Here's our list of the best bars and pubs along Victoria's beautiful Surfcoast, from Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, and Lorne, to Moriac, Torquay and Winchelsea.
Following our pub crawl of Geelong, we’re continuing our best pubs and bars guide by trekking down around the beautiful shores of the Surf Coast.
Here are the best pubs and bars on the Surf Coast to enjoy across the summer:
The Hop Inn
Address: 611- 621 Surf Coast Highway, Mt Duneed
Vibe: Relaxed with live performance
Outdoor area: Outdoor and marquee dining
Dedicated menu: Classic Pub Meals
Just shy of the Torquay township on the Surf Coast Highway sits the vibrant beer destination, The Hop Inn. With a stellar selection of frothies on tap including their own brews, The Hop Inn has a great atmosphere as a weekend spot. With live local blues, rock and roots music from 6PM Friday and Saturday nights, and from 1.30PM for a sneaky Sunday session, along with Fox sports broadcast on their screens, The Hop Inn is all about enjoying the best things in life. Their parmi is also top-notch!
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Torquay Hotel
Address: 36 Bell Street, Torquay 3228
Vibe: Summer cool
Outdoor area: Outdoor beer garden
Dedicated menu: Pub classics
Whilst Torquay may be the tourist destination of choice, make the Torquay Hotel one of your local hangout choices. The Torquay Hotel has always been a cornerstone of the town, but it saw a mega revamp in recent years to take on the title of iconic live music venue. A fresh menu that consists of a classic pub menu for the public bar and beer garden whilst dialing up the fancy in the restaurant area, mammoth lineups of Australian and International artists and a vibrant community of regulars, Torquay Hotel is a treasure to our hospitality and music scene.
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Blackman’s Brewery
Address: 26 Bell Street, Torquay
Vibe: Summer beach house
Outdoor area: Beer Garden
Dedicated menu: Pizza Wagon + Burgers
A hop, skip and jump from the Torquay Hotel is Blackmans Brewing, literally placed 500 metres from the beach. This independently-owned brew company known for their colourful, in flavour and appearance, beers has created a bubbly venue to reflect their signature brand. At Blackman’s brewery, their philosophy is this: we love good beer, it’s really that simple. With locations in Geelong and Ocean Grove, the Torquay space includes a beer garden with a pizza wagon providing hand-stretched woodfire selections as well as burgers, fish tacos and bites for you to enjoy with a beer or two. Here. the beer is served in serving tanks and kegs about five metres from where it’s brewed and you’ll see the Brew Team doing their thing out the back.
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Bomboras Beach Bar
Address: 48 The Esplanade, Torquay
Vibe: Summer oasis
Outdoor area: The entire space
Dedicated menu: Food trucks and tap beer
There’s a lot to love about a beachside bar. From un-beatable views, seaside winds, spectacular sunsets and of course cold beverages, Bomboras beachside bar is the perfect place to kick back and relax for summer. Located on the rooftop of Bomboras Kiosk, the bar is all about exuding a laid back, welcoming feel for anyone wanting to enjoy a drink by the beach, inspired by Croatia’s abundance of beachfront bars. Named after a type of wave, the space boasts a beach-shack style décor, complete with wood decking, picnic bar tables, wine barrel tables, their very own ‘#bomboras’ polycarbonate cups, and even a marquee. With a variety of local wines, delicious spirits and local brews on tap, the bar also welcomes local food trucks alongside a regular roster of local musicians.
Time to soak up the ambience of what is a genuine gem for the seaside town and enjoy beers with a view.
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4 Pines x Boardriders
Address: Shop 1/61 Surf Coast Hwy, Torquay
Vibe: Upbeat post-surf spot
Outdoor area: Beer garden
Dedicated menu: Fresh beers and cocktails
Buddying up with the fine crew at Boardriders, 4 Pines Torquay is bringing some of the freshest, innovative and creative beer to the famous coastal town of Torquay, delivering all the good vibes for your next catch up after you’re done hitting the surf. With a huge outdoor patio, clad in reclaimed wood and huge plant walls, this gastropub has all the right vibes for an arvo in. Open seven days, the beer lovers can quench their post-surf thirst and find themselves exploring the six taps of their finest beer or sharing in an eclectic mix of beer-inspired cocktails and a fistful of wines. The menu is packed with all your favourites like burgers, bao buns, and tacos, as well as black bean nachos, fish and chips and chicken parmi. Plus, it’s dog-friendly.
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Mr Archer Wine Bar
Address: T11, 222 Fischer Street, Torquay
Vibe: Classy, intimate, cozy
Outdoor area: N/A
Dedicated menu: Local cheese and charcuterie boards
Date night is planned at Mr Archer Wine Bar. This intimate spot in the heart of Torquay brings the romance and decor of French provincial-life to our surf town, boasting both local and international grape varieties to pair with local cheese and charcuterie delicacies to share next to the cozy fireplace. If wine is not your drink of choice, Mr Archer has you covered with bottled beer, draught beer, ciders, house cocktails, spirits and great coffee.
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Barwon Heads Hotel
Address: 1 Bridge Road, Barwon Road
Vibe: Relaxed beach vibes
Outdoor area: Dining area overlooking the beachfront
Dedicated menu: Snacks and classic pub meals
Reinvigorated to bring a more coastal touch, Barwon Heads Hotel has a bit of everything for the locals to enjoy. Catch up with friends for a drink and a light bite from their bridge bar or cocktail lounge, catch the latest live sporting event in the sports bar or dine on some fresh seasonal produce and delicious pub meals in the bistro. On the warm summer days the outdoor area is an ideal spot to hang out and inhale the delicious ocean breeze.
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Lorne Hotel
Address: 176 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne
Vibe: Coastal relaxed with a twist
Outdoor area: Beer garden
Dedicated menu: Classic Pub, Seafood based Thai/Canonese, Spanish
Located on the iconic Great Ocean Road stretch, Lorne Hotel is not only a tourist favourite but is the celebratory station of the annual Lorne Pier to Pub swimming race. This 145 year old establishment offers stunning ocean views and a variety of dining options across the Bistro and Beer Garden, Coda Lorne and MoVida Lorne, respectfully dishing classic pub meals, seafood Thai and Cantonese infusions and Spanish specialties.
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Angelsea Hotel
Location: 1 Murch Crescent, Anglesea
Vibe: Classic relaxed surf pub
Outdoor Area: Outdoor dining
Dedicated Menu: Classic Pub Meals
With walking distance to Angleseas main beach, river and main street, Angelsea Hotel is an all rounder with their public bar, TAB, bistro with a kids play area, function room, beer garden and attached Thirsty camel bottleshop. Great food and an even better atmosphere with a stacked gig guide, Anglesea Hotel is a coastal gem.
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Last One Inn
Location: 113 Great Ocean Rd, Anglesea
Vibe: Summer chill
Outdoor Area: Front lawn with picnic tables
Dedicated Menu: South American influence restaurant meals
Perched on the rugged coastline of Australia’s iconic Great Ocean Road is Last One Inn, a 70’s beach shack has been given a new lease on life and is serving up great food and vibes in a picturesque location. Dubbed a bar/bistro, this venue started as a burger joint but quickly evolved into the perfect space for catching up with friends over a few quality cocktails.
With a classic, sun-drenched lifestyle in mind, this place is awash with South American influence and a deeper focus on the quality of offering through food, drinks and music. Summer sees the venue host mini-festivals celebrating food and music, alongside the regular slots of live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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Apollo Bay Hotel
Location: 95 Great Ocean Road
Vibe: Chill
Outdoor Area: Outdoor bar
Dedicated Menu: Classic Pub Meals
The last stop on the Great Ocean Road and coastal tour is Apollo Bay Hotel. Known to locals as the bottom pub, Apollo Bay Hotel is just shy of the 12 Apostles national landmark. With a rich town history, the Apollo Bay Hotel is diverse in nature, perfect for tourists and local company thanks to their generous menu and live entertainment.
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Aireys Pub
Location: 45 Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet
Vibe: Chill
Outdoor Area: Beer garden and deck
Dedicated Menu: Classic Pub Meals
Home to the brilliant Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival, the Aireys Pub is the place to be when you’re wanting to immerse yourself in a relaxed pub setting with your nearest and dearest.
From the road, Aireys looks like a normal-sized pub. But walk inside and you’ll find three huge dining spaces; a beer garden; a stage, and their own Salt Brewing Co. SALT was born in 2015 and is 100 per cent Australian owned and brewed. With award-winning beers, the brand is rapidly expanding across Victoria, catering to all beer lovers from your regular drinker to your ‘class A’ beer connoisseur. This fine pub is topped off with live music every weekend, friendly staff, a bottle shop, delicious pub fare and waterside dining.
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