The Best Cocktail Bars in Adelaide to Shake up Your Night
Sip sip hooray! Here’s an order of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide to suit every taste.
There is something about a cocktail that just hits differently. Fruity and sweet, sour and bitter, they are one of life’s little luxuries created purely to be enjoyed. Adelaide holds some of the best bars for all your cocktail needs. From the classic martini or a mojito, to sips that seem questionable yet exciting as they are lit on fire or rimmed with spice, there is always something to suit every occasion and all vibes.
Moody speakeasy style haunts for a romantic rendezvous and lavish lounges on rooftops are waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. These are the best cocktail bars in Adelaide to check out.
Bar Lune & Eatery
Tucked away along Beulah Park’s Parade, Bar Lune & Eatery is your go-to for exceptional cocktails and a stellar wine selection. This charming neighbourhood bar and restaurant exudes warmth, serving up handpicked wines, creative cocktails, and delicious plates. With a team of experts boasting decades of experience, each visit is a delight.
Savour seasonal cocktails like the Rhubarb Fizz or Bijou Ambleside, or classic favourites like their excellent Barrel Aged Negroni or an Espresso Martini. Don't miss their excellent cocktail happy hour, featuring $15 seasonal sips from 4 to 6pm daily. At Bar Lune, sophistication meets fun, making it one of Adelaide’s top cocktail spots.
303 The Parade, Beulah Park
1000 Island
From the team behind Sunny's Pizza comes 1000 Island, a tiki-inspired cocktail paradise. Here, the spotlight is on exceptional drinks, from classic tropical favourites like the Pina Colada and Dark 'N' Stormy to unique creations such as the rum and curacao-fuelled Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. For an adventurous choice, try the Zombie—a potent mix of rum, falernum, absinthe, grapefruit, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry that lives up to its daring name. Complemented by a curated selection of beers and wines, 1000 Island is a standout destination for cocktail aficionados in Adelaide.
15 Solomon Street, Adelaide
Leigh Street Luggage
Leigh Street Luggage in Adelaide is your ticket to a European-inspired cocktail paradise. Open daily from 4pm until late, this stylish bar offers a sophisticated vibe with a meticulously curated selection of wine, amaro, and cocktails. Picture an artisanal wine list, inventive cocktails, and mouthwatering bar-cuterie, making every visit feel like a mini-vacation.
But Leigh Street Luggage isn’t your run-of-the-mill cocktail bar. Their Experimental Mondays are a monthly treat, featuring a fresh lineup of petit cocktails. Dive into these seasonal sips and discover why this spot is one of Adelaide’s top cocktail destinations!
22A Leigh Street, Adelaide
Dolly
Hello, Dolly! This stylish gem in Unley, from the creators of Bar Lune, is a cocktail bar that effortlessly combines sassy sophistication with a chic vibe. Perfect for romantic date nights or late-night revelry, Dolly invites you to settle in at its sleek concrete bar and indulge in a menu of inventive cocktails. Try the refreshing Grapefruit and Sherry Cobbler, the tropical Lychee Daiquiri, or the zesty Corpse Reviver. For something classic, the Limoncello Spritz and Spicy Marg won’t disappoint.
246 Unley Road, Unley
trap.
Trap sure knows how to make a delicious cocktail, and is a new hidden gem in Adelaide that you need to make plans to go and visit as soon as you can. The menu is constantly changing, so you know you're getting something new every time, but they're also in constant supply of five house cocktails, three beers and two wines.
They also play host to singles nights and hip hop open mics every now and then. For good drinks and good vibes, Trap is one of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide.
Basement, 96 Currie Street (enter via Cold Chisel Lane), Adelaide
Clever Little Tailor
The Clever Little Tailor is a charming bar in the heart of the CBD. Both the indoor and outdoor areas and cosy and intimate, with romantic booths to help set the mood for date night or for catching up with a group of friends. They have an impressive list of cocktails, including classics and unique house recipes such as the Queen Bee with gin, lemon, honey, ginger & thyme.
19 Peel Street, Adelaide
Smokelovers
Discover a world transformed at Smokelovers, once a tobacconist and now a chic cocktail and wine bar on Rundle Street. After 50 years of tobacco history, bartender Hamish Tregeagle revamped it into a cosy and relaxed space for classic cocktails like the smoky Margarita and refreshing spritzes. Beers, available only by the bottle or can, span a diverse range, and there's a curated wine list if that's more your style. Pair your drink with simple bites, and soak in the charm of the timber-and-greens decor - perfect for an after work tipple!
244 Rundle Street, Adelaide
Nevermind Bar
Tucked away behind the rather excellent cocktail bar Leigh Street Luggage is this late-night, low-key hangout.
Nevermind Bar is a red-lit spot for a good time and some of the best cocktails in town. The team are mixing things up with their caramelised popcorn espresso martini, whilst also providing a stellar range of classic drinks that makes picking your poison a difficult (but fun) task. Stop in on a Thursday night, when the bar hosts a DJ night fuelled by a classic collection of old-school hip-hop.
22A Leigh Street, Adelaide
Pink Moon Saloon
It may be tiny, but it’s hard to miss this Nordic inspired gem squeezed within the otherwise traditional streetscape of Leigh Street. Come nightfall, Pink Moon Saloon is all about their unique offering of innovative cocktails perfect for any social feed. Enjoy simple bar snacks like olives and almonds, before focusing on the real star of the show - the impressive drinks list. With cocktails split into 'Fruity/Zesty/Bright' and 'Classic into Boozy' there is bound to be a drink for everyone. Our cocktail of choice? The classic Margarita, of course.
21 Leigh Street, Adelaide
High Spirits
With neon lighting guiding you upstairs, High Spirits offers itself up as one of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide. A cool mood is set throughout the room, with booth seating to fit the whole party and luxurious velvet couches to sink into – perfect for a cosy conversation with hip-hop beats setting the tone. Open 6pm ‘til late Wednesday - Sunday, High Spirits aren’t afraid of having a good time. You’ll certainly be in high spirits as their team of cocktail shakers and movers whip up an extravagant tiki-inspired drink with dry ice pouring out or exciting pyrotechnics with the classic rum infused Zombie.
20 Gilbert Place, Adelaide
Sôl Rooftop Bar and Restaurant
Arguably Adelaide’s best spot for a drink with a view, Sôl Rooftop is a chic bar atop the iconic Eos Hotel, SkyCity. This stylish venue effortlessly transitions from a cosy indoor lounge to a vibrant outdoor bar with panoramic views from hills to coast. Local mixologists and an award-winning Sommelier craft a dynamic cocktail menu, featuring a sparkling Sol Spritz, and the rich Stirred Not Shaken with chocolate chilli liqueur. Every Thursday from 5pm, the Sôl Cocktail Club kicks off with exclusive creations and DJ beats, making it the perfect way to kickstart your weekend.
Level 9, SkyCity Adelaide
Mr Goodbar
You’ll find Mr. Goodbar tucked away on the corner of Union Street and the charming laneways of Ebenezer Place. Deep southern soulful vibe and stylish interiors lit with a neon glow makes this one of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide. And we haven’t even started on the drinks! A stellar menu of cocktails awaits, with classic favourites alongside signature specials for the choosing. Sweet lovers can sip on Fizzy Fuzzy Fruit with apricot brandy or A Rose Project for a firm favourite with lychee. Smoke & Mirror will be the one for fans of Mad Men, or Thyme after Thyme for a spritz with a difference. Just sit back, enjoy the tunes and let their award-winning staff will shake up a storm!
12 Union Street, Adelaide
Society Bar
Handcrafted cocktails are the highlight at Society Bar, tucked away in Adelaide’s East End. This chic spot blends class with approachability, making it ideal for a pre-dinner drink or a late-night indulgence. Open late every night, Society lets you choose your poison from a diverse range of base spirits. Enjoy a vodka martini or tequila margarita, each garnished to perfection, or opt for a smoky gin Negroni or whiskey Old Fashioned if you’re in the mood for something intense. Society Bar hits all the right notes for a memorable cocktail experience.
279 Rundle Street, Adelaide
The Bibliotheca Bar & Book Exchange
Bibliotheca Bar and Book Exchange exudes old-world European charm with its blend of spirits, classic cocktails, and literature. This bar-library hybrid features low lighting, leather furniture, and towering bookcases, creating an inviting atmosphere. The extensive spirit collection behind the bar is the foundation for inventive cocktails named after literary icons like Master & Margarita and Lolita. Craft your ideal martini by choosing from vodka or gin, dry or wet, shaken or stirred, and finishing with a twist, olive, cucumber, or pickled onion. Bibliotheca offers a refined yet cosy retreat for cocktail lovers and book enthusiasts alike.
27 Gresham Street, Adelaide
Maybe Mae
Escape the hustle of Peel Street and find the hidden gem that is Maybe Mae. This Art Deco oasis feels like a time machine to a 1920s New York speakeasy, complete with deep green velvet, vintage glassware, and a cocktail menu inspired by South Australian landscapes. Sip your way through “The Market,” “The Cellar,” and “Hall of Fame,” or choose from their non-alcoholic options. Maybe Mae has clinched the “South Australian Cocktail Bar of the Year” award for seven years running, proving that when it comes to exceptional cocktails and cool vibes, this place truly lives up to the hype.
15 Peel Street, Adelaide
2KW Bar and Restaurant
Step off King William Street and go up, and up again, to reach the rooftop bar 2KW. This elegant bar overlooking Adelaide Oval and the river Torrens opens up in the warmer months to become an airy, sophisticated setting with picture perfect city views. Fill a booth with friends or find a cosy corner with your love, spending quality time over a few of their bespoke cocktails. A visit to 2KW wouldn’t be complete without experiencing their signature cocktail, The 2KW, with gin, peach, pear and honey. Other signatures are named after Adelaide figures and locations, with fruity and tropical flavours, bitter favourites and wine-based cocktails.
2 King William Street, Adelaide
Hains & Co
Spirit lovers should run, not walk, to Hains & Co. Peruse their gin, rum and whisky focused menu at your own leisure from 4pm-2am every day to find your perfect pour. You are in good hands thanks to their team, who take pride in serving up a range of high quality cocktails with a twist.
Escape to paradise with Club Tropicana made with Hains & Co rum, or wind down with their coveted Whiskey Sour. Inspired by their flavoursome cocktails and want more? Hains & Co conduct regular tastings, spirit masterclasses and larger special events with other Gilbert Place venues with live entertainment, cocktails and unadulterated madness.
23 Gilbert Place, Adelaide
La Buvette Drinkery
La Buvette is a little slice of the backstreets of Paris, right here in Adelaide. Spend warm afternoons and evenings out on Euro style al fresco seating, and your dark winter nights within La Buvette’s historic old-worldly interiors. A range of charming furnishings, artwork, great tunes and a menu of classic beverages pushes La Buvette to the heights of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide. Classic French style is served up in the tall flute of a Kir Royale, their lychee martini packs a delicate punch and a spicy margarita can be ordered to add some pep to your step.
27 Gresham Street, Adelaide
BRKLYN
Channeling New York cool, BRKLYN is a top spot in Adelaide’s cocktail scene. With its variety of spaces—from intimate booths to lively group tables and a balcony with East End views—the first-floor bar sets a vibrant scene. The inventive cocktails and share-style menu are always a hit, with seasonal specials keeping the excitement fresh. The OG BRKLYN basil and passionfruit Gimlet shines, and their low-alcohol and seasonal mocktails offer all the flavour without the booze. For a true taste of Big Apple flair, BRKLYN stands out among the best cocktail bars in Adelaide.
260-262 Rundle Street, Adelaide
Loving our pick of the best cocktail bars in Adelaide and looking to continue the boozy inspiration? Why not check out Adelaide’s choice bar scene for a tipple or two? Start your weekend right with the best boozy brunch spots, classy wine bars and a look at the newest bars on the block to try out.
