Clyde Mooney is the Founding Editor of Pubtic, a news source for pubs. He is also a very dear friend of mine.

We used to sit next to each other in our old jobs as trade magazine editors and we drank a lot of coffee. Clyde, to my great amusement, had an espresso machine on his desk.

But let’s face it – that’s not all we drank. Clyde and I have always been fond of a beverage. After all, he literally grew up in a pub.

This is one of the many reasons he is the best person to ask about Australia’s best pubs. Here are his top five:

The Espy, St Kilda Vic
I love it because of the amazing renovation, original ideas and array of alternate uses. Incidentally, it’s where they used to film RockWiz.

Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane Qld
I was impressed by the smarts and guts behind the build. It’s an impressive venue with 4.5 star accommodation attached.

Coogee Pavilion, Coogee NSW
I love it because of the innovation and diverse offerings. One of the original big pubs to seem like a collection of smaller venues in one. More about that here.

Hotel Bondi, Bondi NSW
I love it because it’s a icon, on our most famous beach, and I lived there for a time as a child. My dad orchestrated its sale to the current owner’s dad in 1974.

Duke of Clarence, Sydney NSW
Created by international bartender Mikey Enright, it perfectly simulates a classic English pub boozer, right down to serving beer at a higher temperature. More on that here.

Do you have a favourite pub? I would love to know what it is and why you love it so much.

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