The Lady Daly Hotel - Review

This little Hotel has undergone some cosmetic alterations in recent months and is transformed from the rough and ready Territorian Hotel to the white washed Lady Daly Hotel. The “re-upholstering” has made the space slightly more palatable, but we are here for the Bistro Menu and not its misguided style.
Despite the menu looking a little more renovated than the Hotel it is swerving toward a modern Café style serving more salads & fish than pasta. Some exciting inclusions are the Marinated Kangaroo Fillet, Lambs Livers and Double Smoked Bacon and Famous Pork Ribs (1kg) the self appointed title of “Famous” is a tad presumptuous.
I tested the menu with the 400gm aged Rump from W.A. and my dining partner opted for the Pub benchmark test of the Veal Schnitzel, which had strangely found its way onto the specials board. The menu describes the chicken schnitzels as being fried which is a new tactic for a pub kitchen to actually advertise with the truth for a change, the accompanying mushroom sauce was passable with a boosted fungus potency (Special $14.90 /Menu $15.90 inc sauce + $3 for parmi).

The aged rump was cooked as requested and was tender throughout as it should be for $29.90, the spicy chutney along side was terrific and well worth selling separately. I later sampled The Traditional Fish and Chips, ($13.90) its simple presentation was refreshing. Crumbed Garfish ($15.90) is also available as a separate dish. The shoestring fries that adorn most of the dishes are a perilous choice with the majority of us accustomed to them portioned in iconic packaging which make them off limits for any self respecting venue. And another thing… It was once a subversive sales ploy to tack on 90 cents at the end of a price tag but I think these days the smart punter knows better, or at least the venue should know better than to try. When Pub meals are hitting the thirty dollar mark without justification there is cause for concern. Pubs need punters and unjustified overpriced food is not going to entice anyone, The Lady Daly Hotel is not immune from this truth. My advice would be to source locally from the Adelaide region to help someone justify paying $30 for a steak.

It is a grand little dining room that could be sculpted into something quite beautiful, especially with smart pub fare and smarter choices to target the right sort of clientele. For the moment the Lady Daly is at the crossroads and looking at two options, one being an opportunity to be a small stylish venue offering a wonderfully unique experience the other being unthinkable. I would love to see the Lady Daly Hotel carve out a name for itself as a boutique Pub providing a beacon for those gone astray. But for the time being they are having a tough time taking the territory out of the Lady.

Giles