Towradgi Beach Hotel

Just north of Wollongong and a few streets back from the beach sits this live-music institution with good-value food. The interior is large and pleasant, with a couple of giant fish tanks, and there are several spacious courtyards – one with an impressive waterfall. The seafood tasting platter is as cheap as chips, the famous pork ribs rock, and the flathead in the ocean burger tastes so fresh that it could have been paddling that morning. A playground and a good kids’ menu add family appeal: all in all, this welcoming, well laid-out pub puts in a very solid performance.