Newtown's Marlborough Hotel has been refurbished with the top floor gutted and transformed into the lively Miss Peaches, dishing up eats from American's southern reaches.

Enter through a dedicated doorway alongside the Marlborough, climb the steep stairs from the street and you'll be met with wood panelling on the walls, concrete floors and a collection of colourful, patterned booths snug up against stripped-back brick walls. A mellow, bluesy soundtrack drifts around the room and seeps out onto the bar's balcony.

At the bar, you'll find Young Henry’s, Reschs and Cascade on tap. By the bottle, you can sample tasty American brews such as Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn Lager and Anchor Steam. The cocktail list includes things like an Atlanta Fanta (which has Jack Daniel’s, lemon and Fanta) and a Mississippi Sour made with Laird's applejack, lemon, bitters and a spicy honey ginger syrup. If you've got to drive home, you can sip homemade sarsaparilla, lemonade or ginger beer.

For eats, start out with some tater tots (accompanied by maple bacon ketchup), cornbread sliders (that come in mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, chicken fried steak or beef short rib varieties), or some crawfish pies. Heartier feeds include blackened fish, fried catfish with hot sauce and crisp-skinned turkey drumsticks. Or you could just go all out with grits and gravy beef, gumbo or okra jambalaya. Finish the gluttony off with a slice of pumpkin pie.

Miss Peaches is slick and good fun, with just that right amount of silly. For a taste of the Deep South, head west to Newtown.