The Elephant Hotel

THE ELEPHANT HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED TO BE REPLACED BY THE PRINCE CONSORT.

The Valley’s historic Elephant Hotel has shed its wheelbarrow and backpackers to become a stampede-worthy gastro pub with funky graffiti-art beer garden out back.

The main food action at The Elephant, which started life in 1888 as the Prince Consort Hotel, revolves around the beer garden emblazoned by stunning artwork (including words and a wall by infamous artist Sofles) and featuring a central bar and outdoor kitchen with wood fire oven and spit roast.

Here punters can tuck into wood-fired pizza and spit roasted goat, pig or lamb sliders, accompanied by boutique beers, Oz and Spanish wines or house cocktails like a refreshing summer Pimms Cup or Pineapple Margerita until the wee hours.

Otherwise there's a delicious a la carte menu for lunch and dinner – choose from ‘smalls’ like buttermilk fried chicken wings or szechuan pepper calamari, or salads such as roast pumpkin and chickpea or roast kipfler potato and baby beet.

Otherwise there are burgers or sandwiches  or charcoal grill dishes such as wood fire oven baked salmon, char grilled vege stack or 12 hour slow cooked rib fillet.

In the evenings The Elephant  hosts live music acts, with soloists Thu-Fri in the beer garden and DJ's on Saturday night.

Nice to know: The Elephant has also retained its casual English pub style bar – The Main Bar - at street level downstairs.

Need to know: Opening hours for dining and drinking vary.