The Local Taphouse

In 2008, the old Palace Hotel building in Darlinghurst reopened as a 1920s European-style pub called The Local Taphouse. It's the second instalment of a renowned Melbourne brewpub of the same name. Armed with the knowledge culled from research trips around the globe, the Taphouse owners are in the business of making beer drinking better in Australia, and their venues have earned numerous awards in the process. Twenty rotating taps feature their favorite Aussie and international craft beers (including some lesser-known ales like the Grifter Brewing Company's spicy "Big Sur" IPA). There are also a few dozen standout bottled beers from around Australia and the world, regional wines, and a solid gastropub menu of charcuterie and cheese plates, steak and fish dishes, Sunday roasts, and five varieties of mussels. The space, outfitted with leather couches and lamps made from bird cages, also hosts a number of regular events from weekly trivia nights to "Ale Star" beer appreciation sessions held once a month. On a warm summer evening, you can't beat a seat on the rooftop here (pictured).