I can’t imagine living in a world where women aren’t welcome in pubs or bars. Indeed, not allowed…

But it’s 2012 and our presence in public drinking establishments of all types is, thankfully, no longer taboo. Still, depending on your personality (and age) it can be a challenge to find a place that suits to a tee.

For me some pubs are daggy and blokey. Some cocktail bars stacked with tower-high stilettos and very short skirts. Some ‘drinking establishments’ lack a warm personality and others have staff even annoyed at having to serve customers.

My female friends and I hang out in the inner south and have recently made Public, corner of Flinders Way and Franklin Street, Manuka, our new local. Many of our male friends do too.

We like that Public is a pleasant cross between a bar and a pub (I wonder if that makes it a ‘bub’?).

When Public first opened in December it wasn’t entirely prepared for the onslaught and it took time for it to find its feet, with some price and menu adjustments recently made to take into account customer feedback. It’s now settling nicely into its niche—an upmarket pub with a touch of class on one side and a slightly more formal dining area on the other side.

Bringing the outside in…

We love the fantastic fitout and weren’t surprised that Public had only been open a few weeks when it picked up its first award for the refit. Many architectural elements of the original 1920s building—unexpectedly uncovered during renovations—have been retained, which is perfect timing given Canberra’s centenary next year. The original windows with their original pulleys are absolutely charming and the counter weights left raw an obvious part of the building’s heritage. Hats off to the owners who could more easily (and cheaply) just covered these rustic elements with a new ceiling.

And we love the way the shiny, white tiles have been deliberately laid as they would have been in the 1920s when the original Cusack’s building first opened. Then bricks were laid by eye and so were not precise and perfect. The gold leaf gilded lettering on the front door and toilet doors (ladies and gents) have been meticulously applied. And the retro sinks in the toilets are a super touch. Indeed Public has succeeded in creating a pub with a sense of history, where a pub has never been.

Public’s fitout has a real sense of history

The photos of Manuka in days gone by featured in the dining side, sourced after hours of research in the National Archives, are fascinating, including for those of us not born and bred in Canberra. There’s the historic Manuka Pool (as it was in the 1920s), the old Capitol Theatre (sadly torn down) and the old-fashioned cars (very quaint).

The pub menu offers dishes you’d expect, such as pizza, burgers and fish and chips. But, as with the fitout, care has been taken to up the ante. This is about casual food, not the fatty, greasy, stodgy pub fare often available (which I admit many adore). At Public there’s a classy Wagyu beef burger and a fun trio of small slider burgers (Wagyu beef, pork belly and pulled lamb). The fish has a light batter. The stone fired pizzas combine interesting elements such as fiore di latte, mushroom ragu, gorgonzola and truffle oil.

Images of ‘old Manuka’ adorn the walls of the dining area

I’m addicted to the modern rendition of the pie floater (get the recipe here!) I’m not a big fan of minced meat pies, but the chefs at Public create this dish with big chunks of steak slow cooked in red wine, forming a thick gravy, and then baking it in light, fluffy pastry. The fresh, bright green peas accompanying the floater are slightly chunky and the taste ramped up a notch or two with fresh mint. Bye-bye sloppy, dull green mushy peas.

Beyond ‘traditional’ pub fare, Public caters to other tastes, including with their top-quality raw dishes. Two of my favs are the kingfish carpaccio served with baby caper lime vinaigrette and the tuna tartare with toasted hazelnuts, eschalot and preserved lemon (both dishes are gluten free).

New places (or relatively new places) are wise to keep their finger on the pulse and continually refine operations as they move forward. Some Canberra establishments are lousy at this. Others are mediocre. Still others are quite conscientious. Public is conscientious and will no doubt be on this busy corner of Manuka for many years to come.

What’s your favourite local pub?

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://hercanberra.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/wendy.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Wendy Johnson graduated with a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, a few decades ago. She’s been living in Australia since 1995, having fallen in love with eucalypt trees and kangaroos. Wendy is passionate about Canberra and all the nation’s capital has to offer. She loves to write (about everything and anything) and owns her own pr and advertising business.[/author_info] [/author]