British sophistication and good taste both reign at this drink spot. Grab a pint of Boags or Cascade or seek out some posh high tea.
The English do this kind of place well, so it's nice to see it also being done perfectly by mere colonials.
This is the pub to visit if you want to belong to a club but can't actually be bothered joining one. It has old brown leather couches set by the open fire, ceilings up there somewhere, a Victorian water fountain in the restaurant, waiters verging on butlers and a billiards room (for, ahem, hotel guests only). There are no big screens and certainly no pokies. The staff at Hadley's might even describe themselves as having 'class', if it weren't actually vulgar to do so.
Owned by the Doherty Hotel Group (which has properties in Leura, Ballarat, St Helens and Hobart), the emphasis here is on quality. Nothing is done unless it's done well. The renovation, or perhaps restoration, of the spectacular Murray Street building is beautiful and very welcoming. Too welcoming, in fact, for the Traditional High Tea ($18), which is held every day between 2pm and 4pm. Take note: you won't get near it without a booking.
However most of the time you can easily find a couch to sink into and from there, you can nibble, sip and chat the day away, right in the middle of town.
Robert Stevenson
