I can spot a surfer a mile away. They’re normally donning black jeans, a flanno and a beanie or cap, and say things like “that surf was pumping” and “I don’t really care about politics.” I know this because I’ve dated a bunch of them. This is all to say: there are a hundred flanno-and-hat-wearing surfers packed into The Milton Hotel on a Friday evening when I visit, knocking back cold beers like it’s 30 degrees outside and not like, ten. And that’s mostly because they’re great beers. They’re brewed on site under the banner Dangerous Ales and range from a sessionable Backyard Pale Ale and a clean Helles Lager to a fruity Extra Dangerous XPA and a chocolate, rum and raisin stout called Dead Man Tell No Tales. Staff are wearing t-shirts, and there's handsome wooden panelling that nods to the hotel’s past (it was built in the 1800s). So far, very pub-y.
Except, The Milton Hotel is not like your standard pub. Yes there are the surfers and tradies, the cracking beers and a feel-good, casual vibe at this tavern located in the heart of Milton on NSW’s idyllic south coast. But you won’t find a chicken schnitty on the menu. There is, however, a smooth chicken liver parfait paired with a fruity chutney and house-made brioche. You also won’t find fish and chips. Instead, triangles of buttery Ulladulla-caught bluefin tuna are kicked into gear with a lime kosho (a Japanese-style ferment they make in-house), soy sauce and vibrant parsley oil. Fish fingers don’t come with chips but arrive looking like chubby, golden and crumbed thumbs, crowned with dots of bonito-and-miso-spiked mayo and seaweed, elevating the retro snack to yum, umami heights.
The fact that the food at The Milton Hotel is seriously delicious makes more sense when you know that since 2019 it’s been owned by chef Damien Martin. A south coast local, Martin spent time cutting his teeth in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen in London and Quay in Sydney, and is keen on all things fermentation after a stint at Margaret River's Vasse Felix winery. Hence the beer.
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The open dining room is just off from the main bar area. It’s a pared-back space, with blonde tables and lots of hanging ferns. To the right, I can spot a wood-fired oven roaring. It makes sense to start with the puffy wood-fired bread, all blistered and charred and topped with butter, fermented black garlic and lemon zest, which cuts and lifts. My mate says he would come back here and just order three of these breads, and that makes sense.
I really do want to order the slow-roasted lamb shoulder, which comes with harissa, labneh and pickles. But we go with the recommendation from our relaxed and knowledgeable waitress. Pork and Wagyu it is.
A barbecue pork scotch fillet comes looking charred and sexy thanks to a glossy miso glaze and resting on a cashew cream, which has sweetness from honey. The meat is well-cooked and still juicy, and on the side there’s spicy fermented gai choy. It all works.
Our Wagyu rump is also cooked by someone who knows what they're doing. The meat is tender, full of flavour and caramelised on the outside, and the tare sauce it’s with is balanced and pairs well with a glass of velvety 2021 Heathvale Estate shiraz from the SA’s Eden Valley. I don’t think it needs the accompanying egg yolk, but some may enjoy it.
The Milton hotel is just like your local pub, but better. Add it to your south coast hit list
A side of cabbage underneath a thick and creamy sesame sauce and a handful of crisp shallots yet again proves why the once-wallflower vegetable deserves centre stage. It tastes like French onion dip and that’s a compliment because if anyone says they don’t like French onion dip they are lying. I could take or leave a side of iceberg lettuce, as the chilli brown butter clarifies on this winter’s night. Better on a sunny day, and with less peanut sauce, perhaps. We finish with a burnt pav with Dangerous Ales stout curd, vanilla jersey cream and shavings of lemon rind, and just like beers the surfers are throwing back, it doesn’t last long.
Outside there’s a spacious wrap-around deck and I’m told you can see the ocean in the distance. I’d love to come back in the sunshine and lose track of time. I also reckon puffy and blistered wood-fired pizzas would go off come spring and summer.
The Milton Hotel impressed my local mates who hadn’t dined there before but are now going to, and it impressed me too. I wouldn't even call the food elevated pub grub. It’s just really good, restaurant-style food at a pub, with ripper beers and a fun atmosphere. So in that sense, The Milton Hotel is just like your local pub, but better. Add it to your south coast hit list. Surfers and non-surfers are all welcome.
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