We trotted in here to add to my list of pub dining rooms visited and assessed.
The dining room at the West Lakes Hotel has a bit of an airport feel to it, only with a lake to look at rather than a lot of parked planes. The phrase 'airplane food' popped into my mind, but there was no need to worry. For a start, planes probably couldn't take off with the generous helpings dished up at this fancy pub.
On top of the half-price carvery deal the night we attended was an offer of free soup - a choice of two soups, in fact. Cheapskate heaven.
I won't go on about the consistently high quality of the traditional fare offered by the professional kitchens of most pubs in Adelaide. Suffice to say that our roasts were definitely up to scratch. My beef was tender and juicy, yet with a crunchy crust. My partner's pork was succulent with lashings of perfectly roasted crackling. The gravy in both instances was proper pan-juice gravy, not the glutinous powder sort.
The vegetable selections in the Bain Marie were regularly topped up with fresh material and the salads were a cut above the usual noodle, spud or 'green' alternatives.
What a delicious meal we each enjoyed. It may have been a bit warm had we been lunching next to the vast expanse of north facing plate glass at our elbows, but the view at dinner time across the lake was ideal.
Turn up your nose at soup, roast and beer if you like, but sitting back, with a lake view and a well-filled belly at the West Lakes Hotel, I say, 'Suit yourself!' read more