It’s safe to say that live music is in Jerome Borazio’s wheelhouse. He’s best known as the “Jerome” behind St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. So, when he traded Melbourne for the Mornington Peninsula, it felt natural to bring the tunes along.

Meet Haba, Borazio’s 220-person pub and live music venue with big beach bar feels. (Borazio also opened the light, bright Ocean Beach Pavilion in Sorrento in 2020.) Haba’s airy front bar is a magnet for crowds and bands. Down the side, the beer garden and Nolty bar are fitted with purpose-built change rooms for anyone who comes straight from the beach. There’s also another live-music area outside, which leads you back into the main bar. The look is modern but relaxed and spacious. And it’s made for lingering.

That’s easy to do with the seafood-heavy menu, which has featured vibrant tempura fish tacos, steaming mussels mariniere, and buttery, garlicky bucatini vongole. But you’ll also find more classic pub options like chicken parmas, fish’n’chips and double cheeseburgers.

The live-music program regularly features punk rock, blues and indie outfits, as well as a rotating line up of DJs. In addition to a live music hub, Borazio was keen to make sure it felt like a local pub. So there’s Carlton Draught on tap and Melbourne Bitter long necks in the fridge alongside a locally focused wine list (think Paringa Estate pinot gris or Stonier chardonnay, plus favourites from SA and NZ).