The Lion & Wombat

The Lion & Wombat wears its influences on its sleeves. A large Union Jack flag is the first thing you’ll see through the window. A coat of arms featuring the two animals shines above the door. From the decor to the menu and quiet corner location, this pub exists as a slice of England Down Under.

For those after a taste of home or the English pub experience, the menu doesn’t disappoint. Husband and wife team Alex Back and Sophie Machin have curated the menu, heavily influenced by Back’s time managing pubs both here and the UK.

Expect British favourites like elevated fish fingers (made with rockling alongside chunky tartare), and a crowd-favourite Scotch egg – soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage mince, breadcrumbed and deep-fried. It’s enough to make you feel like you’re in London or Edinburgh, not a corner pub in St Kilda. Enjoy it among the polished interiors, which feature a sunroom and a beer garden out the back.

The drinks menu is a hefty one. On it, find more than three dozen wines (mostly red and white, with some bubbles and rosé thrown in for good measure), and local beers on tap, including a Wombat Draught made from them by Stomping Ground. The British influence continues across the cocktail list, which features the Paddington (with marmalade and whiskey) and the Cuppa Tea, made with jasmine-infused gin, ginger and peach.