13/12/2011 1 photo If you enjoy a good round of competitive…read morepool and catch-up drink with old mates like I do, make sure to visit The Matchroom. This place is great - cheap, cheaper if you split with several friends, Australian, includes a lounge bar facility, plenty of vacant pool tables to choose from, yet not very crowded - so plenty of room to strike a pose and get your pool stick on. This isn't your typical pool lounge that always seems to be full of smoke, nextdoor to the nightclub or just around the corner...unless you don't mind bumping your stick against other strangers or back wall and walking a lengthy distance just to get some drinks from the bar. An diverse mix of pool and snooker regulars, serious competitive older men and enthusiastic beginners who hits the white ball too hard like me, this dimly lit pool room has everything an middle-aged man or a bored high school graduate could desire. You might be surprised at the tiny size of the bar, but I was pleased that there is not even one hint of smoke all evening, as a result of the new anti-smoking laws in South Australia. Not only will you have a fun time playing pool, but the bartender is always there for your drink order or enquiries. Depending on the night you go, there is plenty of pool to be played. There are darts on offer, but due to customers being dangerous with darts the bartender has outlawed the darts game in his room. Great for a group of friends looking to have fun and catch up on old times, as we seem to forget when we are so busy during the working week.

At my grandparents' house, they call my nonno (Italian grandfather) the 'teenager'. They call him…read morethis because he's moody and never home. And he never tells us where he goes. We come up with all sorts of stories for him, but as to the truth, it's a mystery. Although, The Matchroom, I think, has shed some light on that mystery. One thing I know of his mysterious past is his pool-playing ability. I've never seen a better pool player. In person, anyway. So I asked if he wanted to go to a club. He reluctantly agreed. I listed a few places but he said no to most of them. This set of the first alarm bell. I wondered if he knew these places and didn't want me to meet the kind of people he hung out with. Finally he conceded to The Matchroom. I'm a bit of a wildcard when it comes to pool. I'm either amazing or terrible. There's no middle-ground. But one thing I love to do is break. I love the thunderclap of the white ball breaking up the motley assortment of other balls. I always hit the white ball too hard, however, and often knock it off the table. It makes my nonno go ballistic, but I just love and continue. One time, however, the owner of the establishment caught me and he marched over to me, angry-faced, and began to give me a firm telling-off. That's when my nonno came to stand beside me. The owner gave him one look, then looked back to me, apologised, and left. Now isn't THAT interesting.

30/12/2011 It's Thursday late at night and I'm inside this…read moreplace where 10% of the pool tables are lit up, and the 90% rest is dark and not in use! Seriously though. Empire Pool Lounge is alright...and the only reason why I don't like to come here without a group of friends is the crime stories I've heard around this area. A large room, including an option to go upstairs for more pool tables, alcohol readily available and maybe ordering a couple of shots....it's sign is dimly lit from the outside, at least two or more security guards/bouncers waiting at the front to make sure you don't bring in any bottles, and I actually like it to stay that way! They give me a peace of mind, knowing what could happen around here. I've been here a few times before for good rounds of catch-up pool with good mates, and since the new laws, no-one smokes inside here anymore. Sniff....oxygen! Apart from the dangerous location, boring music, and serious lack of customers compared to a few years ago, I don't have that much complaining to do about being in this place. Surrounding pool tables are so empty, that my best friends and I could choose any table we wanted and sit anywhere we wanted. Missing your partner? Want some quality time with your best friends? Sick of dancing and want to do something different at night? Head here, where you can drink, catch up with friends and play pool all at once. The pool tables are cool. The atmosphere was a bit too boring for my high standards....more customers, crank up the lighting, maybe some sexy cocktail waitresses walking around, and better music will improve this place - yet again I could be just daydreaming again.

A great place for a quiet night with a tight knit group of friends - friendly staff and reasonably…read morepriced drinks.

Port Adelaide has certainly changed a lot over the years, which basically means that a lot of the…read moreplaces that, well, used to be pretty dodgy are now, well, quite pleasant and nice to visit. This is definitely one of those places, which has been transformed into a pretty awesome pub actually. Honestly, the atmosphere here is pretty good, and they also have a decent sized beer garden as well. Oh, and they also have a nice range of beers on tap too.

Everything was perfect for price location n layout of old port Adelaide. Need a social hubread more

Loving this place! Live music, cheap drinks, hugest 8 ball tables I have ever seen! Definitely…read moredifferent, but loving it! Friendly, not over crowded, great band, like an old friends home. Tonight the blues wins hands down.

This is the perfect place to hang out and enjoy a great blues band. All welcome. There is usually a…read morecover charge that could be $10 per person. Largest snooker tables in Adelaide, and a huge range of union memorabilia. Communist party poster? Yes! Gorgeous.

This pool hall is one of my favourite places on the Parade. It is hidden away upstairs and great…read moreentertainment for everyone. Apart from the Empire pool lounge, which frankly is quiet seedy, it is the only pool hall in the city. There are not too many pool tables, but every time I have been there, there has been one available. It's not expensive to play, just a couple of gold coins a game. There is also a jukebox, that also plays the matching music videos, so you can decide what terrible classic you want to listen to whilst attempting to hit balls into pockets. I really enjoy the atmosphere up there. I have never felt uncomfortable and it is even suitable for families with teenage children. Importantly, they have a bar so you can sip on a beverage whilst playing. The drinks are slightly expensive, but nothing too ridiculous. The hall can also cater for functions of up to 200 people. The interior decorating is very interesting. They have some of the weirdest statues and other items I have ever seen, there are even things hanging on the roof!

When I was a teenager, I thought that playing pool was the most badass thing you could do. I had…read morethis idea that any imbecile can fight, but the hardest men showed their skills first on the pool table......and THEN they proceeded to bash each other with their pool cues if there was further need for convincing. The Ballroom was one of my favourite places to go, and was a good way to spend a boring night on The Parade. Back then I wasn't too bad at sinking a few, but nowadays I try to save myself the embarrassment. The Ballroom would be a perfect place to shoot a bar fight. It's dark and a little seedy, but not too intimidating. There are plenty of pool tables available and the place is hardly ever busy, so you won't have to worry about waiting. In the event that you do have to wait for a table, you can always grab a drink from the bar and hang around or watch some of the other players flex their skills. The jukebox is also another great source of entertainment with tonnes of old hits - although I don't think the majority of the patrons would appreciate playing a game of pool to Vengaboys, so it might be a good idea to stay away from the pop one hit wonders!

Staff are friendly and helpful. Owen in the pokies was…read morefriendly and willing to help where and when he could. Jess was helpful when I didn't have the right app on my phone for the pub+ discounts. The fries and fried chicken were delicious (even if the salt was mixed up between the two dishes). Would recommend this place for a wonderful afternoon drinks or a chill meal

Perfect pub meals this place ticks all the boxes with a stunning view to enjoy those sunny days or…read moreevening moments. Staff were amazing and very accommodating

I really enjoyed the atmosphere here in this sunny afternoon in the beer garden…read more For football fans there is a massive screen showing matches, however don't fear if you're not a footy fan as the volume is either low or non-existent, which is the perfect balance and enables conversation to ensue. Don't go here for a light snack. Do expect chips with just about every meal. Do starve yourself beforehand as you will be well rewarded. The food was fabulous 'pub grub'. The schnitzels could feed a small army and the chicken was so sumptuous. I love the variety of toppings available including a 'hangover' topping that is $9 extra, and includes 2 fried eggs, bacon, onion rings, BBQ sauce and cheese. Almost worth getting drunk the night before for! I'm really keen to return to try the pork sanger. It looked amazing and has wasabi aioli and dirty slaw with it. And chips. Of course. The staff was really friendly and attentive. There are also happy hours. The bell rings and there is a rush to the bar to buy $3 cider and $2 beer. A fun, relaxed crowd completed the atmosphere. A great way to while away a Sunday afternoon.

Now, I must admit I have not been to the Alma Tavern for a long time. In fact, majority of the…read moretimes I have visited this pub has been for functions upstairs which have all been great. They have a good space to hire and centrally located. Recently, The Alma has had a facelift and the outdoor beer garden (Skybar) area is pretty damn cool! They have installed a pizza oven and outdoor bar, with lots of open space and seated areas. This area is looking so much more trendy and fun. I think that this outdoor area will get very busy in the warmer months. Be sure to check out their pizza menu! They are having a lot of fun with it. I tried a Open Burrito pizza which had chilli con carne on it with rice, cheese and sour cream. Sounds unusual, but was really yummy! This is comfort food and goes way too well with a beer. The Alma is a lot bigger than what you think it is when you drive past. It is separated into a back formal dining area, main bar & restaurant in the middle and front, outside beer garden and upstairs function area. The Alma serves your typical pub food, but they just do it so well. It is good quality and well portion sized. Check out their Classic Fish and chips served with mushy peas! Yum!

Okay, I have been here a number of times in the past with friends, but really, it isn't one of my…read morefavourite places, namely because it does tend to be particularly expensive, especially when it comes to having a meal. Sure, it has some charm about it, but while charm does give a place some rating, it isn't the be all and end all. I guess the expense of the meals really did put me off somewhat.

I've been back a few times since my last review. This time we started with Turkish Bread with…read moreDukkah ($7.90). The three huge pieces of bread were perfect to soak up the oil and the Dukkah was yummy. The pork belly ($26.90) is still great. My friend ordered the Thai Salad ($24.90). Everything washed down with a glass of Bird in Hand sparkling ($9.50) and Merrill Rose ($7.00). It's a pity that they don't serve any decent sparkling red by the glass, so would be nice to see something other than Seaview on the wine list. We had table service the whole time, and only had to go to the bar to pay after our meal. Maybe that was because it was quiet for a Monday lunch, and I think that The British was a great way to start my week.