How many times have you walked past that old, traditional building at the East end of Rundle Street and thought, “surely we can do better?”
We’ve been thinking it for years.
Turns out all you need is energetic young owners, a simple and stylish fit-out, and aspirations to recreate the good old Aussie pub. Let us introduce you to The Stag Public House.
From the crew that brought us NOLA, Anchovy Bandit, and probably got you ticking along from behind the bar in Fringe Club this year, we can rest easy knowing this Adelaide icon is in good hands. The delightful Sans-Arc design neatly presents a contemporary take on a traditional watering hole.
These lads also have a penchant for Adelaide’s past, acknowledging that the iconic building has always had ‘The Stag’ name in some way throughout its 169-year history. They weren’t about to muck around with it too much, either by name or nature.
Instead, this new haunt embraces the basics.
Grab a couple of tickets to the Friday night meat tray raffle, or watch the game in the dedicated sports room where the sound can be isolated to drown out the front-bar boozers.
How about shooting some pool? We were thrilled to hear that every month all takings from the table will go towards a particular charity—the drought-affected farmers being the most recent. After all, that’s what a decent pub is all about, isn’t it? A strong sense of community and supporting the locality.
The Stag Public House has certainly captured that, with the kitchen whipping up a plethora of delicious classics while utilising local produce. You certainly won’t go hungry here. In the hops department, the brews are a brilliant balance of craft and mainstream. Coopers, Stone & Wood, 4 Pines, Pirate Life & Mismatch head the taps.
The renovations follow simple, clean lines, accentuating the spacious feel brought about by the high ceilings. However, the low-hanging lights and the abundance of polished timber finishes invokes a warmth that could easily have you nestled in for a solid session.
We’re a sucker for iconic settings of the bygone, especially when they capture a contemporary vibe without being pretentious. This place certainly ticks all the boxes. After a few sips from our second pint, we gave out a little smile at the thought of how many others would have done just the same between these walls.
This beautiful building’s history rolls on.
The Stag Public House is a welcome addition to our wonderful city’s ever-expanding social scene and it undoubtedly deserves the nod of approval here at The Adelaidian.
The Stag Public House is located at 299 Rundle Street, Adelaide. Its opening hours are 12pm-midnight Sunday to Thursday, and 12pm-2am Friday and Saturday.
Images: Author
