Victory Hotel
Main South Road
Sellicks Beach South Australia 5174
W www.victoryhotel.com.au
E vichot@bigpond.com — email bookings from their web site
T +61 8 8556 3083
F +61 8 8551 4000
OPEN 7 days from 10.00 am until midnight, closed Good Friday and Christmas Day — reservations essential during the summer months
FOOD The dining area of the Victory was shut for months last year to reopen at the end of November 2008. Many locals might have feared the worst, a poshed up pub where they no longer felt at home. Owner and very hands–on manager Dough Govan is way too smart for that. Just the right touches, a great little verandah at the font of the pub, open to the air it is packed and smoking is still allowed. Inside the dining area has been opened out with nice timber window frames, some local stone work and the dining room is cleaner and airier and the front tables are worth fighting for because the sunset view is really fabulous. Always blowing a gale at the top of the hill, the outside dining room remains the same with flapping clear plastic walls and white plastic garden chairs. Where the greatest visible difference is, is their cellar and Govan clearly had the patronage of the region’s winemakers and winery workers in mind when he undertook digging out this enormous space that is now lined with timber wine storage and has a long table that can be flexibly split as required. This popular pub pumps from the second it opens at 10.00 am. Staff appear casual, are up for a bit of friendly banter but this is a professional well–trained team who work damned hard and understand about keeping things moving along.
The Victory’s main menu has remained pretty much unchanged and there are always specials. Too often we preface our conversation with “for a pub” and are guilty of making excuses for the offering with a tolerance we do not afford a restaurant at the same price structure. Entreés are around $12 and mains around $25 and food is basic, generous and in most instances pretty good. Glassware is quality you get a linen serviette and food doesn’t take forever to arrive but we think that some of the specials are pretty hit and miss. As is often the case one person received a salt and pepper squid that must have been seasoned twice, and a special that was way off the mark. The panzanella had the texture (and taste) of supermarket bread soaked in Adelaide tap water until soggy and the salsa verde was overridden by a lot of mint in the salad. Panzanella is made with old dry crusty Italian bread and properly made still has some crunch. The staff handled the complaint well and the main course was removed from the bill. The Saganaki also chosen from the specials was served on a plate instead of the pan it is cooked and by the time it got to the table is was cold and more rubbery than it is meant to be. One of our number despite warnings that the chef might spit on their plate ordered well done kangaroo and a nut sundae from the kids menu. Whilst they received derisive mockery from us the waitress pointed out the kangaroo would be dry and took the order. The local prawn salad with gazpacho was tasty and generous and salt and pepper squid with aioli met with general approval. The duck liver pâté with toast and pickled cherries was generous, the cherries (many of them) deliciously sweet–sour, but the pâté seemed thinned down and lacked the anticipated rich slightly firm but spreadable texture of the one we enjoyed so much last summer.
Desserts are generously portioned and all under $10 and their cheese plate is just $14.50 per person. We had the rosewater pavlova with strawberries and cream and passion fruit sauce, twice baked lemon tart and sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. We are not really pub devotees but still think that the Victory Hotel is a top pub because it has the complete package. Reasonably priced, generously portioned pub/café food, friendly knowledgeable service, a jewel of a wine list and Reidel glassware, so what’s to complain about? Nothing!
WINE The Victory has South Australia’s most extensive pub wine list. A fabulous back vintage selection this is the type of list that shames 95% of Adelaide’s restaurants; glasses of Billecart NV at $14 each, a sublime bottle of 01 Henschke Julius Riesling, and a couple of glasses of the very fine 03 Barossa Greenock Creek Grenache $10. In terms of wine there is temptation galore at the Victory and the prices so modest it is impossible to not succumb.
OWNER AND MANAGER — Dough Govan
CHEF — Todd Steele
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