Adelaide - Bars & Nightlife
- Nearby guides:
- Melbourne
- Canberra
- Launceston
- Hobart
- Alice Springs
- Sydney
- Fraser Coast
- Newcastle
- Coffs Harbour
- Ballina
- Other guides in Australia:
- Canberra
- Darwin
- Fraser Coast
- Hamilton Island
- Hobart
- Mackay
- Perth
- Rockhampton
- Sunshine Coast
- Sydney
- More
Bars, pubs and hotels can be found all over Adelaide, as drinking beer and wine is something of an Aussie national pastime. Many of these establishments are housed in fine historic buildings and also offer good local food.
Nightlife in Adelaide is confined to certain streets with parts of the centre becoming quite deserted in the evening. The centres of the action are Hindley Street with its brasher, neon-lit strip and Rundle Street with its more bohemian pubs and bars. The beach suburb of Glenelg also has a lively, youthful scene.
Austral Hotel
This fine pub in the heart of Rundle Street is something of an Adelaide institution and has an excellent menu of modern Australian food.
The Oxford
This classic Adelaide public house has great food and drinks in one of the best pub dining rooms in the city.
Universal Wine Bar
Established by Australia’s first Master of Wine, Michael Hill-Smith, and boasting over 300 wines to choose from, this is a connoisseur’s dream.
Elephant Walk Café
If you want something a little different, this North Adelaide coffee house stays open late into the night offering a laidback alternative to the city centre.
HQ Complex
Adelaide’s dance music superclub complex offering everything from retro disco to house and hip-hop.
The Treasury
The place to-see-and-be-seen on Friday night, The Treasury is trendy and up market. In the terrifically restored South Australian Treasury building, cool, crowded and definitely loud, this bar caters to a finance and government clientele.
The Union
With live jazz Sunday evenings, this is the place to be in Adelaide. The Union Hotel opened in 1845 and has a colourful past including a ghost and a caged tiger. Laid back and saucy, this traditional pub also puts delicious“pub grub” on the table that is cheap and satisfying. Don’t sit next to the ghost.
Crown & Sceptre
The winner in Adelaide for the best live music venue is the Crown & Sceptre. Music seven nights a week ranging from acoustic, DJ’s and chilled beats from a mix of local to interstate to international acts.
The Stag Hotel
Upstairs at this historic Adelaide hotel there is a dance night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Apple Bar
The two opulent levels of Apple are finished with sleek edges and furnished with luxurious European décor, while a grand internal balcony gives an intimate view to three dazzling crystal chandeliers. These magnificent centrepieces cascade from ornate cathedral ceilings to the main dance floor below, creating a truly unique atmosphere.
