One of the best pubs in Hobart for a winter night out, the New Sydney Hotel is a pint-sized Irish pub with big credentials: there are 18 beers on tap, it has a laneway beer garden built for the brave, and a fire that burns reliably bright on the coldest days. The self-styled ‘best little pub in town’ is a bold claim. But saunter in on a blustery winter’s night and it’s hard to argue. 87 Bathurst St, Hobart; newsydneyhotel.com.au

Multiple fireplaces mean you’re never far from the warmth at this Huon Valley pub. But from where we’re sitting, it’s the outdoor fireplace that is the one worth claiming. Switch your phone to silent and settle in beside the crackling flames with a local Tassie drop in hand and let the serenity wash over you. It’s one of the best things to do in the Huon Valley in winter. 2-4 Short St, Huonville; lostcaptain.com.au

Twenty minutes from Launceston, the historic village of Evandale is one of Tasmania’s best-preserved Georgian villages. The town still has a blacksmith and an annual penny farthing race and the Clarendon Arms suits those cosy and quaint village vibes perfectly. Expect a pub menu that takes local Tasmanian suppliers seriously beside a proper roaring log-laden fireplace. 11 Russell St, Evandale; clarendonarms.com.au

Hikers weary from the Overland Track should know that this Central Highlands pub is waiting at the Lake St Claire end of the famous track for them. The Derwent Bridge pub, which has a giant, red-brick fireplace, has a menu of hearty pub classics that celebrate Tassie produce. Order the rich, warming soup of the day, best enjoyed with a big, bold glass of red wine. 15573 Lyell Hwy, Derwent Bridge; derwentbridgewildernesshotel.com.au

Few Hobart pubs carry their history as well as Shippie’s. Built in 1846, the pub’s fireplace was once the boiler of an old ship, a detail that feels entirely fitting for a Battery Point building this close to the water. The Shipwright’s Arms is one of the oldest pubs in Tasmania and still one of the best cold-weather options in the city. Don’t be surprised if you encounter a few core lords talking about the morning surf at Shipwreck’s, the break that shares the pub’s name. 29 Trumpeter St, Battery Point; shipwrightsarms.com.au

Operating since 1807, the Hope & Anchor lays a strong claim to being the oldest continually licensed pub in Australia. It’s a title it defends fiercely against another contender on this list. The old-school Hobart pub has a proper fireplace in a room that feels like your nanna’s front parlour. Enjoy good old-fashioned hospitality while warming your cockles with a wee dram of whisk(ey) or two. 65 Macquarie St, Hobart; hopeandanchorhotel.com.au

Sixteen rotating taps, gourmet burgers and a fireplace that attracts cool kids who like to discuss poetry, Jack Greene is one of the best craft beer bars in Hobart. It channels British pub energy with a distinctly Australian accent. Drop in for a cider and leave a few hours later, considerably warmer and completely unapologetic about your actions. 49 Salamanca Pl, Hobart; pubbanc.com.au/jackgreene

South of Hobart in the lush Huon Valley, this tavern is exactly what a Tasmanian winter getaway should look like. Settle fireside with a rotation of Tassie beers, ciders, wines and spirits while the valley and orchard country outside present a solid argument for Strathblane being one of the cosiest regional towns in Australia to visit during winter. 247 Narrows Rd, Strathblane; riverrunlodge.com.au

The wood-panelled Tavern Bar at Cradle Mountain Lodge is a top place to be when snow starts to dust the wilderness outside. Roaring fireplaces, chalet-style warmth and one of the world’s great landscapes framed in floor-to-ceiling windows check all the boxes for what a Tasmanian winter getaway is supposed to feel like. Worth every kilometre of the drive. 4038 Cradle Mountain Rd, Cradle Mountain; cradlemountainlodge.com.au

The open fireplace at MACq 01’s Hobart waterfront lounge was crafted by a local stonemason with shared stories in mind. Gather around it as you would a campfire, Tasmanian wine in hand, with the glittering Hobart harbourfront doing its thing outside. One of the most atmospheric spots for fireside drinking in Hobart. 18 Hunter St, Hobart; macq01.com.au

Waubs Harbour is a distillery rather than a pub. But when that distillery is housed in a converted oyster hatchery on lichen-splotched rocks above Bicheno’s shoreline, exceptions get made. Named in honour of Tasmanian Aboriginal woman Wauba Debar, it produces small-batch maritime single malt whisky matured metres from the ocean. Gather around the fire and order a dram. 42 Waubs Esplanade, Bicheno; waubsharbourwhisky.com

Salamanca’s iconic watering hole has been faithfully restored, honouring the bones of the old pub established in the early 1800s by Rev. Robert Knopwood. As well as being one of the best pubs in Hobart with a fireplace, The Whaler is also one of the city’s oldest drinking dens. Enjoy ‘Biggie Smalls’ like chips and gravy, or ‘Under the Sea’ options like a nourishing bowl of mussels while communing with apple-cheeked locals. 39 Salamanca Pl. Battery Point; thewhaler.com.au

Deep in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, the Great Lake Hotel is the kind of remote, lodge-style pub that feels purpose-built for winter. A wood fire is at the heart of the cosy interior and a beacon for those coming in from the cold after trout fishing in the surrounding lakes. Hearty meals and comfortable accommodation means you can hibernate here for days. 3096 Marlborough Hwy, Miena; greatlakehotel.com.au

The Stanley Hotel sits in the shadow of The Nut, a dramatic volcanic headland in historic Stanley, on Tasmania’s north-west coast. The mid-19th century pub is a warm constant in one of the state’s most striking coastal villages. Expect proper pub food, local produce and quality fireside chats that make it a worthy stop on any Tasmanian winter road trip. 19-21 Church St, Stanley; stanleyhoteltasmania.com.au

Go op-shopping ahead of your visit to the Shamrock Hotel to find a hand-knitted beanie that will help you blend in with the resident Hobart hipsters. Challenge your Tassie mate to a game of table tennis and then sip on a local cider in the The pub’s Art Deco interiors and log fireplaces makes it one of the city’s best places to snuggle up on a cold winter’s day. 195 Liverpool St, Hobart; @shamrockhotelhobart