Long Read
Messing Around in Adelaide: Why the City's Pub Circuit Deserves a Spot on Your Map
Well, I'm in Adelaide, and like most travel blogs, mine from last night started with 'Here's to the sunset...'. Spoiler: it was overcast, the suburbs were quiet, and my car's radiator made a noise like a disgruntled goose. Let's cut to the chase.
Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting if you’re tired of wine country clout-shaming?
A: Absolutely. You get beer without the pretentious capitalism. Also, the noise levels at pubs force you to talk - bareknight truths.
Q: Is it expensive for someone living under $2,500/month?
A: Shockingly no. A traditional pub meal with beer costs around $18. That’s roughly what your third coffee at a trendy Melbourne café is.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: Anyone who thinks suburbs are a waste of time. Locals seem fine with it being called a town, but that’s another story.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: May or September - less humidity, more daylight, and most pubs don’t have 24-hour trade deals.
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Right, let's hit the next bit that's not chopped up with bullets.
I started messing around the Marshall and Burwood areas - those parts aren’t super touristy, which is weird for a city older than my ex’s dating page. A bloke at Bells Pub near Adamstown (that’s Burwood) in the corner told me, "We’ve not been to a city council meeting in years. This bit of Adelaide’s doing fine with itself." Which is a legit statement if you haven’t noticed how most councils seem dead.
The weather in Adelaide this week is interesting. It’s technically 17.16°C - hazy, but not actually cold, which means it’s a perfect day to do what south Australia does best: drink in public while ignoring the internet's opinion of your place in the world.
Next, go to Clare clock tower, hide behind it with your dog, and look over at Cronulla. Down there, the city of Sydney seems like it’s from a different century - all roads and lights at night but enough sun here that a dog wouldn’t even whine for the lights.
I’m not a great friend who gives detailed advice, I just dropped into a cool cafe in Graeme Park, and the barista - bless him - asked where I’m from. When I said Melbourne, he half-joked, "You tell us you don’t like our coffee but then you’re here?
"A bloke texted me after my last post about Marcello’s - this funkadelic spot in Central Adelaide - that it doesn’t get enough love. Marcello’s has three levels now, local beers, weirdest games, and a vibe that’s not law-free but has that ‘ah, this is where the people are’ feel. A local warned me, "Don’t expect any of the tourists leaving their bags everywhere. We clean up after ourselves here." And I laughed because he's right.
I spent an hour at Cheers, a bar where every wall is some obscure vinyl - you can go in with a mismatched sock collection and act like you know what's going on. The staff lean in when you walk in, which seems like a high bar, but Adelaide’s pubs are good at making you feel less alone in this weird universe.
A whole bit of Adelaide is just a bunch of parks if you get north two counties - literally, Peel and Unley - from the marquee of Adelaide. A woman who helps me with my mom's bananas told me, "People from Melbourne really love Adelaide. They think this city from hell is a 'nice' place." No, not at all.
Oh, did I mention Adelaide’s public transport is trying?
I’ll cut to the chase...
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Related read:https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g173948-d11720642-Reviews-Marcellos-Central_Adelaide-South_Australia.html
Green the lifestyle store in North Adelaide:https://greenstilts.blogspot.com/
A subreddit for Melbourne-based locals who rave about Adelaide public transport and coffee[easy to spot this local vibe]:https://www.reddit.com/r/southernaustralia/comments/1l_1kl/10_crimes_melbourne_judges_have_committed_against/
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Over at Toronto (not the city, the province), my friend tells me, "Adelaide’s bars are too jammy. Too casual." I’m turning that into fan mail. Anyway, if you want to visit and not brood over a $18 pub meal while listening to Crikey on Rumble UP - do so. You're getting a tiny bit of light - it’s the last in the southern hemisphere before winter, but feel free.