Junction Hotel Newport

After some success with wine bar Sabroso in Seddon, Jackie Mahony took over the Junction in 2011 and gave it a makeover.

It's been kept it plain and inoffensive. Between the vibrant beer hall, airy beer garden and cosy wine room, it’s clearly designed to be a crowd-pleaser.

The Beer Hall’s 16 taps regularly feature locals Two Birds and Cavalier Brewing, but also venture further around Australia and the world. The list of around 70 bottled beers is always changing too. The space is used to host regular beer tastings and steak nights.

A short wine list is also at hand, but a quiet word to the staff might get you access to the more extensive Wine Room menu. Its 60 choices span the globe; from French classics to small local producers.

The two rooms have separate menus but share many dishes. Thin-crust pizzas, burgers and pub classics are complemented with snacks and salads. But where the Beer Hall has ribs and wings, the Wine Room offers more refined dishes such as pappardelle with duck ragout and Turkish delight panna cotta.