Not many bars can truly call themselves an institution, but The Exeter Hotel is the real deal, beloved for its strong, nicely priced local drinks offering and top pub food.
There are other very good places to drink in Adelaide, but ask almost any resident to meet you for a pint and nine times out of 10, they’ll suggest The Ex – the reliably laid-back vibe, convenient central location and hot chips rarely disappoint. We don’t mind that the bar staff sometimes eschew courtesy for the sake of efficiency, or that, come summer, you have to jostle for an outdoor table – all that character makes for an experience that’s equal parts heart, history, and hilarity.
Locals also come for The Exeter’s excellent menu featuring heaving plates of juicy chicken parmas (or parmis) and Wednesday curry nights when the generous serves, all intricately spiced, rival that of even the best takeaway you know. Locals also know the bar stocks what’s continually rumoured to be Australia’s cheapest Krug, served tongue-in-cheek with seven-ounce butcher glasses (though flutes are available). And they know about the live music, fiercely competitive quiz nights and sometimes pop-up restaurants that’ve made the bar their home.
The Ex continues to be a haven for wine aficionados and hospo types, plus you’re in wine country so naturally this is a place to try some of the best from South Australia’s major grape-growing regions: Clare Valley, the Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Riverland and the Adelaide Hills. Many producers in the state have a long affinity with the pub and are mainstays on the menu.
The 60-ish strong list is cheap, too – owing to the pub’s popularity – with glasses starting at around $8 for the house pour. In summer we’re particularly fond of the crowd-pleasing house bubbles; come wintertime there’s nothing like snagging a seat by the roaring fire and whiling away an hour or so with a glass of perky, cool-climate syrah in hand.
This is also a home for solo-drinkers, whose place it was long before the hip crowd moved in – if you want to hear a man speak about his unpublished book on aliens for a whole hour, this is the spot – so make sure you’re comfortable with friendly strangers pulling up a pew. It’s all part of the fun.
