The pubs of South Australia are more than just cosy places to enjoy a beer with mates. They are pieces of living history, landmarks of eras gone by, and culinary cornerstones of their towns.
These seven pubs each offer something unique, from German inspired feasts to historic wine cellars, yet all are united in honouring Aussie culture and bringing the best food and drink to every corner of the state.
The Rising Sun
Established in 1851, The Rising Sun was Auburn’s first commercial building and remains one of the oldest pubs in South Australia. When it was built, the inn boasted 18 rooms, stone stables, a loft and a garden, offering much-needed facilities for travellers and their horses passing through the Clare Valley. In 1862, it was also the first site in the area to receive a telegraph message.
When visiting today, visitors will discover the original 19th-century architecture still on display, including a stone facade and timber verandah. You are invited to dine in the front bar or restaurant, where the menu features traditional pub classics elevated by seasonal local ingredients. Enjoy fish & chips, chicken schnitzel and 30-day dry-aged rump steak, or stop by on a Sunday for a classic roast with seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.
Wine lovers should flip through the extensive list of Clare Valley drops, as well as beers and classic cocktails. New Wine Wednesday is a weekly event where the team open a rare bottle of local or international wine to pour by the glass, perfect for expanding your palette and enjoying relaxed conversations with the locals. If you’re a music lover, you can enjoy three hours of roots and blues music with flowing drinks every Sunday afternoon.
Then, book one of ten heritage rooms to spend the night in old-world comfort. From wrought iron beds to wood fire places, the suites and rooms combine historic furnishings with modern amenities.
William Creek Hotel
Two hours east of Coober Pedy, in South Australia’s smallest town, William Creek is a quirky hotel embracing true outback hospitality. Originally serving as a boarding house, it has developed into a local favourite with 53 rooms and a campground. The bar and restaurant are built from old Ghan Railway sleepers, and are decorated with historic country memorabilia. Stubby holders, hats and books on the area are available to purchase with your pint.
Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main dining room, which pair perfectly with the local wines and beers on tap. Then, stay the night in an ensuite room with air-conditioning, or pitch a tent at the large campsite, with powered and unpowered options. Each morning, the hotel runs scenic flights over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and the colourful sandstone Anna Creek Painted Hills, with the option to touch down at thermal Dalhousie Springs for a soak.
Wilkadene Brewery
Deep in the fruit bowl region of South Australia, near the town of Renmark, Wilkadene Brewery is located inside the old shearing sheds of Wilkadene Station, which were built from locally quarried limestone in 1859.
Since 2009, however, the brewery has been producing its own range of beers and welcoming visitors to its stunning riverfront gardens. Standouts include the Firehouse Stout, crafted in partnership with Arrosto Coffee for a unique fresh coffee flavour, and the Outback Amber wit locally sourced malts and eclipse hops.
The venue is right on the banks of the Murray River, where you can moor your boat and spend the afternoon relaxing on the deck. While there are no kitchen facilities on-site, you will find a range of delicious locally made goods and free barbecues to enjoy a picnic lunch. Plus, on weekends, local food trucks serve gourmet meals including burgers, fish & chips, pizza and smoked meats.
The two resident brewery dogs, Murray and Boof, are always looking to say hello, and you are welcome to bring your own well-behaved pets along too. There’s always a local artist performing live, new beers to try, and great people to meet.
Two minutes from the brewery, Wilkadene Cottage is a charming accommodation option on three acres of lush gardens. Make use of the fully-self contained property, with a n alfresco dining area, tennis court, air-conditioning and wood fire heater, and spend your days exploring the surrounding region.
The Crafters Hotel
Established in 1839, The Crafters Hotel is one of Adelaide’s first pubs located just 20 minutes from the CBD. The bistro is an elegant reimagining of a classic pub kitchen, offering a menu inspired by the food and wine of France. Open for lunch and dinner, standout dishes include the lemon honey glazed duck breast with pomme puree, baby turnip and king oyster emulsion, or the chargrilled kangaroo loin with beetroot and potato dauphine.
The bar menu is available for all-day dining, with more relaxed offerings such as fries, marinated olives and cheese platters. Apart from the delicious culinary offerings, the hotel sets itself apart with the extensive cellar, featuring more than 3,500 bottles of premium wine. Guests are welcome to wander in and browse the wines, and knowledgeable sommeliers are always on hand to answer your questions.
Cellar Sessions are held regularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, which come complimentary with a 7:30pm dinner reservation. During the half an hour guided wine tasting, you will discover new varietals, producers, and learn all about wine making techniques while sipping on top drops from around the world.
The Masterclass Series takes place across the year, featuring a new winemaker, sommelier or chef who takes visitors on a guided tour and tasting of sought-after wines from the Crafters cellar.
The hotel also offers seven luxury rooms complete with a private balcony, king sized bed, gas fireplace and Aesop toiletries for ultimate comfort.
Royal Oak Penola
It’s not often you come across a country pub that gives a town its name, but that’s exactly what happened with the Royal Oak Penola hotel. In the language of the Pinchunga people, the Traditional Owners of the area, ‘pena’ means ‘wood’, and ‘oorla’ means ‘house’. As such, an early translator named the original weatherboard Royal Oak public house Penola, and the town soon followed suit.
On the main street of Penola, in the Coonawarra wine region, the hotel stands tall as an award-winning bistro. The seasonal menu and rotating weekly specials celebrate the best local produce, with dishes including crispy pork belly with rosemary potato, black sesame and pomegranate molasses, as well as steak frites, baked camembert and braised beef brisket.
From Monday-Friday, you can dine from the hotel’s express menu, which features a small range of classic pub dishes from only $16 each, and on Sundays the classic roast is always popular. As Royal Oak is located in one of the best wine regions in Australia, it has developed a diverse wine list with a selection of high quality drops available by the glass or bottle. You can also enjoy discounts on the wine of the month.
For those wishing to stay longer, the hotel has four double rooms, four single rooms and a twin room honouring the rustic style of the 1870s when the doors were first opened.
Hahndorf Inn
Hahndorf Inn, proudly found on the main street of the historic town of Hahndorf, has been operating for more than 155 years. It is owned by the Holmes family, a six generation hotelier family who arrived at Port Adelaide from the German town of Bremen in 1847.
The Inn specialises in Bavarian cuisine, with a restaurant, casual bar, outdoor dining area, saloon bar and traditional German Bierhall all under one roof. The all day menu starts with fresh-baked pretzels, sausage boards and German flatbread pizza, before moving to a selection of mains including crispy skin pork hock and charred chicken with rotkohl.
You will also find German wursts served with sauerkraut, mashed potato and Bavarian mustard, as well as meat platters with ribs, schnitzels, rissoles and sides. Of course, the menu wouldn’t be complete without German imported beers, and you will even find pints of Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, which was established in 1040. If you would like to try multiple brews, beer and schnapps paddles highlight the best imported drinks on offer.
Alongside its myriad of dining options, Hahndorf Inn also runs appelstrudel making classes, where you can learn to make a traditional German style apple strudel, before enjoying your creation with whipped cream and ice cream, and leaving with a take home recipe card.
The inn has retained all its period charm, with open fireplaces and wooden furnishings perfect for any celebration.
Prairie Hotel
In 1876, the Prairie Hotel began its life as a railway siding for the Blinman copper mines. Three decades later, in 1905, construction finished on the stone hotel and outbuildings still standing today, and the hotel became famous for its delicious food and country hospitality.
The Gallery Restaurant blends Indigenous ingredients with contemporary flavours, offering elegant dining surrounded by a curated gallery of Indigenous art. The a la carte menu features feral ghost rogan josh, ashed mallyroo loin and saltbush dukkah, or you can choose to dine from a three or seven course banquet menu for a selection of the chef’s favourite dishes.
For more casual dining, drop in to the bar for a refreshing drink and quick bite. Home to the Parachilna Brewery Project, the most remote brewery in the state, the hotel crafts exclusive beers on site and delivers them to taps in the front bar for a taste of local craftsmanship. There’s also a range from the exclusive wine brand, the Flinders Range, which is inspired by the local Ediacaran fossils.
In fact, the fossils can be explored in more detail on a tour hosted by Prairie Hotel owner Ross Fargher. The Nilpena fossil beds are the most important site in the world for the discovery of Ediacaran fossils, the first animal life on the planet. On tour, you will be led into the Nilpena Ediacara National Park, with 60,618 hectares of landscape, to learn all about these ancient creatures.
When you stay at the Prairie Hotel, you can head out for your tour, and then return for a cool beer and a comfortable bed.
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