Royal Hotel Snake Valley

All too soon it was time to depart Meredith and get back on the road.  So not for the first time on the Tour, we grudgingly left a Royal where we could’ve easily settled in for a solid session. The silver lining was that we were, as per usual, heading for yet another Royal. Even better, this one had probably the coolest name of any on The Tour: the Royal Hotel Snake Valley.

The Royal Hotel Snake Valley looks like one of those super cool old school Royals.  It even borders on an Old West style Royal in appearance. Which, given that Snake Valley was originally a gold rush town, seems kind of appropriate.

Walking in through the (disappointingly non-saloon style) front door, we strolled in to a cool, if slightly small front bar. And while it may have been small, it was pretty classic. We’re talking locals on stools at the corrugated steel bar with a water buffalo wearing an Akubra watching from the wall.

We grabbed our pots and headed out through the sliding patio doors to the outdoor area of the pub.  And for my money, this is where the Royal Hotel Snake Valley shined. It was a cool little deck area with good sized TV’s, a woodfire heater in the middle for cold days, and a bunch of random stuff on the wall.  It may have been the sliding glass door you go through to get to the deck area, but it really felt like you were having beers on a mate’s really cool back deck.  And no, I don’t have any mates with a woodfire heater built into their deck or a bunch of horseshoes and road signs nailed to the wall. But that’s just how it felt.

We unfortunately just missed lunch, but the dining room was just as classic as the rest of the pub. More corrugated metal, jukebox on the wall, pool table, and another woodfire heater.

And just in case the jukebox didn’t meet your musical requirements, they also had a backup piano and accordion. You know, in case of emergencies.

We definitely hit it at a quiet time. But I reckon the Royal Hotel Snake Valley is the kind of small town country pub that goes off on weekend evenings. Not for the first time, I wish we could’ve stayed for one of those.

Royal Stats

• Town/Suburb: Snake Valley, VIC
• Population: 743
• Date Visited: Saturday, November 4, 2023
• Visited By: Cory, John, and Anthony
• Beer Sponsorship on Sign: Carlton Draught
• Beer Consumed at Pub: Great Northern (Pot)
• Price of Pot of Said Beer: $5.20
• Unique Award: Royal with the Best Taxidermy Headwear
• Tour Progress: 33.1% (45/136)