South Australia (Adelaide Region)
Practicalities
Accommodation
The only time you may have difficulty finding accommodation is during the Arts Festival at the end of February and beginning of March (even years), and Womadelaide in late February (odd years), when you’d be well advised to book ahead. 
Most of the hostels are in the southwest quarter of the city or around the Central Bus Station on Franklin Street; there are cheap hotel rooms on Hindley Street, Adelaide’s nightclub area and its tame answer to a red-light district, but it’s much less pleasant, and some women may find it threatening. The swankiest accommodation is along North Terrace.

The most central campsite is the Adelaide Caravan Park, Bruton Street, Hackney, on the Torrens River 2km east of the centre; it’s right on the Torrens Linear Park cycling route and can be reached by bus #281 or #282 from North Terrace, or on foot through parkland and along the river. For a beachfront setting, head to West Beach Caravan Park, Military Road, West Beach, or the Adelaide Beachfront Tourist Park, 349 Military Rd, Semaphore, which has a swimming pool, recreation room, playground and free shuttle bus service to West Lakes Mall and Ethelton train station; to stay at either you’ll need to be prepared for the summertime hordes.

The seaside suburb of Glenelg and the nearby beach resorts, about half an hour away by public transport, are good alternatives to the city, with a couple of the best hostels and plenty of self-catering apartments, and some life in the evening.

Listing of hotels in and near Adelaide:

Eating and drinking
Adelaide has roughly one restaurant for every thirty people, so not surprisingly eating out is a local obsession, and it’s incredibly inexpensive here compared to Sydney or Melbourne. Moonta Street, closed to traffic between Gouger and Grote streets, is a small Chinatown heralded by Chinese gates which has several Chinese restaurants and supermarkets. An excellent food plaza off Moonta Street (daily 11am–4pm, except Fri until 9pm) serves Vietnamese, Indian, Singaporean, Thai and Malaysian food as well as Chinese yum cha and Cantonese BBQ. There are many other restaurants on Gouger Street, at their busiest on Friday night when the nearby Central Market stays open until 9pm. 

Café society is based around Rundle Street in the city, and in North Adelaide on O’Connell Street and the upmarket, decidedly chic Melbourne Street. Finally, eating in pubs in Adelaide doesn’t just mean the usual steak and salad bar but covers the whole spectrum, from some of the best “contemporary” Australian food in town to bargain specials in several pubs along King William Street.

As for drinking, South Australian wine features heavily – which is just as well, since, by general consensus, tap water in Adelaide tastes dreadful. Although it’s perfectly safe, there’s usually only a small charge for spring water, which is what everybody drinks. And thanks to the state’s liberal licensing laws, even most cafés are licensed.

Cafés and cheap meals
  • Al Fresco Gelateria & Pasticceria, 260 Rundle St. If you go to only one café in Adelaide, make it this one. Packed every night, the young Italian community have made it their own, and it’s the place to see and be seen. Great coffee, biscotti, delicious gelati made on the premises and focaccia and calzone to eat. Daily 6.30am–late, which means around 4am at weekends.
  • Café Paradiso, 150 King William Rd, Hyde Park. Another long-established Italian favourite; great coffee and biscotti and alfresco dining out front. Food ranges from pasta to fritto misto. Licensed. Daily 8.30am–11.30pm.
  • Café Piccante, 128 King William Rd, Hyde Park. All stone and chrome, a cool haven in summer. Known for its gourmet pizzas. Wine available by the glass. Mon–Sat 10.30am–11pm, Sun 9.30am–10.30pm.
  • Caffe Buongiorno, 145 The Parade, Norwood. Large, always lively café which reaches a crowded and noisy crescendo on Sunday night. Serves a wide variety of Italian food and drink. Daily 8am–1am or later.
  • Clearlight Café, basement, 203 Rundle St. Vegetarian wholefood place where everything is clean and healthy – and the food is delicious. Mon–Sat 9am–5pm.
  • Cowley’s Pie Cart, An Adelaide institution, this mobile pie cart takes up its position each night outside the GPO on Franklin Street. It’s famous for its pie floaters. Mon–Thurs & Sun 6pm–1am, Fri & Sat 6pm–3.30am.
  • Elephant Walk Coffee Lounge, 76 Melbourne St, North Adelaide. Carved wooden elephants and bamboo dividers make small, private lounge areas; lively but intimate. Daily 8pm–late.
  • Eros Ouzeria, 275–277 Rundle St. Greek meze-style dining: choose from a variety of inexpensive snacks to put together a tasty meal. The setting is smart and airy, in a renovated old building with high, pressed-metal ceilings. Sit outside at the attached café for Greek pastries and coffee. Licensed.
  • Fasta Pasta, in the city at 131 Pirie St and 465 Pulteney St. Part of a chain which serves authentic, inexpensive fresh pasta with interesting sauces, ordered informally at the counter. Other, suburban locations include 61 O’Connell St, North Adelaide; 16 Jetty Rd, Glenelg; and 430 Brighton Rd, Brighton.
  • The Gallerie, 20 Gawler Place. Excellent Asian food court in the basement of this arcade. Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm.
  • Hawkers Corner, 141 West Terrace, corner of Wright St. Something of an Adelaide cheap eats institution. Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and North Indian stalls. Try the Malay seafood laksa. Tues–Sat 5–10pm, Sun 11.30am–8.30pm. Unlicensed and no BYO allowed.
  • Henley on Sea, immediately south of Henley Square, opposite the Henley Beach Life Saving Club (tel 08/8235 2250). Relaxed café brasserie with a summery atmosphere and great views of the jetty and water. Mellow interior, and shaded tables outside. Used as the location for Moby Dick’s piano bar in the film Shine – unfortunately there’s no piano in sight now. Light contemporary dishes with an emphasis on seafood as well as pasta of the day. Breakfast is big on weekends when you’ll need to book. Licensed. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon–Fri from 11am, Sat & Sun from 9am. Closed Tues.
  • Horta’s, 75–77 Jetty Rd, Brighton. With its pavement tables and fish mosaic out front, this is a pretty licensed beachside place, popular for lunch; dishes from pasta to Thai. If it’s full try the neighbouring A Cafe Etc which does great all-day breakfasts and big salads.
  • Jerusalem Sheshkebab House, 131B Hindley St. Dimly lit Lebanese BYO that serves fresh and tasty Middle Eastern dishes. Daily noon until midnight.
  • Marcellina Pizza Bar, 273 Hindley St (tel 08/8211 7560). At the quieter western end, this all-night pizza, steak and pasta bar is always full with the spillout from the area’s clubs and pubs; the pizzas are among the best in town. Deliveries too. Daily 11.30am–5am.
  • Melinges Cafe, 69A Semaphore Rd, Semaphore. Gay- and lesbian-friendly café with a citrus colour scheme and plenty of sunlight. Light meals with a cosmopolitan twist and yummy desserts. Small South Australian wine list. Wed–Sun 11am–late.
  • Ozone Fish Cafe, 45 Commercial St, Port Adelaide. Operating since 1884, this may well be the oldest fish and chip shop in Australia, and it’s certainly Adelaide’s most ancient. It still provides an old-fashioned, no-frills fish meal fit for a queen – Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh dropped in during a royal visit in 1977.
  • Red Rock Noodle Bar, 141 O’Connell St, North Adelaide. Stylish cheap eat with a rich dark red wall with Asian calligraphy but other walls of glass, stone floors and friendly black-clad staff. Generous servings of every kind of delicious noodle dish you could think of, from Pad Thai to hokkien noodles and Malaysian laksa soup (average $9, lunch specials $6) plus stir-fries and Chinese dishes. Good list of wines, some by the glass.
  • Roma’s, 200 Hutt St. A recommended deli-style café with gleaming counters and displays packed with cosmopolitan edibles; reasonably priced. Great breakfasts and excellent coffee. Licensed and BYO. Mon–Sat 7.30am–6.30pm.
  • Ruby’s Café, 255B Rundle St. A popular market café in the 1950s; the decor is real here, not retro. But cocktails, an arts notice board and changing exhibitions bring it up to the 1990s, and the famous Sunday breakast is now served from 9am until 5pm. Otherwise, it’s open evenings only (6.30pm–late).
  • Sandbank at the Bay, 1st Floor, Tourism Commission Building, The Foreshore, Glenelg. Verandah seats overlook the water, blessed with refreshing sea breezes. Great for drinking coffee and writing letters; light meals include filled baguettes. Daily 8am–5pm, later in summer.
  • Sarah’s, 85 Dale St, Port Adelaide (tel 08/8341 2103). Popular vegetarian restaurant, open for lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Wed–Sat.
  • Vego and Loven It, 1st Floor, 240 Rundle St. Vegan café with mock tacky decor and low prices. Good notice board. Mon–Fri 10am–4.30pm.
  • Zuma Caffe, 56 Gouger St. With its back entrance opening onto the Central Market, this place buzzes more than ever during market hours. Locals flock here for the huge breakfasts, big salads, and filo parcels, bruschetta, focaccia and quiche baked on the premises. Mon–Thurs 7am–6pm, Fri 7am–9pm, Sat 7am–late.

Pubs and wine bars
  • Ambassadors Hotel, 107 King William St. Slightly sleazy pub, but a ridiculously cheap, simple pub lunch ($4.95, weekdays only) put on to attract people to play the pokies here.
  • Austral Hotel, 205 Rundle St. Excellent inexpensive bistro meals, Malaysian, Thai, Mexican and Italian dishes, and good old Aussie steaks, burgers and seafood. There’s also a restaurant with a smaller, pricier menu.
  • Bull and Bear Ale House, 91 King William St. A snazzy bar in the basement of the State Bank Centre – a cool retreat on a hot day for sticky stockbrokers. Imported ales and sophisticated meals.
  • Earl of Aberdeen, 316 Pulteney St, Hindmarsh Square (tel 08/8223 6433). Gazebo full of greenery serving huge portions of imaginatively cooked pasta, steak, fish and kangaroo. Attentive service.
  • Lion Hotel, 161 Melbourne St, North Adelaide (tel 08/8267 3766). Classic old hotel with iron-lace decor outside and a contemporary interior revelling in space and light. There are two classy eating areas: The Larder is deli-style with a small menu of curry, salads, and specials such as Thai fish cakes and beef stir-fry; the upmarket restaurant serves Modern Australian food (two courses for $19.90). Cigars and wine by the glass are sold at a stylish bar and a small sunny beer garden opens up the back wall.
  • The Oxford Deli Bar, Oxford Hotel, 101 O’Connell St, North Adelaide. The Deli Bar is good value: order at the counter and eat in the groovy pub. There are plenty of meals around $6.50, with full marks going to the Oxburger and fries at $7.50.
  • Stamford Grand Hotel, The Foreshore, Glenelg. There are some great café-style places in the hotel foyer, including the excellent Asian Cafe de l’Orient, a snug candle-lit place with delicious fresh Thai and Vietnamese dishes at very reasonable prices; you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen. There’s also an Italian restaurant and a tearoom.
  • Universal Wine Bar, 258 Rundle St (tel 08/8232 5000). Stylish bar run by a wine maker aiming to educate people about South Australia’s wines. Sit at the bar or choose a table; wine by the glass or bottle. The atmosphere is distinctly European, and the small menu of delicious bistro food has a provincial French and Mediterranean slant. Mon–Sat 11.30am–midnight.

Restaurants
  • Amalfi Pizzeria Ristorante, 29 Frome St (tel 08/8223 1948). Creative Italian place; upbeat, jazzy and young with experimental pasta sauces and traditional ones given a hot edge. Crowded, and open very late. Licensed. Closed Sat lunch & Sun.
  • Durham’s Restaurant, 2 Durham St, Glenelg (tel 08/8294 8224). Simple light meals during the day, and fancier contemporary Australian food at night; in an 1880s Victorian terrace featuring open fires, polished floors and high ceilings. Expensive. Closed all day Tues; dinner only Mon, Wed & Sat.
  • Estias, Henley Square, Henley Beach (tel 08/8353 2875). Fun seaside place for casual dining on Greek meze amongst a playful modern Hellenic-themed decor, with repro classical sculptures and columns supporting the bar. Also more substantial dishes such as moussaka, and daily specials. Dinner Tues–Sun. Licensed & BYO.
  • Flinders Stuben Restaurant, in the SA German Club, 223 Flinders St (tel 08/8223 3376). As a visitor to Adelaide, you can be signed in to this members’ club. Small and friendly, with inexpensive, filling German food. Licensed. No meals Mon & Tues.
  • Gaucho’s, 91 Gouger St (tel 08/8231 2299). If you’re after red meat, this Argentinian place serves some of the best steaks in town: name your weight. Licensed and BYO. Closed Sat & Sun lunch.
  • The Grange, Adelaide Hilton, 233 Victoria Square (tel 08/8217 2000). European-style fine-dining restaurant where the top chef brings an Asian angle to already adventurous dishes. Very expensive. Dinner Tues–Sat.
  • Jolleys Boathouse, Jolleys Lane, off Victoria Drive next to City Bridge (tel 08/8223 2891). Converted boathouse serving mouthwatering but pricey contemporary Australian cuisine. A popular venue for Sunday lunch. Licensed. Closed Sun night.
  • Lannathai, 160 King William Rd, Hyde Park (tel 08/8271 6165). One of the best Thai restaurants in Adelaide, moderately priced with a modern wood decor. A few other Southeast Asian dishes have also crept onto the menu, from Malay laksa to Indonesian gado gado. BYO. Closed Sat lunch & Sun.
  • Mama Carmella, 4 Jetty Rd, Glenelg (tel 08/8331 2288). Very popular gleaming Italian café-pizzeria established for over twenty years; good for lunch, a late meal or just coffee. Outside tables overlook the square. Mon–Thurs 9am–1.30am, Fri & Sat until 2 or 3am, Sun 8.30am–midnight.
  • Noodles, 119 Gouger St (tel 08/8231 8177). Popular Southeast Asian restaurant serving Thai and Malaysian food. Non-smoking, licensed and BYO. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner nightly.
  • Rakuba African, 33A O’Connell St, North Adelaide (tel 08/8267 3227). The Sudanese chef prepares regional dishes; live music, often drumming, accompanies your meal. Notice board detailing other African happenings around town. BYO. Daily except Mon 5–11pm.
  • Shibata, 135 Melbourne St, North Adelaide (tel 08/8267 3381). Japanese restaurant specializing in nabe mono (one-pot dishes). Moderate. BYO and licensed. Daily 6–11pm.
  • The Snake Charmer, 60 Unley Rd, Unley (tel 08/8272 2624). Upmarket Northern Indian place. BYO and licensed. Closed Sun.
  • T-chow, 68 Moonta St (tel 08/8410 1413). Huge, popular Chinese restaurant serving Teochew regional specialities. Well-known for Teochew tender duck, shark’s fin soup and green peppercorn chicken. Quick lunch of noodles for $5.
  • Ying Chow, 114 Gouger St (tel 08/8211 7998). An unpretentious place, always crowded. Serves Northern Chinese cuisine, including specialities such as aniseed tea duck or scallops cooked with coriander and Chinese thyme. Vegetarians can enjoy delicious dishes such as bean curd with Chinese chutney. Inexpensive. Lunch Fri only, dinner nightly. Licensed and BYO.
  • Zambracca, 94–98 Melbourne St, North Adelaide (tel 08/8239 1345). A lively, licensed bistro crowded with the smart set. Superb moderately-priced Mediterranean food in slick, spacious surroundings. Daily 9am–late.

Entertainment and nightlife
Adelaide may appear dead at night, but there’s actually quite a lot going on – bands, clubs, film and theatre – if you know where to look. The best place to find out what’s on is The Guide, a pull-out weekly with film and theatre listings and reviews in Thursday’s Advertiser. There’s also a thriving free press: top of the culture stakes is The Adelaide Review, a highbrow monthly covering the visual and performing arts, dance, film, literature, history, wine and food, available from bookshops such as Imprints on Hindley Street, museums, galleries and just about everywhere else. At the more populist end of the scale, Rip It Up is a gig listings magazine, out every Thursday, with film, theatre, club and music reviews and interviews, and there’s the db Magazine in the same vein, published every two weeks; both of these can be picked up at Rundle Street record stores such as B# Records, at no. 240 (jazz and world music specialists; tel 08/8223 7258), and Verandah Music at no. 182 (rock, metal and punk specialists; tel 08/8223 6753). Most big music events can be booked through Bass (tel 13 1246), who have an outlet at Verandah Music, while B# Records sells tickets for underground events around town.

At night, the two spots to head for are Rundle Street, which boasts some of the best pubs and bars, and the more mainstream and rather sleazy Hindley Street, where you’ll find several clubs and live music venues. And, of course, there’s the Adelaide Casino (Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–4am, Fri & Sat 10am–6am; neat dress required; tel 08/8218 4111), near the train station. As unpromising as this might sound, it’s worth at least one visit: the marble entrance with its dome is stunning and, although this elegance isn’t matched by the glitzy gaming rooms, the Austrian crystal chandeliers are jaw-slackening.

Clubs, comedy and live music
  • Café Tapas, 242A Rundle St (tel 08/8223 7564). Spanish tapas bar (tapas $8.50–12.50 plus paella and $6 lunch specials) with arty events including Jazz on Friday, flamenco music and dancing on Saturday, and funky dance sounds for chilling out on Sunday. Closed Sat lunch & Mon.
  • Cargo Club, 213 Hindley St (tel 08/8231 2327). Hip club that features live jazz, spoken word, cabaret, soul, Latin, African and reggae acts and local and international DJs; the decor is a mix of classic cool and 1990s postmodernism, and there’s something on most nights.
  • Cartoons, 145–155 Hindley St (tel 08/8231 3477). Venue for hard rock cover bands Thurs & Fri; Djs Sat night.
  • Crown and Sceptre, 308 King William St (tel 08/8212 4159). A Heritage-listed pub with original leadlighting that’s been groovified into one of Adelaide’s best venues. Sparkly bar stools, cosy couches in the intimate band area and a busy espresso machine make the place really comfortable – even the beer garden is homely. Local bands Tues–Fri & Sun (usually free); Saturday is club night (until 5am; around $5), alternating weekly from UK Indie, through Comfy Club (funk-beat oriented), to jungle and techno. Happy hour every night 9–10pm.
  • Glenelg Backpackers Resort, 7 Moseley St, Glenelg (tel 08/8376 0007). Comedy Jammm on Sunday nights (8–10pm) sees four or five mainly local comedians do their stuff; free and open to the public.
  • Heaven 2, 1 West Terrace (tel 08/8211 8533). Huge dance club. Resident DJs as well as visiting international acts and one-off events. Wed–Sat 9pm–5am.
  • The Planet, 77 Pirie St (tel 08/8359 2797). There’s certainly a whole world of entertainment crammed into this place, with a dance club where the best of local and international DJs play, as well as a pool room, cocktail bar, wine bar and several cafés.
  • Rhino Room, upstairs, 13 Frome St (tel 08/8227 1611). Underground club venue with an intimate lounge atmosphere; come casual or get glammed up – no one cares. The regular clientele may make you feel as if you’ve barged into a private party, though. Fringe-style cabaret performance Thurs, Afro-Latin, Fri, funk bands and DJ Sat. Cosy little bar provides a retreat from the performance. Thurs 9pm–1am, Sat & Sun until 3am. Standard charge $4. DJs.
  • Stix Pool Hall, 1st Floor, 123 Gouger St (tel 08/8410 4457). Crowd-pulling combination of pool hall and nightclub. No cover charge. Mon–Sat 9pm–4am.
  • Synagogue, 9 Synagogue Place, off Rundle St (tel 08/8223 4233). Industrial-chic club venue in a converted temple is the enduring focus for Adelaide’s rave scene. Local and international DJs. Wed & Thurs 8pm–5am, Sat 10pm–5am.
  • Uni Bar, Union Complex, off Victoria Drive, Adelaide University (tel 08/8303 5401). Non-students are welcome at the varied gigs here put on by the students’ union. There’s usually a band line-up on Friday nights during term time.

Film
As well as several city and suburban mainstream film complexes, Adelaide now has four arthouse/retro cinemas and an IMAX cinema. The main discount day for mainstream cinemas is Tuesday. In the summer, you can watch films outdoors at the Epson Cinema in the Botanic Gardens; bookshops around town have programmes, and you can buy tickets at the gate or through Bass (tel 13 1246; $11.50). There are still several drive-ins good for a laugh if you’ve never had the very American-style double-bill experience; the one at Military Road, West Beach (tel 08/8356 8804), is the closest to the centre.
  • Academy, Hindmarsh Square (tel 08/8223 5000). Mainstream downtown multiscreen.
  • Capri, 141 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood (tel 08/8272 1177). Alternative and arty films complete with pre-show Wurlitzer organ recitals.
  • Chelsea, 275 Kensington Rd, Kensington Park (tel 08/8431 5080). The latest releases and a “Crying Room” for parents and babies.
  • Cinema Nova, 251 Rundle St (tel 08/8223 6333). A new arts cinema complex with three screens. Despite its modern interior – stainless steel stairway and opaque resin candy-bar counter – there’s neither a licensed bar nor even a coffee machine. Monthly “cry baby” sessions for parents with babies. Substantial backpacker discounts (with the relevant card); discount day for everyone is Wed.
  • Glenelg Cinema Centre, 119 Jetty Rd, Glenelg (tel 08/8294 3366). Three-screen mainstream cinema. Cheap day Tues.
  • Greater Union 5, 128 Hindley St (tel 08/8231 5961). A large mainstream complex at the heart of the action.
  • Hoyts Regent Cinema, Regent Arcade, 101 Rundle Mall (tel 08/8223 2233). Central multiscreen cinema; discount day Tues.
  • IMAX Theatre, Vaughan Place, off Rundle St (tel 08/8227 0075). Largest screen in South Australia showing visually stunning nature-based documentary films. Hourly films every day 10am–10pm; 2D $12.95, 3D $13.95.
  • Mercury Cinema, Lion Arts Centre, 13 Morphett St (tel 08/8410 1934; www.mrc.org.au). A great arthouse cinema showing short and foreign films; the venue for lots of foreign film and video festivals, and for the gay and lesbian film festival Feast.
  • Odeon Star Cinema, 65 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore (tel 08/8341 5988). Quaint, local, beachside cinema showing mainstream films.
  • Palace East End Cinemas, 274 Rundle St (tel 08/8232 3434). Opening off the IMAX theatre foyer, but this is a more alternative venue, showing foreign-language, arthouse and prestige new releases. Cheap day Mon.
  • Piccadilly, 181 O’Connell St, North Adelaide (tel 08/8267 1500). Prestige new releases.
  • Trak Cinemas, 375 Greenhill Rd, Toorak Gardens (tel 08/8332 8020). Good alternative cinema with two screens. Cheap day Tuesday. Bus #145 from North Terrace to stop 10.

Theatre and performance
Out of festival time, mainstream theatre, ballet, opera, contemporary dance, comedy and cabaret continue to thrive at the Festival Centre, and classical concerts are held at the Adelaide Town Hall (usually performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra), and at Elder Hall at the Conservatorium of Music on North Terrace. However, more experimental theatre disappointingly all but dries up: the focus of what remains finds its base at the Lion Arts Centre, home of the biennial Fringe Festival. Almost anything that’s on can be booked through Bass (tel 13 1246).
  • Doppio Teatro, based at the Lion Arts Centre (tel 08/8231 0070). This bilingual performance company promotes cultural diversity in the arts and an understanding of Italian-Australian culture. Performances at various venues.
  • Festival Centre, King William Rd (tel 08/8216 8600). Three major auditoriums and free music events in the foyer (Sun 2–4pm).
  • Lion Bar and Theatre Café, Lion Arts Centre, cnr Morphett St and North Terrace (tel 08/8212 6266). The Lion Theatre is the main venue at the centre, and there’s always lots going on here, from interstate performers and jazz bands to comedy line-ups. An irregular programme, so watch out for flyers.
  • Theatre 62, 145 Burbridge Rd, Hilton (tel 08/8234 0838). Two venues under one roof: The Chapel is the smaller experimental space which often has women’s performances, while the bigger space (seating three hundred) hosts mostly pantomime and sometimes a theatre-restaurant.

Live Music at Pubs and Bars
  • Austral Hotel, 205 Rundle St (tel 08/8223 4660). More consciously arty and music-oriented than the Exeter, the Austral is frequented by students for the independent local bands on Fri and Sat nights, and DJs Tues–Thurs & Sun nights. DJs are free, as is most of the music – when there’s a cover charge, it’s around $4. Fri & Sat open until 3am.
  • Boltz Bar and Café, 286 Rundle St (tel 08/8232 5234). The café downstairs has fabulous food with an international flavour, while the venue room upstairs hosts local and interstate comedians on Thursday nights (10pm–1am cover charge), and the thought-provoking Philosophy Jam on the second Tuesday of the month conducted by two lecturers from Adelaide University (8.30pm; free). Café daily 10am–11pm, Thurs–Sat until 1am.
  • Exeter Hotel, 246 Rundle St (tel 08/8223 2623). This spacious old pub with an iron-lace balcony is a long-established hangout for Adelaide’s artists and writers, yet remains totally unpretentious. Good lunches served, and music nightly except Monday; no cover charge.
  • Norwood Hotel, 97 The Parade, Norwood. Animated pub with a range of British and Irish beers on tap; weekend dance club with free entry.
  • Royal Oak, 123 O’Connell St, North Adelaide. Another popular North Adelaide pub with arty decor and a young crowd.
  • Rio’s, 111 Hindley St. The tackiest bar in town; open 24 hours.
  • Talbot Hotel, 104 Gouger St. A tiny bar in the back (open Fri & Sat only from 5pm) has intimate booths and a classic 1930s decor and serves cocktails.