Feature Image: Bar Bar/Instagram
A 15-seat cocktail bar on Pirie Street that opened last year has been crowned South Australia’s best bar at the inaugural Boothby Best Bars SA Awards.
Bar Bar, an intimate Adelaide venue from the Cantina Group, beat some of the state’s biggest hospitality names to the top title. The venue opened in 2025 from the team behind Jennie Wine Bar, Malt & Juniper, and Alfred’s, and is built around a 15-seat horseshoe bar designed for conversation.
“I think the biggest thing that Bar Bar does differently to other venues is that we are so customer facing,” owner operator Lachlan Harrison told Glam Adelaide.
“The layout that we chose of this venue means that you’re always in front of a customer. The best place to sit at every bar is at the bar, right?
“People get to come in here, they know us by name, we know their drink orders, and they get to sit down and get looked after.
“I’d say not many other venues in SA have kind of have that style of service.”
Cocktails wise, the bar specialises in all things agave. Agave is a succulent plant native to the arid regions of the Americas. It is used as the base ingredient for spirits like tequila and mezcal – so think spicy margaritas and smokey old fashions.
“We always kind of have the ethos that we don’t like to over complicate cocktails,” Lachlan said.
“We want our drinks to feel familiar, so we always start off with the classic cocktail, and then we put our own spin on it, and it’s always agave forward.”
Maybe Mae also cemented its place as one of SA’s leading cocktail bars, as it was named the state’s No. 1 cocktail bar and ranked No. 2 overall in Boothby’s Best Bars SA list.
The hidden Peel Street bar, which has been operating for 12 years, shared its gratitude following the announcement on Instagram.
“For us, this one means a lot. Maybe Mae has been around for 12 years now, and none of it happens without the people who keep walking down the stairs to drink with us. The regulars, the first-timers, the late-night decision makers, and everyone who has helped make this little room what it is.”
Other major winners included Burdette, which was named Best New Bar, Honeydripper, which was recognised for Best Hospitality Team, and Arkhé, which took out Best Bar Eats. Latteria co-owner Luca Baioni was also named Person of the Year.
According to Boothby, the awards were voted on by South Australian bartenders, bar owners and industry figures, with venues judged on hospitality, drinks, design, atmosphere, experience and sense of place.
To see the full list of winners, click here.
