Riverview Dining Room

In a suburb that's bursting with them, the 'Riv' comes close to the ideal local pub. All the horrors that blight Sydney pub dining - pokies, tipsy teens, bad music and ordinary food - are blissfully absent. Instead, this 19th-century wood-panelled boozer hiding away on a leafy residential street is all about craft beers, sponsoring local sports teams and the good cooking of chefs Brad Sloane and John Rankin. Take the stairs to the cosy first-floor bistro - a maze of snug corner tables, a courtyard and a private dining room - for a taste of their smart seasonal menu. Stand-out dishes include an elegant, delicious salad of roasted figs dressed in Pedro Ximenez with goat's fetta, walnuts and sherry vinegar; a Cone Bay barramundi fillet with a fennel puree, finished with sauce vierge; and a very comforting piece of Berkshire pork neck with sauteed apple and black pudding. Don't leave the table until you've tried the 'chocolate, peanuts and popcorn'.