Foreign Correspondent: Exeter Hotel, Adelaide

Exeter Hotel
246 Rundle Street, Adelaide
Time of visit: 4pm on a Thursday

Thankfully, some things don't change ; Adelaide Pubs Part 4

Just down the road from the Austral is where you can park your arse at the Exeter Hotel. Arse-parking options are in the following locations: front bar stools, side bar stoolage, front box (I mean, room) - especially good for watching a live band in front of the front windows, undercover beergarden (used to have live bands out here but sadly no more - inner city dwelling spoil-sports), dining room, out side in the laneway and out the front by the road! Super!


By this time, I had really settled into mini-pubcrawl vibe, enjoying my days off sampling some of these old favourite haunts and enjoying the local champion brew, Coopers. I bought myself a pint of Pale (NSW schooner) and plonked my afforementioned arse out the front. For those wondering, 425ml of Pale Ale cost me $6.90. Still can't get over the inflated SA price for beer, especially considering you'd rather pay in the 5-dollar range in NSW. Due to the formidable dry heat, it wasn't long before I found myself sitting inside at the front bar catching up on the local scene with a fresh copy of dB Magazine and Rip It Up.

Front bar chill out

On the beverage front, plenty to choose from the liquor cabinet and the fridge, and a great range of Coopers beers on tap - Pale Ale, Sparkling Ale, Coopers Clear, Celebration Ale, Larger and Best Extra Stout. There were a few other options on tap but quite frankly, who cares after listing off the local selection.

Beergarden

It was a short visit back to the Exeter but it was very worthwhile, bringing back some memories of the tunes, the people and good times. While reading over the music mags I was treated to some cool tunes playing overhead somewhere and friendly bar staff who made regular trips to my end of the bar to make sure I was happy and catered for. Unlike the previously visited Austral, The Exeter feels like it's retained some of it's old character. It certainly still places itself in the Adelaide scene as a music/musicians venue, which I like. Uni crowd love it too, with Adelaide Uni and UniSA noth nearby.

Small side bar

Beer price, apart from SA beers being more expensive in general, is fair at The Exeter Hotel, although Ed Castle price was slightly better. As mentioned, Pale Ale cost $6.90. Cooper Celebration Ale (mmm) was also on tap at the time and rang up at $7.60.

Get along or get back to The Exeter.

Rundle Street frontage

Spoz's Rant on The Exeter
You drink in it. It's looked pretty much the same since the mid 90's. Frequent abode of uni student, uni lecturers, low-rent weirdos in bands...or used to be in bands. Very very well lived in. A little bit shabby...but the BEST kind of shabby. For what it lacks in quality decor, or a band room that can feasibly fit more than 10-20 people in without constituting a fire risk, it more than makes up for in scruffy charm. 4 stars.
****

Also see them here: www.theexeter.com.au

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Up Next: 10 more pubs

Pt 1: Duke | Pt 2: Ed Castle | Pt 3: Austral | Pt 4: Exeter | Pt 5: 10 Pubs | Pt 6: Cranka