Hotel Royal

Well, I have to admit that I have been to this place more times that I can remember. Okay, it isn’t the closest place to my friend’s house, but he tends to prefer this place much more than the Mybar (which I have to admit I tend to prefer, though the Mile End is also a pretty cool pub). It’s your basic local pub with a sports bar, a gaming room, and a bistro, though I have to admit that their pub grub is pretty cool, and heaps cheap as well (it’s rare you get a decent pub meal for a decent price, and a complementary pint to boot). That’s probably the reason that we ended up coming here so often — the cheap food (and also because some of our friends would make their way here as well). Oh, I should also mention that they do have an outdoor area, but it’s basically on the side of the road.

Been past here several times and decided to stop by for dinner. I went with the pub classic salt and pepper squid, my favourite. Their version of it was really lovely, I loved the batter they used and also though the chips were really good too, just the right amount of crunchiness. I was really happy with it. The only thing they could have improved on was the salad, the quantity was fine, but it was a cold slaw mix, I think I’d have preferred a mesclun mix instead. Other than that I liked it and will come back. The staff are really also really nice.

Quiz night is what brought me to the Hotel Royal initially,
There are quite a few skilled regulars that come to quiz night, but split your age demographic and bring someone who know something about sports!
The drinks here are pretty reasonably priced, which is often the drawcard to a pub on the outskirts of the city. I got a bottle of wine for $ 20 that retails for $ 15 at Dan Murphy’s, which is a sweeeeet deal for the pub to not at least mark up by $ 10-​$ 20.
The eating area has been done up not so long ago, and it looks pretty flash for a suburban pub, and a plus the place is always clean (what! where do you normally go Norma?) and doesn’t have the sticky floor thing going on that some cheaper pubs do.
The food here is pretty standard pub food. But the plus especially for me is that the are really reasonable about removing items and changing the price even without me asking!
I got the prawn pasta sans prawns and they knocked a few bucks off, which fellow veggos would appreciate is pretty good when you haven’t even asked for a discount!
The staff are really friendly at this joint, and on top of that the people that run the quiz night, and those that turn up to quiz night are all a pretty good social bunch.
I don’t know much about non-​monday nights here, but I am sure they are just as good.

If you are going to complain about a schnitzel that you paid only $ 13.50 for AND got a free pint with then you’ve really gotta re-​asses your priorities!
Yes, that’s right, in the front bar at Hotel Royal you can get your mits on a chicken or beet schnitty for only $ 13.50 and in addition you’ll get yourself a pint of carlton draft or soft drink if you prefer. It’s $ 2 extra for sauce which is nice and standard, bringing my tasty and juicy parmi to a total of $ 15.50. I am definitely not complaining.
The accompanying garden salad is nothing to write home about, but who’s here for the salad any how?
Busy when there’s footy on, if you’re a bit of a snob then maybe the front bar isn’t for you, but hey, footy fanatics indulging in Friday afternoon drinks are always good for a laugh — even if they aren’t the best long term company!
I like a cheap meal that fills me up, so, I like it here.

There is an air of regal at the Hotel Royal Bar and Bistro…
It’s Saturday night and there is no one in sight, like the dining room was cleared especially for you. Very pleasant crowd.
You can sit at formally set dining tables (wine glasses and all) or with in the bistro (which is just as pleasant). The atmosphere is lovely and well decorated.
The menu has enough schmancy words on it to make it sound like the meals are going to be gour-​met enough so that they can justify asking for $ 25 for a salmon main in a pub.
The mains aren’t bad. Food is above average pub fare and they even fry their mash potato into balls. Only complaint? Not enough salad/​chips for the price of the mains that you are paying for. After all, we aren’t in the Queen’s dining hall…
I had a very well cooked Atlantic Salmon dish on a bed of beetroot risotto (that my friends delightfully described to look like «kittens insides» before I ate it). But unfortunately that was it. Aside from a few bits of fennel and orange it was basically fish and rice. Would have loved a heavier garnish to make the most of the dish.
Not sure what the bar is like in this place but when we went to check it out at 11pm on a Saturday night after a show at the Thebbie it was closed! Maybe people don’t go out in Torrensville on a Saturday…

The Hotel Royal at Torrensville do a good pub meal but be warned if you eat like a bird — these guys give you BIG serves. On my first visit I ordered Roast Chicken and was literally served half a chook.
The pub itself is a beautiful art deco style building and it has recently undergone renovations inside to restore the Bar and Bistro 180 area in the same theme. The Front bar at the Hotel Royal is quaintly called theFront and that’s the space to catch up with all the sports action on their range of big screens. Gaming wise there is a separate pokie area with around 30 machines on offer — not my thing but there you go. They have a function room upstairs and can cater for a range of events and there’s a Sip n Save drive through bottle shop.
Interestingly I’ve never actually had a drink at this pub but I have been there on several occasions for a meal with colleagues. The meal has always been great and I do think this pub is worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Straightforward pub best described in point form.
–High dining tables make you feel important.
–Boutique gaming room out the back
–They serve up decent meals, but are slightly above bistro prices.
–Best garlic bread in Adelaide
–Drive through bottle shop open until Midnight
–Sports bar out the front with TAB
–Smoking areas at the footpath, so you can look at the drunks out the front walk in and out of Subway.
–Live music in the bistro
Great for locals, but it really is just another regular pub.