The Old Bush Inn had more than 185 years under its belt before Mark Kamleh, Nick Stock and Stefano Longhi of Aldinga’s Silver Sands Beach Club took it over. Their update to the ‘Top Pub’ were reverential. On the surface it looks much as it ever did, down to the original stone fireplaces. On the drinks list, wine writer Stock incorporated local brewers and mighty SA wines, and Italian-born Longhi introducing Euro touches like spaghetti with Spencer Gulf prawns and ‘nduja. But the Coopers Beer-battered fish and chips and West End on tap signal loud and clear that the inn’s soul has remained intact. 51 High St, Willunga; oldbushinn.com

An icon of the Piccadilly Valley for 150-odd years, the Uraidla Hotel might have added a bakery, cafe, dedicated wine room and even its own craft brewery over the years, but remains at its heart and soul a pub. Save the light and bright atrium and spacious fairy-light-festooned beer garden for summer, and head straight to the quirky front bar in the colder months. Here the owner’s bower bird habits create a cheerful, eclectic clutter within those sandstone walls under a pressed-tin ceiling. Taking pride of place is the open fire, with a few strategically placed chesterfields for sinking into to sip on a house-brewed dark ale. 1198 B26, Uraidla; uraidlahotel.com.au

The Watervale Hotel is not just one of the best country pubs in South Australia, it’s one of the best culinary experiences anywhere in the world according to experts. Fire is integral to the experience of dining at this Clare Valley beauty, with produce from the pub’s own nearby farm Penobscot flame-grilled over an asado-style BBQ nicknamed ‘Fires of Hell’ in the beer garden. There are minimal food miles in the wine cellar too, with the Clare Valley contingent so strong that the pub acts as a de facto cellar door for local vineyards without cellar doors. Splash on a glass of Wendouree shiraz, and pair it with plates piled with local produce beside the flaming braziers in the courtyard or beside the original fireplaces in the historic interior. 37 Main N Rd, Watervale; watervalehotel.com.au

Sitting at the crook of the Adelaide Hills with views west to the ocean, The Scenic has been one of the Hills’ favourite locals since it was relaunched by local hospo veterans five years ago. On a misty evening, the fireplaces inside and fire pits out crackle, and a pint of Coopers stout or glass of Adelaide Hills pinot noir beckons. The front bar menu offers the classics with a skew, like the signature roo schnitzel, while in the upstairs dining room, snackier plates like the house-made stracciatella and parfait emerge, alongside bigger share plates like a slow-cooked lamb shoulder. In winter, The Scenic warms things up with Sunday roasts and Friday night jazz and mulled wine in the front bar. Old Norton Summit Rd, Norton Summit; thescenichotel.com.au

It’s a testament to its charm that this outback hotel in Parachilna is one of the most famous pubs in South Australia, despite the fact that it takes more than five-hours’ drive from Adelaide to prop your elbow at its bar. The feral mixed grill is legendary at the Prairie Hotel, but perhaps even more legendary with local visitors in winter is its fire pit. The Mad Max-esque contraption comes out when the desert nights turn arctic; warming up an Akubra-clad crowd long after the sun has sunk behind the Ikara-Flinders Ranges, and the desert sky lights up. High St &, West Terrace, Parachilna; prairiehotel.com.au

This Irish pub en route to McLaren Vale has sprawled out from its original mock Tudor building over recent years to include a spacious beer garden and patio aimed firmly at pub-goers with little ones in tow, but the cosy booths and dining room inside, warmed by open wood fires, will bring you closer to the Ould Sod in winter, particularly when you’re nursing an extra-large Guinness. Main S Rd, Hackham; mickosheas.com.au

The “home of beer and cheer” on Kangaroo Island, this public house has been perched on the cliffs overlooking Backstairs Passage for more than a century. The fireplaces are lit and mulled wine simmering when the winds start howling off the water, and the cosy front bar and dining room fill with both locals and vistors streaming off the ferry from the mainland. Home-turf pride runs throughout the menu – from the Kangaroo Island wines dominating the drinks list, to the sustainably farmed SA roo carpaccio, Port Lincoln mussel pot and KI honey pannacotta. Corner of North Terrace, Penneshaw; penneshawpub.com.au

Hahndorf Inn has been pouring beers since 1863. Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement was founded by Prussian and east German Lutherans fleeing persecution. And its main street – lined with heritage buildings and cellar doors – still feels like a slice of Europe in the Adelaide Hills. The inn leans into that lineage with pork knuckles, pickled pork hocks, sauerkraut and bratwurst served alongside solid pub classics. Come winter, the log fires roar, providing another reason to bookmark the town for a cosy South Australian country pub escape. 35 Mount Barker Rd, Hahndorf; hahndorfinn.com

When it’s miserable outside, the Historical Bar at 180-year-old ‘The End’ steps up its old-school charm. Open fireplaces in The Den and Dining Room, as well as in the new and improved beer garden, means there is always somewhere toasty to settle in at this inner west stalwart for a pub meal of a hearty persuasion. 30 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End; mileendhotel.com.au