Chefs Jamie Thomas and Luke Smith are running the kitchen and share a long history together.

It's a partnership that spans back to 1998 when Thomas first met Smith as "a little guy with long hair and glasses" when he walked into his kitchen at The Anglesea Arms pub in London.

Ever since that introduction, London-born Thomas and Lancashire-raised Smith have stuck together, eventually moving to Australia and working their way around Sydney before settling with their families in Newcastle.

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"There are some mornings in the kitchen where we don't even say a word - it's that kind of relationship where we don't even need to talk to each other," Thomas says.

"We have been doing this for 60 years between us. We don't even need to write a prep list - he knows what needs to be done and vice versa.

"It's very, very easy and it always has been ever since I met him at The Anglesea Arms."

Collectively, the pair bring a tremendous amount of experience to the Town Hall Hotel. From their early days at The Anglesea Arms ("In my view, one of the greatest pubs in London," Thomas says) to their time in Sydney where they worked in kitchens as part of the Drink'n'Dine group - including the Carrington Hotel in Surry Hills which scored a rating of 15/20 in the Good Food Guide - and the 12 months the pair spent learning the ins and outs of butchery at Sydney's Victor Churchill (a place described by Anthony Bourdain as "the most beautiful butcher shop in the world").

After stints cooking at The Edwards (Smith) and The Family Hotel (Thomas) in Newcastle, the pair decided to get back together in the kitchen at the Town Hall Hotel.

That was two years ago.

While Smith stuck it out at the hotel, Thomas moved over to Finnegan's where he ran Jamaican restaurant Winnie's for two years before returning to the Town Hall Hotel following the completion of the renovation.

"Even though this place was a dive, we did get the kitchen and saw it as an opportunity," Thomas says.

"We did make it kind of work but it wasn't enough at the time to support our two families and that's why I did the Jamaican thing.

"Luke did his thing here serving the locals, but once this place closed down for the renovations and I started seeing the design, I knew that it would be different."

The pub, which originates back to 1899, re-opened earlier this month after undergoing a complete renovation that has breathed new life into the space. The hotel was gutted and refurbished, from top to bottom, with a new bar, contemporary furniture and a freshly painted exterior.

"Even though the food has always been good, the layout kept a lot of people away. It was a bit run-down," Thomas says.

"I'm not big into pub renovations myself, but I think they have done a really good job.

"They've kept some of the original features like the cornices and the pressed tin ceiling in the bar. They have handled it nicely without it being too in-your-face."

The menu offers traditional pub food, with a nod to their British roots, as well as a grill menu with steaks, ribs and chicken, five burgers (including two vegan options) and fresh salad bowls.

There is also an $8 children's menu, $15 lunch specials from Monday to Friday, and a Sunday roast every weekend.

"Our philosophy is, like the Anglesea, that it's a place for everyone," Thomas says.

"It doesn't matter who you are, if you're a greasy, filthy tradie or the world's richest rock star, we want to be able to cook for you, so the menu is designed not to be too extravagant.

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"We have been hammered since the day we opened, so I think the menu is attracting people."

On the classics menu, look out for the oxtail soup with garlic bread ($10); beef, mushroom and ale pies with mash and mushy peas ($16); bangers and mash with pork sausage, rich onion gravy and peas ($18); and beer-battered fish and chips with lemon, tartare and mushy peas ($18).

"It's Australian-English, so we've got oxtail soup, pies - which are handmade - and the classics like fish and chips," Thomas says.

"If there's one thing me and Luke can do, it's being able to cook a nice fish and chips, being English."

Even lambs fry, with smoked bacon, mash, onions, peas and gravy, gets a run.

"It's like the forgotten food, lambs fry," Thomas says.

"You can get it, but often it's not done nicely. The lambs fry also happens to be absolutely smashing - it's one of our best sellers.

"Luke has got such a good reputation here that we can sell it to anyone and they will try it.

"They might not always like it, but they are willing to give it a try because they know it will be cooked well."

The kitchen is open seven days for lunch and dinner.

Thomas hopes to utilise the hotel's beer garden in the summer months to revisit the Jamaican flavours he cooked at Finnegan's.

"Come summer, I might bring some of the Jamaican food back for the beer garden," Thomas says.

"I'll get a big barbecue in and do some proper jerk chicken, which I think would be quite nice."

Town Hall Hotel is at 29 Station Street, Waratah. The bistro is open Monday to Friday for lunch (noon to 3pm) and dinner (5.30pm to 8.30pm). It's also open noon to 9pm on Saturday, and noon to 8pm on Sunday.

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