Adelaide, South Australia
Reviewer: Joe Blogs
Special guest: Spoz Spozington McSpozface of Spoz's Rant
Time of review: 3 January 2013
Ch-ch-ch-Changes! ; Adelaide Pubs Pt 2
Heading back to my old stomping ground, Adelaide, earlier in the year was a good opportunity to catch up on how some of the pubs were doing and to make note of the changes. It was a nice time to chill/cook in the 40+ heat with a beer and reminisce about some pretty crazy nights out. I've also asked Adelaide music scene blogger, Spoz of Spoz's Rant, to contribute his thoughts about some of the venues, including The Ed Castle. |
| Front bar, rip |
Following lunch at the Duke of York I decide to head west along Currie Street to the Edinburgh Castle Hotel. The Ed Castle has been constantly transforming over the last 5 or 6 years or so. Soon after the "new" non-gay Ed opened back then, Simone and I were in the quiet front bar enjoying the top shelf spirits and discovering new drinks thanks to friendly and helpful bar staff. As more punters caught on that EC was no longer a "gay pub", the pub became more popular and unfortunately sitting at a quite front bar became difficult. The introduction of a bigger beergarden with it's own bar a little later added to the crowd-packing, as did the inclusion of live bands. Good things, though, I might add. Just harder to enjoy relaxing there.
Fast forward to my January 2013 visit and the place is going great guns (although super quiet on my post-lunch appearance). The pub boasts a large dining room/band-room by night, some Buck Hunter and pinny as well as the large beer garden and bar out back; the punters love it. That said however, the venue has been undergoing more changes just recently and I don't think everyone will be happy about it. Yes? No? Thoughts? Anyone? The front bar is gone (sob), making way for 4 pool tables and the main bar is now in the dining/band room. Arcade machines are apparently on their way or now in place.
 |
| The beergarden |
On the beer price: Carton Draught $6.50, Coopers Pale Ale $6.50, Coopers Sparkling Ale $7.50. If only I'd waited 30 minutes to get in on the $4 pint happy hour.
Mostly it's not a bad pub except for the one gripe that comes to mind. Charging $10 to enter the pub for live music/DJ nights, regardless of whether you want to enter the band room or not. Get stuffed. I guess the configuration of the place doesn't give much alternative. Oh, and the fact that you can't sit at the front bar anymore. Had some okay nights there although it was, for me, more of a starter pub rather than a blinding finisher. I saved the messy end of the night for elsewhere - that pub review is still to come.
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| Bar, kitchen, dining, live stage |
Spoz's Rant on The Ed Castle
Yeah I know I totally don't look it but I swear I'm practically the furniture around here! SHHHITT! I mean, If anyone was going to shake the furball from my brain and loosen the hangover from the previous night's brain-raping carnage (faaarrrrrrkkkk, don't get me started on that!) it'd be the Ed Castle. Seriously, duuuuuuuuude, It doesn't blow a goat! I have certainly dragged my post-apocalyptic blogarse there many times for some live bands or drunken hilarity. One time I spent twenty minutes or so upon my arrival post-midnight, when the gerbils and drunk-monkies are swinging from the ceilings from their eyeballs, laughing myself near delerious with all the world class "dickheads" and "degenerates" having an absolute tits of a time at "Plus One" on a Saturday night. Head exploding hysteria! And don't even get me started on the bands I've seen there. More awesome than you can throw a lubricated plucked chicken at while holding a fistfull of your favourite Adelaide ale and then some. YEAAAHHHH! I did a weekly DJ residency there for a bit but I had to quit because the venue failed to install a hovering DJ booth with spinning shiny pyrotechnics and it's own Coopers beer taps. INSANE! AMIRIGHT!?!
More from Spoz, including some shiny photo coverage on Adelaide's live music scene as well as the drunken tom-foolery that happens during a night's pub-hopping craziness, over on his blog spoz.blogspot.com.au
As for the Ed's web, www.edinburghcastlehotel.com
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Up next: The Austral
Pt 1: Duke of York | Pt 2: Ed C | Pt 3: Austral| Pt 4: Exeter | Pt 5: 10 Pubs | Pt 6: Cranka
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