher shop, provedore and café lining the old-fashioned main street. It’s hard to go wrong hitting the front bar for its gutsy menu – think locally farmed trout cakes and dry-aged steak – but it’d be a shame to miss the charming dining room where the food places it firmly in the category of regional star. The outdoor wood grill puts a smoky spin on everything from coal-baked beetroot with hazelnut, nori and sesame crumble to local Berkshire pork belly with the extra meaty heft of boudin noir, while the service is tuned to match a pub with a statewide reputation.
THE SALTY DOG HOTEL
2 Beach Road, Kingston Beach (03) 6229 6185 thesaltydog.net.au Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner The Salty Dog Hotel, a refurbished 1960s motel, is a 15-minute drive south of Hobart. Head out back to the dog-friendly beer garden and saloon bar for a laid-back, ’70s-surf-culture vibe. Or take a seat in the light and airy front dining room and watch pooches frolic on the sand as you devour a hot dog – a Huon Valley pork-and-beef frankfurt with caramelised onion, cheese, sauerkraut, chilli beef, relish and mustard. If you’re feeling healthy, opt for the spiced broad-bean burger with beetroot, carrot and raita. After a brisk walk on the beach, what could be better than sharing slowcooked roast lamb with hummus, tabouli, paprika potatoes and rosemary jus? There’s also a great selection of local cheeses – try Tongola Billy washed rind goat’s cheese with crostini, fruit and nuts.
WELDBOROUGH HOTEL
29722 Tasman Highway, Weldborough (03) 6354 2223 weldborough.com.au Open Wednesday-Monday for lunch and Thursday-Monday for dinner This traditional family-run pub in the northeast Tasmanian rainforest has grown even more popular since the development of bike trails and bushwalks through Weldborough and the Blue Tier plateau. Pick from a huge range of microbrew beers and ciders from across the state in the cosy dining room or catch some rays in the stunning beer garden. The menu features locally sourced produce and home-style cooking. Try slow-cookedbeef pot pie or the favourite – Scotch fillet steak sandwich with barbecue sauce, caramelised onion, tomato and salad. Snack on sweet potato fries or panko-crumbed flathead and chips with a cold Rhu Bru, a natural soft drink from a nearby rhubarb farm. Ask about the homemade desserts; they go down a treat with a honey porter.
MARBLE & GRAIN
25 Mort Street, Braddon (02) 6246 9555 marbleandgrain.com.au Open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner From the $15 lunch specials to the $85 butcher’s board, there’s something for every pocket and palate at this modern take on a classic pub dining room with its russet pressed ceilings, restrained lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows. Centrestage is the meat fridge, with aged-on-the-premises produce from the owner’s farm (the pasturefed Scotch fillet is 300 grams of beefy bliss). Sweet-and-sour confit duck leg is given a spark with astringent rhubarb sauce, plus a crisp shallot pancake for mopping. Or share the love with a dish for two – slow-cooked local lamb shoulder or 21-day dry-aged T-bone steak – and throw in a batch of duck-fat roast potatoes. For a final flourish, how about a symphony in yellow? Baked lemon cheesecake with citrus salad and mandarin sorbet topped with orange zest hits the sweet spot.
THE DUXTON
Corner of Sargood and Macpherson streets, O’Connor (02) 6162 0799 theduxton.com.au Open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner, and Saturday-Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner Fondly known as “The Dux”, this revamped upstairs-downstairs pub in Canberra’s trendy inner north buzzes day and night as patrons take their place at the bar or in the bistro or outdoor area. Later in the week, book a table for the gang upstairs in The Loft (open Wednesday to Saturday), sink into a Chesterfield sofa with a Black Pearls cocktail (a rousing mix of Captain Morgan spiced rum dosed with lime, mint, ginger beer, chilli syrup and fresh ginger) before tackling smoky bourbon-glazed chicken wings with paprika mayo. If the idea of sticky fingers doesn’t appeal, check out the charcoal-roasted pork loin with morcilla and apple slaw or seared tuna with baby cos, raisins, hazelnuts, herbs and pecorino.
QLD THE ALLIANCE HOTEL 320 Boundary Street, Spring Hill (07) 3839 0169 thealliancehotel.com.au Open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner Squint and you could be in a quaint old English pub. Okay, the fireplaces may rarely be lit but there’s warmth aplenty in the cosy bistro-style dining room, with its original red-brick walls, timberlined bar and moody lighting. Friendly staff complete the picture. In the five years since it was transformed from tatty to tasteful, the Alliance – one of Brisbane’s original watering holes – has become popular for its food. The menu includes sophisticated versions of pub fare, including parmesan-and-herbcrumbed veal cutlets with roast beef-fat potatoes and hearty beef-cheek pie with smoky mashed potato. Steaks are a cut above, including a nicely charred Darling Downs rib fillet and a thick Clare Valley eye fillet served with blue-cheese soufflé. The haggis Scotch eggs are a tasty twist on the English staple, reflecting executive chef Graham Waddell’s Scottish origins. ↓ PORT OFFICE HOTEL 40 Edward Street, Brisbane (07) 3003 4700 portofficehotel.com.au Open MondaySaturday for lunch and dinner This grand heritage-listed dame has recently been restored to her former glory. Gone are the sticky carpets and beer-swilling blokes. The pokies are out of sight. In their place, leather banquettes and black timber floors set a stylish scene in the expansive, light-filled dining room. It takes one look at the open kitchen to figure out that food is serious business here. The French rotisserie does its mesmerising duty, transforming chickens, ducks and the odd suckling pig to golden, juicy perfection. Drag your gaze away for a moment and focus on the menu’s nose-to-tail section. Order the pork scratchings with burnt apple purée, tamarind-glazed pork jowl or the wood-roasted bone marrow tortillas with shaved mushrooms and romesco. Beyond the rotisserie, the grass-fed Cape Grim rib fillet is also a winner. Pair it with a bottle of Grange for the fanciest pub meal in town. NT BERRY SPRINGS TAVERN 795 Cox Peninsula Road, Berry Springs (08) 8988 6186 berryspringstavern.com Open seven days for lunch and dinner This monument to Territory character is a bit under an hour’s drive out of Darwin. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you spot the giant crocodile on the broad verandah roof. You might also hear Dolly Parton or the strains of Man in Black – yep, Berry Springs Tavern is that kind of pub. Stroll in past the pool table and seats fashioned from 44-gallon drums and check the blackboard specials – perhaps a $33 T-bone or Asian-style braised oxtail. There are plenty of other choices on the menu, including all the classics: steaks, of course, along with fresh oysters, burgers, fish and chips, and parmigiana. Even the vegetarian dishes, such as caramelised onion fetta tarts with pear and rocket salad, are good.