A glowing neon noodle leads you from the street-level foyer of the Crown and Anchor Hotel to one of Adelaide’s worst-kept secrets: Midnight Spaghetti. This laid-back pasta bar has long been an impromptu late-night dinner option for punters in the city, and a go-to among kitchen staff at the end of a long shift.

Start with a plate of gin-cured kingfish and a hunk of herby focaccia topped with anchovies before moving onto the main event. And while you could go for the tortiglioni alla vodka or the gnocchi spun with bacon, basil cream and peas, the namesake Midnight Spaghetti – a rustic red-sauce pasta with anchovies, pangrattato (breadcrumbs) and chilli – is an essential order.

Good pasta demands good wine to go with it, and the list here naturally leans towards Italy – fiano, montepulciano, sangiovese, nero d’avola and friends. Bottles of the stuff are in good supply at the central bar, punctuated by olive-green booth seating and mismatched black-and-white photographs.