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The Howling Owl

4.1 (29 reviews)
Open 8:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

The Howling Owl Photos

THE HOWLING OWL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Good for working
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - The Howling Owl

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Pate and dip platter.
Danielle R.

Always delicious food and good coffee. I love the eccentric feel of the space and there is always something cool to look at. If you are into gin or craft beer, look no further. There is a vast array to choose from and the staff will happily talk you through each one to help find one to your liking. If you pop in during happy hour, you can get some great value drinks. Food wise, they have a good selection. I have tried the pate, which was a little strong for me, but their salmon and caper, and beetroot and horseradish dips are to die for. The Howling Owl also boasts a good selection of sweet treats, many of which are simply delicious, washed down with a coffee or of their qwirky teas. If you are in the city and are looking for a quick bite, a good coffee or a unique drinking experience, you must visit this place.

Tresna L.

There's gin. And owls. Could we get any more HIP RIGHT NOW? I was pretty impressed to hear that Adelaide has a cafe and bar dedicated just to gin and only wished I'd had more time to spend here. I'm told by the owner that the range will will be growing over time, so I'm looking forward to future visits and sitting in the cute nook in the wall sampling as many as possible!

Cherae S.

We stopped here on our cocktail hopping night. This review is only for the cocktail side of things and I have not had breakfast or coffee here which may give it a better review. We walked in and it was extremely busy, probably due to the happy hour 7-8pm. You could choose espresso martini's, hot toddys or have 2 4 1 gin and tonics. It seemed a bit hipster although a much more cafe style, not a bar scene. Seeing a cake fridge just didn't set the scene for me. We had come here for cocktails off the specials list as we had looked at the menu prior to arriving and were quite excited by it. Unfortunately the bartenders were probably more experienced in coffees than cocktails and my 'Silk Road' martini with gin, cardamon, passionfruit and contreau was watery and lacked flavour. It was flashy with half a passionfruit on fire when it was presented, sadly, it was hugely disappointing to taste. We decided against trying others on the menu as the first drinks failed to impress. We feel that they were heading in the right direction with the mixes but the portions of each ingredient just didn't mix well.

Green capsicum adds a freshness to this Scottish tipple. Great pre night out drink.
Alexis C.

Ok. I've been here a few times now. Time to review it as a retrospective. I've been here busy, thumping, crowded and loud. I've been here when it's just me and two others in corners ignoring the world and each other. I've been here hungry and I've been here dry as a desert. Each time the Howling Owl was exactly what I needed. Indoor outdoor seating, benches, couches, a booth and stools at the window, so many choices. This eve I picked the stool, to watch the world go by as I had a Scottish Gin: Old Raj, with slices of radish, capsicum and fever tree tonic. The only things stopping you find the gin that matches your mood is time and money, because variety, is something they have in spades. A gin bible is needed as your research tool and fortunately they provide you with one telling you origin and serving style for more guns than you'd be able to have in a week. (That's not a challenge) Arranged by country, South Australia (they support local enterprise), Australia, New Zealand, America, England, Spain, Sweden, Scotland, and Germany get a look in. So far I've finished (had one from each on offer from) Spain, Sweden, New Zealand and Scotland. They also do coffee and food, of which I've had the latter. Food is affordable, which is good because you'll more than be tempted to break the budget with the gins.

Ink gin sahhh pretty
Lisa-marie O.

Small, mini, catch your perfect time, ours appear to be Saturday afternoons and weekdays. On weekdays you may feel left out if you don't have a laptop, but don't fear the uni students are just hanging out at a damn good place doing their homework and will not bother you. Winter daily need is an IV of the Hot Apple Pie Hot Toddy. I could seriously have 78 of these a day and be content with life and eventually have diabetes. The howling owl has every gin and craft beer you could think of, I love how small and intimate it is and could definitely chill there all day long, hmmm maybe I should become a uni student again and this could be a dream that may come true. Last year we did the gin masterclass which was educational/fun and something different. I feel like the howling owl is somewhere a lot of people would miss or think was just a cafe and let's be honest sucks to be those people who have no idea of the greatness.

Some of the garnishes on offer at the Howling Owl...
Sarah L.

The staff here not only do it all- from coffee to cocktails to tasting plates, but they do it with style. Unbelievably good martinis and a great way to start and finish a wander around Adelaide city.

Apple Pie Hot Toddy - the perfect liquid lunch.
Rachel A.

Dropped in here for a sneaky platter and hot toddy, and was very impressed. Such a cozy place to hang out on a cold, miserable, winter's day! The Howling Owl offers a chic, relaxing, laid back atmosphere. We ordered the cheese and honey platter, dukkah, olive oil and dips platters - and they were all simply delish! The hot toddy was an amazing apple pie cocktail served warm with sliced apple and cinnamon stick. Just perfect to warm you up and really did taste like an apple pie. It was definitely the winning highlight and why I will be coming back every dreary office day!

Jane M.

So last night was the first time I visited this little bar. Being a Monday night it wasn't packed. I did enjoy a gin based Hot Toddy and it was amazing. I love warm cocktails in winter. I was hoping to try the soup special which was advertised on a chalk board on the counter to find the kitchen had closed. I wish they'd remove the sign if it's not available. However we did get the bread and Dukkah board and the staff member kindly switched the olives for marinated mushrooms. Only $10 a good price to fill in the gap before going home for dinner.

Lovely lights

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Review Highlights - The Howling Owl

The only things stopping you find the gin that matches your mood is time and money, because variety, is something they have in spades.

Mentioned in 17 reviews

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NOLA Adelaide - New Orleans style Beignets

NOLA Adelaide

4.2(30 reviews)
0.1 kmAdelaide
$$

It was always my go to bar. Amazing cocktails and food in a great spot in the east end of Adelaide…read more The bartenders are super knowledgeable and they have a great spirits collection. Drinks and food I recommend: Spicy fried chicken Brisket po boy Beignets Lady NOLA cocktail

The Thursday after work crowd was young (20-30s), and of the fashionable hipster variety. I went…read morewith a larger group and found it's energy exciting, but as a native of New Orleans (born and raised) not true to its name or particularly authentic. First of all, whiskey is native to the bluegrass state (KENTUCKY) and though whiskey is 'the drink' of the moment it's time too shall pass... Since the 1700s New Orleans is and has always been a rum city, but hey, why be bothered with the details or with authenticity, right? I mean who cares that the iconic poboy sandwich is supposed to be served on a French baguette (which could likely be sourced from another local biz just around the corner -Le Carpe Diem, Grenfell Street) when you could use a (possibly cheaper?) inferior Vietnamese roll? Back to the food: we sampled the fried chicken which was a very small serve for the price and it was accompanied by a mayonnaise 'sauce' - why is it needed? Is there bread to make a sandwich?!? Um, no. So, I gave it a go and found the sauce bland, tasteless, and utterly unnecessary. It's mayonnaise! With nothing else. Fried chicken in the States doesn't ever come with a sauce! Ever. Back to the chicken, it had a delightful crunch and was reasonably well seasoned but far too greasy. If served with grease glistening then it should sit on a piece of bread to soak up the oil OR should be blotted with paper. Not good. Next we had the Marlin tartar which was one of the few unique and creative takes on NOLA cuisine; it was presented on a crisp much like a Zapps' Potato Chip (for Western Hemi folks). This is something I can recommend without reservation. Then we sampled the rabbit stew - very, very tasty with just enough seasoning, however too much rice and not enough rabbit. One last thing, it is a total and complete sacrilege to have a Mardi Gras party on the first Friday of Lent. Pure and simple commercialization. If you can't do it on Shrove Tuesday, just give it up!

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NOLA Adelaide
NOLA Adelaide
NOLA Adelaide - Lady NOLA cocktail

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Lady NOLA cocktail

BRKLYN - Opening Night

BRKLYN

4.1(11 reviews)
0.0 kmAdelaide
$$

Hellllooooooo..... Brklyn! A new kid on the block has set up shop (or you could call it three)…read moresitting above Rundle Street. This bar is really doing something different. Set to feel like a side street in a town, you will notice a subway chair on entry and three small stores. First up a deli prepping cured meat awesomeness, next up a barber and finally a recording studio. And yes, there is a barber set up on Friday night to get a cut while you enjoy a few drinks. It is quite well set up and really does create a different feeling in a bar. You are stepping off Rundle Street onto another street upstairs. In the middle you will find a long bar and a range of booths. Bottles of spirits line the back and four taps for brews. The cocktail menu has some twists to old favourites. I went for The Dreamer as I am a whisky girl. It was a good cocktail, a little acidic and fresh. It was a good cocktail, but nothing that really stands out in a crowd for $20. Next time I will order the Old Fashioned which had some coconut in it from memory. Interesting. What I really like about this bar is the aesthetics. It's almost trying to create an experience that no one else is doing with the shop fronts. I think it's quite clever. The owner here is a real sweetheart and really trying to do something different. Give it a few months and I think that this bar will be pumping! Well done for effort and looking forward to see this bar grow.

A great little spot on Rundle Street, hidden upstairs amongst the restaurants. I saw this open…read morerecently and this really enticed me, I was hoping it would tick all the boxes! We almost walked past it, it is only an entrance door and hidden between two eateries. Up the stairs you face a subway like waiting room and a 'secret' door. Heading through you pass a sandwich bar, barber and private DJ room. We moved on straight to the bar and were greeted by friendly staff and were quick to seat us at the bar, although there was plenty of seating as it was only around 7pm. The bartender knew his stuff and quickly made me 'Pistols at Dawn' a smashing mix of chipotle fused tequila with capsicum, lime and cucumber. It was absolutely amazing and so tasty. We got to talking to the bar staff and they really knew their stuff, making my partner a cocktail off the menu. The ambience was great, music was loudish but set the scene for the NYC style bar. The seats close to the windows offered some great people watching opportunities. The menu looked great, mainly snack food but offering NYC style pastrami sandwiches, they sounded so good-why did we just have dinner!? Definitely worth putting on your cocktail list - 5 stars for service and knowledge a 5 stars for taste and accuracy. Wish I could critique the food - maybe next time. This is a bar definitely on my plus list. This reminds me of the cool funky bars you get in London or even definitely NY and I would be heading back soon for sure.

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BRKLYN - Opening Night

Opening Night

BRKLYN
BRKLYN - The Deli of goodness

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The Deli of goodness

Sunset Bar - Lord Nelson Brewery Three Sheets Pale Ale

Sunset Bar

2.7(10 reviews)
10.8 kmGlenelg
$$

I've been to Sunset Bar a couple of times. The first time was when I was looking for a 21st venue…read moreand decided to see what they had to offer. Unfortunately they don't have a private function room, but they offered the back end of the bar for us, which wasn't what I was looking for but they were very helpful and accommodating to what I said I liked and wanted etc. The second time I came here was a Sunday night with a few of the girls. We decided to have a couple of quiet drinks and to splurge on a cocktail. I chose the Snickers cocktail which was delish!! It cost about $16 but it was huge. That night Sunset Bar wasn't overly busy and there were a few very drunk girls making fools of themselves (but I guess you can get this anywhere), but apart from that the location of Sunset Bar is great, it's got a large bar and plenty of seating and dance floor space. You can also sit outside on the Marina side or beach side. A perfect summer spot!

Really nice place! Unfortunately we didn't get to see the view as the back half of the bar was…read moreroped off for a function. We came here for a couple of drinks and this bar is the perfect place for it. The wine list is nice with a a good amount of options by the glass and a "wine of the month". There's a good selection of craft beer and cocktails also - I had the snickers one which was amazingly delicious. We also tried some wedges which were perfect and crispy. I found the staff really helpful and friendly (although maybe it was because we were mainly served by a bearded bartender and had an equally bearded friend with us!) and they cleared our empty glasses really quickly which was good as we had limited space on our table. My only complaint was that the live music on the night was way too loud, it was much louder than the normal music playing over the speakers and forced us to yell at eachother to have a conversation. Note: They also accept paywave and credit on bar.

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Sunset Bar - Great vibe for a summery Sunday afternoon, live music, sea views.

Great vibe for a summery Sunday afternoon, live music, sea views.

Sunset Bar - Cocktails!

Cocktails!

Sunset Bar - Sangria

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Sangria

Mississippi Moon

Mississippi Moon

4.0(5 reviews)
0.9 kmAdelaide

Wandered down Gresham Street to get away from the usual Hindley crowd. It was quiet for a Friday…read morenight so I had a chance to talk to the bar staff about their specialty item: Moonshine. This was my first experience trying moonshine, funnily enough it doesn't come in those stereotypical hillbilly ceramic jugs and there are actually quite a few varieties. Their moonshine comes imported from interstate or all the way from Tennessee. I spent a few minutes picking different jars off the shelf to have a smell and get a bit of a story for each one, the staff are definitely experts. The flavoured moonshines go well with soda water, but if you want something a bit more creative, Mississippi Moon offers a few mixed moonshine cocktails including my new favourite; Ole Smoky Apple Pie moonshine, apple juice and cinnamon. Bar staff are the friendliest you'll meet on a Friday night on the west end, even had a few games of UNO with some other punters over the bar. Decor has a cosy, modern and 'Southern' vibe, will probably seat around 20 people at a guess. Definitely a highlight of a night in town, will hopefully get another chance to Mississippi Moon.

Cute little bar in Gresham st. Love the decor but needs a bigger cocktail list. The cocktails I…read morechose were great and well made however, a bigger choice would be great. Music is not too loud so you can talk with your friends without losing your voice (a big plus for me). Definitely worth a visit.

Clever Little Tailor

Clever Little Tailor

4.4(30 reviews)
1.0 kmAdelaide
$$

Nice little quaint and cozy bar. They had 3 beers on tap and the larger tasted great. We sat at the…read morebar one night and cozy lounge area another. Staff were friendly one night and the next night not very sociable. They are open late which is great! I'd stop here for an ale again thats for sure. Rating it as a small cozy wine bar I give it a 4.5 ( rounded to 5.

When you are made to feel like you are the only person in the bar worth serving (despite how…read morechaotic everything is around you) you know you are in for a good night. We stood up at the bar and enjoyed the buzz of the place (not with doof doof music or loud obnoxious patrons) but with chatter and people weaving together a night of fun for themselves. You can also sit at a booth upstairs and watch over the crowd, perch in one of the windows at the front or sit on stools at small benches. If you are someone who hates making decisions, this tiny hole in the wall, 65 person bar has already made half of them for you. Their simple menu includes 3 beers on tap and a selection of craft brews by the bottle, 3 whites and 3 reds by the glass, a selection of wines by the bottle and then any cocktail you request can be made. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about all of the drinks on offer and make a point of telling you about what you are drinking, what it tastes like, or giving you recommendations. There are also only 4 food items on the menu - Coriole Olives, Pickels and 2 charcuterie boards made from The Charcuterie (a spin off from Lucia's Deli in the Central Market). We had the duck pate which doesn't sound or look that appetising but is actually not a paste but more of a shredded duck in pork belly fat goodness. The proscuitto platter again only came with bread and pickles but it didn't need anything else because of the quality of meat - it was a young cut of meat so not too typically proscuitto salty, very thinly sliced but still not bland. Now I have to warn all those typical Adelaidians our there who "refuse to line up." At 7pm on a Friday the line up was about 8 persons deep but we were inside within 20 minutes. Because this isn't a bar for spending hours and hours at people move in and out pretty quickly. So suck it up princess because CLT is worth the wait.

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Clever Little Tailor - Love the exposed wall! And digging the 30's sound track

Love the exposed wall! And digging the 30's sound track

Clever Little Tailor - By day the ambiance is still great

By day the ambiance is still great

Clever Little Tailor

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Stone's Throw - The Beer Garden

Stone's Throw

3.4(20 reviews)
2.3 kmNorwood
$$

This is a neat little place. I didn't know what it was on the outside until one night I stopped and…read morelooked. It's a really long bar and has food. We just had drinks but they had a nice menu. All the way down the back is an outside area. Really liked the layout. Must check it out.

I'm from the South and have a complex about not fitting in at the best of times, so on my first…read morevisit to Grace I was shaking in my boots. So much light, so much posh, so many manicures! But after a few minutes of good service and chilled out vibe I was able to relax. The place to be on The Parade is thanks to that A-Team the Trims family, who are also responsible for the equally buzzy Sparrow and The Manse. All the carry on and hoo haa about this place I reckon is well deserved, coming here is a unique experience and there's nowhere else around quite like it. You get a little drinks card to hang onto so you can order ten dollar glasses of wine and pricey food without having to actually think about how much you're paying. Last time I came here we had fries, which come out on a wooden block with an accompanying bowl of 'aerated ketchup,' which was absolutely delicious. They appear to be fans of aeration, there are also donuts with aerated chocolate sauce, and scallops with aerated almond cream. We all know how Adelaide folk like to get all worked up over new things, and I reckon this place is worth the hype.

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Stone's Throw - Great bar

Great bar

Stone's Throw - The Bar

The Bar

Stone's Throw

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The Howling Owl - coffee - Updated May 2026

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