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The Best Rooftop and Terrace Bars in Adelaide

Six Adelaide bars where you drink above street level, from a hotel rooftop sixteen storeys up to a laneway cocktail bar with an upstairs terrace. Every venue here describes itself as a rooftop or an upstairs terrace on its own website, so a ground-floor beer garden does not make the cut. Most are in the CBD within walking distance of each other, which makes an evening of two or three easy.

By Joel Bauer, Adelaide, South Australia

Illustrative photo. Photo: Unsplash.

A rooftop in Adelaide is a seasonal bet. On a warm evening a terrace above the street is hard to beat, but a fully open roof asks you to trust the forecast. Some venues have planned for that. 2KW encloses its terrace in a clear structure during the cooler months and the Strathmore's upstairs Verandah Bar has a retractable roof. Merrymaker runs winter events on its rooftop.

Most of the six picks sit in the CBD within walking distance of each other, which makes two or three in an evening realistic. 2KW at the North Terrace end of King William Street looks over Adelaide Oval and the Festival Theatre. Merrymaker, at Hotel Indigo near the Central Market, describes itself as sixteen storeys up, which is the venue's own claim. In the West End, Nineteen Ten sits on top of Hindley Street, Gallery is on Waymouth Street and Proof is up a laneway off Anster Street with a terrace upstairs.

Hours and booking rules vary more than you would expect. 2KW's terrace bar takes no reservations and opens from midday daily, while Merrymaker asks everyone to book. Nineteen Ten trades Thursday to Saturday from 7pm and table bookings depend on the event. Proof opens at 3pm on weekdays and 5pm on Saturdays and is closed Sundays. 2KW publishes a smart casual dress code that excludes sports and active wear. The other venues do not state one.

For this list, a venue needed a Google rating of 4.2 or higher from at least 150 reviews, checked on 10 October 2026. Each had to be described on its own website as a rooftop, terrace or upstairs outdoor bar, with a drink or food detail I could read on its site or menu. Bookings and dress codes appear only where the venue states them. Pubs and restaurants already covered in other guides are left out. Check the venue's own page before you go, then work through the six below.

Weather and seasons in Adelaide

Adelaide's rooftop season is long but not year-round. Bureau of Meteorology long-term averages for the city's West Terrace station put the mean daily maximum at 28.7°C in January against 15.0°C in July, with about three rain days in January and close to twelve in July. Summer afternoons on an exposed roof can be fierce, so a table with shade matters more than the view on a 40-degree day.

Winter is when the enclosed options earn their keep. 2KW wraps its terrace in a clear structure during the cooler months, the Strathmore's upstairs Verandah Bar has a retractable roof and Merrymaker runs winter events on its rooftop. If a venue is fully open to the sky, check the forecast before you commit a group booking.

Bookings or walk-ins

Policies differ a lot, so read the venue's own page before you go. 2KW says it does not take reservations for the terrace bar, which runs from midday daily, while its restaurant can be booked. Merrymaker describes itself as a small venue and recommends everyone book, hotel guests included. Nineteen Ten sells tickets for its events and says table bookings are event specific.

On warm Friday and Saturday evenings the popular rooftops fill early. If you are walking in, arrive before the after-work crowd or aim for a weeknight. For birthdays and work drinks most of these venues run function bookings, which is the only reliable way to hold a group space on a busy night.

Dress codes

Only one venue on this list publishes a dress code. 2KW asks for smart casual and specifically asks guests to avoid sports and active wear, with entry at the discretion of management. The others do not state a dress code on their websites.

Without a published code, neat casual is the safe default for an evening in the CBD. If you are heading straight from the gym or the footy, it is worth calling ahead rather than being turned around at the lift.

Timing the sunset

Adelaide faces west to Gulf St Vincent, so on a clear evening the sun drops toward the water side of the city. Using the standard NOAA solar calculation for Adelaide, sunset falls at about 8:30pm local daylight saving time around the summer solstice in late December and a little after 5pm in late June. In mid-October it is about 7:30pm.

Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunset to get a seat with the light on your side. Check the venue's opening hours as well as the sunset time: Nineteen Ten opens at 7pm on its trading nights and Proof opens at 3pm on weekdays but not until 5pm on Saturdays.

The list side by side

No.NameAreaBest forPriceRating
012KW Bar & RestaurantAdelaide CBD (King William Street)City views over the Festival Theatre and Adelaide OvalOn enquiry4.2 (1931)
02Merrymaker Rooftop BarAdelaide CBD (Central Market)The highest rooftop in town, booked aheadOn enquiry4.2 (393)
03Nineteen TenAdelaide CBD (Hindley Street West End)Late-night cocktails and live jazz on a West End roofOn enquiry4.6 (300)
04Gallery Rooftop BarAdelaide CBD (Waymouth Street)Casual pizza and tap cocktails above the West End$$ Mid4.3 (816)
05Proof BarAdelaide CBD (Anster Street laneway)A quieter cocktail with an upstairs outdoor terraceOn enquiry4.7 (371)
06Strathmore Hotel (Verandah Bar)Adelaide CBD (North Terrace)An all-weather upstairs bar close to the Oval and the stationOn enquiry4.3 (3261)

Price band is an editorial guide. $ entry-level, $$ mid-range, $$$ premium or destination. Check each business for current pricing.

2KW Bar & Restaurant

Adelaide CBD (King William Street). City views over the Festival Theatre and Adelaide Oval

A rooftop bar and restaurant at the North Terrace end of King William Street. The terrace bar looks over Adelaide Oval, the Festival Theatre and Government House, takes no reservations and opens from midday daily, with DJs on weekends. In the cooler months the terrace is enclosed in a clear structure. The restaurant side cooks on a Josper wood oven and the cellar holds more than 1,000 wines.

  • Walk-in terrace bar, open 12pm until late daily
  • Terrace enclosed for the cooler months
  • Smart casual dress code (no sports or active wear)
  • Cellar of more than 1,000 wines
Rating
4.2 from 1931 reviews on Google
Book or get a quoteVisit website

Merrymaker Rooftop Bar

Adelaide CBD (Central Market). The highest rooftop in town, booked ahead

The rooftop bar of Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets, which says it sits sixteen storeys above the Central Market precinct. The menu runs to Italian-style street food and small plates such as Streaky Bay oysters and a lobster roll, with cocktails, craft beer and a Barossa-leaning wine list. It is a small, cashless venue and asks everyone to book, hotel guests included.

  • Sixteen storeys up, above the Central Market
  • Bookings recommended for all guests
  • Italian-style street food and small plates
  • Open Wednesday to Sunday
Rating
4.2 from 393 reviews on Google
Visit website

Nineteen Ten

Adelaide CBD (Hindley Street West End). Late-night cocktails and live jazz on a West End roof

A South Australian owned rooftop cocktail bar on top of 143 Hindley Street with a jazz focus. It trades Thursday from 7pm to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 1am. Tickets are sold for events and table bookings are event specific, so check the What's On page before you go.

  • Rooftop at 143 Hindley Street
  • Live jazz and ticketed events
  • Open Thursday to Saturday from 7pm
  • Party packages for private functions
Rating
4.6 from 300 reviews on Google
Visit website

Gallery Rooftop Bar

Adelaide CBD (Waymouth Street). Casual pizza and tap cocktails above the West End

A rooftop bar on Waymouth Street with a relaxed food and drink menu built around tap cocktails (one is a nitrogen-charged espresso martini) plus a pizza menu. The wine list is mostly South Australian, from Clare Valley riesling to McLaren Vale grenache.

  • Tap and house cocktails
  • Pizza menu
  • Mostly South Australian wine list
  • Online table bookings
Rating
4.3 from 816 reviews on Google
Visit website

Proof Bar

Adelaide CBD (Anster Street laneway). A quieter cocktail with an upstairs outdoor terrace

A laneway cocktail bar behind Press* Food & Wine that says it opened in 2013 with Adelaide's first small venue licence. You can sit at the bar downstairs or head upstairs for table service at the booths or on the outdoor terrace. Food comes from Press* next door. It opens from 3pm on weekdays and 5pm on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays.

  • Upstairs outdoor terrace with table service
  • Food from neighbour Press* Food & Wine
  • Open since 2013
  • Closed Sundays
Rating
4.7 from 371 reviews on Google
Visit website

Strathmore Hotel (Verandah Bar)

Adelaide CBD (North Terrace). An all-weather upstairs bar close to the Oval and the station

The upstairs Verandah Bar at the Strathmore overlooks North Terrace and has a retractable roof, so it works in summer and winter. The pub pours 25 rotating beers on tap and the hotel says it has been owned by the same family since 1972. It is open seven days from 11am to 3am, opposite the Adelaide Convention Centre.

  • Upstairs bar with a retractable roof
  • 25 rotating beers on tap
  • Open 11am to 3am, seven days
  • Family owned since 1972
Rating
4.3 from 3261 reviews on Google
Visit website

Frequently asked

What is the highest rooftop bar in Adelaide?

Merrymaker at Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets describes itself as Adelaide's tallest rooftop bar and says it sits sixteen storeys above the street. We have not measured the competition, so treat that as the venue's own claim.

Do I need to book a rooftop bar in Adelaide?

It depends on the venue. 2KW does not take reservations for its terrace bar, while Merrymaker recommends all guests book. Nineteen Ten works on event tickets with event-specific table bookings. Check each venue's own page before you go.

Are Adelaide rooftop bars open in winter?

Several are. 2KW encloses its terrace in a clear structure during the cooler months and the Strathmore's Verandah Bar has a retractable roof. Open-air rooftops can still trade in winter but are more weather dependent, so check before you head up.

Is there a dress code at Adelaide rooftop bars?

2KW publishes a smart casual dress code and asks guests to avoid sports and active wear. The other venues on this list do not publish a dress code, so neat casual is a sensible default.

Can I eat at a rooftop bar in Adelaide?

Yes at most of them. 2KW runs a full restaurant beside its terrace, Merrymaker serves Italian-style street food and small plates, Gallery has a pizza menu and Proof serves food from its neighbour Press* Food & Wine. Nineteen Ten focuses on cocktails and live music.

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