Look, I’m no expert. I’ve only been to a few, but my impressions are mostly pretty good. They all have that sense of ‘local’, like the corner pub in London.
I guess actually it’s the contrast to the city pub – factories with no guvnor or any soul. These joints have plenty of soul.
I mentioned a pub already in Silverton. Mad Max was made there, which is totally irrelevant. The pub has a really nice feel to it. Memorabilia everywhere. I guess what I enjoyed was how settled and happy everyone seemed to be. Everyone smiled – everyone was relaxed. What more can you ask from a pub? It felt like you were with good friends.
The standout so far is the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna.
From the outside it’s a country pub. Inside, it feels like some nice big renovated eastern (Sydney) suburbs terrace. Immaculate, cool, comfortable. The food is great. But it’s the art that takes your breath away. Very high quality artwork everywhere, pieces from the local community. The hospitality was special too.
The Marree pub had everything going for it, except that maybe, I annoyed the hostess (to be fair that’s not unusual). But decent enough food and accommodation. Just not terribly welcoming.
I’ll skip William Creek – that deserves its own story (it’s that good!). The famous Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse? Ummm, anywhere that has a restaurant that closes at 6pm doesn’t work for me. We had two nights planned for Oodnadatta. Based on the roadhouse we took off a day early.
The Nullarbor roadhouses are functional at best. Not their fault – it’s tough out there. Fuel, a US style diner that sells alcohol, a functional cabin for accommodation. That’s it. But…. the pride of the staff and the quality of the food was great. They make you feel welcome. I love people who are proud – they radiate warmth. That’s what I felt out there.