Whether you’re looking for a jumping basement dive, a wine bar with a difference or a lush rooftop with panoramic views, you’ll find it in this list of the best Adelaide bars.

When Adelaide introduced the small bar licence in 2013, it changed the city’s drinking culture almost overnight. Innovative new venues soon began to pop up on every corner of the city and the ensuing decade has seen the Adelaide bar scene go from strength to strength. Visit the City of Churches today and you’ll find impeccably crafted cocktails, note-perfect wines and fragrant craft beers down just about every one of the city’s many laneways.

1. Maybe Mae

Best For: Seriously Crafty Cocktails

Peel and Leigh Streets are ground zero of the small bar explosion, so it’s only fitting that the OG of Adelaide’s cocktail scene, Maybe Mae, is hidden below a passage connecting the two thoroughfares.

Push through the discreetly hidden timber doors and you’ll find the dimly lit speakeasy of your dreams, with attentive table service, a seriously refined atmosphere and a drinks list showcasing flavour combinations as imaginative as they are delicious.

The cocktails are highly seasonal, but a program of ferments means that ingredients like rockmelon and grapefruit might appear at any time of year, and non-alcoholic options are treated with every bit as much respect as the boozy drinks.

Address: 15 Peel St, Adelaide

2. Memphis Slim’s House Of Blues

Best For: Killer Dive Bar Blues

In the basement below Shotgun Willie’s saloon, this raucous late-night spot looks and sounds like a dive bar, so it’s no surprise that you’ll find plenty of bottled American beer available. But spend a bit of time chatting with the bartenders and you’ll also discover a rotating monthly menu of surprisingly thoughtful cocktails (think 12-year-old rum, Pedro Ximenez, cognac, spiced honey and a dash of Guinness).

Whatever your order, the real reason to come here is the live music that’s on five nights a week – those in the know head in on a Thursday night when local gun Dusty Lee Stephensen assembles a crack team of Adelaide’s best musicians for a riotous blues jam.

Address: 22 Gilbert Place Basement Level, Adelaide

3. Latteria

Best For: A Stylish Night Out

Riffing on the Milanese concept of latterias, or milk bars, which evolved from grocery stores into cafeterias and aperitivo bars, this versatile venue opens for pre-lunch coffees and keeps pouring drinks well into the night.

A gorgeous design that goes heavy on polished concrete and tinted glass evokes a playful 70s feel, and if you look past the marble front bar and cherry red booths you’ll find a DJ booth pumping ultra-cool lounge tunes that are guaranteed to have you firing up Shazam.

Drinkswise, you’ll find 25 wine options available by the glass and half bottle alongside twists on classic cocktails like a negroni sbagliato that uses rhubarb, currant and cranberry to create the perfect blend of bitter and sweet. Cementing its status as an all-night spot, the kitchen takes orders until an hour before close and a menu of cutlery-free snacks and larger Milanese-influenced meals is designed to be matched with the drinks – if you’re struggling to figure out the best pairing, the friendly staff will happily help you out.

Address: 185 Hutt St, Adelaide

4. Good Gilbert

Best For: World-Class Wines in a Casual Setting

Adelaide is ringed by wine regions, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of wonderful wine bars scattered throughout the city. The best of them reflect both the high quality and the unpretentious nature of most local winemakers, and this unassuming venue in Adelaide’s inner south follows that brief to a T.

You won’t find any wine snobbery here; everyone is welcome (including dogs), and the wine list of 400 bottles rotates regularly and includes a “Fresh out of F*cks to Give" option if you want to let the bar staff do the heavy lifting.

By the glass selections unsurprisingly go heavy on local producers and offer excellent value while still showcasing makers that even the most knowledgeable customers will be unfamiliar with, while the extensive selection under Coravin allows those with cash to splash to try everything up to grand crus.

Address: 135B Goodwood Rd, Goodwood

5. 2KW

Best For: Fabulous Views

Hovering eight stories above the intersection of King William Street and North Terrace, this rooftop bar boasts the best views in Adelaide. While the private cabanas look back into the city, the main bar area gazes out over Government House and beyond to the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval.

The expansive vision is matched by a drinks list that offers something for every occasion, from fresh, fruity cocktails to specially aged back vintage beers and almost 40 wines by the glass (plus an excellent selection of fortifieds).

Add in an excellent modern Australian restaurant onsite, and it’s easy to see why a table here remains one of Adelaide’s hottest bookings.

Address: 2 King William St, Adelaide

6. Hains & Co

Best For: Exception Spirits With a Nautical Twist

There’s no missing the nautical theme at this intimate spot where the bartenders are pouring every day of the year except Christmas. But look beyond the vintage maps, hawsers and glass lanterns and you’ll find one of the most finely curated spirit collections.

The seafaring motif extends to an excellent selection of gin and rum, alongside cigars sourced from across Central America and the Caribbean. There are also plenty of whiskies on offer and if you’re in the mood for something special, ask about the “break even bottle".

These impossible-to-find drops are sourced through owner Marcus Motteram’s extensive connections, with every pour sold at cost. Even more exclusive is Ralph Louis Frederick, the invite-only whisky lounge upstairs.

Address: 23 Gilbert Pl, Adelaide

7. Grace Emily Hotel

Best For: Great Live Music in an Old School Setting

Every city has at least one pub where the sticky carpets haven’t been changed in years, the bar service is hilariously retro and the publican has a single-minded dedication to keeping live music on the menu. In Adelaide, that bar is the Grace Emily.

There’s no kitchen and no pokies, and time seems to operate differently in the darkened interior where the EFTPOS machine is a relatively recent addition, the shelves groan under the weight of kitsch relics brought in by patrons and ice-cold Coopers is always on tap.

Over the years, the back room has hosted everyone from Marlon Williams to local punks playing their first gig, while many a touring musician has been known to pop onstage at Monday’s Billy Bob’s BBQ Jam open mic night.

Address: 232 Waymouth St, Adelaide

8. Nola

Best For: Bourbon, Beer And Beignets

The name is shorthand for New Orleans, Louisiana, but the offering at this stylish venue housed in a former stable, ventures well beyond the Crescent City.

Sure, you can wash a meal of po’ boys and gumbo down with a killer sazerac, but the bar also boasts 16 craft beer taps that rotate regularly and an incredible selection of bourbon and rye whiskies.

If choosing between the 350 bottles proves too much, you can even book a range of flights with half a dozen 15 ml pours from around the world (or a particular region). In fact, the only rule here is the one set out by the big neon sign: laissez les bon temps rouler.

Address: 28 Vardon Ave, Adelaide

9. Pastel Wine Bar

Best For: Mid-Week Date Night

This welcome addition to North Adelaide’s O’Connell Street precinct is an oasis of cool, with exposed brick columns and bottles arrayed around the walls indicative of the relaxed vibe. The excellent wine selection goes heavy on local and small producers (with a few options from farther afield thrown in) and caters to traditionalists and natty wine lovers alike.

That means there’s room for plenty of skin contact and oxidative wines alongside more classical expressions, so you can be as adventurous as you want when ordering. The food options are equally eclectic, and the menu skilfully skips between the Mediterranean and East Asia – think pasta alla vodka spiked with kimchi and gochujang – with live jazz on Tuesday nights completing the offering.

Address: 47 O’Connell St, North Adelaide

10. Exeter Hotel

Best For: Making Friends At The Front Bar

Just about everyone who walks through the doors of this Rundle Street institution feels some sense of ownership, from stalwarts who have propped up the front bar for decades to first-year students at the nearby University of Adelaide. The sense of tradition is impossible to miss; bartenders still pull frosted schooner glasses from the original timber-clad bar fridge and the poster-covered walls of the beer garden are the best way to find out what’s happening in town.

The excellent (and well-priced) meals are one of Adelaide’s best-kept secrets, though the word is out about the surprisingly extensive wine list (including $300 bottles of Krug that are usually poured into 200 ml butcher glasses as part of a late-night celebration).

Address: 246 Rundle St, Adelaide

11.  Smokelovers

Best For: A Late Night Cocktail

It’s a testament to the Exeter’s iconic status that most staff members stick around for many years, while one who did move on only made it next door. And rather than competing with his old workplace, Hamish Tregeagle turned the neighbouring tobacconist’s store into a wine and cocktail bar with an altogether more refined feel. The outdoor seats are perfect for people watching on Rundle Street, while the dimly lit interior offers a sense of privacy. Weekend DJ sets enhance the intimate feel, and provide the perfect soundtrack for punchy cocktails and small batch winemakers that lean towards the natural.

Address: 244 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000

12. Malt & Juniper

Best For: Whisky In All Its Forms

One look at the name tells you what to expect from this cosy Peel Street whisky (and gin) den. Local legends Sans-Arc designed the narrow space, which is centred around a bar with such an extensive selection that a four-metre-high sliding ladder is required to pull bottles down from the top shelf.

High-backed dark green booths match the colour of the marble bar and are perfect to sink into while you savour one of the drops sourced from all over the world. And if you don’t like your drinks neat, never fear – a dedicated boilermaker menu pairs high quality whiskies with craft beers, while the bar staff are also adept at turning the signature spirits into a variety of tasty cocktails.

Address: 18 Peel St, Adelaide

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