When Sarah Abo learned almost two years ago that she’d been appointed co-host of the Today show and would be joining Karl Stefanovic on Nine’s breakfast program, she phoned her husband, steel trader Cyrus Moran, and the pair went out for a celebratory drink – a cold pot of draught beer at her favourite Melbourne pub, the Napier Hotel in Fitzroy.

In fact, given the choice, the Syrian-born journalist and television presenter would rather have a quiet beer at the local pub than a glass of wine at a bar.

While she’s been based in Sydney for the past two years, Abo was raised in Melbourne’s Greensborough and returns once a month to see her parents, sisters and their partners. Inner-city pubs are often the scene of family catch-ups over chicken parmigiana or steak.

Eating in

Signature dish and go-to at home

I am not the best cook, but I love making pasta dishes. My favourite is guanciale, pea and mint pasta. It’s basic, very flavoursome, and you can whip it together quickly. I also can’t go past spaghetti bolognese. Lately, my signature dip has been labneh topped with mixed olives, roasted nuts, and cherry tomatoes tumbled with chopped fresh mint and parsley. It’s a crowd-pleaser.

My guilty pleasure

It’s always bread. If I go out for dinner, and there’s a bread bowl in front of me, I will always eat it – with lashings of butter. I’m always a bit disappointed when a waiter brings the bread out with oil because I prefer butter with a pinch of salt. My other guilty pleasure is any kind of decadent chocolate dessert. I find them hard to turn down.

Best kitchen wisdom I cling to

I learned to have patience in the kitchen from my mum, Samia. I am slowly learning Syrian dishes from her, and it takes time to do these well. When I make vine-leaf wraps with Mum, it’s a bit of a process, from mixing the mince to adding the rice, tomato and parsley and then rolling the vine leaves and cooking them.

Eating out

My favourite Melbourne restaurant (and go-to dish)

Marios in Fitzroy is an institution, and it doesn’t matter whether I go there for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I know I will always get a great meal and great service. There’s no pretence about it. It’s nothing fancy but it feels comfortable, and is somewhere nice to wine and dine as long as you like. I always order the amatriciana pasta – that’s a favourite. They often have a special risotto, which I recommend.

For breakfast, they make smashed peas with poached eggs – I order it with bacon on the side. If you go there during the right season [August to October], they make freshly squeezed blood orange juice, which is sublime.

A budget spot to eat

If I am looking for a quick meal, I grab a zaatar or meat pizza or a halloumi pie at A1 Bakery in Brunswick. They make great coffee as well. I love that you can get a meal for under $10 here. It’s family-run and I do love to support small businesses. I also like Nikos Cakes in Oakleigh. They have great affordable meals; it’s always buzzing inside and there’s a great vibe. I love their cakes and always order galaktoboureko, a traditional Greek cake that’s all syrupy and filled with custard deliciousness.

My favourite Melbourne cafe (and what I order)

I love Alimentari in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It’s a great spot for brunch or breakfast and takeaway lunches. They make a delicious Middle Eastern dish called Persian eggs, and the corn cakes are great, too. But when I’m on the go, I get their fresh salads and cakes to take away. I always order a soy cappuccino but lately, I have been enjoying a macchiato with soy milk. I’ve started drinking that on the Today show as it gets in my brain a lot faster.

My favourite bar (and what I order)

I prefer pubs to bars. I love going to the Napier Hotel and the Builders Arms Hotel, both in Fitzroy. I am always around an inner-city pub and always order a beer – a basic draught like Carlton or a lager. If I have a cocktail, it’s a martini or margarita above a glass of wine.

Favourite places to eat in Sydney

When I went to work for SBS [in 2013], 10 William St in Paddington was the first restaurant I ate at in Sydney. I love it because it has a Melbourne vibe, it’s like a hole-in-the-wall spot, nothing too fancy. It’s great – we dined there for my birthday this year.

Another favourite is The Apollo, a delicious Greek restaurant in Potts Point. It’s an awesome setting and the food is always good. I love the moussaka and the oven-baked snapper with vine leaves.

My favourite Sydney cafes (and what I order)

A Sydney cafe called Alimentari in Paddington [no relation to the Melbourne food store of the same name] makes great coffee, salads for lunch and hearty takeaway dinner options for my fridge. Small’s Deli in Potts Point makes excellent rolls and salads – I always order the Al Green salad roll. And the pork and fennel sausage roll at Bourke Street Bakery (various locations) is a must. They make good coffee and carrot cake, too.

What is your favourite place to eat in Australia, and do you have any special food memories here?

Growing up in Melbourne, we used to go down the Great Ocean Road to Lorne for our family holidays. A regular spot for us to dine was Chris’s Beacon Point Restaurant. He made delicious Greek food with a Middle Eastern influence. We’d eat lots of fresh fish and lamb dishes there. In South Australia, we also love to eat at Star of Greece in Port Willunga – clearly, our family loves to eat Greek by the water.

Our recent family meal together was at the Builders Arms in Fitzroy. They have a great menu and weekly specials (steak night on Mondays, chicken night on Tuesdays), and it’s easy for us to get a big table. We always order the shared dish of lettuce hearts and asparagus with green goddess dressing and parmesan, and the steak. The whipped cod roe here is a must.

Sarah Abo is co-hosting Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, December 24. It will be screened live on the Nine Network.