Cinder

For Fitzroy North’s Terminus Hotel – as for many pubs – steak has played an important part in its 150-year history. And now, head chef Jake Furst is building on that with Cinder, a restaurant and chef’s table within the pub devoted to dry-aged and flame-licked meats.

But it doesn’t stop there. With a Josper oven and grill, this place specialises in a variety of proteins – including seafood – which Furst prepares over charcoal. Those might include coal-baked scallops served with rich café de Paris butter; sticky lamb ribs coated in plum and gochujang; slow-cooked beef shin with fluffy, fire-baked flatbread; and wood-roasted carrots rolled in goat’s cheese.

There are also a few pastas, including pumpkin gnocchi, a marinara and a rotating pasta of the day. And, of course, a tight selection of steaks: two options each of grain-fed, grass-fed and Wagyu, plus a dry-aged special, with your choice of sauce or butter.

Though most pubs aren’t renowned for desserts, the ones at Cinder shine. Find a selection of refined takes on classics, such as chai panna cotta with gingerbread crumb and spiced honey, or a caramelised lemon tart finished with a glassy brûlée.

They’re available à la carte or as part of the chef’s table experience, which includes four to five regularly changing courses.

Located through the pub’s tucked-away side door, Cinder has a tavern-like intimacy with its low ceilings and exposed bluestone. That said, speckled ceramics, brass accents and Furst’s artfully presented plates give it just as much of a contemporary feel.

The walls are filled with photos and memorabilia dedicated to the suburb, with any excess space reserved for the large spirits selection. Try them neat or in cocktails such as the signature American oak barrel-aged Negroni, made with Mountain Goat Hopped Gin.