Tumut has no shortage of pubs and the Oriental Hotel is a monolith from the gold rush era. Photo: Tenele Conway.
A good counter meal is about so much more than what’s on the plate. It’s the old bars you lean against, the local banter that can get a little hairy. It’s the history embedded in the walls and the stories that are passed down with it. It’s the publicans who work long hours to give their communities a place to gather, and it’s the people who meet there, often many generations deep.
Here are a few of our favourite counter meals and all that comes with them across our region.
The Oriental Hotel, Tumut
A monolith of the Snowy’s gold rush era, this vast corner hotel straddles the old and the new worlds in the way that only a country pub can.
With its wraparound verandahs giving you a vantage point to prop yourself up for an afternoon, the extensive menu will help soak up the beers and at the Oriental it’s all about choice.
Pub classics such as beer battered flathead, bangers and mash, and salt and pepper squid complement more contemporary offerings such as karaage chicken, burrito bowls and an epic carni board loaded with meats from all walks of life.
It took four years to fix up the run-down ‘top pub’. Photo: Martin Conway.
Royal Hotel, Bungendore
Known by locals as the ‘top pub’, Bungendore’s Royal Hotel has stood proud over Gibraltar Street since 1883. Thankfully the recent multi-million dollar reno hasn’t gutted the soul of this historic building, and the old and new sit side by side in an inviting space that continually challenges you to stay for just one more.
To the rear of the building is the bistro, complete with its own bar and blending indoor and outdoor dining that really comes alive in summer.
The menu leans into all the dishes you’d hope to find – schnittys, parmi’s, steaks and burgers, plus seasonal dishes such as lamb ragu, pan-seared barramundi and seafood risotto that will be switched out when warmer weather hits.
A real bush pub experience at the Nerriga Hotel. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Nerriga Hotel, Nerriga
As Nerriga’s only commercial business, this vibrant local pub is an integral part of this tiny community of less than 100 residents.
The concept, kept alive by owners Sarah and Phil Smith, is a real bush pub experience, and no matter where you’re coming from, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
The kitchen team churns out quality meals at a fast pace to keep up with the bustling weekend trade, and you can’t go wrong with their steak sandwich, which is worth the drive alone.
The Telegraph Hotel offers affordable meals with a country pub spirit. Photo: Telegraph Hotel.
Telegraph Hotel, Gunning
It’s hard to believe that in less than an hour’s drive from Canberra you can be immersed in country life that’s so uniquely Australian.
Locals gather with their dogs on the verandah passing trucks speak to the agricultural heart of the community, and with a beer in hand, time seems to pass a little slower.
The meals here are refreshingly affordable, and if you find yourself in need of a feed on a Monday night, you can pick yourself up a schnitzel for a mere $13. If that seems cheap then the $5 happy hour will really hit the spot.
The Steampacket Hotel in Nelligen is a favourite with tourists and locals alike. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Steampacket Hotel, Nelligen
Sitting on the banks of the Clyde River, the Steampacket has been feeding and entertaining tourists and locals alike for well over half a century.
The current owners have really leant into the mid-century heritage of the building making a fun space to enjoy a bevvie, and with the benefit of mild winters, the beer garden can be enjoyed year-round and why wouldn’t you in a location like this?
As you might expect given the location, every meal should start with a dozen Clyde River oysters, and from there you can explore hearty serves of lamb cutlets or chow down on a Southern fried chicken burger.
Built in 1938, the Captains Flat Hotel is a classic country pub. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Captains Flat Hotel, Captains Flat
Despite losing the title of the longest bar in the Southern Hemisphere, this gem of a pub and its bloody long bar are still worth a visit.
Seemingly frozen in the late 1930s, the pub is a rare time capsule, the likes of which are increasingly harder to find these days.
The meals offer some honest and hearty country cooking. A pot pie, beef lasagne or one of their many pizzas will set you straight for an afternoon in this unique piece of Australian history.
The pub stands on a busy section of the Princes Highway in a pretty little red weatherboard. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Bodalla Pub, Bodalla
This red weatherboard pub standing on a busy highway carries with it the unusual history of when the region was not so much a town but a privately owned dairy farming utopia designed for a ‘company-first’ work-life balance.
The main bar is packed full of personality and the accompanying bistro offers affordable home-style classics covering all of the bases, including a large burger menu, a hearty ‘from the grill’ selection and a few salads thrown in for good measure.
The Cobargo Hotel was built in 1938 and saved from the bushfires by the current publican, David Allen. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The Cobargo Hotel, Cobargo
Having survived the bushfires, the Cobargo Hotel has only gone from strength to strength under the ownership of David and Bronwen Allen, and if their active schedule of pub activities is anything to go by, the community can’t get enough of their local drinking hole.
The large bistro which spills out into a renovated and welcoming beer garden takes pub grub very seriously, and if you’re hungry, you’ve come to the right place. As the only night-time restaurant in the town, the extensive menu covers starters, burgers and rolls, small eaters, ‘massive mains’ and a full pizza menu, and the handmade schnitzels are not to be missed.
