Feature image credit: Shotgun Willie’s
As we bid a final farewell to the year that was 2021, we thought here at Glam Adelaide, what better way to celebrate the crazy fun we’ve had this year than by looking back at the incredible ventures and venues that have happened this year.
2021 has been a rollercoaster for sure, so we don’t blame you if you need a stiff drink to wind down and hit holiday mode. Adelaide’s small bar scene has well and truly hit the suburbs this year, with an array of neighbourhood bars with funky fit-outs popping up across town.
From rooftop bars to Western saloons and a bible-house-turned-cocktail bar – you won’t be hard-pressed to find a new watering hole to see out the year.
In no particular order, here are incredible places that opened this year:
Shotgun Willie’s

Brought to you from the brains behind the iconic Crybaby bar, Shotgun Willies burst onto the Gilbert Place scene earlier this year. Slinging smoky spirits and Budweiser beer, Shotgun Willies is a gem in Adelaide’s small bar scene.
With glittery fairy lights, American paraphernalia and an impressive back bar, the self-described ‘honky-tonk Western Saloon’ is the perfect place to sit back and enjoy a nip of bourbon and watch some of SA’s best country singers swoon crowds.
Find Shotgun Willies at 22 Gilbert Place, Adelaide 5000 from Thursday to Sunday until late.
Merrymaker

Cocktails with a side of stunning views, anyone? The highest rooftop bar in Adelaide sprouted in SA this year, with Hotel Indigo’s rooftop bar Merrymaker pouring glasses of fine wine and shaking cocktails sky high. Indulge in oysters, tartare, charcuterie and cheeses, all prepared in an open kitchen by chef Gabriele Pezzimenti, as you watch the sun set over the CBD.
Merrymaker’s quirky fit-out and impressive drinks list (25 local gins!) makes it equal parts unique as it is incredible. Read about them here.
Find Merrymaker at 23-29 Market Street, Adelaide, SA 5000 Adelaide, SA, Australia 5000.
Bar la Vie

The cutest champagne bar has opened on Grenfell Street, fitted with sparkling chandeliers and a back bar stocked with enough fancy drops that it’d make anybody envious. Bar La Vie is the East Ends most luxurious place for after-work drinks, dripping with glitz, glamour and fine velvet furnishings.
Paying homage to the chicest country by far – Bar La Vie is a love letter to France, and the perfect place to wine, dine and fall in love over a glass of bubbles (or two) – just like the French do. The bar also offers small tapas for you to indulge in.
Find Bar La Vie at 230-232 Grenfell St, Adelaide from Thursday to Sunday 11am until late. Read more about Bar La Vie here.
Memphis Slim’s House of Blues

The sophisticated sister of Shotgun Willies, Memphis Silm’s has been pouring booze and playing blues to the Gilbert Place locale since it opened its doors earlier this year. The Chicago-inspired cocktail den has pool tables, vibrant live music and a spirits list that will make anyone enviable.
As far as food and beverages go, patrons can expect street food, small bites, American bottled beers, and cocktails.
Memphis Slim’s House of Blues trades Tuesday to Sunday in Gilbert Place. Read more about them here.
Bowden Brewing

Opening in the little sister venue of Plant 4, Plant 3 – Bowden Brewing has taken SA’s craft beer scene by storm since opening earlier this year. Brought to you by the brains behind Nola, The Stag and Nola – The Big Easy Group – the microbrewery brews and pours 14 tap beers, including a core four range.
With an industrial style fit-out and high ceilings, to tasty tacos from Masa and fruity beers, Bowden Brewing has cemented itself as the local neighbourhood bar, where you come for the drinks but stay for the people.
Find the Bowden Brewing at Plant 3. Read more about Bowden Brewing here.
Anna’s Cocktail Club

Anna’s Cocktail Club – a Bible house-turned-cocktail bar on Grenfell Street – has three things that don’t always go hand-in-hand: a confessional room, religious stained-glass windows, and a sex-driven drink list.
With a stained-glass window, a confessional room and neon-red cross, Anna’s is the perfect place to repent your nightclub sins. Opening in April, Anna’s has created an inclusive space in the CBD, offering discounts to sex workers, featuring drag queen flash mobs, and more. Shaking their cheeky cocktails like ‘Forgive Me, RuPaul’ and ‘sexx-worker’, the cocktail bar has taken the city nightlife scene by storm
Anna’s Cocktail Club is located at 73 Grenfell Street, Adelaide. Read more about them here.
Bar Lune

Whether or not you’re actually from Beulah Park, Bar Lune wants to feel like your neighbourhood wine bar.
Serving up “fine wine and the local neighbourhood vibes you’ve been craving,” the new venue opened on the Parade has a fun yet subdued blue interior, multicoloured terrazzo counters, and white-painted brick, managing to look new and fresh, yet familiar all at once. From a stunning wine wall to delicate dishes like scallops presented beautifully in the shells and fig and cheese boards, Bar Lune is the perfect place for a wine-fueled dinner or weekend lunch.
Find Bar Lune at 303 The Parade, Beulah Park. Read about them here.
Long Story Short

Storytellers Distillery opened a new chapter in their spirit-making history this year, opening their long-awaited dedicated cocktail aptly named Long Story Short. From machine cut ice cubes in your Negronis, a stunning bar boasting an impressive wall of handcrafted spirits and a food menu curated by the renowned Simon Bryant – Long Story Short has it all.
Operating alongside the production facilities of the distillery in Brompton, Long Story Short has nestled into the vibrant food and drinks destination while quickly cementing itself as a favourite neighbourhood bar to try just West of the city.
You can find Long Story Short at 3/40 First Street Brompton, Thursday through to Sunday. Read more here.
Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky, Glenelg’s newest “bar you didn’t know you needed,” was started by Henry and Mike Papapolis, the owners of popular restaurant Fourth––but it’s more of a fraternal twin than a sister bar.
The stripped-down dive bar has been slinging drinks and fun nights since opening in February. However, like any family, the bars see past their differences and work in tandem with one another, with Hanky Panky serving as a late-night option for Fourth customers. Decked out with a disco ball, delicious toasties and board games, Hanky Panky is sure to take your Friday knockoffs to the next level.
Find Hanky Panky on Jetty Road, Glenelg. Read more about them here.
Eleven

While Eleven opened late last year, the bar, nestled under the shadows of a series of high-rises is one of Adelaide’s most exciting new openings. Eleven, a new restaurant and bar, was born of the minds of powerhouse duo Themis Chryssidis and Callum Hann of Sprout Cooking School and Masterchef fame.
While it’s hidden from street view, this venue will not be a hidden gem. Eleven’s bar is always filled with bookings of city slickers, with the remainder of open spots likely being snatched up by a passerby. The venue, drinks list and menu speak for themselves, but the sunlit courtyard and urban jungle is one to pop on your must-visit list.
Find Eleven at 11 Waymouth Street. Read more about them here.
Honourable Mentions
Good Gilbert

Tucked away on Goodwood Road with its timeless Eurocentric fit-out, a smattering of plants and prints around the joint and an enviable wine list, Good Gilbert has created a haven where people come for tipples but stay for the people. The wine bar just celebrated its first birthday on December 7 and took home the title for People’s Choice for best wine venue in all of Australia.
An incredible 350 wines, with weekly revolving food and beverage lists – Good Gilbert is the neighbourhood bar of our (and your) dreams.
Read about them here.
Smokelovers

What once used to be the East Ends go-to spot for all things tobacco has now been given a new lease on life, with the iconic Smokelovers set to transform to Adelaide’s latest daytime drinking spot this December.
Set to be a wine and cocktail bar, Smokelovers will open in the afternoon, serving and shaking drinks ‘til late seven days a week, gifting Adelaide the idyllic place to daytime drink before dancing late into the night. While details are yet to be announced, Smokelovers will pay homage to the tobacco institution not only through its name but its drinks and finer fittings.
Smokelovers is tipped to open in December 2021 – keep an eye out for when the iconic storefront reopens. Read about them here.
Consider this our early Christmas gift to you, because you now have an array of incredible new places to check out and support in 2022 – how lucky are we Adelaide!
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