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 Why drink on an empty stomach when you can chew ‘n' brew at these beer-friendly nosheries?
Belgian Beer Cafe Westende
347 Murray St, Perth.
(08) 9321 4094. www.belgianbeer.com.au
You know the drum - quintessential Belgian dishes paired with abbey, fruit and trappist beers. Where this one differs is that the decor is genuine (shipped over from Europe) and the cuisine is fastidiously prepared - chorizo salad on parsnip puree, leek and cheese tart, a kilo of chilli mussels, pork belly with fennel, all served with lip-smacking pomme frites and top ‘n' tailed with steamed chocolate puddings, waffles or soft cheeses. Oh, and there's over 28 stupendously illuminating beers on (and off) the menu. Sante!
Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe
201 Clarence Street Sydney.
(02) 9262 3303. www.redoak.com.au
Australia's most awarded boutique beer café and 2006 Grand Champion at the 2006 Australian International Beer Awards, the Janet and David Hollyoak-founded RedOak brews over 40 premium beers of which 20 are always available. We had a Tasting Board - four canapé style dishes matched with four different brews. Our fantastic four were beef tataki with Kolsch, chicken and galangal soup with Honey Ale, duck liver with Irish Red Ale and tandoori quail breast with Organic Pale Ale with dessert a Choc-Cherry Stout. Every sip and swallow a winner!
Strathlynn
95 Rosevears Drive, Rosevears.
(03) 6330 2388.
Set inside the Ninth Island vineyard at Rosevears, Strathlynn boasts a huge timber deck under a Balinese cotton tree overlooking the Tamar River. It's a sublime place to neck beers while scoffing sumptuous mod-Oz cuisine from chef Daniel Alps' lunch-only menu. Bursting with freshness - entrees ($16-$18) like a three bean haloumi salad, mains ($26-28) ala Flinders Island lamb with vegies from Yorktown organic farm, finished by mulberries ($13.50) plucked fresh from a tree you can see from over the rim of your Boags.
The Codfather
163 Stafford Road, Stafford/ Kedron.
(07) 3857 4860.
Old, unrenovated, decaying. The Codfather aint flash but queues out the door down the street speak of something special. This snack shack has been shipping F 'n' C since Methuselah was in short pants and their specialty is, of course, a cod which comes silkily encased in salty beer-batter and is sublime washed down with a XXXX. They also do the best burger with the lot in town but phone your order through in advance or you'll be sorrier than a horse head in a bed. There's also Codfather Too on Oyster Pde, Tin Can Bay.
The Edinburgh Hotel
7 High Street, Mitchim 5062
(08) 8373 2700. www.edinburgh.com.au
Outta town a tad (ie.15 minutes) in the genteel climes of Mitchim village, the Ed is worth the trip for the epic beer garden alone, a fine friendly place to absorb a civilised din and dine on top-notch pub grub. Then there's the wine cellar as big as a football field fueling 20 wines offered by the glass and three different bars serving up to 20 beers on tap including Coopers Stout aged in the cellars over two years. There's 24 entrees on a menu that oozes class but doesn't bleed the hip-pocket. Not a bad challenge pool table either...
Mrs Parmas
25 Little Bourke St, Melbourne.
(03) 9639 2269. www.mrsparmas.com.au
Mrs Parmas offers the "pick of the hops" by showcasing the best Victorian microbrews. - Holgate, Grand Ridge, Three Ravens and Mountain Goat - all paired with parmiagnas as big as your head. The house dish comes as chicken ($18.50), veal ($22.50) or eggplant ($16.50), beaten thin and chunkily crumbed with a choice of 10 toppings like Original (ham, cheese, napoli sauce) and Matriciana (olives, chilli, cheese, napoli sauce). There's also steaks, seafood and gluten and egg-free pastas.
Yots
4/54 Marina Boulevard, Cullen Bay Darwin.
(08) 89 81 4433
Perched on the marina where the fishing boats bob, this is a beaut venue to watch the afternoon lightning storms come in over Darwin in summer. Then there's the food, which owner Evan Papadonakis swears is all his mother's genius - oysters shucked to order (try the greco: green olive, anchovy, spicy salsa grilled with goats cheese), chilli mud crabs (a big favourite in these parts), Greco barramundi, chargrill octopus, spitroast lamb and rissoles so succulent they'd bring even Alexander the Great to his knees.
Grazing
The Royal Hotel, Corner Cork & Harp Streets, Gundaroo 2620.
(02) 6236 8777
Deep within this 1865 national trust building with its fat stone walls, huge open fireplaces and hand-cut ironbark floors is an award-winning restaurant, Grazing - a licenced diner run by The Royal Hotel. The food is gloriously gutsy with a strong regional produce tilt and comes hot, hearty and in plentiful portions. The combinations used in the local grain-fed beef, goat kid and yabbie dishes are low on frills but high on flavour. Amazing cellar too.
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