The Best Adelaide Wine Bars To Sip And Swill At This Winter

It should come as no surprise that a city on the edge of primo wine regions is killing it when it comes to wine bars. Adelaide’s a town that takes wine seriously (in a good way, not a snooty one) and each bar has something different to pour and explore.

“The local wine scene is so vibrant,” says Scott Taddeo, Director of Jennie Wine Bar on Peel Street, “All [venues] very much with their own identity, which makes for a healthy diversity."

Whether you’re after natural wines from Europe or the finest local drops from the Adelaide Hills, a DJ party bar or a snug hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood spot, you can jump from South Australia to Spain, from Peel Street to Paris, from snacky bits to full-on Euro bistro and fusion share plates between. Aficionados can peruse lists of hundreds or thousands of bottles, and folks who just want a glass of “something orange” or a little aperitif can linger in one of these little haunts beloved by locals and out-of-towners alike.

“For us, a truly great wine bar is welcoming above all else,” says Good Gilbert owner Wilson Shawyer. “It invites people in, sparks conversation, and takes the pressure off, so you can explore, ask questions, and just have a good time.”

Good Gilbert

135B Goodwood Rd, Goodwood

Image Credit: Good Gillbert | Website

Good Gilbert has mastered the art of a warm welcome. There are homey touches, like wine shelves overhung with houseplant tendrils and walls crammed with wine-inspired art, set within natural tones of timber and grey-green. The bar and restaurant spills onto the pavement with dog-friendly outdoor seating. For owner Shawyer, the heart of Good Gilbert is about making top quality food and wine fun and unpretentious.

“We’re here for the curious, the casual, and the deeply obsessed,” he says. “Anyone who wants to enjoy quality without the ego. Whether it’s a crunchy pet nat, a serious Burgundy, or a plate of something comforting and delicious, we believe good things should be shared and enjoyed, not overcomplicated.”

The produce-forward menu has flavourful twists like clams, nduja broth, kaffir leaf and crème fraîche, miso roasted pumpkin with sumac labneh and witlof salad and snapper fillet with beurre noisette, as well as “Cheese from near and far” with accompaniments. The wine list is predominantly Australian but with some Euro standouts, from approachable drops to special allocation bottles, fortifieds and large formats, as well as winemaker events. Don’t know what you want? Pick the Fresh out of F*cks to Give option by the glass or carafe and leave it to the team.

LOC Bottle Bar

6 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide

Image Credit: Loc Dot Bottle Bar | Website

LOC is a snug blink-and-you’ll-miss-it surprise, a single small room functioning as a bottle shop and wine bar, with tables and banquettes close together.

“We select wines from all over the world with a focus on organic and sustainable farming, as well as minimal to no additions in the winemaking,” owner Olivia Moore says. “We take the same approach to the produce we use for our food menu, focusing on locally sourced food grown in a sustainable way.”

The food is served up from a tiny kitchenette on the bright blue counter by a series of ever-changing resident chefs, always finding unique ways different cuisines can play with the natural wines.

“It's fun to experiment,” she says.

A chalkboard menu for the day’s dishes sits beside a simple by-the-glass offering, no names, just general styles, “Something bubbly” or “Something red” and so on. Ask, chat and they’ll find something that’s just what you really wanted.

East End Cellars (Vardon Avenue and Norwood)

23-25 Vardon Avenue Adelaide

Image Credit: East End Cellar | Facebook 

Casual and unassuming, the original Vardon Avenue cellars has been an institution since 1998. The commitment to championing South Australian wines alongside the best from around the world has given them a rep for excellence, and it’s one they extend to the newer Norwood outpost. The OG tasting room restaurant serves comforting, wine-friendly dishes like grilled scallop with cafe de Paris butter, Ploughman’s toasties and fresh pasta, with thousands of bottles to choose from. Norwood has contemporary twists, like roo tartare with radishes and crispy potato, glazed beets with persimmons, labneh and hazelnut dressing and the elegant simplicity of a cheeseburger.

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Nearly

179 Hindley St, Adelaide

Image Credit: Nearly | Facebook

This youthful, trendy hotspot is about as informal as it gets, from the Cooper’s on tap to weekly trivia, fun cocktails like lychee martinis and vinyl DJ sets pumping over state-of-the-art Pitt and Giblin speakers. Simple wood-and-stone tones amplify the playful decor touches and bright labels of indie wines along the backbar. Linger on the footpath or settle indoors on the hi-top tables with mates, sharing unfussy snacks like pickles, charcuterie and focaccia. Australian wines reign supreme here, and they always have some locals on the go by the glass, like Scintilla, Charlotte Dalton and Lucy M, with takeovers by up-and-coming winemakers.

Jennie Wine Bar

7 Peel Street Adelaide

Image Credit: Jennie Wine Bar | Facebook

Named for the little 500ml bottles of wine, Jenni’s ever-changing wine list is driven by passion and the story of the winemakers.

“Jennie is very much inspired by the wine bars of Europe, warming and welcoming with a huge range of wines by the glass that changes all the time and full of tasty little morsels,” Taddeo says. “The list is all about championing the small producer, which isn’t limited to just locals; in fact, we have a little over 250 bottles and half would be Australian and half international.”

Enjoy snacks of pickles, olives and oysters, some charcuterie and cheese, or larger bites like jamon-wrapped dates with goat’s cheese, pepper and honey or beetroot and gin cured salmon with soy and citrus dressing. A bright, light-filled space overlooking Peel Street, it’s the perfect CBD retreat for a convivial glass (or bottle). Plus, they also do a mean martini!

Clever Little Tailor

19 Peel St, Adelaide

Image Credit: Clever Little Tailor | Facebook

A stalwart of Peel Street since 2013, Clever Little Tailor is a local legend that hits the notes of wine, cocktail and beer with equal excellence. The cosy decor is as easygoing as the menu, with morsels and grazing plates letting the drinks and stripped-back ambiance take centre stage. It’s a solid by the glass wine list with a curated, evolving list of bottles, favouring the natural or sustainably produced. Rounding out the offering are an interesting collection of spirits, reliably top-notch cocktails, Guinness on tap and featured G&Ts showcasing their favourite gin of the moment.

Udaberri

11 Leigh Street

Image Credit: Udaberri | Facebook

As their “Pintxos Y Vino” name suggests, they’re about a San Sebastian style wine-and-snack affair. Think, Northern Spanish vino and iconic Basque tapas like mushrooms with espelette pepper and egg yolk. Moody, cosy and charming, it snakes along a bar, mezzanine and courtyard areas, equally perfect for a solo sherry or group dinner. It’s a snack-and-shares menu that encourages exploration, from pequenos (little things) like banderilla (a kind of gilda) and buñuelos (manchego donuts with aioli) to share ‘platos’ like patatas bravas and the large main, a grass-fed rib-eye steak (la txuleta). If you’re not feeling vino, tap into their dizzying array of variations on the classic G&T or a signature cocktail.

Leigh St Wine Room

9 Leigh Street

Image Credit: Leigh Street Wine Room | Facebook

Leigh Street Wine Room channels the modern, elegant Euro wine bar, from the long stretch of bartop and cavernous arched ceiling to walls lined with art and wine bottles (the list has over 400). Locals, winemakers and tourists are drawn to linger and enjoy all manner of good things. Food is far from an afterthought, with a menu worthy of any great European-Australian restaurant. From the humble housemade mortadella sando and eggplant parmigiana to rich bites of chicken liver parfait with plum and rhubarb jam on brioche or hearty magra lamb shoulder and smoked eggplant, everything invites you to stay and satiate yourself with flavour and conversation.

La Buvette

27 Gresham Street

Image Credit: La Buvette | Facebook

Step back in time and into gay Paris at La Buvette. The striking blue frontage leads into a retro-Parisian dream inspired by the neighbourhood cave à manger. Gold light and warm wood sheds a convivial glow over this apéritif-style wine bar, with a list featuring over 150 wines, leaning towards natural and lo-fi from France and Australia. Their specialty apéritifs like pastis and suze are best enjoyed with a snack, such as anchovy tartines or oysters. The more substantial French bistro fare includes escargots à l’alsacienne, steak frites, baked camembert and enough terrines, parfaits and rillettes to satisfy the hungriest Francophile.

Pastel

47 O'Connell St

Image Credit: Pastel | Facebook

Pastel is slick and stylish, with precision-engineered good vibes, right down to the refined design and sexy low lighting. Wines bounce from traditional to modern and lo-fi, with playful twists on classic cocktails (ever heard of a Disco Martini? You’ll love it). The eclectic style matches the fusion menu, with dishes like Korean rice cake carbonara with guanciale and bonito, plates of stracciatella with tomatoes, Aleppo chilli crisp and pappadums for scooping and the viral mango sticky rice brûlée. With weekly specials, live jazz, a DJ booth and regular happy hours, Pastel is your party-starter bar.