The Ten Best Bars in Adelaide
With licensing loosened, 2014 is proving Adelaide's year of the small bar.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com.
Adelaide is no stranger to pesky licensing laws impeding the onward march of excellent late-night bar culture, but thankfully in April last year the city’s council saw reason and introduced friendlier regulations. The result? A city that's turning on its charm year-round, not just in February and March when the Adelaide festival and WOMADelaide convert the place into a bohemian heaven. 2014 is Adelaide’s year of the small bar. Here’s a selection of the finest.
THE GALLERY ON WAYMOUTH
Big, bold and shiny, the Gallery replaces Fad Bar with a more upmarket, suits-friendly offering with two levels of bars to mingle and a middle level for dining. The walls feature a changing gallery of contemporary art, but if that’s not enough to soothe your Friday afternoon exhaustion, get stuck into some BBQ beef ribs and crusty bread ($11) or a heartier main of Saltbush lamb ($27).
30 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
UDABERRI
Adelaide’s Hindley Street may be one of Australia’s more eccentric red-light main drags, but it has no shortage of laneways like Leigh Street housing civilised bars such as Spanish wine bar supreme, Udaberri. Offering Basque-style bar snacks including an extensive list of Spanish cheeses, it’s all the civility you’ll ever need after a loiter down Hindley Street.
Udaberri Pintxos y Vino, 11 Leigh Street, Adelaide
PROOF
Set on the suitably obscure Anster Street, Proof wine bar is a sophisticated little joint manned by bar staff in waistcoats. Proof will satisfy a hankering for an Old Fashioned or an honest cheese toasty (and by honest we mean beef ragu with Fontina).
Proof, 9A Anster Street, Adelaide
THE BOTANIC BAR
An Adelaide institution, the Botanic on North Terrace has undergone some serious sprucing in recent times. Improvements include spicy chicken wings provided by Golden Boy Thai, who are now serving authentic Thai goodness to thankful Botanic punters as they sip on a luscious Montenegro sour or Rangoon Standard.
309 North Terrace, Adelaide
ROCKET ROOFTOP
Rocket Bar is Adelaide’s original home of good music. Rocket Rooftop serves serious adult wine from McLaren Vale’s Alpha Box and Dice and also has a solid cocktail list. Rocket Rooftop is the perfect place to enjoy a cool drink on a balmy summer’s night under the best palm tree in the state.
142 Hindley Street, Adelaide
THE COLLINS BAR
A nod to the roaring 1920s, the Collins Bar shows off some of the state’s best local wines as well as a playful list of cocktails sourced from their extensive, if alarmingly tidy bar. They’re offering the usual suspects in the bar snacks department, such as lemonade-braised pulled pork slider and slaw at a bargain $8. Oh, they also have a fantastically long tequila list.
Hilton Adelaide, 233 Victoria Square, Adelaide
CLEVER LITTLE TAILOR
As its name suggests, the Clever Little Tailor is little and clever. It’s a bonafide small bar — intimate, classy and dedicated to quality booze. Set in an old vintage store on Peel Street, it’s been decorated with old school decor and is serving excellent beers such as Mountain Goat, Feral Hop Hog and Four Pines, along with a selection of charcuterie from Lucia’s at the Central Markets. Clever as they come.
19 Peel Street, Adelaide
CANTINA SOCIALE
Showing off the best of Adelaide’s boutique wine industry, Cantina Sociale serves authentic, one-off wines not available in any stores, wine lists or bars. Located on Sturt Street, this is a haven for wine lovers to really love their wine.
108 Sturt Street, Adelaide
LOFT OYSTER AND WINE BAR
The Loft is one of Adelaide’s newest bars located on Gouger Street in the Central Market precinct. With its sparkly new interior, it’s a perfect after-work drinks spot, serving Asian inspired mezze and oysters in every way imaginable.
Level 1, 128 Gouger Street, Adelaide
STREET-ADL
Street-ADL is the first of a two-part venture from chef Jock Zonfrillo. Offering informal dining, cocktails and street food, Street-ADL is all-American with its cheeseburgers and sundaes, and true blue with its Goolwa pipis and lamingtons.
Street ADL, 285 Rundle Street, Adelaide
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