The Main Hotel

Young publicans Sekove and Sarah Koroisamanunu have injected new energy into this ageing stalwart.

The Main Hotel is one of the longest-standing establishments in Bairnsdale. It first opened back in 1878, when the aptly named Main Street was still a dusty dirt road, and before the pub’s drawcard neighbour, the Romanesque Revivalist St Mary’s Church, was built in 1913 (it features impressive murals painted by Italian artist Francesco Floreani during the Great Depression).

Today, the hotel is a popular spot for lunch, plating up uncommon counter meals like Thai beef salad or katsu chicken curry alongside enduring classics like beer-battered fish’n’chips. Similarly, the dinner menu melds faithful parmas with gastropub fare like smoked duck breast or sticky beef ribs. Pair with a glass from East Gippsland wineries Lightfoot & Sons, Wyanga Park, Tambo Wine and Sarsfield Estate, or opt for one of the local beers on tap from Sailors Grave or Bullant Brewery.