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When Down Under transplants Bill Mitchell and brothers Frank and Will Ford opened their good-time Aussie pub in 1999, they inadvertently kick-started a mini Antipodean invasion. Although Eight Mile Creek is now one of a half-dozen Australian joints on the Lower East Side, it still remains among the most authentic. The menu is a great intro to contemporary Australian cooking with native staples like crisp-skinned barramundi fillet, pan-seared rack of lamb, and char-grilled filet mignon paired with creamed spinach and “proper chips” (chunky-cut fries with the skin left on). Those curious about more modern flavors can sample a slightly gamy Emu Carpaccio appetizer or skewers of kangaroo meat in a tangy “mountain berry ketchup.” Later on in the evening, the young crowd congregates around the narrow dining room’s wooden bar, especially when Aussie-rules football plays on the overhead TV. — Sarah Gold

Sun.—Thu., 5 p.m.—11 p.m.; Fri.—Sat., 5 p.m.—11:30 p.m.

The Creek Bar
Down under the restaurant, Eight Mile Creek’s low-ceilinged pub serves several varieties of Coopers Ale, a good Australian wine list, and a bar menu of hometown favorites like meat pies, sausage rolls, and Vegemite sandwiches.

Kanga skewers, $8; barramundi fillet, $22