When you think about pub food, steaks, burgers, fish and chips, pies and schnitzel all spring to mind. But when you’re a pub in close proximity to two major universities with a lively beer garden and cheap weekday meal deals, it pays to broaden your menu to match your appeal. Meat-free eating is on the rise and the Rose Hotel is surprisingly generous to its plant-preferring customers.
Who among us hasn’t poached a picnic table out back and scarfed down a single serve, crisp-based pizza from a menu heavy on meaty toppings like smoky bbq chicken, chorizo and pork sausage? But on the vegetarian front the pesto pumpkin is no slouch, featuring roasted Spanish onion, cherry tomatoes, feta, and basil. Or keep things simple with eggplant with sliced tomatoes, whole garlic cloves and oregano. Staff will happily create vegan versions, and an additional $3 will get you vegan cheese, which is worth it for its ability to melt perfectly and taste like the real deal, a rare phenomenon in the world of faux dairy products.
A roast pumpkin salad is every pub’s veggo staple, but the Rose takes it up a notch and adds chickpeas, crunchy bean sprouts and pepita seeds, with a warm toasted coconut & lemon tahini dressing drizzled generously on top. It’s hearty, wholesome and celebrates plants without skimping you on the flavour front.
Whatever your eating habits, we promise they all go with beer. They’ve got 24 beers on tap – Mountain Goat and Lost Boys mingling with old favourites like Coopers and Reschs.