The Stag Public House

The Stag, a historic pub on the corner of Rundle Street and East Terrace, has existed in some form or another since 1849. It’s been through a few guises since then – not all of them successful.

These days, it’s under the stewardship of Big Easy Group (Anchovy Bandit, Yiasou George, Nola et al), who’ve brought a mixture of both old and new to this storied boozer. Kitsch nostalgia rubs up against clean and contemporary design, and the menu combines the classics with modern sensibilities.

There’s a sports bar, a place to kick back with a beer and a meal in booth seating or perched at the bar. Head a few steps west to the pool room, where punters flock for a keenly priced knock-around on the felt. All the money pocketed goes directly to local sports teams and charities.

To eat, it’s classic pub fare, gussied up. Share a bowl of SA mussels with sourdough and garlic butter or some roasted carrot hummus served with falafel and pita bread. Mains include schnitties, a Wagyu cheeseburger and Bowden Brewing Co. beer-battered fish and chips.

Behind the bar, there’s a tight selection of cocktails and a considered wine list that, naturally, favours SA drops. The Stag has also put solid effort into its packaged non-alc beer offering, which joins a rotating selection of local brewing concerns on tap.

Storyteller Gin’s Brompton distillery door Long Story Short was recently left devastated by a fire, forcing the business to shut up shop for a few months. While the team rebuilds, they’ll be popping up at The Stag until the end of August, pouring three new cocktails every Sunday from midday.