Grand National

Here's your toehold into one of Sydney's smarter suburbs - a hotel that offers far more than just the usual pub grub. Take your pick from the cosy front bar or the spacious back room, where you can check out serious action in the stainless steel kitchen (instead of watching footy on the TV screens). With a seasonally changing blackboard menu, offerings include the likes of tea-smoked salmon with braised fennel, witlof, walnuts and apple puree, or rib-sticking lamb shanks with cabbage, bacon and mash. Save room for dessert - the coconut parfait with biscotti and blood orange is a winner.