Queen’s Head Hotel

We spontaneously popped in with a group of 5, got a nice table in the front bar. Staff were nice, they were ridiculously busy and the bar was understaffed. Ordering took over 10 minutes in the line, meals didn’t come at all together unfortunately. The first 3 meals came out (without cutlery, so we had to line up at the bar for another 5 – 10 minutes to get someone’s attention) and the last 2 meals came out about 25 minutes after and they had already finished eating. We did order 5 minutes after, but generally most places hold meals and bring everything at once. Meals were nice, mushroom burger and lamb pizza were a stand out. Nice wine selection, coffee was good. We would book in the outdoor area next time.

Despite the fact that I have lived a bulk of my life in Adelaide I have never heard of this pub until quite recently, which really surprised me because I thought I knew of all the pubs in Adelaide. Well, that has now been rectified, as well as the fact that I have now been here and had a drink. My thoughts: well it was okay, but not one of the best places I’ve been. The staff certainly weren’t the friendliest. However the pig statue with a table on its head was really cool. Oh, it’s also next to one of the university boarding houses so expect the uni students to flock here during term time.

Up to 4 stars for obvious reasons. They’ve upped the game on the menu and wine selection. Service has improved and the wood oven pizza really is a delight.
Relax on the back patio and enjoy the weather or chill out by the front on the quiet street. There are too few tables in the bar area and I never see anyone use the pokies, so why have it.

There’s a large pig inside the Queen’s Head. And I’m not referring to a drunken boor. It’s a quirky coffee table reminiscent of the pigs in Rundle Mall. It’s has a drinks tray installed on its head and spots over it body which remind me of coasters but simply can’t be used as coasters without your drink sliding to the floor ;)
My husband and I (royal wave) dined here with another couple. We opted for the restaurant. We had a table booking and as we entered the waitress reminded us it would be more expensive than the main/​bar pub menu. I thought that was an odd thing to say, given we’d booked, so perhaps they’ve received complaints about the price difference in the past?
We shared entrees of oysters natural and croquettes (pulled roasted lamb shoulder and charred corn). It was all divine. I took the crab linguine special for main and although I asked for slightly less chilli it still took my breath away. But hey, I’m a bit of a wimp that way. My companions had some steak and fish of the day and there were no complaints. In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much we splurged on dessert — my coconut pannacotta was the perfect ending.
Our waitress was supremely professional and attentive and one of those remarkable people who could correctly recall our entire order without writing anything down.
I’d recommend this place for a ‘nice’ meal beyond the usual pub grub, within a very relaxed atmosphere and great service to boot.

We had a work function in the beer garden here on Saturday — and I would have to say it was lovely — the atmostphere out in the beer garden was just gorgeous.
We had a drinks and nibbles package — so they ran the seperate little bar off the beer garden for us. And the food was AWESOME! They had a nice mix of vegetarian and non vego food and also they even had some gluten free :)
Strongly recommend this place if you are looking for somewhere to hold your next function — they do have a minimum spend and booking fee for the beer garden — but if this works for your function — it is well worth a look :)

Best to order a grazing plater here and enjoy a few drinks. I’ve done this once and was impressed and decided to head back to the restaurant.
Of four meals the pork belly was so dry it had degraded and fallen apart. Two weere on the plate, one was fresh, one had been reheated.
The fish special was terribly over-​seasoned and served with an anchovy sauce to assist in everything else on the plate being completely overwhelmed.
I had scotch fillet and while the rest of the plate was reasonable the steak was not restaurant grade, it was a pub grade sub $ 20 steak. I eat Coorong free range rump and porterhouse weekly and the grade of the steak I was served (along with the cut) was extremely poor at $ 29.
The grazing platter was solid for the price which is what’s stopped me rating this as terrible.

I ate a meal here awhile ago, and I thought it was alright.
The décor is quite nice, there’s a good atmosphere to the place, and the staff are pretty switched on, being friendly, efficient and generally pleasant to deal with. I think the real drawback to this place, like a couple of other similar pubs around Adelaide, is the price. Many dishes are priced way above my idea of how a pub should price a meal. They’re beautiful dishes, no doubt, but when I think ‘pub meal’, I think cheaper. One area that they could possibly be forgiven is the steak. The price of their steak dishes is pretty reasonable, and they’re farking delicious.
I like this place, but I won’t be a regular here anytime soon.

It’s a little dissapointing to wander up a lovely tree lined street, spot a beautiful looking pub, and walk in to find no trace of the charm outside in the interior. While the furnishings are nice and sleek, I feel a little cold coming here, there’s a local warmth missing in the atmosphere and also in the service. The meals are very good no question, but I found the menu was quite limited in choice, and as others have mentioned, very pricey.
We ate our food and hung out in the beer garden but felt a little flat. Perhaps the Queens Head needs more functions, some live music and themed nights to pick up the vibe a little? Or perhaps I’m just not the sort of patron they’re looking for. Either way, I’d rather hang out somewhere with a bit more merriment.

Queen’s Head is a lovely old-​fashioned surburban pub on the outside, and a swish new pub on the inside. The renovated décor is a mix of cool and warm — cosy fireplaces and old-​fashioned touches are retained and then contrasted with contemporary interior design tropes — plastic white deer heads on the walls, pared back chandeliers, cube shaped pouffes, a marble-​bar. I don’t hate it, but it is a little flavourless for me — I think I’d prefer something a little more homey.
The Queen’s Head are successfully pulling in a few demographics, none of which are really me. As Andrew said, there is an older ‘classier’ crowd, who come for the dinners and book functions in the (quite nice) beer garden. And then younger people — university students and the tiny dresses and Roger David suits crowd.
I came here once to eat in the formal dining area with some friends. It was a little pricey for me, but the food was pretty good. We had arancini balls and some dips for starters, all of which were satisfying. Then mains — I got a bowl of blue swimmer crab pasta which was really good. Something I wouldn’t usually order, but then I wouldn’t usually eat somewhere like this. My friends all seemed pleased with their meals — chicken kiev, steak, and an entrée-​sized pasta.
A few things were annoying but not enough to ruin the meal. The desserts weren’t really anything special, and I regretted ordering them after a few bites. As Andrew C. mentioned in his review, the formal dining area turns into a bit of a thoroughfare to the beer garden, which was fine except people kept leaving the door open and it was quite a cold night and I had the sniffles.
In general, a nice place to come for a few beers, good food, but not my kinda place. The toilets do have Dyson Airblade hand-​dryers though!

I don’t mind the Queen’s Head. I have had some decent meals there, along with good company and a nice atmosphere. There are generally good specials on the menus, due to the fact that there is a University College right next door so they cater for the students who live there, and therefore you will most likely see a bunch of Uni students having a burger and beer here quite often. The beer garden is pretty nice and relaxing.

Just around the corner from Adelaide Oval, the Queens Head usually draws a crowd during the summer time, especially when the cricket is on.
Whilst I prefer the Queens Head when there isn’t an army of barmy pommies jabbering and shouting and packing out the front bar, the buzz that abounds throughout the Queens Head during the summertime does it make it quite special.
The front bar is split into what is effectively four rooms or sections. One has a big long wooden table which suits large groups, but is also often shared between strangers. Another has a casual lounge area and another a more formal sitting area. There are also stools at the bat for the full beer rat experience.
Out the back is a formal dining room and after that a beer garden. The beer garden is a little bit awkwardly placed, as drunken youths must stumble through the dining room, where older more civilized persons are seated, to get from the beer garden to the bar and vice versa. This, however, does not seem to bother, either sort of patron and somehow seems to work quite nicely.
The menu is quite good and the venue is quite classy. At the same time, the hotel is located just next door to one of the Adelaide Uni Colleges, and beer prices are not out of control. Hence, the Queens Head appeals both to the younger and older demographic.