9 of the best pubs in Adelaide

Finding a good local is a prerequisite for visiting any capital city.

These days, classic Aussie pubs have morphed into places you dress up and go out to for a good meal plus a night of entertainment.

From modest watering holes to spaces worthy of design awards, with this list in your arsenal, you’ll never be caught short of a fine bevvy in Adelaide again.

1. Wheatsheaf

Since taking over the historic space in 2003, the owners of the Wheatsheaf have taken it from strength to strength.

Today, you’ll find an established venue in Adelaide’s local music scene, serving folky ambience and creations from its own on-site brewery. This innovation goes alongside a mix of imported craft beers, local wine producers and a list of boutique spirits.

While there’s no kitchen on-site, you’ll find food trucks outside four nights a week. There’s also an outdoor beer garden, live music and poetry, plus a number of other surprises. Venture inside and we’re sure you’ll find a few…

Address: 39 George St, Thebarton

Wheatsheaf Hotel is famed for its live music scene.

2. The Exeter

Located in the centre of Adelaide’s East End precinct, The Exeter Hotel has laid claim to serving patrons the perfect mix of “cold Coopers Ales, delicious pub grub, and live music. No pokies, no bullshit."

No bullshit is correct. In fact, rumour has it that the venue hasn’t received an upgrade since 1929, when green tiles were added to the outside façade. Everything else here remains as it always has been.

Many come for the live music, which echoes throughout the premises almost every night. Others come for the city-famous Curry Night, held Wednesdays from 6-9pm. What they all stay for, however, is the brazenly Australian drinks list, and a good old-fashioned approach to pubbing.

Address: 246 Rundle St, Adelaide

3. Port Admiral

Standing pride of place in Port Adelaide’s iconic waterside corner, a drink here is a lesson in historical South Australian landmarks. It’s the suburb’s oldest existing building, established in 1849 on Black Diamond corner – clearly they’ve been doing something right, because Port Admiral has been impressing patrons ever since.

It’s pub dining as it was back then, adapted to contemporary audiences. The hotel now serves as a front bar, saloon, beer garden, outside terrace and a bottle shop – nailing the balance required when you serve as the suburb’s main drinking jaunt.

Address: 55 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide

Port Admiral SA — Port Admiral is one of South Australia’s best historical landmarks.

4. The Norwood Hotel

Whilst holding the claim of ‘heritage-listed’ isn’t uncommon in Adelaide (seriously, is every building beautiful here?!), The Norwood Hotel is a local institution that truly deserves its title.

Whether it’s a happy hour beer with mates, dinner with family, or a coveted special event, this hotel has served South Australians for over a century – all in the comfort of a grand Victorian building, might I add.

Stop here for modern Australian food, as well as your favourite pub classics.

Address: 97 The Parade, Norwood

Norwood Hotel SA — Refuel at Norwood Hotel.

5. The Cumby

If you hear someone refer to this place by its ‘given’ name – The Cumberland Arms Hotel – you could probably make an educated guess that they aren’t an Adelaidean.

To pretty much everyone in the area, The Cumby is part of their colloquial vocabulary, a permanent fixture of the CBD dining scene – both pub and otherwise.

Following a pretty schmick refurbishment, punters can choose from the alfresco beer garden for pub grub and drinks, or the more upmarket bistro dining option inside. Whichever you choose, the Cumby is well worth the visit.

Address: 205 Waymouth St, Adelaide

The Cumby SA — There isn’t a local in Adelaide who hasn’t been to The Cumby.

6. The Grace Emily

Some call The Grace Emily ground zero for Adelaide’s live music scene. A haven for local musicians, who use the pub stage as an entry point to the ears of listeners. And that’s just the way they like it.

The online events calendar is packed to the rafters, though Monday is reserved for Billy Bob’s BBQ Jam, an open mic night and jam session hosted by Billy Bob and the BBQ Boys.

A breeding ground for local culture, you’ll find co-publicans George Swallow and Symon Jarowyj serving beers behind the bar every night of the week.

Address: 232 Waymouth St, Adelaide

Grace Emily SA — The Grace Emily is a haven for local musicians.

7. The Archer

Following extensive renovations, The Archer rejoined North Adelaide’s pub scene in 2019, promising a solid all-rounder of a venue. It went on to deliver.

At its core, this place offers everything you’d expect from your local pub, a comfortable front bar, an atrium eating area, a spacious beer garden and many flexible function spaces.

Top that off with a location that puts you a short walk from Adelaide Oval and it’s the perfect place to celebrate into the early hours post-match.

Address: 60 O’Connell St, North Adelaide

The Archer SA — The Archer is perfectly positioned near Adelaide Oval.

8. Earl of Leicester

Tucked away in the borough of Parkside, this charming old pub has cemented itself as a local favourite.

Once renowned for cheap pub grub – favoured mostly among young people – new management has seen the old Earl of Leicester find a new lease on life. It now serves generous portions of delicious food, varied beers and boutique wines, all in a historic 1890s setting.

Just make sure you try the schnitzels. They’re massive in scale and equally as delicious.

Address: 85 Leicester St, Parkside

Earl Of Leicester SA — Earl Of Leicester serves up comforting pub grub at its best.

9. The Elephant

If it’s a large British pub, filled with nostalgia that you seek, then this place ticks the box.

Housed in the back streets of Adelaide’s East End, this is what a local pub ought to be. There’s a cinema right next door, but the space also hosts live entertainment in the upstairs bar every Friday and Saturday night.

And with over 30 draught Beer and Cider taps, there is sure to be a drink for everyone to enjoy.

Address: 1 Cinema Pl, Adelaide

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.