Town Hall Hotel

There are plenty of pubs in Fitzroy, but few are as civilised as the Town Hall, a heritage boozer with low lighting and a sophisticated Italian-influenced menu. It's old-school meets upmarket. well-chosen beer on tap in the smart-casual front bar, and quality seasonal dishes from kitchen veteran Harry Lilai (ex-Cecconi's) in clubby Scandi-spare dining rooms down the back. Bar snacks such as baby quail with chilli oil pack a punch next to classic small plates such as beef carpaccio jazzed up with a crostini of truffled beef tartare. Medium plates include house-made pastas and prawn risotto humming with preserved lemon and basil. Main plates might include a homely ossobuco with sparky cinnamon or crunchy berkshire pork cutlet with braised red cabbage. There are good steaks too (rib-eye or eye fillet) with potato gratin and macerated onion. Finish with a crowd-pleasing pavlova, tiramisu or bombolone with honey ice-cream. Who's got the next round?