The Premier Hotel

The Premier is close to the Newcastle Jockey Club but don’t let the punters holding up the front bar deter you – the restaurant out back is the place to be. The house-made corn bread with chilli coriander butter is light and fluffy, while a succulent crisp-skin pork belly is accompanied by house-made labna, cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts and maple glaze, and a hearty bushman’s 580-gram lamb shank is slowly braised and served on creamy mash with fresh baby spinach and pan jus. You’ll need abib for the meltingly good pork rib lets in smoked sweet hickory sauce. And if there’s room, try the white chocolate spring rolls.