Goldy’s Tavern

In a refurbished 150-year-old Collingwood pub lies Goldy’s Tavern. It’s kept a lot of its old-school charm, with dark-wood panelling and soft furnishings, a cosy dining room, kitsch lounge seating to kick back in, a pool table and a shelf full of board games. There’s also a sunny, plant-filled atrium out back, and heaps of footpath seating out front.

Not only is Goldy’s menu all inclusive; it goes all day. Brunch staples, pub-style fry ups and coffee are the centrepiece from 7am. But you can just as easily top your chicken or eggplant parma with a fried egg and call it brekkie. Later, classic counter meals join the bill: beef and vegan cheeseburgers, fancy fish 'n' chips and those whopping parmas. Plus bigger share plates such as spiced cauliflower with macadamia puree; charred broccoli with smoked almonds and bush-tomato dressing; and grilled market fish with broad beans, peas and lemon butter.

But the snacks are where things get a bit left-of-centre. Goldy’s does its own version of the Chiko Roll with lemon-myrtle ranch and mussel “schnitzels” freshened up with asparagus, green peas and chilli. Sweets-wise, the Goldy’s Gaytime is a riff on the beloved ice-cream, which includes treacle-and-wattleseed ice-cream, shortbread, chocolate ganache and crushed peanuts.

Beers are almost exclusively Aussie – and hyperlocal where possible. You’ll find Stomping Ground, Hop Nation, Young Henrys and more on tap, with stubbies and tinnies from Moon Dog, 3 Ravens and Fixation. Each cocktail on the tight, crowd-pleasing list has a quintessentially Aussie name: Bob’s Your Uncle has Fot-Li vermouth and soda; the lemony Tommo Collins blends gin, honey tea and soda; and the Bloody Mary has been rechristened the Bloody Oath.

Kids and dogs are welcome here too, and there’s a pool competition on Wednesday nights. Despite the refurb, Goldy’s still feels like a homey local that’s been around for years.