A Beer Garden

Recently I visited a pub for lunch with a fabulous view.  We sat inside by a wood burning fire, in the pub’s bistro.  The bistro was a large open room displaying a grand vista of a rural landscape, complete with a couple of horses nearby.  To sit outside would have been quite delightful.  There was a large verandah, as well as some tables and chairs in the pub grounds.   Even if not sitting outside the large glass windows and doors brought the outside in. We sat there for an extremely leisurely lunch enjoying the warmth of the fire and our scenic surrounds.  If a pub is lucky enough to have a position offering a natural surrounding beauty  as part of its beer garden, as this one did, there is one less thing to work at to make it a great pub, or a favourite pub.

However a beer garden doesn’t have to be scenic to lure one into a state of comfort or enjoyment.  Over the years I’ve sat in many a beer garden, both in cities and in country towns, that I think have often been the making of the pubs.  Pubs, not only surrounded by paddocks or bush and abundant bird life, but with numerous umbrella’s, tables and chairs in a confined area, abuzz with people enjoying the experience.

A beer garden where one can enjoy the warmth of the spring sun, or shade from the summer heat along with a cold refreshing drink, can be enjoyed as much in a small courtyard, a verandah or a meandering garden setting as a beer garden with majestic views.

At certain times of the year an outdoor area is obviously a bonus, but as much as I enjoyed the comfortable and scenic environment I was lunching in recently,  it is more than the view that makes a pub a great one.

What Makes A Pub A Great Pub? - Decor -

Pub Decor

The Southern Highlands has a variety of pubs, all quite different.  Through this series of posts I look at what makes some better than others, and what makes a pub a great pub.  Today’s post is on decor and its impact.

The decor of a pub plays an important part.  If you walk into a pub and are confronted with what reminds you of a men’s room - and yes, I mean toilet, the place immediately has a negative effect.  Unless of course you have a real liking for mens rooms.

Once upon a time that style of bar were the go.  Those were the days men drank in bars.  Women drank in lounges.  Times have changed, but at some places bars haven’t.

A while ago a friend and I walked past a pub rather than going in.    The intention was to have dinner there.   From the footpath all I could see was an external tiled wall.  When looking up I could see through the window into the bar.  I was reminded of the old fashioned public bar. The lighting was bright.  I could see four, maybe five men sitting, or standing, against the bar, and a young female bar attendant chatting.  I could see no other patrons, no tables and chairs, and no other bars or rooms to give another perspective.

The entrance to the pub, a large double glass door revealed what  looked like a freshly painted but bare foyer, leading to some steps, leading elsewhere.  Unfortunately non of it inviting.

Not saying that the place looked like a mens room.  Far from it, but it wasn’t inviting.

Unfortunately not all pubs have a verandah with tables and chairs out the front, or even the place for a couple of plants for appeal.  Not all pubs have lovely large windows to show off their interior. So what could have made this pub more appealing?  Warm external lighting, (warm tones) rather than the cool white, blue tones of the minimal lighting outside.  Perhaps even some sort of etching on the plain glass doors, and a couple of plants or attractive piece of furniture in the foyer.

For a pub to become a favourite, I think it has to be inviting right from the entrance.

Country pubs, as here in the Southern Highlands have the luxury of being able to be just that, country.  But they still need to appeal.

A pub doesn’t have  to be luxurious to be appealing.  Reflecting the area they are in, is probably more appealing.  Producing an interior where locals, and tourists, both men and women enjoy being is what’s important.

A little nook for privacy, a couple of tables and chairs near the bar for those that want to observe, not necessarily participate.  Things visually interesting.  Windows, revealing some of what you came to the area to experience.   Photos, paintings, furniture and mirrors have all played a part in creating interest and at times a diversion from the not so attractive.

Decor is important, but there’s obviously more to what makes a pub a great pub.  In the next post I’ll look at some of the other essentials of What Makes a Great Pub.

What Makes A Pub A Great Pub?

What makes a great pub?

Is it the decore.  

Is it the layout of the pub.  Is it the view from its front verandah, or beer garden?

Is it the food? For that matter what should pub food be?  Should it be hamburgers and cook your own steak?

Is what makes a good pub, the hospitality offered by the staff?  Is it the general vibe of the place?

The followiing posts will explore that question.

Bowral Folk Blues and Beyond

Bowral Folk Blues and Beyond

21/05/09

Scottish Arms Tavern

69 Boardman Rd

East Bowral

Ph:  48614333

8pm

Hosted by John Hall, Bob McInnes & Jason Winter

Traditional music from around Australia

featuring

The Song Catchers

Broomhall

De Santi & Spillane

Nina D’Arcy

Mark Williamson

Mittagong Hotel - Le Catalan Restaurant

The Mittagong Hotel

89 - 91 Main St.  Mittagong

ph:  Hotel - 48721690

Restaurant - 48722228

open for lunch and dinner - closed Tuesdays

The ‘top’ pub as it’s called, not only dishes up some rather good food in their restaurant Le Catalan, but has an extensive wine menu, both by the bottle and by the glass.

Le Catalan is run by a French/Spanish chef who provides vast menu of Tapas as well as a great Australian bistro menu.

The Tapas menu is displayed with pictures of all the various dishes:   seafood, meat, and even some vegetarian.   Prices are reasonable $52 for 5 servings of tapas.

We decided to go have both, tapas and a bistro meal.

The steak one of our party ordered was served with a salad and chips.  The steak, a very decent size was delicious, tender,  and fat free.

We had a mix of tapas - delicious prawns, home made chorizo sausage, and various other dishes all enjoyed enormously and accompanied with fresh home made bread.

We choose to park around the pack of the hotel in their car park thereby entering via a courtyard/beer garden.

This was a good idea, instead of going through the TAB section of the hotel,  we  directly entered the restaurant.

The Hotel also offers affordable recently refurbished accommodation.

Sutton Forest Inn

Sutton Forest Inn

Illawarra Hwy, Sutton Forest NSW 2577

Phone: (02) 4868 1697

email:

inquiries@suttonforestinn.com.au

The Sutton Forest Inn is on the Illawarra Highway in the pretty village of Sutton Forest, just south of Moss Vale.  It is situated on twenty hilly acres, making a superb backdrop for  bistro diners.

The pub has outdoor seating in the front of the building facing the highway as well as a verandah with tables and chairs as the outdoor area of the bistro.  Complementing this are some tables and benches for people wanting to sit right outside in amongst the rural landscape.

There are two main entrances to the pub.  One is directly into a small bar, the other is into a foyer leading to another bar or the bistro.

Although the bar areas aren’t my ‘cup of tea’ drinks are well priced.  Good value in fact.

The bistro is a large open room, with a wood burning fire.  It has large ceiling to floor glass windows showing off its rural backdrop.

The menu itself is not enormous, but well varied.  I decided on Beef and Guiness Pie, $18.95.  It was topped with quite a large pillow of puff pastry, served with french fries and that pillow of puff pastry.

My friend decided on Pork and Fennel Sausages $16.50. This was served as two good sized sausages on a small bed of buttered mash, with onions and cream sauce.

The pie was rich and moist, good on a winter’s day.  The sausages were great.

Lovely place to sit and chat, comfortable, attractive, with very pleasant staff.

Robertson Country Inn

Robertson Country Inn

87 Hoddle St

Robertson

Phone:  02 4885 1202

The Robertson Country Inn is situated in Hoddle Street, ( Illawarra Highway) in the village of Robertson,Southern Highlands at the top of Macquarie Pass.  Its the only pub in town, and accommodates the localworkers, tourists and even has live music on a regular basis.

The day we visited the hotel the verandah was host to various locals and a couple of dogs.  All very country.  The pub’s entrance takes you into the main bar.  Straight ahead is the bistro.  This is a large, rustic style room, with exposed wooden log beams, and a stage area with an old piano.  Off to the side is the sport and gaming area.

We decided to eat out on the deck, off the side of the main bar.  What a contrast.  Unlike the main bar, that is dark and furnished with dark wooden furniture,the small bar that runs off the side of the main bar, is a bright room, with large windows, brightly and very comfortably furnished, overlooking the external deck.  It’s a delighful place to sit.  It looks into a neighbouring property with a couple of sheep and ponies.  It’s county yet cosmopolitan.

The day we went was Wednesday after the long weekend.  The pub had apparently sold out over the weekend and their food delivery hadn’t arrived.  I gather that’s why the salad bar wasn’t set up.  However what the chef did dish up was more than I expected, and tasted great.

My friend choose not to adhere to the menu (hmm) instead asked for Wedges and an accompanying salad.  I stuck to the menu and ordered the $8 Chicken Schnitzel.

The wedges were pretty typical of wedges.  The schnitzel was a good sized porten of chicken breast schnitzel served with some chips and a rather nice side salad, rather than the frequently served green salad.  It was refreshing to see (and eat), tomatoes, onion, and cucumber, rather than just the favoured mixed lettuce with a little dressing.

An enjoyable lunch, on a sunny deck in Robertson…why not.

The Porterhouse Bistro, Moss Vale Hotel

Porterhouse Bistro, Moss Vale Hotel

Argyle St

Moss Vale

Phone:  (02) 4868 1599

The Moss Vale Hotel is located on Argyle Street in Moss Vale.  It is an attractive looking hotel in the centre of town.

The hotel’s bistro has recently been tastefully renovated and reopened.

Having heard numerous positive reports, it was time to have a meal there.  The front entrance takes one straight into a bistro that is beautifully furnished with wooden tables and chairs.  It has a timber floor, a brick feature wall surrounding two fireplaces.

The kitchen is exposed, and if conversation between guests is scarce, the kitchen staff are great to watch.

From where we sat, we could see through the glass windows separating the bistro from the  bar and the bar from the poker machines and gaming area.  The bar is large, clean and well displayed, quite appealing really.

The menu is pub bistro style, including wood fired pizzas. The two people I was with decided on Beer battered Flathead Fish and Chips  and I had a Chicken Caesar Salad, all around  $16.50.

The food was well presented.  The fish melted in your mouth.  The chips, cooked to the crunchy stage.  My Caesar Salad was fairly typical of a nice Caesar Salad.  The beer prices seemed to be what is average in the area at around $ 3.00 for a middy.

The bistro of this pub has only recently reopened, and I think has the potential to become a regular venue for many of the locals needing the refreshing atmosphere it brings.

The Bowral Hotel

The Bowral Hotel

412 Bong Bong St
Bowral, NSW 2576
(02) 4862 2646

The Bowral Hotel is located on the corner of Bong Bong and Banyette Streets in Bowral.  The design and decor of this pub is much more town than country.

The hotel also offers diners seating on the front verandah facing Bong Bong Street, the main road of Bowral.

The menu offers a variety of food including seafood, schnitzel, hamburgers, salads, and pasta as well as a $10 lunch special.  I was torn between the Bangers and Mash and Crab Garlic and Chili LInguine.  I settled for the Linguine.

Food presentation also offers a touch of town rather than country and is well presented on large modern plates.  The linguine was a large serve, visually appealing with red chili scattered throughout the crab and linguine giving it colour.  The garlic was less visual but strong in flavour.  If you like the combination of chilli and garlic, you’ll enjoy this linguine.

The hotel offers good value for money meals especially with the inclusion of their $10 special, in a clean, pleasant environment with a bonus of being fairly centrally located in the Southern Highlands.

Burrawang Hotel