Fork out on sophisticated pub dishes at South Australia’s top spots for a counter meal.

The Crafers Hotel

There aren’t many suburban pubs where you can kick off your meal with an $11,000 1929 vintage Château Mouton Rothschild. If you’re so inclined, you can pair the wine with the usual pub grub of burgers and schnitzels or go upmarket with beef bourguignon or duck confit with rhubarb compote. Chef and avid fisherman Ben Carli’s seafood dishes – such as mussels with saffron and white wine – are alwaysa treat, too. For those on a beer budget, there’s a much more down-to-earth wine list to go with a menu that draws customers from around the Adelaide Hills and across the city. That said, a half bottle of Château Guiraud sauternes at $1400 really would be perfect with the crème brûlée...

The Crafers Hotel; 8 Main Street, Crafers; (08) 8339 2050

The Best Pub Food in Adelaide and South Australia

The Queens Head

It may be the oldest licensed venue in its original location in South Australia, dating from 1838, but The Queens Head has a menu as modern as they come. All the usual pub favourites are there as weekly bar specials, from topnotch wood-oven pizzas and burgers to a massive plate of mixed grilled ribs. But the restaurant menu, served in a small, well-dressed and relatively quiet dining room, sparkles with dishes such as wood-oven-roasted pulled lamb shoulder with pumpkin wedges on miso-infused hummus or whole roasted cauliflower with pancetta and hazelnut crumble. Despite its compact size, the room offers plenty of seating options, from covered courtyard to discrete spaces around the front bar. And there’s a kids’ menu that would tempt most grown-ups.

117 Kermode Street, North Adelaide; (08) 8267 1139

SEE ALSO: The Best Steaks in Adelaide and South Australia

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