Prospect Road has plenty of eateries – Anchovy Bandit, Bottega Bandito, Rosemont Hall and Bottega Gelateria among them. But, thanks to a hangover from the council’s temperance-era ties with the Methodist Church, Prospect’s main drag has famously lacked a pub.
That’s finally set to change with Prospect Hotel & Cellars, the strip’s first pub (save for the Empire Hotel further north in Kilburn) which will open in late February on the ground floor of a new development (where the old Foodland once stood). It’s also the first venue from the newly minted Good Prospects Group, made up of a team who know good drinks: Josh Voigt and Dale Wostikow of Bowden Cellars, Adelaide Wine Markets, and Sideways Liquor down the road; and Mismatch co-founder and Prospect resident Marc Huber.
“It’s incredibly exciting for us, opening something that’s a first for Prospect Road,” Voigt tells Broadsheet. “We have this opportunity to service the local community, which is thriving at the moment. And we’re in for the long run – we have a really long lease, so we want to establish ourselves as part of the community.”
The pub, which will operate under a hotel license, will include a bistro-style restaurant, streetside seating, functions space, and boutique bottle shop. Unlike most pubs in Adelaide, which have over a century of history in the walls, Prospect Hotel & Cellars is a brand new build, so expect a modern fit-out with polished concrete floors, “Amazon green” walls, glass bi-fold doors, and a mix of woodgrain and white marble bar- and tabletops.
While the team’s other businesses focus solely on South Australian drinks, Prospect Hotel & Cellars will still champion local produce, but it will also include a smart selection of Australian and international beverages. That’ll extend from the retail section to the pub’s taps and extensive wine list, which will include Coravin pours of beaujolais, gamay and barolo. “There can be a barrier to entry with those wines so we’re giving people access through Coravin by the glass,” says Voigt.
The 10 beer taps will pour Mismatch, Coopers and Guinness in the winter, as well as rotating small-batch producers; meanwhile, the food menu will focus on pub staples like schnitzels, burgers and steaks, elevated and shareable snacks, plus regular oyster nights and Sunday roasts.
Prospect Hotel & Cellars will open at the end of February at 85 Prospect Road, Prospect.