Located along the leafy Hutt Street in what was the Olivia Hotel, Nowhere Bar is bringing 80s hits, retro vibes, and the perfect mix of pub and bar.
When owners Matt May and Thomas Hector say the venue is an extension of themselves, they mean it. The former La Louisiane duo designed Nowhere as the kind of place they’d want to drink in – casual, inclusive, and 80s. The name Nowhere is inspired by the Talking Heads song “Road to Nowhere.”
“It just kind of clicked into place,” says Matt.
“We love going out. We love going to bars, so we’re trying to put that into one spot. We had one specific night together where we just hung out and listened to 80s for hours and from there it was born.”
As winter hits and we can’t rely on the weather to bring the atmosphere and vibe, it’s up to the venue, and Nowhere is nothing short of cosy, charming, and a little sexy.
The interiors, inspired by the Talking Heads album Speaking in Tongues, are described as “bright and fun – not a reflection of our personalities,” laughs Thomas.
“We wanted bright colours, flowers, crayon art, just to soften the space a little bit – something different from what people expected us to do while also creating somewhere that’s unique and identifiable,” he adds.
And identifiable it is. There’s bright orange feature walls, crayon sprawled across the walls, angels, flowers, hearts, martinis and everything in between. It’s retro, but not jarring or over the top, creatively led by Divide Agency.
There’s a mix of cushioned bench seating, bar stools, tucked away corner tables perfect for solo diners after a hideaway spot, and a beautiful undercover courtyard with timber booths.
But the real magic happens as the night falls and the dropped retro lampshades spill a moody, mellow light into the space.
“The later it gets, the better it looks. The pieces of art come to light,” says Matt.
The bar is the kind of place that caters to the indecisive and the ‘pretty much anyone.’ The list boasts a fantastic and varied offer of wines, championing local for almost all of it, but the cocktails are equally as impressive.
“We have the standards like a Barossa Shiraz and a Clare Valley Riesling and we have some fun stuff at the higher end – looking after everyone – then we have Coopers Pale on tap with Carlton Draught,” explains Matt.
There’s rum based Jungle Bird with campari, pineapple and lime, for the perfect sweet at the start, bitter at the end punch to the palate. Comparable, perhaps, to a really good mullet.
Then there’s a classic cosmo, except it’s an elevated take. The vodka is delicately disguised behind the citrus for a tangy zing to the palate. You can also expect piña coladas and – if we’re lucky – some “non-trashy” frozen daiquiris on the horizon.
While the list might appear the result of fine-tuned precision, it’s actually way simpler.
“We were sitting down and we’re like, we need to get a list. About a week before, we were just like, what do we like? We didn’t even search anything up,” adds Thomas.
On the food front, things are still taking shape. The focus is on simple, satisfying bar snacks and small share plates with personality. There’s smashed cucumbers in balsamic, stracciatella, devilled eggs, and a standout mortadella bun inspired by Anthony Bourdain. There’s also whispers of lasagna nights and pasta to come, but don’t expect schnitzels.
“We’re not going full pub,” Matt adds. “But we’re not trying to be a fancy wine bar either.”
And that’s exactly where Nowhere sits. Somewhere in between.
“It’s a spot you can go out on a date on a Friday. It’s somewhere you can go on a Saturday afternoon with all your friends and somewhere you can come back on Sunday with your family. It’s a space for everyone,” says Matt.
Don’t let minimal social media presence fool you, this place is nothing but energy – the two-man team have just been too flat out to give it extra love. It’s the 80’s in here baby, what’s Instagram?
For immaculate 80s vibes, chilled out, unpretentious hospitality, and effortlessly cool cocktails, Nowhere bar is somewhere you’d want to go.
WHAT: Nowhere Bar
WHERE: 170 Hutt Street, Adelaide
WHEN: Thursday & Friday 4pm–12am, Saturday & Sunday 12pm–12am
For their Instagram, click here.
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