Revealing Adelaide’s best beer gardens — here’s our top 25
THERE’S nothing like chilling out with friends at a local beer garden as the days get longer and warmer. Here’s 25 of the best — from all corners of Adelaide.
THERE’S nothing like chilling out with friends in a local beer garden as the days get longer and warmer.
The Messenger team has headed out across Adelaide to uncover the city’s best beer gardens — in the city, as well as in the south, north, east and west.
And, whether you like live music, a sports bar, a day out with the kids, a great view or just somewhere to relax in the sun with a beer or cider, we’ve found the perfect spot in your area.
Tell us below of any great spots we’ve missed!
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The City, compiled by Celeste Villani
The Benjamin on Franklin, 233 Franklin St
TUCKED away in the far-west of the CBD, there is no other word for this beer garden than gorgeous.
The bohemian-style garden screams charm and character, so if you are looking for a classy time out, this is the place to go.
The cute intimate booths are perfect when drinking or dining with a small group and the Thursday night $10 cocktails look very tasty.
Gilbert Street Hotel, 88 Gilbert St
STEP outside The Gilbert Street Hotel’s dramatic dining area and you will be transported to a wooden-clad beer garden that has some serious style.
Fake lawn lines the walls of the recently renovated space, and when coupled with a mural made of bikes, a casual, laid-back atmosphere is guaranteed.
Tuesday night is all about jazz so order a platter from the cheese bar, sip on some South Australian wine and enjoy the sounds of Adelaide band The Airbenders.
For those looking for something a little more adventurous head down after work on Thursday for a $10 kilo bowl of Buffalo wings. Magnificent.
Hotel Wright St, 88 Wright St
FORMERLY the Queens Arms Hotel, this is an Adelaide beer garden with a fruity difference. The Hotel Wright Street is renowned as Adelaide’s first ever cider garden, complete with a towering crab apple tree in its centre.
There are 10 cider beers by the bottle, two on tap, and do not fret beer lovers, there is a range of craft beers on offer too.
Head down to its Oktoberfest celebrations on Sunday, October 26, for one-litre hofbräu steins, strong-arm competitions and a pig on the spit.
The Edinburgh Castle, 233 Currie St
IF you are planning on taking your whole office out for drinks, this is the place to go.
Green foliage overhangs the huge beer garden.
With plenty of undercover seating and funky furniture, it is the ideal summer garden. Drink and food specials are aplenty, but we are loving the $5 school-night pints and their “world famous” $10-pub meal.
The Jade Monkey, 160 Flinders St
AFTER being forced out of its Twin St home in 2012, The Jade Monkey reopened at the former St Paul’s rectory in Flinders St last December, which marked a new era for local bands.
The pub, which was last used as Heaven nightclub, has a beautifully landscaped garden and its coloured, rustic decor brings a vibrant, friendly feel.
Local and interstate bands hit the stage on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and its owners say that there could possibly be some big international acts gigging at the venue in the near future.
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Adelaide’s south, Michael Milnes
Lonsdale Hotel, 25 Sherriffs Rd, Lonsdale
ONE of the south’s most popular hotels, the Lonsdale’s beer garden has plenty of shade to protect patrons.
“There is plenty of shade in the hot weather with an area that can seat about 60,” manager Keith McCallum says.
“People can dine or just grab some drinks, sit there and relax.”
The hotel also has a sports bar, bistro and gaming area.
Mick O’Shea’s Irish Pub, Main South Rd, Hackham
MICK O’Shea’s entire outdoor area was given a makeover 18 months ago and in a few weeks a Texas smoker is being installed in the beer garden.
“We are going to smoke and barbecue a lot of meats from our menu,” manager Hannah Simm says.
“People can order their meals and then sit around the beer garden area, it’s going to be really cool.”
Alongside the beer garden is a large grassed area where children can play and parents can sit and relax with a drink.
Victory Hotel, Old Sellicks Hill Rd, Sellicks Hill
THE Victory’s beer garden arguable boasts one of the best views from a hotel in SA.
“It is the best view from any beer garden that I know,” manager Matt Radbone says.
“Perched up on the hill overlooking the Southern Vales and the beach, you can sit up there and watch the world go by.”
Mr Radbone says the hotel’s beer garden is the perfect location to grab an antispasto platter and a bottle wine and relax.
“Plus there’s plenty of room for the kids to run around,” he adds.
Old Noarlunga Hotel, 38 Patapinda Rd, Old Noarlunga
THIS beer garden is a favourite with locals and visitors alike.
The large outdoor area is shaded by overhanging trees and is perfect for a frothy or wine on a warm day.
“There is plenty of room with a big-screen TV, lounges and tables,” duty manager Kimberley Scott says.
“It is a nice atmosphere out there and everybody comments on how relaxing it is.”
Once discovered, visitors return to the beer garden again and again.
“It is a really nice spot in this historical little town,” Ms Scott says.
Alma Hotel, Hill St, Willunga
THE Alma’s beer garden can comfortably seat up to 100 people.
“We have an outside pool table, lots of undercover area with heating in the winter and fans in the summer,” hotel owner Melinda McCauley says.
“There are televisions to watch sport with a TAB.”
She says the beer garden is very social but has space to spread out if you’re after a quiet lunch or room for the children.
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Adelaide’s north, Eleanor Miller
The Royal Oak, 123 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
OK — so this one is perhaps less “garden’’ and more atmospheric outdoor room.
Think cobblestone walls and funky chairs and tables to suit large or small groups.
The flat screen TV will just as soon run old movie clips as sport. The “garden’’ opened about two years ago and venue manager Sarah Legierski aptly describes it as “eclectic’’ and sort of “hidden away’’ in the middle of the hotel. Indecisive types will love the beer wheel, which works like an old fashioned chocolate wheel — you spin it and see which of the bar’s craft beers you will end up buying.
There are also 14 beers on tap.
Parafield Gardens Community Club, Shepherdson Rd
IF you are looking for greenery, this is the place to come.
The Parafield Gardens Community Club is surrounded by gardens and the large front veranda has something of a resort feel.
Arguably, this watering hole’s best feature is that it puts its profits back into the community.
The club was created in the 1970s to help fund local sporting groups and it is still supporting several of them today, with the help of its unpaid board.
Drop in on Sundays between 2pm and 6pm for garden jazz sessions.
The Somerset Hotel, 505 Bridge Rd, Para Hills
PART live music hangout, part sportsman’s retreat, the Somerset’s beer garden is all about entertainment on weekends.
Local bands start from 8pm on Fridays, and on Sunday afternoons you can expect to chill out with more live music — often in the form of an unplugged duo.
The garden’s many flat screen TVs mean multi-tasking sports nuts can keep up with the cricket, tennis and car racing all at once.
Fox & Firkin English Pub, 1370 North East Rd, Tea Tree Gully
WITH the Anstey Hill Recreation Park as a backdrop, this stables-themed beer garden feels rural but is really just a couple of minutes’ drive from Tea Tree Plaza.
The pub is steeped in history, having opened in 1853 as a flour mill. It went on to become a grain storage space and later a slaughterhouse.
The quirky beer garden pays tribute to the past with old fashioned lamps, a large stable with cobbled walls and even a vintage phone box thrown in for fun.
There are plenty of outdoor tables and large umbrellas to keep away the sun. If the weather turns, you can head indoors to the traditional pub with beamed ceilings.
Tea Tree Gully Hotel, 1349 North East Rd
WE couldn’t really leave this enormous beer garden off the list ... but we couldn’t have it at the top of the list right now either as it’s closed for renovations.
More than just a beer garden, this is really a garden restaurant, split over two levels, with a large canopy to keep out the sun. The Leader Messenger had a sneak peek of the works last week and can happily report its extra large TV screen (a favourite of sports fans) is staying put.
We understand the light-filled garden space will reopen later in the year, with new decking and a new bar.
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Adelaide’s east, Emmie Dowling
Robin Hood Hotel, 315 Portrush Rd, Norwood
THIS beer garden remains one of the more popular places to relax and catch up with friends in the eastern suburbs.
Located in the centre of the hotel, it is a great place to enjoy regular live gigs while enjoying a cleansing ale.
And as the weather heats up, you can keep your cool with the hotel’s purpose-built misting fans.There is also a gazebo where people can sit back and enjoy sporting events and music videos on the large outdoor TV.
The Edinburgh Hotel & Cellars, 7 High St, Mitcham
IT is hard to go past the Ed’s beer garden and not be lured in for a drink or two.
Renowned as being one of the best in Adelaide, it is always packed in summer months.
Compared with some of the concrete beer gardens out there, the Ed’s is what it says it is … a garden.
It boasts green grass, leafy trees, a veranda and even a fountain. It is easy to lose track of the day while soaking up the sun and listening to tunes.
On weekends, it is very popular among families.
Just make sure your children are not tempted to take a dip in the fountain!
The Bath Hotel, 232 The Parade, Norwood
THIS family-owned pub has an old, bluestone front but inside it is all about a modern vibe.
This is a garden in every sense of the word. Trees grow among the tables and chairs and creepers run up the walls. The beer garden is a great place to chill out to tunes in summer.
It has built a reputation as being one of the east’s finest watering holes.
Alma Tavern, 66 Magill Rd, Norwood
IT is almost 150 years old but the Alma is still keeping up with the times.
The newly-renovated beer garden is a popular spot for people in their 20s.
A live band plays every Sunday, making it the go-to place to stave off the Monday blues.
On Saturdays from 9pm, the Alma is a retro dance-lover’s dream. The evening event, Metro Retro, celebrates the best of the 90s.
The Paradise Hotel, 700 Lower North East Rd, Paradise
THERE is a playground at Paradise Hotel so anyone — even children — can enjoy the hotel’s beer garden.
The beer garden includes a play area and arcade as well as a comfortable spot for adults to enjoy a drink while soaking up the sun.
The play area includes plastic tunnels, a slide and rubber matts. Parents sitting indoors can keep an eye on children through the glass.
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Adelaide’s west, Holly Petersen
The Wheatsheaf, 39 George St, Thebarton
LIKE all the spaces at the Wheaty, the beer garden is a mix of cosy and chilled.
There is no TV to distract here, just a great meeting space complete with a small sheltered deck, corrugated iron and wood bars and a good peppering of greenery.
In summer it is a great place to kick back and enjoy the pub’s vast array of boutique beer, including some brewed on the premises.
Another undercover space out the back, kitted out with tables and stringed lights, is where patrons can enjoy regular live music offerings from home and abroad.
The Highway, 290 Anzac Hwy, Plympton
L0UNGES, tiki torches, greenery, stringed lights, a split level deck and massive shade sails give this garden a relaxed, tropical feel all year round.
A big screen is set up for sports and the garden is always assured to be bursting at the seams with revellers on big game days.
This is definitely the party space of The Highway.
The garden won the Best Outdoor Area in the Australian Hotels Association SA Awards in 2008, 2010 and 2012, and the national award in 2009.
The Warradale Hotel, 234 Diagonal Rd, Warradale
THE name “garden” is warranted here with plants and creeping vines set among comfortable lounge booths in a sprawling space.
This garden was the joint winner (with the Lion Hotel) of the Best Outdoor/Non-Enclosed Facility at last year’s Australian Hotels Association SA Awards for Excellence.
Not to be missed this summer.
Ramsgate Hotel, Seaview Rd, Henley Beach
SPORTING a massive 103” television to watch the game on and an easy access outside bar, visitors to the Ramsgate beer garden can enjoy sunshine, good company, their favourite sport and a few drinks all in one place.
Couch-style seats occupy a large section of this space so you can lounge in the sun all afternoon.
The Palais Hotel, The Esplanade, Semaphore
LOCATION, location, location is what this beer garden is all about. The Palais makes best use of its prime beachside locale by offering a view of the ocean and dunes from its entirely glassed patio.
A few sunny couches and a good helping of dining tables make up this simple space. So if combining a day at the pub with a day at the beach sounds like your kind of thing, check this beer garden out.