Father's Day Pub Lunch in Geelong

Edge sits directly on Eastern Beach Road with panoramic views across Corio Bay. Open from 8am Sunday — early enough for a long Father's Day that starts with a mid-morning drink on the deck and rolls through to a proper sit-down lunch. Indoor and outdoor seating; the outdoor tables are the prize on a clear September day when the bay is doing what it does. Full bar, extensive wine list and an all-day dining menu that handles share plates, mains and everything in between. Rated 4.1 stars from 2,413 reviews.

Best fit if you want flexibility — no fixed sitting time, arrive when it suits and stay as long as the day allows. Phone two to three weeks out and ask for an outside table with a bay view. Waterfront bars guide →

Sailors' Rest is a multi-level waterfront venue at the foot of Moorabool Street — dining room with bay views, a beer garden, second-floor lounge, and a rooftop terrace above all of it. The Sunday menu leans seafood: fettuccine marinara, fisherman's basket, locally sourced share platters. The 4.5-star rating across 2,267 reviews is the highest of any pub on the Geelong waterfront, an unusually strong result for a venue this large.

The rooftop is the pick for a Father's Day with a view — bay in every direction, DJ from 3pm if dad likes the energy, or a quieter table on the dining room level if he doesn't. Open from 11am Sunday. Ring at least two to three weeks ahead and ask for the rooftop or a bay-facing table. Sailors' Rest listing →

The Vue Grand has been Queenscliff's flagship heritage hotel since 1881 — 23 boutique rooms upstairs, a grand dining room and The Billiard Room bar downstairs, and a wraparound verandah that is one of the best perches in town. Sunday service opens from 12pm. The kitchen draws on Bellarine Peninsula produce; the dining room suits a proper occasion without tipping into stiff formality. If you want to stay over and make it a weekend, the boutique rooms handle that well.

Thursday to Sunday are the service days, but Father's Day weekend books out from the Sunday sittings first. Phone direct: ask about Sunday lunch sitting times and whether the verandah is available. Pub accommodation guide →

Open from 10am Sunday, the Barwon Heads Hotel runs a full bistro service through lunch with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options alongside the standard pub menu. Four distinct spaces — bistro, cocktail lounge (the Bridge Bar), sports bar and function room — mean the group can spread out or stay together depending on the day. The beer garden is the main event when the weather cooperates; September on the Bellarine can go either way, so ask about the covered and heated areas when you ring. Rated 4.0 stars from 1,555 reviews.

If dad likes a walk, park near the river bridge and do the 15-minute foreshore loop before sitting down — the Barwon River mouth is one of the prettiest spots on the Bellarine and sets up the lunch nicely. Accommodation on-site if you want to stay. Bellarine Peninsula pubs guide →

Open Sunday from 11:45am, the Elephant & Castle has been running a proper pub since 1891. The Sunday roast is the headline — $30, served from 11:45am to 2:30pm, with seasonal roasted vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Live bands kick off at 3:30pm if dad wants to stay through to a long afternoon. The beer garden is among the best in the CBD; rated 4.4 stars from 1,572 reviews, it delivers on that consistently.

Best fit for a dad who wants a proper sit-down lunch in a pub that knows what it's doing — no frills, no pretension, just a $30 roast and a cold beer. Walking distance from the CBD core and Geelong Station. Geelong CBD pubs →

The Telegraph anchors the top of Pakington Street with a classic art deco facade and an award-winning rooftop above a renovated gastro-pub kitchen. Sunday bistro service opens from 11am with a modern Australian menu that takes in Asian and Mediterranean influences alongside standard pub fare. The rooftop is the prize on a fine September day; the main dining room is the reliable back-up. Rated 4.4 stars from 1,063 reviews.

Best fit for a dad who'd appreciate a polished room without the formality of a heritage dining experience. Walking distance to a full strip of Pakington Street bars and cafes if the afternoon extends. Phone direct to lock a rooftop table. Rooftop bars guide →

Elephant & Castle — $30 Sunday roast from 11:45am, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, live bands at 3:30pm. One of the best-value Sunday lunches in the CBD from a pub that's been doing it since 1891. No pretension, good beer list, consistent kitchen. Best steak nights guide →

Edge Geelong for an early start and all-day flexibility (open 8am), Sailors' Rest for the rooftop and seafood focus (open 11am). Both on the Geelong foreshore, both bay views. Edge suits a dad who doesn't want to be rushed; Sailors' Rest suits one who wants the most photogenic table on the waterfront. Waterfront bars guide →

Vue Grand Hotel Queenscliff — heritage 1881 dining room, Bellarine Peninsula produce, 23 boutique rooms if you want to make a weekend of it. Book the overnight package if he'd enjoy a trip away. The northern Bellarine alternative if Queenscliff is full: Portarlington Grand Hotel, 1888 heritage, bay views. Heritage pubs guide →

Barwon Heads Hotel for the river-mouth coastal village setting — foreshore walk before lunch, beer garden after. Blackman's Brewery Torquay for the Surf Coast alternative: craft beer poured from the tank, wood-fired pizza, 500m from the surf. Both open Sunday from 10am and 12pm respectively. Bellarine Peninsula pubs guide →

Grovedale Hotel for sheer capacity — Pioneer Kitchen bistro, easy parking, big enough to seat the whole family without needing to split. Telegraph Hotel if you'd prefer a more polished Pakington Street setting and can secure a reserved section — phone direct and ask about group bookings. Function rooms guide →