What’s more Sydney than lunch by the beach? The answer is a cracking pub lunch by the beach. Coogee Pavilion wears multiple hats, from smoothie and coffee bar by morning to restaurant at night, but its soul is pub-shaped and as such, there’s nothing better than sinking a few cold ones while sharing a pizza, a seafood platter, pot of mussels or even an antipasto platter. Pad in straight off the sand, or don your favourite linen ensemble and head upstairs to watch the sunset over the water. Must try: A post-swim pizza and a cold beer is a happy time. Coogee Pavilion, 169 Dolphin St, Coogee NSW, (02) 9240 3000, merivale.com.au/coogeepavilion

With more pubs per capita than any other part of Sydney, you know that locals on the Balmain peninsula know a thing or two about where to find a great pub meal. The Welcome Hotel is much-loved, keeping the people fed and watered since the late 1800s. The sense of tradition and hospitality hasn’t waned, and the Italian-driven menu and craft beer list has kept The Welcome at the top of every pub award guide you can think of. The food is a host of classics done well, from Rangers Valley inside skirt steak, charred broccolini and horseradish butter, to craft beer battered fish with pickled fennel and shoestring fries. There are also hints of The Welcome’s Italian fine diner, Ajò, in hearty dishes of saffron rigatoni with pork and porcini ragu and shaved pecorino. Must try: Any pub serving up skirt as their chosen steak cut is a cut above the rest. Welcome Hotel, 91 Evans St, Rozelle NSW, (02) 9810 1323, thewelcomehotel.com.au

What do you get when you cross a 160-year-old Fitzroy pub with one of Melbourne’s highest profile restaurateurs? The Builders Arms is part classic watering hole, part high-calibre food destination. Try the cosy front bar, the perfect pub courtyard, or the Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant Ricky & Pinky. The pub menu runs the gamut from burgers and soft pretzels with whipped cod roe to snacks from Ricky & Pinky such a fried quail and dumplings. It’s an eclectic and fun way to enjoy a Melbourne afternoon. Must try: Both the whipped cod roe with soft pretzel and the spicy wontons make the perfect foil for a few cold ones. The Builders Arms, 211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC, (03) 9417 7700, buildersarmshotel.com.au

This Carlton pub is about as fine as food can get before it becomes a restaurant. Run by a crew who know how to create a vibe, The Lincoln’s army of staff include superstars from Cumulus/Supernormal and Movida’s early years. The sprawling space houses a classic front bar, a cosy fireplace for the winter months and plenty of intimate nooks to settle into. For grub, start with duck liver paté on Dr Marty’s crumpets (think pub-style canapes), progress to cuttlefish with pickled cucumber and whipped cod roe and whole roast spatchcock with celeriac and apple. Must try: While deciding on what to order, nibble on a plate of crunchy, spicy pork crackling. The Lincoln, 91 Cardigan St, Carlton VIC, (03) 9347 4666, hotellincoln.com.au

A relative newcomer to the Canberra pub scene, you won’t find old guys propping up the bar, but you will find thoughtfully produced modern Australia haute pub food. Start with bar snacks of cherry cola braised chicken wings and crispy battered spiced okra, or share a more substantial gumbo of prawns, vongole, calamari and pork sausage, spiced with chilli, and served up with okra and black barley. Must try: Soft shell crab sliders with a pint of Thatchers cider – you can’t go wrong. Casey Jones Gastropub, 15 Kingsland Parade, Casey ACT 2913, (02) 6253 8961, caseyjones.pub

If the stories are true, Clancy’s original outpost in Fremantle took on the first shipment of Little Creatures beer, back when ‘craft beer’ wasn’t even a glint in a bearded hipster’s eye. Their commitment to supporting the movement has gone from strength to strength, as has their love of seafood, you know, being fish pub and all. Start with a plate of oysters and some local Fremantle octopus, braised and served up with potato, paprika and plenty of bread to mop it up with. Then take on a southern Thai coconut curry of red emperor, gai lan and steamed rice, or some squid ink spaghetti with Shark Bay crab, roasted peppers, capers and cherry tomatoes. Must try: The beer battered fish tacos take some beating. Clancy’s Fish Pub, 51 Cantonment St, Fremantle WA, (08) 9335 1351, clancysfishpub.com.au

Fortitude Valley’s Flying Cock’s menu is rife with puns, but it’s also a solid mix of banging classics, with a slight mod-Asian twist: chicken parmies are topped with house napoletana, smoked ham, three cheeses and served with a side of kimchi slaw and shoestring fries, while the fried chicken burger is layered with pickled paw paw and nori mayo. Not old school, but definitely not boring. Must try: If meeting a hoard of hungry friends, surely a kilo of sweet and spicy chicken wings served up with chilli and lemonade glaze is a good place to start. The Flying Cock, 388 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD, (07) 3172 6109, theflyingcock.com.au

This Caxton St watering hole may be slugged the term gastro pub, but it’s so much more. They’ve taken classic pub dishes such as the humble sausage roll and given them a skilful (and tasteful) twist. Here, it’s duck, with house-made barbecue sauce. Produce is king, and you’ll see the pick of the litter, from Cone Bay barramundi, to Cape Grim short rib and Tasmanian wallaby. There’s also a lot to love about a pub menu where you can add bacon to any (yes, any) dish. From picnic tables out front, a dining room inside and a courtyard out the back, there’s a lot to love about this fine pub. Must try: We’re a sucker for a duck sausage roll, but a pub menu with a cheese soufflé ain’t bad either. Statler & Waldorf, 25 Caxton St, Brisbane QLD, (07) 3368 1932, statlerandwaldorf.com

Americana cuisine has been filtering into Australiana pubs for a while now, but when one half of the pub team is actually American, you can be sure it’s being done the right way. The Winston, in the cool North Hobart area, is home to more craft beers than you can possibly drink in one sitting (or can you?) and an excellent menu of American-style grub, from 72-hour smoked Maui-style brisket, to chilli (the American kind), and chicken wings…all of them. It’s finger-licking good to chow down on while you watch a live band. Must try: The wings come according to your heat preference – all the way up to nuclear. The Winston, 381 Elizabeth St, Hobart TAS, (03) 6231 2299, thewinstonbar.com