Adelaide

Crown & Anchor

Situated just off Rundle St, this Adelaide institution is often referred to as "The Cranker", or less kindly, the "Crowd of Wankers" attracts those of an alternative bent. Goths, metalheads, punks and hippies all mingle in this multi-roomed venue, sipping beer. But don't worry, piercings and tattoos aren't essential to have a good time. Music playing could be just about anything.

Mon-Wed 11AM-3AM, Thu-Sat 11AM-4AM

First Lounge Bar & Restaurant

The only nightspot on Rundle Mall. First started life as a chilled out cocktail bar, but rapidly became popular as an after-work spot on Fridays, and could now also be filed under "clubs". On weekends they are packed out and play commercial house, but on weeknights it reverts to the original cocktail bar atmosphere.

Grandstand

Situated on the 1st floor of Adelaide Casino, Grandstand is Adelaide's premier venue for watching all live sporting events. Featuring several TV screens showing all the action from Fox Sports, Setanta and Main Event, Grandstand also has full Keno and TAB facilities. A bar menu is also available, as are regular great drink promotions.

Sun-Thu 10AM-late, Fri Sat 11AM-5:30AM

Jive

300-person capacity mainly live venue that hosts local and interstate rock/alternative/indie acts. Also home to indie/alternative dance club Gosh! on Saturdays after the bands.

Open every weekend and sometimes during the week

Rocket Bar

Inconspicuously located off Hindley St (it's a door with a sign above it). Live venue hosting international/interstate and local alternative indie acts. Also home to indie/alternative Modular nights and Abracadabra on Fridays. Open every weekend until late.

Sailmaster Tavern

Seaside bar and pub specialised in seafood along with the regular Australian staple food.

Sun–Thu 11AM–11PM, Sat Sun 11AM–midnight

The Archer

Modern, hip feel and a large range of beers on tap. Be aware that it has to close earlier than most places (usually midnight) due to residential noise restrictions.

The Austral

Rundle St. On the main street for shopping and nightlife in Adelaide, which is really the same long street as Hindley St but with a different name either side of King William Road, and the pedestrian only Rundle Mall in the middle. The Austral is the unofficial backpackers pub of choice.

The Cumberland Arms

The Cumby

In a strip of bars and clubs along the southern end of Light Square adjacent to Hindley St. The Cumberland was bought out and refurbished some years ago. Nowadays it's a cozy spot which does a good job of being all things to all people. The front bar areas conceal a dance floor within, where a DJ is invariably playing house, and an outdoor area around the side. The popularity of "The Cumby" is cyclic, but if it's not happening, one of the adjacent places will be.

Mon 9AM-midnight, Tue 9AM-1AM, Wed-Thu 9AM-3AM, Fri Sat 6PM-4AM, Sun 6PM-2AM

The Exeter

This friendly old-school pub is much frequented by students from nearby Adelaide University and TAFE. At night, it has an alternative feel drawing crowds from all areas. Two back rooms contain a great little restaurant. The curry nights on Wednesday and Thursday are popular. Small music venue, mostly showcasing live alternative bands. M-Su 11AM-late.

The Grace Emily

The Grace has plenty of trinkets behind and around the bar to keep one's eyeballs busy whilst nursing a Coopers or bloody mary. Local, interstate and overseas bands play most nights. Every Monday night Billy Bob's BBQ Jam sees a variety of local bands strut their stuff to impress the crowd with 3 or 4 songs (though perhaps more by popular demand) whilst a sausage sizzle out the beer garden feeds the hordes - a highlight of an otherwise quiet evening in Adelaide.

The Original Coopers Alehouse

also known by the original name still on the front facade The Earl of Aberdeen

The only pub to hold the complete range of Coopers beers on tap, including the Vintage Ale. Also serves good food, including schnitzels and pizzas, in the attached Arnou Woodfired at the Earl restaurant.

The Stag

More up market establishment, with good views of the parklands from the al fresco seating, good range of drinks and weekly live music. The second floor balcony literally overlooked the old Formula 1 street circuit and was always crammed with race fans. With the shortened Clipsal 500 course this is no longer possible, but still a good place to go after the days races.

The Union Hotel

Good value meals every night including cheap pizza night every Monday. On Friday nights the crazy is dialed up with Generation Pop, a mix of pop music from retro to modern and very popular with the after work crowd (7:30PM-1AM). Saturdays is Get Back, Adelaide's only weekly retro dance club playing music from the 1950s-80s (8PM-1AM). Entry is free to both nights. Crowd is a healthy mix of ages, even after dark.

Open most days 11AM-1AM

The Unley

formerly Boho

Burlesque themed bar, with live music and burlesque and period performances, a 5-minute drive, bus or Tram ride South of the CBD. Half-price cocktails Wednesday and Sunday 6-9PM.

Worldsend

Serves food all day. This lively pub features a beer garden and a solid restaurant. The crowd is generally early to mid 20s, many from the nearby Hindley Street campus of the University of South Australia. While it definitely has a strong pub feel, the music is more like a bar, with live jazz and funk, house and drum'n'bass (rather than rock) the order of the day.

Mon-Fri 11AM-late, Sat 4PM-late, Sun closed

Zhivago

This West End bar attracts a friendly, relaxed, mid-20s crowd.

Fumo Blu

Below ground cocktail lounge in the heart of Rundle St.