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The ‘great Aussie pub’ has recently enjoyed a posh resurgence, with some of our most iconic heritage pubs getting a new lease on life.
In Sydney, city fixture Jacksons on George in Circular Quay is now a tri-level celebration of great food, good wine and exceptional cocktails, under the guidance of Maurice Terzini of Bondi Icebergs Dining Room and Bar fame. In the upscale waterfront suburb of Balmain, the heritage-listed Dry Dock Balmain was originally a drinking den for dock workers, and is now home to a classic public bar, a laidback 120-seater lounge bar and a dining room with wood fired cooking at its core.
In Brisbane, the LGBTQIA-friendly The Wickham first opened its doors in 1885. Today, the venue’s artwork celebrates queer community icons such as Harvey Milk and Jennifer Coolidge, and serves tacos, pizzas and colourful-cool cocktails.
In Brisbane, the LGBTQIA-friendly The Wickham first opened its doors in 1885. Today, the venue’s artwork celebrates queer community icons such as Harvey Milk and Jennifer Coolidge, and serves tacos, pizzas and colourful-cool cocktails.
The Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn in Melbourne has been part of the community for 135 years. It recently reopened after an AUD$4.3 million overhaul that introduced a new extended beer garden and kids’ play area as well as a new dining hub ‘The Pavilion’, created from a former stable.
Chef Jordan Latour was once part of the food offerings at two Tasmanian foodie favourites: Fico and Tom McHugo’s. Now he heads up the kitchen at The Scenic Hotel in the Adelaide Hills, serving unapologetically South Australian produce like Port Lincoln mussels with preserved chilli, chicken broth and kangaroo schnitzel, best enjoyed beneath the twinkling fairy lights of the tree-filled beer garden.
A good winery should age like fine wine, but sometimes even the classics need a little bit of a do-over. These are some of the best places to try a few flights with a new sense of va-va-voom.
South Australia is home to both legacy wine labels and boundary-pushing up-and-comers. In the Barossa Valley, an hour north of Adelaide, Jacob’s Creek is unquestionably one of the former, holding the deserved crown as one of the country’s most celebrated brands. It’s now expanded its culinary offering with the arrival of the much-loved Harvest Kitchen restaurant, featuring a menu of seasonal flavours with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tilt.
In the Adelaide Hills, the family-run Bird in Hand winery has opened a brand-new restaurant, as well as a new private cellar tasting space. The property’s art gallery and gardens have also been refreshed. While at Shaw + Smith, a refreshed tasting room means a larger dining space and a new drinks-friendly menu.
Further east, pioneers of Australian pinot grigio, T’Gallant winery, has unveiled a new-look cellar door designed by hospitality interiors maestros Bergman & Co on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. While Nick O’Leary wines has opened a new restaurant, Heywood in the Canberra Wine District, serving sharp-shooting small plates and even exceptional cocktails alongside the brand’s standout Shiraz, Chardonnays and Rieslings.
For more information:
Website: www.australia.com/en-my
