By Joseph Steele
On the corner of Rundle Street and East Terrace, a familiar shape has been quietly sharpening its edges. The Stag Public House, long a mainstay of Adelaide’s CBD (169 years in fact), has relaunched with a renewed sense of purpose, guided by the team who know a thing or two about feeding the city well.
Behind the refresh is the Big Easy Group, the hospitality outfit responsible for Anchovy Bandit, Bandit Pizza and Wine, Tarantino’s, La Louisiane and Bottega Bandito. After seven years at the helm of The Stag, co-owner Alex Bennet and his team have refined the brief.
"A pub should do pub things. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be bloody great.”
It’s a sentiment that underpins the venue’s evolution. The bones remain, think richly grained timber, gleaming brass and that warm, nostalgic glow that makes you want to settle in for just one more. But the spirit feels sharper. It’s a classic Aussie pub, delivered with the Big Easy Group’s signature flair.
For Bennett, the philosophy is simple.
"A pub is truly a public house, a place of community and culture. Somewhere you can pop in for a beer with mates, settle in for a counter meal, or test your knowledge with a weekly quiz night and still be quietly pissed when our team loses, even if you swear it’s just for fun”
That sense of conviviality is palpable. An eclectic mix of timber and textures, greenery softening the decor and the soundtrack is the low hum of conversation punctuated by laughter. Everything you’d expect from a modern pub, with the soul and charm of the quintessential Aussie local.
Key to the relaunch is the kitchen. Now led by Big Easy Group co-owner and Executive Chef Shane Wilson. His remit? Reimaging pub classics without losing the point of them.
"I love to use great local ingredients, but that doesn’t always mean it has to break the bank.” says Wilson. "I love popping into the pub for a meal and a wine. So this is the food I love eating, done in a way I love. Tasty, with great produce.”
That translates to free-range chicken schnitzels, hand-crumbed daily with panko; O’Connor’s premium steaks and Ocean Jacket from Ferguson’s for traditional fish and chips. The signature parmi features a classic red sauce with a vodka twist for a little added depth. Snacks are equally considered. House-made arancini with truffle mayo, or prawn cocktail rolls slicked with Mary Rose sauce.
It’s food that respects the canon. Generous, familiar and built around quality produce - ideally paired with a Coopers or something a little more adventurous from the drinks list.
With Tarantino’s upstairs, the offering has been carefully defined. "We want Tarantino’s to feel like the restaurant and The Stag to really be that front bar”, Bennett explains. Somewhere you can grab a drink before dinner - or skip the formalities and stay put all night.
There’s rhythm to the week at The Stag. Steak Frites Night, Happy Hours that shift the tempo with bright spritzes and neatly stirred mini-negronis, Wednesday Quiz Nights where competitive streaks surface and team names get progressively worse as the night rolls on.
For those who treat lunch as more than a pit stop, weekday afternoons reward you with a drink alongside your meal. A small but civilised reminder that the middle of the day deserves its own moment.
As Adelaide Fringe rolls out you can expect to see live DJs and acoustic sets joining the roster, with seven-day trade cementing The Stag’s status as a reliable city anchor.
The reinvention of The Stag feels assured. Doing pub things, exceptionally well.
