Gallery on Waymouth

The Gallery on Waymouth replaces the empty, dilapidated shopfront on Waymouth St that itself replaced the warm, homely Fad Bar several years ago. Like Fad, the Gallery is a combination of cocktail bar and art gallery. Unlike Fad, the Gallery has directed its appeal less toward the dreadlocked art-student set and more toward the suit-wearing high-flyers who flock from the many high-rise office buildings that surround it.

One thing the Gallery has over its predecessor is Adelaide’s most charming rooftop bar. Overhanging foliage, luscious lighting, gas heaters and some cheerily clunky plastic furniture (plus a few seriously comfy couches) make this third-storey oasis a real treat. On a Friday night, the place is packed, the DJ is playing strange thumping mashups of early U2, and the drinks are weaved on silver trays through the ocean of besuited young professionals throwing down their Golden Ales and special cocktails. As a result, there can be delays between ordering and drinking, but there is table service to ease your impatient pain.

The drinks list is small, but classy. A bottle of 2010 Dos Tinto de Tora Tempranillo, a Spanish delight, comes for $36; its subtle but tangy contents will be the toast of your office Friday party. On the cocktail side, the Caipirinha – Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça (rum), sugar and lime – is like the purest essence of a G ‘n’ T despite lacking both G, and T. And if that’s not enough, a solid tapas menu soothes the stomach rumblings of the hungry workers. There’s also a sweet bar downstairs (and a restaurant/function room on the second floor) for those cold, cozy nights.