SA pub crawl: South Australia’s top 18 country pubs as voted by readers
From a pub described as “one of the great discoveries of the year” to another where “you can’t get a bad meal”, our readers reckon these are the best 18 country pubs in the state.
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They’re the places where everyone knows your name – and if they don’t, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
South Australia’s great country pubs are second homes to locals and destinations for tourists.
They’re where you go for a knock-off drink in your work clobber or an easy family nosh. While most will serve up the traditional favourites – schnitzels, steaks and fish ‘n’ chips – there are a number of pubs elevating the dining experience to draw foodies from afar.
Take The Hagen Arms in Echunga, built in 1848, which retains all the old-country pub charm while serving up restaurant-quality fare, which The Advertiser’s food reviewer Simon Wilkinson in December referred to as “one of the great discoveries of the dining year”.
Head chef Ben Fenwick describes it as “a little more than your average pub grub”.
“We stay true to our roots and do pub classics, but we just try to bring a taste of food that you would get in the city to the Hills,” he says.
“We try to do as much local, modern Australian food as we can – Nomad Farms chicken; locally-caught fish.
“We get a lot of good support from the locals and on the weekends we get a lot of people coming up from the city and neighbouring towns.”
When we first published our list of 18 great country pubs to visit, we asked you to tell us your favourites – and here they are!
READER FAVOURITES
CHARLESTON HOTEL
26 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Charleston 8389 6088, charlestonhotel.com.au
Husband-wife duo Kati and John Lewis have been visiting country pubs every Sunday for several months, and named a few favourites – among them, the Charleston Hotel.
“Not far from the city, but just off any main roads, the Charleston is a cute little gem,” Kati said. “The dining room, while small, was warm and encompassed that country ambience. Service was personable and efficient.” Kati also noted the range of craft beers, a small but “very good” menu and excellent beer garden.
OLD BUSH INN
51 High St, Willunga 8557 1000, oldbushinn.com
“This is real rustic country-feel pub with an unusual bar and excellent roomy dining room,” Kati said. “There are also quite a few outdoor settings on the balcony.
“The menu was fairly extensive with numerous specials on the specials board, including fish.”
THE NORMANVILLE HOTEL
46 Main Rd. Normanville 8558 3200, normanvillehotel.com.au
A few votes for “The Normy”, one of SA’s oldest country pubs. It’s a comfortable setting (it underwent a refurb in more recent years) and offers great dining, bars, accommodation, gaming, wine-tasting, art displays and entertainment.
DALRYMPLE HOTEL
4 Anzac Parade, Stansbury 0456 597 689, thedalrymplehotel.com
“The best food of any regional pub in SA,” reader John wrote. Menu items include lobster sliders and kingfish sashimi, to larger dishes of chicken larb gai, eggplant katsu burger and roast barramundi in jungle curry.
BRIDGE HOTEL
70 Bridge Rd, Langhorne Creek 8537 3010, langhornehotel.com.au
“Never had a bad meal in years,” wrote Kevin. Bridge Hotel also got a vote from Kati and John Lewis, who noted “delightful historic stone” build of the hotel, as well as the friendly front bar. “The menu was of that country feel with my husband’s pie-of-the day being a stand out,” Kati wrote.
PORT NEILL HOTEL
7 Peake Terrace, Port Neill
Reader Griffin wrote: “A tiny bar with the best veranda view of the Bay and summer evenings to die for
THE BLYTH HOTEL
20 Harley St, Blyth 8844 5004, theblythhotel.com.au
Another suggestion from reader Griffin, who wrote: “the owners have revived and revitalised the food and the life of the town with it”.
THE GREENMAN INN
1351 Bull Creek Rd, Ashbourne 8536 6363, thegreenmaninn.com.au
Reader Kevin nominated The Greenmann In for its ambience, “sitting outside alongside beautiful meadows”.
MT PLEASANT HOTEL MOTEL
43 Melrose St, Mount Pleasant 8568 2015, mountpleasanthotelmotel.com.au
Another suggestion from Kati and John Lewis, who wrote, “while a little difficult to locate, this little pub is a beauty”. “The menu was small but enticing,” Kati said. “My chicken breast and mushroom sauce on mashed potato was outstanding. The best mash I’ve ever tasted.”
PORT HUGHES TAVERN
Port Hughes Tavern, 2 Minnie Terrace, Port Hughes 8825 2640, facebook.com/porthughestaven
Overlooking the Port Hughes jetty, the Tavern is open daily for lunch and dinner, and also offers a beer garden, front bar and pool table.
GREAT EASTERN HOTEL
71 North Terrace, Littlehampton 8391 1712, thege.com.au
Just off the Freeway, the historic stone pub is welcoming and staff attentive, say Kati and John Lewis. “The menu provides quite a selection … and the servings were extremely generous,” Kati said.
TOP 18 PUBS TO VISIT IN 2023 – BY REGION
ADELAIDE HILLS
THE HAGEN ARMS
1 Angus Rd, Echunga 8388 8223, hagenarms.com.au
The Hagen Arms strikes the right balance for a country pub, with a front bar where locals in their working clobber are still happy to pull up a stool and down a well-earned pint. On the other hand, the food, while never pompous, is made with all the care and consideration you’d expect from a high-profile chef. And the wine list stretches far and wide while still offering a range of eminently drinkable bottles for only $35. Described by The Advertiser restaurant reviewer Simon Wilkinson as “one of the great discoveries of the dining year”, it’s a must on any Adelaide Hills roadtrip.
THE SCENIC HOTEL
Old Norton Summit Rd, Norton Summit 7320 1610, thescenichotel.com.au
‘Booking essentials, bums on seats, no packet gravy, no pokies.’ In a world full of marketing overreach and misappropriated catchphrases, the mission statement for the Scenic Hotel’s restaurant is refreshingly free of bulldust. Revamped by a young collective in recent years, while retaining its rough-at-the-edges spirit, The Scenic is a popular haunt for longtime locals and city hipsters alike. Food strikes a balance between on-trend and pub comfort, from anchovy toast with green sauce, to roo schnitzel with Paris mash and pepper sauce. It’s walk-ins only for beer garden dining.
STANLEY BRIDGE TAVERN
41 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Verdun 8388 7249, stanleybridgetavern.com
The Stanley Bridge Tavern has been quenching thirsts since 1853 when it opened to look after bullock drivers coming from the Mallee on what is now the main road through the Hills town of Verdun. Step into the front bar, with its low doorways and defiantly ungentrified vibe, and those days aren’t so hard to imagine. While the mood inside is quite sedate, a table out on the beer garden that looks out to gum trees, a creek bed and lawn is ideal for summer. The menu covers the classics – from bangers and mash to schnittys – while more adventurous cooking includes gnocchi and cassoulet.
NORTH
THE WATERVALE
37 Main N Rd, Watervale 8843 0229, watervalehotel.com.au
So much more than a pub. The historic Clare Valley hotel has been transformed by well-known locals, Warrick Duthy and Nicola Palmer in recent years as a dining destination in its own right. Produce is picked from Penobscot Farm up the road, which the pair also run, meaning everything is as fresh as can be. The welcome is genuine, service thoughtful and friendly, prices no more than you would expect. The property also offers accommodation and range of experiences.
PRAIRIE HOTEL
High St &, West Terrace, Parachilna 1800 331 473, prairiehotel.com.au
Reopens March
A trek through the Flinders Ranges is one of the state’s great regional adventures and The Prairie is like an oasis along the way. It’s comfy, with a welcoming bar and tables set outside to take in the most spectacular sunsets you will surely ever see. Feral and native ingredients star on the menu, with dishes such as a roo burger, camel pancakes (made with camel pastrami) and the FMG – Feral Mixed Grill. But you’ll also find cuts of beef and lamb, spatchcock and dips. While lunch service is open to all, breakfast and dinner is exclusive to guests of the Prairie Outback Lodge.
MAGPIE AND STUMP
Burra St, Mintaro
Sprawling lawns make for an ideal spot to take the family. Let the kids roam while you enjoy a drink from the veranda. Food options cover all the favourites, and accommodation is available, too.
CRADOCK HOTEL
1 Main St, Cradock 8648 4107, thecradockhotel.com.au
reopens February 24
Despite being just a pockmark on the landscape of gibber and native trees, Cradock Hotel has become a popular stopover for tourists heading north into some of South Australia’s most spectacular country. The floorboards creak and a combustion heater blazes at one end of the bar through winter, where 40 or more locals squeeze in each Friday and Saturday night for the pub grub and conversation, while the two pub dogs roam.
BAROSSA VALLEY
TANUNDA HOTEL
51 Murray St, Tanunda 8563 2030, tanundahotel.com.au
In the heart of Tanunda, the charming Tanunda Hotel has a spacious front bar with pool tables, two dining areas, gaming and an alfresco area. It also offers accommodation, and nine-self contained apartments.
THE GREENOCK
2 Murray St, Greenock 8562 8136, thegreenock.com.au
A great country pub with all its charm, and food for all tastes. In the dining area you’ll find everything from chicken schnitzel to tapas and pizzas. Ask about their Community Pie project – every couple of months, the pub partners with a local food or wine identity to create a unique pie, with proceeds going to charity. For their Barossa pie, they’ve collaborated with Trent Burge from Burge Barossa, and it features local beef brisket, smoky bacon and camembert.
EYRE PENINSULA
PORT LINCOLN HOTEL
1 Lincoln Hwy, Port Lincoln 8261 2000, portlincolnhotel.com.au
A multi-level four-star hotel on the seafront is somewhat of a rarity in regional South Australia. But it seems quite appropriate in Port Lincoln, which is often said to have more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in Australia – thanks to the lucrative tuna industry.
The Port Lincoln Hotel is relatively modern – opened in January 2008 by a group of well known South Australians including former Adelaide Crows captain Mark Ricciuto, tuna tycoon Sam Sarin and hotelier Peter Hurley. Home to Sharkys Bar, it’s the ideal place to enjoy a knock-off drink or kick into holiday mode.
SOUTH-EAST
CALEDONIAN INN
1 Victoria St, Robe 8768 2029, caledonianinnrobe.com.au
Everyone who goes through the Callie has a story to tell or a memory to share about their time spent drinking in the front bar near the fire or out the back on a warm New Year’s Eve. The historic English-style pub has been given a contemporary lift, with comfortable dining options (casual and finer dining), live music and accommodation options with gorgeous coastal views.
JENS HOTEL
40 Commercial St E, Mt Gambier 8725 0188, jenshotel.com.au
One of the Mount’s oldest hotels, the Jens has it all: the sports bar with wall-to-wall screens and beer garden; the front bar with pool tables; gaming room and the dining room. Its central staircase and chandelier even makes it a popular spot for wedding photos. Food ranges from share-style nachos and loaded fries, to steaks, stir-fries and schnittys with a choice of 10 toppings.
ROYAL OAK HOTEL PENOLA
31 Church St, Penola 8737 2322, royaloakpenola.com.au
“We invented Penola!” its website cries. The story is this: in the language of the local Pinchunga people, ‘Pena’ means wood and ‘oorla’ means house. And so the original weatherboard Royal Oak public house was referred to as Pena oorla – wooden house – and the name stuck. A beautiful old pub, with front bar, saloon, dining room and beer garden, as well as accommodation. You’ll also find a bottle shop with a selection of beer, wine and spirits.
YORKE PENINSULA
MARION BAY TAVERN
5 Stenhouse Bay Rd, Marion Bay, 8854 4141, marionbaytavern.com.au
Marion Bay is a long way from anywhere. Adelaide – more than 280km. Warooka, the nearest Yorke Peninsula town, more than 50km. Minlaton, 80km, Stansbury 90km. A long way to go for your next meal. The main bar throbs with locals after dusk and the dining tables refill as soon as they empty with visitors who have spent a weekend exploring the coastline, surf-breaks, and Innes National Park. Food covers a range of cuisines – try their signature Marion Oscar, their version of surf and turf.
FLEURIEU PENINSULA
VICTORY HOTEL
Old Sellicks Road, Sellicks Hill 8556 3083, victoryhotel.com.au
Go for the food, stay for the views. Even with all the tables that are set in the dining room, on the patio and in the cellar, the ever-popular Victory Hotel can still run out of room. That’s where the lawn comes in and when the weather is smiling and the view along the coastline is beckoning, there is no better place to be. Regulars inside know to look for the specials that are scrawled on a roll of paper near the bar before making decisions – not that there is a lack of choices on the regular list that brings together pub classics and more ambitious fare. There’s also a gaming room, and separate front bar area.
YANKALILLA HOTEL
105 Main St, Yankalilla 8558 2011, yankalillahotel.com.au
Built in 1851, the Yankalilla Hotel is a beautiful old pub that oozes country charm. It’s got all the facilities – bars, bistro dining and a gaming room, as well as a bottle shop. The menu covers pub favourites.
MURRAYLANDS
MANNUM HOTEL
15 Randell St, Mannum 8569 1008, mannumhotel.com.au
Cold beer is again flowing from the taps at the Mannum Hotel, after floods closed the well-loved venue over New Year’s Eve. Built in 1869, and originally known as the Bogan until 1886, the hotel offered lodgings and food for travellers from river boats, as well as those seeking employment along the River. Today, an all-pleasing menu and welcoming front bar keeps locals and visitors happy. The hotel also offers 14 rooms.
RIVERLAND
HOTEL RENMARK
Murray Ave, Renmark 8586 6755, hotelrenmark.com.au
The Hotel Renmark sits in a sweeping bend of the majestic Murray River. The Nanya dining area offers views of the River, while you’ll also find a sports and entertainment bar, gaming room, beer garden, accommodation and swimming pool, as well as a bottle shop.
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