Growlers is Torquay’s best-and-only cafe, restaurant and pub. And boy, is it popular. Its beachfront position does help a bit, making it an all-too-convenient pitstop after a vigorous morning stroll or a day spent luxuriating on the sand.

A formidable menu means every meal of the day is possible here. Before 11am, you might be tucking into a stack of hotcakes, eggs florentine or smashed avocado on thick-cut rye with beetroot hummus and quinoa. Later, surf and turf options abound. You could choose anything from an Angus beef burger for lunch, to beer-battered flathead and chips for dinner.

No matter what you’re chasing, fresh produce from Torquay and surrounds drives the offering here. The same local focus extends to the drinks list, with brews by Blackman’s Brewery and Bells Beach Brewing around the corner making a welcome appearance.

Growlers stays busy throughout the year. In summer, the picket-fenced beer garden builds a steady crowd towards sunset, with bathers-clad groups sharing jugs of beer at the hardy picnic tables. The cosy restaurant, with its wall of spirits and dark wicker chairs, comes alive in winter. Live music kicks off every weekend here, too. It’s the ideal complement those spectacular southern ocean vistas.