Great Northern Hotel

The Great Northern was one of the first pubs in the area, with a history dating back to a time when horses and carriages trotted through the north side en route to the city. These days, the driveway is now a drivethru bottle shop attached to the hotel, and the beer garden is a hotpot of locals and families. Inside, historical photos of the hotel and surrounding Chatswood are dotted along the wall. Alongside these are portraits of thoroughbred racehorses. If you're into the horses, the TAB in the front room has plenty of big screens where you can catch local and interstate races. Back in the main room the centrepiece of the dining area is the open grill for cooking your own scotch fillet or T-bone. Chuck your steak on the barbie and unless you like it blue you’ll have time to grab a beer while you wait – there's eight on tap and two ciders. The salad bar is a little lacklustre but their humble potato salad hits the spot. There's also a billiards room with four large pool tables, and an open log fireplace, which is surrounded by sunken leather lounges. The pub may not have seen a whiff of a refurb in quite some time, but it still pulls a decent crowd. Whether you're a punter here for the TAB, bringing the little ones for kids-eat-free Saturdays, or a trivia nut in on Tuesdays, the Northern retains enough charm and warmth to make sure it stays on top of the list for North Shore pubs.