Royal Hotel Cassilis

The next stop on the Royal Tour was a hidden gem just up the road: the Royal Hotel Cassilis

The town of Cassilis itself is not directly on the Golden Highway (that’s the road’s actual name, I’m not getting poetic) like Merriwa and Denman were. You have to take a short 1.5km detour to get into the town. And it feels like that little extra distance and seclusion adds even a bit more to the hidden-gem-ness of the Royal Hotel Cassilis.

The pub itself is one of the legit old-school classic ‘Ye Olde Royals’. The front of the pub is all sandstone and locals at tables. Although given Cassilis apparently only has a grand total of just over 300 locals, there were probably some visitors mixed in there as well.

One curious and unique addition was a large marquee just to the right of the pub. Thinking it might be a mini festival or at least a cheeky back bar or something of that nature, we wandered over. Turns out it was a painting class. Like with canvas and everything.

However, as we weren’t in an overly Pro Hart kind of mood, we headed inside for a beer. The interior of the pub was just as cool and old-timey as the outside. The walls were covered with old beer bottle and classic beer advertising. That can sometimes a bit forced and contrived, but not here. Everything felt like it belonged and added to the overall vibe. It definitely had the feel of a country pub that had recently been done up. But they’d done it up well without losing any of the character.

When we finally got our beers, we were in for another pleasant surprise: Willie the Boatman on tap. An Inner West Sydney craft beer was not something I was expecting to find in an isolated Royal in the lower Hunter. But it was something I was certainly not going to complain about.

Once we had beers in hand we settled in next to the fire for some lunch. Unsurprisingly, the food was actually really good too. It seemed like that kind of place.

This was one that we lingered at a bit longer than the schedule strictly called for. Had we not been at the mercy of the Tour schedule, it’s one we could have easily lingered at the entire arvo. Good beer, good food, and a great setting.

Royal Stats

• Town/Suburb: Cassilis, NSW
• Population: 304
• Date Visited: Saturday, May 6, 2023
• Visited By: Cory, John
• Beer Sponsorship on Sign: None
• Beer Consumed at Pub: Willie the Boatman
• Price of Schooner of Said Beer: $8.10
• Unique Award: Best Pub Painting Class
• Tour Progress: 25.7% (34/136)