Hamer’s Bar and Grill

The locals are usually onto a good thing when it comes to choosing a decent watering hole, and Strahan is no exception. Hamer’s Bar and Grill offers a warm retreat right in the heart of town.

Mingle in the public bar and soak up the nautical atmosphere, or challenge the locals to a game of eight-ball. The best seat is a bar stool by the window, where you hold court over both the raging fire (truly a force of nature) and the passing foot traffic of the main street outside. Just beyond are fishing boats tethered to the wharf, and the sheltered, glassy cove of Macquarie Harbour looking like a painted backdrop in the background.

The public bar kitchen pumps out seafood fettuccine, spag bol and the ever-popular pie of the day, but the locals reckon Hamer’s’ beef burger with caramelised onion and barbeque sauce is the ticket. And don’t forget the good old parma, either.

If you’re after some pre-dinner entertainment you’d be crazy to miss the daily performance of The Ship That Never Was. The sea-washed pantomime is Australia’s longest running play, being performed continuously for more than 20 years. Tickets are only $20 and the play is performed at 5.30pm on the wharf in a specially built theatrette.