Cold beer and a warm welcome are assured every time you approach the front bar of the Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel. But owner-chef Sean Donovan invites you to explore a whole lot more in the dining room.

Glowing with log fires in winter, this woodsy space is where you can ogle outstanding oysters, tangle with a ‘Townie Burger’ and hoe into slow-cooked goat’s shoulder. Steak and seafood, hot off the wood-fired red gum barbecue, is Donovan’s signature. Pair grain-fed bavette with beetroot remoulade and hand cut chips, or charred octopus tentacle with confit potatoes and parsley salad. Then order a top drop from the seriously good cellar.

Service at the Town Hall is alert and persuasive. Word to the wise: you really should try the pineapple cake with vanilla yoghurt and ginger syrup.

Must Eat Dish: Wood-grilled octopus