KB Lager kitsch. RSL chic. World Series Cricket retro. We’re not sure what we’re calling it, exactly, but next-generation operators decking out old pubs and bars with Australiana is one of the more fun hospitality trends of the past decade.

Redfern’s Bat & Ball is an exemplar of the form after relaunching under a young team in 2024. Goodbye, pokies; hello, post-footy DJs, oysters and competitively priced negronis. There’s Creedence on the playlist, and you can bring your dog to hang out amongst the caramel tiles and framed souvenir tea-towels from Vanuatu and Gulgong.

How’s the schnitzel? Pretty good! It’s crumbed with panko, oats and pulsed grains for extra crunch and the mash is appropriately thick and smooth. The market-fish and chips has skin-on fries, creme fraiche tartare and side bowl of silky peas blitzed with reduced stock and cream and finished with a drizzle of dill oil – terrific for dipping hunks of battered bream or gurnard.

Whole Beast Butchery supplies the dry-aged beef for a juicy, well-sealed burger stacked with lettuce, tomato and cheese, and sticky date pudding makes an appearance with Jack Daniels-spiked butterscotch. Howzat.

Good to know: There’s a smart line-up of Australian beer and wine, mostly from independent producers, plus a clipped list of house and classic cocktails.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.