The Greenwood Hotel

In 1992 Nick Wills was a university student and a bartender. He poured the first pint at the Greenwood Hotel, which was in a historical building rescued from dereliction. Now he co-owns the pub and has restored it to its former glory.

The transformation is spectacular. Honouring the building’s past as a church and then a schoolhouse, it takes full advantage of the soaring timber-beam ceilings and dramatic sandstone walls. For a pub it’s almost intimidatingly grand.

Because of its heritage listing the structure of the building had to remain mostly the same, and the design balances the original features with the modern well. In the Chapel Bar, rows of arched windows cut into the sandstone allow plenty of natural light to flood in and bounce off the polished timber floors. The ceiling beams are painted white and decorated with a long, green sculpture that resembles dried fronds and hangs over the high tables and stools. The original sandstone has been preserved and the new bar is a vibrant turquoise marble.

Classic pub dishes such as chicken schnitzel, fish and chips, and lamb pie sit alongside a superfood salad of roasted sweet potato, spinach, walnuts and labne. There are also crisp-skinned barramundi and woodfired pizzas.

The north and south courtyards offer excellent daylight escape. Grab a pineapple punch infused with chipotle or one of the pub’s gin cocktails and take a seat outside.