The 14 best bars in Adelaide

We’re not sure who Mae is or why she’s feeling so uncertain, but her underground speakeasy sure is cool. Whatever you do, don’t listen to Google Maps if you’re searching for the unmarked bar. Hidden between Adelaide's two famed small-bar streets, Peel and Leigh, Maybe Mae demands a few twists and turns, plus a push of a camouflaged timber door. Upon entering the shadowy bar, you’ll be greeted with a vague 1950s-inspired fit-out accompanied by a semi-circle of leather booths which invite you to stay for a good time and a long time. Pair that with a native-ingredient forward cocktail list and fine wines, and you’ve got yourself a pretty seductive combo underpinned by a sustainable ethos, and an award-winning one at that. Duck in for a quick G&T after work or spend the entire night lounging about living your yesteryear dreams with a Booze and Juice of juiced-to-order apple, rye whiskey, lime and cracked black pepper – it’s been on the menu since day dot for a reason.

Time Out tip: Head upstairs to Bread and Bone Wood Grill afterwards if you’ve worked up an appetite (cue burgers and hot dogs that hit the spot).

Address: 15 Peel St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am

It's a little bit French and a big bit classy. La Buvette has raised the late-night drinking scene in Adelaide’s West End to new heights. Not to yuck anyone's yums, but most of the booze rooms around here are haunts with notoriously sticky dancefloors, broken toilet doors and multi-coloured flashing lights. But we’re here to chat about the finer things in life, thanks to La Buvette. It delivers something far more refined: meticulously selected French wines and aperitifs in understated laneway surrounds amped up by streetside Drucker bistro chairs. Close your eyes, count to three and step inside the closest thing to Gay Paree in Adelaide – all thanks to yesteryear light fixtures, marble tabletops and an intricate wooden bar, exposed stone walls and beams, gold detailing, along with a deep blue colour palette that is downright sexy. Order yourself a bottle of rosé from Côte de Provence and you’ll need not book yourself a long-haul.

Time Out tip: It’s not just about the tipple at La Buvette – French fare is to be expected. Feeling adventurous? Sample the escargots à l'Alsacienne – that’s snails prepared with butter, white wine and plenty of garlic and parsley.

Address: 27 Gresham St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Tues-Thur 3pm-12am; Fri-Sat 3pm-2am

Spinning off from Peel Street sister venue, Clever Little Tailor, one of Adelaide’s pioneering small bars is equally petite – a micro-wide cabin wedged into what was originally an alleyway off buzzy Leigh Street. The room at the front is where the drinks are shaken, stirred and poured – this then leads into a wee courtyard with a secluded snacking section out the back if you’re in the mood for a Sicillian olive or twelve with your tipple. Since its 2015 inception, the bar’s quirky design has laid claim to architecture awards, and consistent national recognition overall as one of the best in the biz. And after one sip of Pink Moon Saloon’s long-standing Aviation cocktail featuring gin, mandarin, lemon and violet, it’s clear as day to see why the cocktail cabin is a winner. It’s an innovative and compact example of how small can be mighty. Nab a booth out the back if escapism is high on your radar, or perch up alfresco right in the thick of Leigh Street’s pedestrian action if you want to see and be seen. Just don’t walk past too fast or you’ll miss it. 

Time Out tip: Given Pink Moon’s size, we’d recommend making a booking if you’re heading in with a group.

Address: 21 Leigh St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 4pm-11.30pm; Fri-Sat 4pm-2am

Okay, so it’s apparent – Adelaide loves a good old-fashioned laneway bar – and Hains and Co is no exception to the unofficial rule. Sail your yacht down Gilbert Place in the West End and moor yourself for the evening. The nautical theme is a little out of whack in downtown Adelaide, but charming in its own incongruous way: think wall-mounted anchors, antiquated maritime decor, endless lengths of ropes and tiny boats in bottles. And since the bar is apparently cobbled together from chunks of the old Largs Bay jetty, this shipshape aesthetic certainly passes muster. It’s a handsome port in a storm and a beaut of a bar, perfect for a gin on a hot afternoon or a rum on a cold night. Once you’ve got your bearings, we suggest a whisky paired with a little something off the cigar menu from Cuba, Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic, if that’s your thing. Just make sure to position yourself on the deck outside for that sweet sea breeze.

Time Out tip: Take your Pirates of the Caribbean-loving friend to Hains and Co – it’ll be sure to give 'em a thrill, me hearties.

Address: 23 Gilbert Pl, Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Sun 4pm-2am

We all wish Lune Bar was our local haunt. This hip and happening neighbourhood wine bar is housed in a quaint row of old stores along The Parade in the eastern suburb of Beulah Park. However, the menu is anything but cute. A stylish wine wall showcases top-tier drops, which are handpicked from around Australia, Italy and France, and poured at the bar alongside punchy cocktails. Plates are made to pass around the colourful, terrazzo tables, featuring pillowy focaccia, pan-seared scallops and spicy pork shoulder skewers, plus a welcome scattering of Southeast Asian-inspired dishes. The sun-lit dining room is somewhere between contemporary and classy with a deep emerald colour palette setting the scene, along with timber touches, crimson tiling (not on the floor, but the walls), and a string of indoor plants to freshen up the reception. It’s certainly cosy and you’d catch us there on any given rainy day – or in the courtyard when the sun's out.

Time Out tip: Take a squizz of the wine wall – here you’ll find the finest of drops awaiting their time to be taken down and passed around.

Address: 303 The Parade, Beulah Park

Opening hours: Wed 4pm-10pm; Thurs-Sat 12pm-11pm; Sun 12pm-6pm

Adelaide’s East End is a high-rent scene: for a bar to make it here, it’s gotta be good. NOLA (shorthand for New Orleans, Louisiana – the mood here is very Deep South) has proven it’s got what it takes. The low-lit, multi-level venue is spacious enough that you won’t necessarily run into someone you know, but compact enough if you want to run into someone you know. Red neon lights are a stark but welcome contrast to the exposed stone walls, but the slight atomic age fit-out ties it all together just nicely. NOLA is the place to be if you’re big on craft beers (they’re poured from 16 taps) and whiskey alike (their collection spans over 350 bottles). And there’s no better support crew than the Cajun and Creole eats on offer. Chow down on cornbread, grits, po’ boys and finger-lickin’ good fried chicken – their jambalaya doesn’t go astray either if you’ve got the room.

Time Out tip: If you’re in town for the Adelaide Fringe Festival, NOLA is the ideal candidate for a pre-show beverage; it's adjacent to the festival’s major parkland hubs, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, and Gluttony, making it one of the most convenient (and delicious) bars to gear up.

Address: 28 Vardon Ave, Adelaide

Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 4pm-12pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-2am; Sun 12pm-12am

The name 2KW is shorthand for locale number 2 King William Street. But don’t go looking for it at street level – it’s eight floors above your head. And that view makes it one of the best rooftop bars in Adelaide. If the show-stopping panorama beyond North Terrace to the westward Port Adelaide and eastward Adelaide Hills isn’t enough to win you over, 2KW’s ace menu, especially its wine offering,  certainly will. An indoor dining room boasting an open kitchen houses creations of seasonal and local fare, while an L-shaped terrace is ideal for tipples in the sunshine. The deck is set with intimate booths segregated by leafy foliage for some privacy and an open area with unobstructed vistas. DJs frequent the alfresco, but dancing isn’t expected – just cosy up on a cushion and order yourself a cocktail or any of their excellent spirits, and that’s all the excitement you’ll need.

Time Out tip: Getting up to the 2KW’s rooftop bar is all part of the fun, involving a double elevator ride to the top storey.

Address: Rundle Mall, 2 King William St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Sun-Thu 12pm-12am; Fri-Sat 12pm-2am

Real-estate agents tout 'location, location, location' as the winning triad, but at Bank Street Social, the formula is ‘local, local, local’ (as applicable to beer, wine and spirits). At its street-level entrance, you’d be right to think that you’re about to dive down into a cosy underground watering hole – but no, head downstairs and be greeted by a mega concave cavity where there’s more than enough headspace for your tallest of pals. Lean into the no-frills, old-school vibes: exposed brickwork and chunky timber beams set the scene for the fab drinking den worthy of any occasion. It’s a laid-back space offering sweet relief from Hindley Street’s questionable heartland, and live vinyl spinners and fab pizzas seal the deal. You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to libations too – the wall of booze requires ladders that glide elegantly across shelving. More than a decade after it opened, this haunt is going strong– and we can see why.

Time Out tip: If you’re in the mood for a boogie, this is the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights post-10pm.

Address: 48 Hindley St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 6pm-1am

Founded in 2014 by brewer mates Jack Cameron and Jared ‘Red’ Proudfoot, Pirate Life has been one of the pioneering breweries of an Adelaide craft beer scene that has well and truly exploded. In 2019, they moved into their huge brewery and taproom in Port Adelaide from their previous space in the inner west of Adelaide and haven’t looked back. The industrial-style warehouse-taproom features an ever-changing list of mainstay and exclusive beers with 24 of them on tap, a games room and an outdoor fire pit, where you can get tasty morsels straight off the grill. The kitchen team deliver the goods too, with the likes of beer-battered fish ‘n’ chips to suit the seaside locale, hot ‘n’ sour karaage chicken chops which pack a punch, and a harissa-roasted cauliflower to take things back down to earth. It’d be rude not to pair your fare with an 11 per cent IPA or perhaps a non-alcoholic fizz.

Time Out tip: Make a day of it – catch the train to the end of the line (Port Adelaide) and wander the historic streets, visit museums, peruse op shops and niche stores, sit on the dock of the bay and watch the tide roll away.

Address: 18 Baker St, Port Adelaide

Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-12am

This Goodwood Road taproom is barely in the titular suburbs: sitting around one-kilometre from Adelaide’s CBD, ‘city fringe’ might be a better description. And while little-known, The Suburban Brew is well worth putting on your radar. Beyond a big grey roller door, the space opens out into a roomy, industrial beer hall with crafty pale ale, English bitter and heavyweight black IPA ready to be pulled into some serious pints. You can even park up next to the on-site vats for a sight of the liquid nectar in the making. Retro arcade games are a nice touch to Suburban Brews overall ambience, and they encourage a lively atmosphere that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Fresh-made pizza slices are never too far away either, which can be scoffed down in the grassy courtyard out back. So, for those in search of old-school pub energy, especially if you take your beer with fervour, this is the boozer for you.

Time Out tip: Blessed be, The Suburban Brew team have opened a second location over in the north-eastern suburb of Glynde. So fear not, an ice-cold brew might’ve just gotten a little closer to home.

Address: 96 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood

Opening hours: Wed-Thurs 3pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm; Sun 12pm-9pm

Adelaide and its hilly backdrop are home to around two dozen gin distilleries – yes, it's the gin capital of Australia. One of the city’s flagship downtown distillers, Prohibition Liquor Co, gives the gin thing a 1920s spin. Its tasting room features a wall of interesting botanicals to ensnare the senses and inspire conversation. The ‘Next Door Bar’ is a more intimate cocktail room, but you can admire the chunky square gin bottles decking the bar in either space. And while housed in an industrial-style warehouse, the wooden barrels on display amp up the yesteryear vibes. Prohibition’s range of gin is vast, so it’s likely you’ll be stuck for choice. Opt for a tasting paddle of three tipples and you’ll be well on your way to gin town. They’re nice, they’re unusual and they’re downright delightful. 

Time Out tip: The south side of Adelaide CBD can be quiet, but if you do venture out for a secluded tipple, a stroll down Gilbert Street will have you set for the night with Gilbert Street Hotel and The Duke of Brunswick Hotel awaiting your arrival.

Address: 22 Gilbert St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Wed-Thurs 11.30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11.30am-11pm; Sun 12pm-6pm

Check out that façade! Built in 1901, Electra is fronted by some serious stonework – all Corinthian columns, shapely balusters and muscle-clad gargoyles. Inside, the once rowdy Chamber Bar with black-cane barstools, tan leather booths and mosaic tiles is no more. Now simply known as Electra, a recent makeover and rebranding has positioned the haunt as elegant and brings forth the building’s historic charm. The six-metre-high ceilings and tall windows the size of pool tables remain, and a splash of emerald green takes centre stage, with plush velvet booths, gold detailing, and a marble bar elevating from nightclub to a venue where couples want their wedding pictures to be taken. It’s pretty nice in there, and still attracts regulars with the likes of barristers and bankers drinking Tanqueray, cocktails and refined wines. The menu wasn’t safe from the revamp either, and now features plenty of share plates which hints at punchy Southeast Asian flavours. As for the mains, Aussie classics are a feature (schnitties and steaks), along with gluten-free and vegan options to satisfy all diners. Roll in, you may just be pleasantly surprised by all this change and growth.

Time Out tip: One of the best hotels in Adelaide swung its doors open in early 2025 right next door – the Marriott Hotel. Fancy doing a 2-in-1 staycation?

Address: 131 King William St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Tues-Thu 12pm-10pm; Fri 12pm-12am; Sat 12am-12pm, 3pm-1am