Underground DJs, Hidden Karaoke and Late-Night Dessert Bars: A Night Owl’s Guide to Adelaide

We’ve all been there. Knock-offs have escalated, the bar’s calling last drinks, and you’re still not ready to call it a night. But options are scarce (especially with the nocturnal reveller’s go-to Sugar currently closed). We know: Adelaide after hours doesn’t shout quite as loud as the nightlife in larger cities.

But there are still a few spots open till late, if you know where to look. Whether you’re after a late-night boogie, an impromptu karaoke session, or a quiet dessert and a cuppa, here’s where to go before booking that DiDi ride home.

Up a flight of stairs from Wright Street you’ll find “Australia’s number one electronic darts bar” going till 2am every night. The arcade game-style machines glow with flashing LED lights, entertaining lively revellers on their last stop for the evening, including post-shift hospitality workers polishing their aim. You’ll come for the darts, but you’ll stay for the karaoke, which is performed in private rooms aided by soju cocktails, beer towers and shots.

If it’s public karaoke you’re after, join the birthday celebrations and sports team break-ups at La Sing – with bonus vodka cruisers and spring roll platters – to add one more memory to your night, however fuzzy it may be.

One of the best spots in town for late-night dancing and left-field music, this underground dive bar requires a little bit of navigating to find. Down an alleyway off Hindley Street and around the corner, you’ll be greeted by a vibing beer garden before you head down to the grungy basement, which hosts local and touring DJs playing anything from house, disco, techno and R’n’B to garage, jungle, psychedelia and trance. Depending on the night, you’ll also find experimental bands, open-mic poetry and karaoke (the latter’s on every Wednesday, with free entry before 10pm).

Keep the night going at this basement blues bar beneath Western-style watering hole Shotgun Willie’s. Descend the stairs for cocktails that riff on American classics (with names like Smokestack Lightning, Juke Joint and Spaghetti Western) or a nightcap of American rye, malt, wheat or bourbon whisky. There are also bottled beers like Budweiser, Brooklyn Lager and Sierra Nevada, best soaked up with a burger or basket of hot wings. The dimly lit den is heavily inspired by the New Orleans and Chicago music scenes, so you’ll find live blues bands playing each night – or you can try your luck getting a spot at the coveted pool table.

It might be the only place to get Korea’s viral, jiggly, dancing pudding bunnies in Adelaide, and luckily it’s open until 11pm or later most nights. Alongside the wobbly milk puddings is a range of bingsu, plus moffles (crisp and chewy mochi-waffle hybrids) with toppings like brown sugar boba, salted cheese milk foam and red bean paste. Drinks include matcha, taro, black sesame and hojicha lattes, plus a range of teas and sodas to replenish you before you head home. For more late-night Korean dessert, there are croffles, bubble tea and Dalgona coffee nearby at Seoul Sweetie.

For the vegan or lacto-vegetarian dessert-inclined among us, head to this 16-year-old late-night institution on Goodwood Road. No prizes for guessing its drawcard, but the eggless menu draws diners of all dietary persuasions for its Asian-inspired menu, which changes regularly but might include pandan and sweet corn custard cake; lychee and strawberry tofu purin (a spin on Japan’s jiggly custard pudding); and durianmisu, with Jasmine tea-infused vanilla sponge, durian mascarpone, durian ice cream, toasted coconut and coconut caramel.

The crew behind Memphis Slim’s teamed up with the Sunny’s Pizza team to open this nightclub in the former 1000 Island space. Paying homage to the neon-soaked synth-pop era of the 1980s, the blue-tinged bolthole – accessible via rock’n’roll dive bar Cry Baby next door – is all chrome, mirrors, disco music and retro cocktails, which are likely to feature throwbacks like Curacao, Midori and maraschino cherries. It’s a sure bet to keep the night alive before it’s time for that DiDi home.

This nostalgic amusement park in Rundle Place merges classic arcade games and old-world circuses in a wacky playground that’s open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s all-ages during the day, but strictly adults-only from 8pm, so you don’t have to worry about kids running around. Hit the bowling alley, which has eight self-check-in lanes and dedicated lane service, so you can order food and drinks (including over-the-top cocktails like the Candy Stand, a strawberry shake with white rum, Frangelico, a vanilla candy frosted rim and a giant lollipop, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles) straight to where you’re playing. Or check your crew into the Hijinx Hotel, a faux-accommodation with 10 rooms where you complete a series of group challenges in four-minute windows, then keep the energy going with laser tag, karaoke, dodgem cars, and more before finally calling it a night.

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