Review The Austral - Adelaide

Love the new look of the bar, love the new staff. Had a scary experience with a date and the staff (Elena in particular) were extremely hospitable and made me feel safe.

Looks like a dingy pub from the outside but its always packed which is a good sign. They have a good selection of beers on tap and the food is really good at quite a reasonable price. Had a piece of grilled barramundi which was better than some more upmarket pubs or even restaurants. Go figure🤔. The $21 burger and pint deal is good value too and they do a pretty awesome burger

Such a quirky pub. I like the games room. The service bar is special... it looks like an old style betting kiosk. Great venue for a stop on a night out.

We were the only ones here for lunch Friday 25/3/2022 The burra and fish and chips were as good as you’d get in a fancy spot. Perfect place to eat pub grub

this is a nice pub and it has a good variety of things on the menu from something light to a meal than desert aswell the food sounded good aswell .things on menu are at a reasonable price aswell. staff are very friendly their my partner and i went their and saw fiona and biddy comedy show and cabarert aswell .

Great environment I haven't been there in years until a few days ago. I would visit again definately.

We had our Christmas party at the Austral last night, the staff were amazing! They delivered on our needs to accommodate our late arrivals because of our working hours. Priska was our host. She is worth her weight in gold, making sure things went to plan and exceeding expectations. Food was lovely and timed perfectly. Thanks for an awesome night x

Whole group denied entry for a single three day expired drivers licence. Embarrassing. No wonder you can’t compete with the rest of the street.

Is there anything more young-Adelaidean than going to the Austral on a Friday for a few chilly ones? When one turns into two turns into three, some food helps extend the sesh. Burgers are pretty standard for pub grub, no complaints though, they go down well. Food takes a while to come out of the kitchen, but it's the Austral, there's more interesting things going on, anywho.

Was thinking the food might be just as good as their drinks and great atmospheric vibes, but boy was I was wrong. That chicken wings plate to share was just a mess - gluggy, hairy, and had way too much sauce (even Manu would agree)! But the again, I can only speak for one thing I've ever had from their menu so I'd have to go back again and try something else.

Where do you go for drinks on Friday night in Adelaide?  Errgghh not sure so we asked a few locals on the street who directed us to this bar.<br/><br/>The Austral was nice and cosy with a number of open fire places so had a lovely vibe. Reminded me of a uni bar with blaring music. Along with a dance and a couple of glasses with gin and tonic it was ok.<br/>

we had visited this place with 2 other friends. nice place to hangout to start your night fun . you can have some beers and eat something and go for strip clubs or dance bars or casinos. over all food is good. i forget the name of the dish.

I hadn't been to the Austral to eat in a while so we went to see how the food was. I ordered the roast pumpkin salad and it was amazing! The ambience is really nice in Winter as they have an open fire place in the restaurant, menu is good and has healthy options. I recommend if you want a well priced great sized value for money dish.

Awesome pub with great vibe - even on a Tuesday night this place is popular. Crowns is generally pinger (uni students?) and staff were very friendly. <br/><br/>Huge selection of craft beers both bottled and on tap. Pub food is almost gastropub: had the 'surf and turf' which consisted of pork belly (awesome crackling) with seared scallops (cooked perfectly).<br/><br/>Would definitely recommend a visit!<br/><br/>

I went for a quiz night with work (which we NEARLY dominated BTW) to the perpetually busy Austral Hotel.  The front bar & outside seating nearly ALWAYS full at most times of the year, I did expect it to be busy, but it was incredible for a Wednesday night.<br/><br/>Luckily we had booked because there was no where free to sit, but people still did. Personally, that is not my favourite thing, I like my space!  We were eating while we dominated our quiz game, and I ordered the Osso Bucco.<br/><br/>The service felt really rushed (obvs because it was so busy) but we ordered and sat down.  Service was fairly quick for how busy it was & the Osso Bucco was as tender as it should be, but the sauce was pretty bland. I also lucked out on getting any bone or marrow.   It was nice, but just a bit bland (salt that baby up!)<br/><br/>The atmosphere is pretty energetic, but that's not always 100% my game.  I'm a bit of a premature granny TBH.

I'm totally biased when it comes to the Austral. I love it. Maybe it harks back (way back) to my uni days?! I just know that everytime I go there I'll have a good time. I've danced in front of the fireplace at 3am, embarked on deep and meaningful conversations with European Backpackers more times than I remember, soaked up the Rundle Street ambiance on warm summer nights and most recently attended the Wednesday quiz night which was a BLAST. I'm also a sucker for the $20 burger and beer deal with a chicken, beef or vege burger you struggle to get your mouth around. If you are planning on going to the quiz night make sure you book a table, it's crazy popular. Any other time though just rock up and see what happens.

Went to The Austral with work friends on a Wednesday for a quiz night. It was super busy, but this made for a lively atmosphere.<br/><br/>I ordered the Osso Bucco after being chastised by my friends for not knowing what it was. I was told there would be succulent meat falling off the bone and something about delicious bone marrow. The meals came fast, considering how many people were there, and it looked delicious. The meat was both tender and falling off the bone - perfectly cooked. It tasted nice too, but I felt like there was something missing in the taste. It wasn't bland, but it wasn't full of flavour either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my first experience with Osso Bucco.<br/><br/>The quiz night itself was a blast. I loved the atmosphere and look forward to returning again.

Good pub, lots of beer on tap. Staff are usually quite friendly. Decent menu with vegetarian and vegan options. Had the vegan burger which has since been taken off the menu but was tasty.

I have eaten here 3 times in the last few months, always for lunch. Can I just say, best burger ever! Love it, beautiful taste, moist, great value for money. I will continue to come back when time permits.

Good menu for a casual pub, frequently updated as seasons change with a couple of good vegetarian/vegan options. Big serves and fresh sides.

David Spade. Saucy

Rip off. Went to the Austral for a bite to eat around 6pm. I ordered the bruschetta which cost $14 for one piece of bread, some goats cheese and a few pieces of rocket. Couldn't believe it :(

A little bit good and a little bit bad. Went to the Austral on Monday for lunch with friends. There weren't very many people there as it was a Monday so I assume most people need to be at work, so, retrospectively the service was great! The pub was very clean and, I've been there in the past for drinks with friends and the atmosphere is always good. I ordered the entree size calamari, another one of my friends ordered the vegetarian club sandwich and the other 2 got the chicken salad. The calamari I hadwasn't very nice, I don't think they were fresh as I couldn't actually bite through some of them and I know it's not a problem with my teeth. The chips were good though, can't complain about the chips. My friends all had good experiences though with their meals so I think it was just my bad luck. I would definitely go there again but perhaps hold off on the calamari, or ask how fresh they are if I'm tempted to go down the seafood path again.

Impressed. Random stop with a couple friends<br/>I had the Beef tacos, loved it. Around the table, hollandaise chicken breast had the plate licked clean! lamb shanks were apparently (wouldn't share!) worth the return trip on own. Keep it up guys as we'll be back for more<br/>Highly recommend...

Best so called 'pub food' I've ever had! Far better than any pub I've eaten at. The gnocchi was perfection, the steak was beautiful & the service was very friendly and fast. Would definitely go back!

They water down the spirits. I ordered a vodka neat and it was definitely watered down and not Smirnoff but something nasty. Had a foul taste in my mouth the next day.

Worst food ever. Schnitzel took 40 minutes to arrive and must have been ready for 30 minutes. It was cold, gravy was cold and there was about 10 chips with it. Tasteless!

This is probably the worst pub in the CBD. Staff are rude and entitled. $20 minimum eftpos is a joke and a pure money making scheme. Walk down the road to The Exeter if you want a nice pub that doesn't feel like a stain on the east end of Adelaide.

What's with the service? Cheerful after seeing Santa come to town , but then list my mojo when I saw the glum and skanky looking staff here. Are they hungover? Well it all seems to hard to serve the customers. I'm going elsewhere!

Friendly staff and such good food. Go for the house dips and a steak with the surf and turf sauce.

Couldn't fault the service on a beautiful adelaide winters night. Had pork cracking, chips, squid and haloumi as entrees. Not fine dining, but more than adequate pub grub.

Perfect for a catch up with your mates. Can't go past the burger and beer deal. Their burgers are large and really tasty and the fries are consistently good, I haven't had a soggy batch (yet). Yep, it's standard pub fare but it definitely hits the spot!

Pub atmosphere. Casual, loud, with good atmosphere. Good variety on menu. We had the onion rings to start - great crunchy batter. We ordered the veggie sandwich (very good), the Kangaroo Island Garfish (a little fishy tasting) and the grilled kangaroo (delicious).<br/><br/>Service was quick and friendly.

Delicious. Fantastic, a regular lunch spot for me, a wide selection of food, awesome staff and atmosphere.

Kangaroo burger (I ate without the bun as gf), was delicious! Good value, great vibe

Food was pretty good. Decent beers and cider on tap. Funky pub and a lovely waitress. Jug of Pims available too!

I ordered a schnitzel and when it came it was really overlooked, like leather to cut. I showed the waitress and she said it would take half an hour to make me another one, the chef didn't think it was "too bad", and they offered me a free drink instead of my meal (soft drink). Thanks for nothing. I asked for a refund and it took ages for the manager to "approve" it. Never coming here again.

Food quality good, the same schnitzel was tasty and homely. However, if one asks for no chips and just salad, one expects extra salad. Staff not<br/> overly friendly here.

Very happy!. My partner and I decided to call to the austral for a drink on our way out to find a nice restaurant. While we were there we saw some lovely food passing out and decided to have a look at the menu and we were glad we did. The menu was extensive with plenty of options. I chose the austral pot pie and I was delighted with my choice. The beef was melt in your mouth and full of flavour as was the side of mash. My partner got the porterhouse and couldn't fault it either. There was a 45 min or more wait for our food as it was very busy but it was worth it! Would definitely eat there again if back in Adelaide.

Celebrated a recent hen's dinner here with a group of ten in the bunker. Restaurant was full and crowded with people, it was a struggle in the heat. Fans were on and windows open but with a hot, still evening, it made for an uncomfortable experience. Meals looked great across the board, everyone was happy with their meal. My chicken and chorizo salad was nice but would have liked to see some more salad items added to balance out all the meat. Good value for size and quality of meals and we saved quite a bit using entertainment book vouchers. Service was a little ordinary but it may have been due to the full restaurant and heat. Would return but probably not on a warm evening. Also keep in mind that as the night gets later, noise from the front bar increases, so an early meal is preferable if you'd like to be able to hear any dinner convo.

Austral Hotel: great food, great location!. Once again, we had an excellent meal at the Austral - the food was of a very high quality, fresh, flavoursome and well presented. The Austral is well located and we enjoyed sitting in the sun at the outdoor tables soaking up the atmosphere of Adelaide on a Sunday - we will certainly return for another meal soon.

The Austral. Went to the austral last Thurs. Good food, good crowd, cheap jugs for a change and rock the chicken burger....mmmmmm!

The Austral. I was treated very rudely at the Austral when i was last a patron. My friends and I had bought some jugs of beer and were sitting outside enjoying the sun and one of us bought some food from across the road, one of the waiters (a tall man with glasses) rudely told her to take her food across the road and later when she came back to finish her food off, he said "are you f***ing serious?" <br/>That kind of rudeness was not tolerated by us and as such, we will NEVER be returning.

The austral has got great pub food That is all i can say

Horrible Schnitzel. Angus schnitzel was crumbed at the butchers and thrown into the deep fry. Salty, chewy and overcooked. They had run out of eye fillet steak on Friday night so we were unable to order steak on the Saturday night. Would not bother eating here.

Great affordable food, the schbitzels are massive!

Excellent Value. My wife had her Birthday party there Thursday 29th October in the corner bar I think it was called. The menu was certainly unexpected for a pub however for me anyway it was a nice surprise! There were 2 in our party who's noses were initially out of joint because there was no Schnitzel however they quickly shaped up after looking at the menu. The menu seems to be more 'Gastro Pub' than pub which suited me just fine. As we were in the corner bar there was no table service as there is in the Bunka which again suited us as we didnt want all the fuss anyway. Ill give a quick rundown of food without going into too much detail.... Snapper - fresh local caught pink snapper, 2 Huge chunks of thick fresh fish in a crispy light batter, mushy peas, fresh tartare sauce and handcut chips my wife had this it was the best fish & chips either of us have had. Ribeye steak with Cafe de Paris Butter - My choice, I have not had better even in some of Sydney's 3 hat restaurants. Quesadilla - an entree crispy spanish style with goats cheese and spinach yum! - Steak & Ale pie - didnt get to try but james said it was awesome and refused to share, clearly home made. Hot Pig - A standout dish using pork belly, 5 thick slices of pork belly, crispy crackling on top with apple sauce and perfectly cooked spring veggies I did try this one and it was fantastic at $26<br/>There was more but I'll wrap it up. The food basically is restaurant standard at honest prices I mean local SA Snapper at $27???? for a portion size bigger than you would get at a posh restaurant and pay $40!!! All in all a fantastic meal with great service, food and value.<br/>N.B Went to the Austral again yesterday and had a Medium Rare Cheeseburger - Best burger I have ever eaten, the nice girl behind the bar told me they mince their own Grain Fed Rump Steaks which means you can order your burger as you would a steak. It shows, have never had better!

The Bunker restaurant at the Austral is a well kept secret. Our party of three on 31 Oct received excellent service. Our selection of starters of prawns, steak tartare, and chicken liver parfait were full of flavour. We had 32oz Rib Eye steaks served rare and these were cooked just as ordered. In all, we would heartily recommend the place for the food, service and value.

We were originally going to the Stag and then decided at the last minute to give the Bunker restaurant at the Austral a go. We were surprised that the restaurant was empty on a Friday night, but it soon became apparent why. The fish and chips and pork belly were absolute let downs - for the price charged the portion sizes were miniscule. Plus, the snapper had been poorly trimmed and half the dish was blood line which is inedible. If you are going to eat here stick with the burgers and pies - whilst not best I've ever had, it is a decent serve for the price. The upside of the meal was the service. Both staff members were extremely friendly and when the snapper blood line issue was pointed out it was dealt with in a professional manner and the dish immediately removed from the bill. However, Rundle Street is a competitive strip so the Austral is not going to be able to rely on good service alone.

After late night shopping today we went to one of the Rundle street pub called Austral Hotel for dinner. It is quite a popular bar close to the two universities and is quite packed with university students and young professionals who gather there after work. The Austral usually has a local band playing during weekends and the place can get quite rowdy inside. It was our first time eating in the pub and it sure was noisy from the band and people yelling over each other. The eating area looks very plain with bits of paint peeling. In some ways it looks a bit like an old bar from the outback but I believe the bar intends to go for that kind of appeal. The usual pub scene on a Friday night. After a short while we flagged a staff down and after he took our order at the bar, he showed us to our reserved table. The eating area was packed out and we were given a table at the centre of the rowdy room. Everyone around us were chatting away with a beer in their hands and eating pub meals such as schnitzels and nachos. Too loud to chat, just play on our phones. Our meals came quite promptly and we were pleasantly surprised that they looked very appetising. We ordered the Marinated Kangaroo Salad. The Salad was quite big in portion with a generous amount of char-grilled kangaroo fillet.

Tonight, I ordered the 300g Porterhouse Steak. The meal came out after a 15 minute wait and all meals arrived at the same time.

The chicken had been cooked very nicely indeed, nigh on perfectly, as it was supremely succulent and tender. The sweet chilli was nice, if not particularly chilli (if at all), but this is obviously down to personal taste.

All in all it was a well-priced, tasty Parmi at a good location. ‘Nuff Said.

Certainly did not taste like the usual pub food. We were all really pleasantly surprised.

For a lunch meal, I've gotta say it's pretty expensive and it wasn't even that good. I found the chicken to be over cooked and dry, one cube of avocado (at least a few more right?) and one olive with a pip intact! Meh…