2KW Bar & Restaurant
2 King William Street
(08) 8212 5511
Sip in the sun with a rooftop view over Government House at this upmarket heavyweight. The outdoor bar and booths are popular with the young things of Adelaide, while the indoors restaurant is a place to settle in. Either way, the booze is great, with a decent spread of unique cocktails, local treasures and international gems from the cellar. If you’re the type to dress up and strike a pose, you’re in for a treat.

Ancient World
116a Hindley Street
Seek and ye shall find. As a supporter of local artists, self-confessed weird eggs and musicians, Ancient World has provided a platform and hideaway for over a decade. It’s a rough-around-the-edges place to let your hair down and your quirks and personality shine. The underground grotto (and above ground courtyard) is tucked away on a West End backstreet (a stone’s throw from Hindley Street) and the creative vibes are intoxicating.

Apoteca
118 Hindley Street
(08) 8212 9099
An oldie but a goodie, especially if you enjoy stepping back in time. The hustle and chaotic bustle of Hindley Street surrounds this special bar and restaurant but once inside, you’re engulfed in 1920s-era splendour and apothecary-style décor (look up: the chandeliers are sublime). It’s fitting then, that champagne and fine wine rules the drinks menu. A treasured spot for cabaret stars, dandies and burlesque queens, best book ahead if you want to eat downstairs.

Baddog
63 Hyde Street
Baddog is pretty much as clandestine as it gets in this city. If the small light in front of this bluesy bar is on, consider it open. Owner Zac Markov has a thing for top shelf spirits and the care he takes to meticulously prep drinks is testament to that. Pass the time by exploring the dark space, its booths, and the bar stacked with whisky, gin and other tempting things. 

The Bibliotheca Bar And Book Exchange
1/27 Gresham Street
0400 066 650
A European-style bar full of books and lovely literary vibes: what’s not to love? For fans of words (and well-crafted cocktails), this is a dream come true. Bibliotheca is a great place for solo imbibing too, because there’s always a book for company. Curl up in an armchair or take a perch while you page-flick and snack on nuts and bolts (the old-school cereal snack), grilled camembert and toasties.  

Cry Baby
11 Solomon Street
When it’s late and you simply must throw shapes, Cry Baby is hot stuff. Here, the entire venue is pretty much a dancefloor filled by nostalgic tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s: think You’re The Voice by John Farnham. Even the bar staff stop to dance during certain bangers. After a few shots, every surface is fair game, the floor is sticky, and the crowd is a heaving mess of fun. Best of all, it’s open seven days a week, from 4pm–2am. Sorry boss, we’re calling in sick tomorrow.

East End Cellars
25 Vardon Avenue
(08) 8232 5300
Calling all wine aficionados and the downright curious, this legitimately wonderful wine bar has more than 10,000 bottles on show (in bar and bottle shop format) ranging from obscure drops from faraway lands, to difficult-to-find local unicorns. The cheese platter is arguably the best in town and the onsite restaurant channels European influence. The best seats in the house are the window perches, or kerbside when the street closes to traffic and hits full swing.

The Exeter Hotel
246 Rundle Street
(08) 8223 2623
This grungy, old watering hole has channelled authenticity since 1851. You can’t miss the iconic green tiles that cling to the exterior, much like the regulars who gather around the pub’s mosaic-topped kerbside tables. It’s unpretentious and welcoming; you’re as likely to see rock stars here as you are thespians, tradies, business folk and Fringe performers. A great beer garden, crisp Coopers Ale, reasonably priced wine, affordable pub meals (and equally iconic loo-door art) round off the experience. Raise a glass of Krug to the arts while you’re here (yes, you can get it by the bottle). No pokies: phew.

Hellbound
Downstairs, 201 Rundle Street
0420 322 715
The words ‘go to hell’ took on new meaning when co-owners and beverage aficionados Mark ‘Reggie’ Reginato and winemaker Louis Schofield opened Hellbound in 2018. The space, a former office, needed a lot of work; they did it all themselves and now the underground lair is home to an ever-changing and impressive list of red burgundy, champagne, Italian reds, and plenty of local alternative varieties and producers. There’s also a selection of beer, aperitifs, gin, vodka, tequila and mezcal, grappa, moonshine, bourbon, whisky, brandy, cognac, armagnac, calvados, and eau de vie. It’s a party, alright.

Jennie Wine Bar
7 Peel Street
A refreshingly welcoming exploration of the global world of wine. Jennie is run by five pals who called their bar after the name given to a 500ml bottle of wine. Part bar, part online bottle shop, it embraces a thoughtfully curated wine offering with informative staff who love to share the stories behind the producers and the places where the grapes were grown. A genuinely nice place to be. 

La Buvette Drinkery
27 Gresham Street
Escape the daily grind with a trip to France: this lush family-run Euro star is tucked away down a CBD side street and serves bistro-style treats such as escargot alongside French aperitifs, stellar cocktails, and local natural and organic wines. Whether you’re indoors, where the light is delightfully dim, or on the sidewalk, it oozes authenticity and feels like a true neighbourhood bar. 

LOC
6 Hindmarsh Square
This small-but-beautiful independent online bottle shop-turned-bar attracts a devoted and wine savvy crowd. LOC stands for ‘left of centre’ which gives some insight into the kind of minimal intervention wines in the glass. Owner Olivia Moore is a much-loved Brit-turned-local who calls upon an exciting line-up of chefs to man the small kitchen on a rotating basis. Fresh, fun and all heart, with a Hindmarsh Square view.

Mother Vine
22–26 Vardon Avenue
(08) 8227 2273
A stellar global wine list and a slick interior make this a classy place to imbibe and dine before or after a performance. Head chef Clinton Lam has a thing for Asian and European fare so expect substantial contemporary dishes and snacks that straddle both. Vardon Avenue tends to explode during festival season so it’s a great pit-stop, or place to settle in and watch the action unfold. Grab a window seat if you can.

My Lover Cindi
Unit 2, 192 Pirie Street
If only more late-night venues had the same level of focus on the LGBTQI+ community and accessibility as My Lover Cindi. This is a bar in which to dance and celebrate diversity. There’s an ever-evolving schedule of queer and community events held here, as well as Fringe performances, so check social media for updates. Drag, burlesque, DJs . . . it’s pure queer utopia. Great non-alcoholic options too.

The Olivia Hotel
170 Hutt Street
This pub-meets-wine bar with courtyard is all charm. An unassuming stained-glass front door leads to a character-packed space full of vintage furniture and collectables. Candles flicker as the light dips, dripping wax across surfaces topped with wine bottles of the exciting/emerging producer kind. It’s the kind of place where Friday knock-offs include a DJ, the weekly quiz night attracts a devoted crowd, and the occasional guest winemaker makes an appearance to pour their goods and chew the fat in an intimate setting.

Proof
9a Anster Street
This was one of the small bars that forged the way for Adelaide’s tiny but top-quality laneway scene. The split-level space serves great local wine, faraway liquid gems, spirits, thoughtfully made cocktails and fancy toasties prepped on the sandwich press behind the bar. The rooftop terrace is a jewel.

Shotgun Willies / Memphis Slim’s House Of Blues
22 Gilbert Place
A double whammy of personality-packed venues. On the ground floor, Shotgun Willie’s is all boot-scooting, Wild West-vibing shenanigans. One moment you’re watching Brokeback Mountain on the television screen in the far corner of the bar, the next you’re swilling beer while singing along to live acts, the likes of which you see on TV series Yellowstone. Hidden below, on the basement level, is Memphis Slim’s House Of Blues; a whisky-slinging, live blues band-hosting gem of a hideaway. It’s one of the best live music venues in Adelaide and is still (largely) a well-kept secret. Shhh.

Sugar
Unit 1, 274 Rundle Street
When cult nightclub favourite Sugar reopened in collaboration with Gonzo Group in December, fans of electronic music breathed a sigh of relief. Sugar has long been a place to hide from the world, high above Rundle Street, accessed by a stairway to heaven of sorts. Expect international and local artists (with artistic direction and DJ-curation by legendary founding owner Driller Jet Armstrong) and a pink-centric interior designed by AACTA award-winning costume designer Mariot Kerr. There’s also a decent focus on local producers behind the bar.