By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
We’d never dare suggest replacing the iconic Aussie pub experience. After all, a life without trivia nights, meat raffles and a Sunday roast special would be sacrilege!
However, across Australia, a growing number of venues are refining traditional pub fare - elevating your classic parma, burger and fish ‘n’ chips into something a little more…elevated.
Here’s where to find the fancied-up versions of your favourites.
Instead of a Chicken Parma, Try Chicken Liver Parfait
At The Red Lion Hotel - a beloved Inner West Sydney local since 1828 - you’ll now find Bistro Red Lion by Manu, a culinary collab with Chef Manu Feildel. His menu draws from family recipes, including a velvety French chicken liver parfait with croutons and pickled shallots.
Other refined bites include: beetroot-cured egg with yolk mayo; snail vol-au-vent with garlic and parsley butter; Davidson plum and Olsson salt-cured salmon with dill and Champagne vinegar cream and scallop gratinée with café de Paris butter. Who needs a parma when you can start with a parfait?
Instead of Fish and Chips, Try Smoked Barra on Brioche
Looking for the best of both worlds? Head to the ground floor of Camberwell’s The Palace Hotel, which retains all the charm of a traditional pub - big screens, cold beers, post-work vibes. Then stroll upstairs, where a recent $7.5 million renovation also unveils an elevated menu to match. Skip fish and chips and opt for the smoked barramundi on a toasted brioche with dill and Yarra Valley caviar.
Instead of a Seafood Basket, Try a Luxe Seafood Platter
The Dry Dock Public House & Dining Room serves pub grub with serious flair, courtesy of Chef Ben Sitton (ex-Rockpool). The standout is a seafood platter that swaps crumbed prawns, calamari rings, fish bites, scallops (sometimes a crab stick) and a serve of chips and tartar sauce for oysters, yellowfin tuna, prawns, Balmain bugs, steamed mussels and housemade pickles.
Instead of a Burger, Try Cheeseburger Spring Rolls
Penny's Hotel in Potts Point has given Chef Adam Finlay the creative licence to walk the line between nostalgic and new - with dishes like tempura prawns with XO mayo and tandoori lamb skewers with mint yoghurt becoming cult menu favourites.
However, the standout is the cheeseburger spring rolls. A crispy, golden exterior which gives way to all the juicy, cheesy goodness of a burger - only infinitely more fun to eat. Honourable mention: order with a side of potato scallops instead of fries for the ultimate pup grub upgrade.
Instead of Salt and Pepper Squid, Try Semolina-Crusted Calamari
Following a recent reopening, The George Hotel (one of the first pubs to open in South Melbourne) is back, freshly restored and better than ever. The team has embraced the building’s historic charm while giving the menu a modern glow-up - starting with this version of salt and pepper squid.
Think: semolina-crusted calamari with rocket and a bright yuzu aioli. The sesame prawn toast and crispy chicken bao also deliver an Asian-inspired pub grub upgrade that is also excellent.
Instead of Chicken Wings, Try Miso-Marinated Chicken Thigh
Tucked away in Darlinghurst, Nomidokoro Indigo is a pint-sized sake bar that packs a punch. The menu of Japanese-style small plates is designed for grazing and sipping and the miso-marinated chicken thigh deserves special mention. It’s smoky, savoury and certainly a satisfying upgrade from your average buffalo wings.
Instead of a Sunday Roast, Try One with French Flair
Finally, Parlour at the QT Hotel - the stunning brasserie, helmed by James Kidman - whose impressive culinary credentials include the iconic Cafe Sydney and Otto Ristorante - takes the classic English Sunday roast and gives it a touch of French fusion to make it tres chic.
Think gold poulet drizzled with a velvety red wine jus, served alongside earthy mushrooms, smoky lardons, honey-glazed carrots, melting potato fondant and a chicken-fat Yorkshire pudding (crisp outside, pillowy inside). It’s as iconic as rejecting a date with Tom Cruise for your mum’s lamb roast!
