Adelaide, South Australia
Casual encounters in Adelaide: hidden laneway bars, rooftops over King William Street and sunsets at Glenelg
Secret doors on Peel Street, a rooftop for every mood and a beach twenty minutes away by tram. Adelaide locals who want something casual are on Joydate, and joining costs nothing.
- Free to join
- Members only see Adelaide
- Free ID check
In short
Casual encounters in Adelaide usually begin in the small bars of Peel and Leigh Street, on a rooftop above the CBD or on Rundle Street in the East End, and the easy ones finish with a tram ride to Glenelg for the sunset. Joydate shows you which Adelaide locals want something casual as well, and signing up is free.
- Where to go: hidden cocktail and wine bars on Peel and Leigh Street, rooftops such as 2KW and Hennessy, the laneways behind Rundle Street, the beach bar at Glenelg in summer.
- A free first date: the Adelaide Botanic Garden costs nothing to enter and opens every day of the year, right on North Terrace.
- Getting around: trams are free between South Terrace, the Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens, and the City Connector buses are free too.
- Cost: the Classic profile costs nothing and includes a handful of daily messages; VIP unlocks unlimited messaging from A$24.99 for a week.
South Australia's tourism board puts it neatly: the best small bars in Adelaide sit in basements, behind secret doors and down unmarked alleys, mostly around Peel Street and Leigh Street. Add rooftops above King William Street, the boutiques and late tables of the East End and a city beach at the end of the tram line, and you have plenty of places for a first drink. If casual encounters in Adelaide, a hookup or just a flirty night out is what you want, Joydate shows you who nearby wants the same. Your profile says Adelaide, never your suburb, and the two of you pick where to meet.
Peel Street, a rooftop or the East End?
That comes down to the kind of evening you are planning. Peel and Leigh Street are for something intimate: low light, booths and a bartender who will pick a drink for you. The rooftops suit a sunset with a view over the Adelaide Hills, Rundle Street and its lanes are made for a long dinner outdoors, and Hindley Street is where you go if the night should end on a dance floor. Glenelg is the summer option for a hookup that starts at sunset, with sand, a jetty and the sun sinking into the gulf. Opening days change through the week, so look at a venue's own page before you suggest it.
Good to know
Why Adelaide is easy for a casual night out
Four things that make planning a first meet in Adelaide simple.
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A free tram through town
Adelaide Metro trams cost nothing between South Terrace, the Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens, and along Jetty Road in Glenelg.
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A garden that charges nothing
The Adelaide Botanic Garden on North Terrace is free to enter and open every day, until 6.30pm in the daylight saving months.
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Small bars close together
Peel Street and Leigh Street sit side by side in the west of the CBD, so moving on to a second bar is a two-minute walk.
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A beach that faces the sunset
Adelaide's beaches look west, and from November to March the Moseley Beach Club sets up on the sand next to the Glenelg jetty, free to enter.
Adelaide at a glance
Handy to know before a first meet in Adelaide
- 20 minon the tram from the city to Glenelg beach
- 8floors up to 2KW, on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace
- A$0to walk into the Adelaide Botanic Garden, any day of the year
Where Adelaide goes out
Where to meet for a first drink in Adelaide
Six areas, with venues picked from the official visitor guides for Adelaide and South Australia.
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Hidden bars
Peel Street
A narrow lane in the west end of the CBD, lined with small bars from early evening onwards.
Places to start
- Maybe Mae: a 1950s-style cocktail den behind an unmarked timber door, below Bread & Bone Wood Grill
- Malt & Juniper: an intimate gin and whisky bar with low lighting and soft booths
- Jennie Wine Bar: an inner-city wine bar started by five friends, with more than 25 wines by the glass
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Wine and pintxos
Leigh Street
Peel Street's neighbour, a pedestrian lane where the bars lean towards wine and small plates.
Places to start
- Leigh Street Wine Room: a long arched room with more than 400 bottles and a quieter mezzanine upstairs
- Udaberri: a Spanish pintxos bar with standing tables and plates passed from hand to hand
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Views
CBD rooftops
Adelaide from above, from a heritage hotel roof to a terrace looking over the river.
Places to start
- 2KW: eight floors above King William Street, with views across the River Torrens to Adelaide Oval
- Hennessy Rooftop Bar: on top of the Mayfair Hotel, with chandeliers, terraces and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights
- Merrymaker: on top of Hotel Indigo near the Central Market, billed as the city's tallest rooftop bar, facing the Adelaide Hills at sunset
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Alfresco
The East End
Rundle Street and the lanes around it, with boutiques, street art and plenty of outdoor tables.
Places to start
- East End Cellars: a wine bar and shop in a laneway behind Rundle Street, known for its charcuterie boards
- Luna10: a poolside rooftop bar and cocktail lounge on Frome Street, with the city lights all around
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Late nights
Hindley Street
The city's late strip, for when a quiet drink turns into dancing.
Places to start
- Rocket Bar & Rooftop: a main dance floor with a rooftop upstairs for fresh air
- Loverboy: an underground club behind pink neon, playing disco and house
- Cry Baby: an American-style dive bar around the corner on Solomon Street, with a rock 'n' roll jukebox
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Sunsets
Glenelg
Adelaide's favourite city beach, about twenty minutes from the CBD on the tram.
Places to start
- Moseley Beach Club: a bar right on the sand next to the jetty from November to March, with a sunset session every evening
- Jetty Road: a kilometre of cafes, restaurants and shops running down to the foreshore
- The Moseley Bar and Kitchen: on Moseley Square, a few steps from the tram stop and the beach
Plan a first drink in Adelaide
Venues from the South Australian Tourism Commission's guides, Experience Adelaide and Glenelg's own visitor site. Hours change with the season, so check with each venue before you go.
Picture the night
Three Adelaide nights for a casual encounter
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Peel Street
Through the hidden door
Warm lights over the lane and a cocktail bar you only find if someone shows you.
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King William Street
A rooftop at sunset
The Adelaide Hills turn pink while the city lights come on below.
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Glenelg
Barefoot by the jetty
Tram down, shoes off, and the sun drops into the gulf.
Where Adelaide meets
After casual encounters in Adelaide? Joydate was built for that
Joydate is a dating site for adults who want something casual, whether that is one night, a regular thing or a friend with benefits. Signing up is free, you say on your profile what you are looking for, and you can see who around Adelaide is after the same.
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It says so on the profile
Members write down what they want, so a first drink on Peel Street starts with no awkward guessing.
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Adelaide, never your street
People see your username and your city. Your address, your workplace and your surname stay private.
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Real people are easy to spot
Members who complete the free ID check carry a Verified badge on their profile.
Join free and see who in Adelaide wants to meet How Joydate works in Adelaide
Before you go
Tips for a first casual encounter in Adelaide
Four small habits that make an Adelaide first meet easy.
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Make it one drink first
A small bar on Peel or Leigh Street is a relaxed first stop, and the next one is never more than a few minutes away.
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Look up the hours
Plenty of Adelaide bars and rooftops open late in the week or only from the afternoon, so check the venue's page before you name it.
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Sort out the ride home
Find your bus or tram home before you head out; on Saturday nights some routes run N-numbered night buses into Sunday morning.
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Chat on Joydate until you meet
Keep your messages on Joydate until the first meet; if someone pushes to switch apps straight away, take that as a cue to slow down.
What Joydate costs in Adelaide
Creating a Classic profile is free, and it lets you send a few messages each day. VIP and VIP Plus remove the limit; the prices below are in Australian dollars, with the total for each plan and the weekly cost below it.
| Plan length | VIP | VIP Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | A$24.99 | A$26.99 |
| 1 month | A$64.24A$14.99 a week | A$72.81A$16.99 a week |
| 3 months | A$141.30A$10.99 a week | A$179.87A$13.99 a week |
| 6 months | A$205.46A$7.99 a week | A$256.89A$9.99 a week |
| 12 months | A$312.34A$5.99 a week | A$416.62A$7.99 a week |
Weekly, monthly, three-month and six-month plans keep renewing until you cancel them. The twelve-month plan is paid once and ends on its own. See every plan in every currency.
Staying safe on an Adelaide date
- Choose a busy place. Peel Street, Rundle Street and the CBD rooftops are lively on weekend evenings, and your profile never shows more than Adelaide. Call 000 in an emergency, or the police assistance line on 131 444 when it is not urgent.
- On the way home. Adelaide Metro's InfoLine is 1300 311 108 from 7am to 8pm, and anything you see on a bus, train or tram can be reported through its anonymous See it? Report it! form. If you need help right away, call 000.
- Sexual health. The Adelaide Sexual Health Centre on Currie Street tests and treats STIs, including HIV, free and in confidence, with or without a Medicare card, by appointment or at a walk-in clinic. SHINE SA on Hyde Street also has walk-in times and a free Sexual Healthline, 1300 883 793, on weekday mornings.
- Money requests. Scamwatch's rule is simple: if someone you have only met online asks for money, stop replying and send nothing, no cash, no card details, no ID. Already paid? Ring your bank straight away, then IDCARE (1800 595 160), and file a report with Scamwatch.
Casual encounters and dating in Adelaide: your questions
Where can you find casual encounters in Adelaide?
You can find casual encounters in Adelaide on Joydate, a dating site for people who want something casual. Join free, see which Adelaide members want the same, and once you click, suggest a drink on Peel Street, a rooftop above King William Street or the beach at Glenelg.
What is a good first date spot in Adelaide?
A good first date spot in Adelaide is somewhere you can talk easily: a small bar such as Leigh Street Wine Room, a rooftop like 2KW or Hennessy, or a free walk through the Adelaide Botanic Garden before it closes for the evening.
Is Joydate an alternative to personals in Adelaide?
Joydate is an alternative to personals in Adelaide with one big difference: there is no board of ads, members have real profiles, and anyone who passes the free ID check is marked Verified. Read how Joydate compares with Doublelist.
How much is Joydate in Adelaide?
Joydate in Adelaide is free to join, and a Classic profile includes a few messages every day. For unlimited messaging, VIP is A$24.99 for one week, or the equivalent of A$5.99 a week on a twelve-month plan. Compare every plan.
Is the tram free in Adelaide?
The tram in Adelaide is free in the city between the South Terrace, Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and Botanic Gardens stops, and along Jetty Road in Glenelg. Between South Terrace and Brighton Road you need a valid ticket.
Where can you get a free STI test in Adelaide?
You can get a free STI test in Adelaide at the Adelaide Sexual Health Centre on Currie Street, which tests and treats in confidence whether or not you have Medicare. SHINE SA's clinics are bulk-billed for Medicare card holders.