This sweet Rundle Street bar serves up serious cocktails and a mixed bag of DJ tunes which flow like hot sticky syrup into the wee hours of the morning.
The soft hues of boiled lollies abound at this bar, set one storey above vibrant Rundle Street and right in the heart of Adelaide's fine-dining, bar-hopping district. Sugar is a sweet little spot to warm to kick on at after all the other East End bars are closed and silent.
Here, the funky bar staff create chi-chi cocktails with fruity ingredients and interesting booze combinations designed to delight the experienced drinker. Try a Pink Flamingo (mango vodka, apple schnapps, lime and strained cranberry juice) or a Yummy Mummy (icy peaches, Champagne and peach schnapps). Although cocktails are relatively expensive, the well-stocked bar is equipped to satisfy the requests of almost every social butterfly flapping around. Shots are also de rigueur. Order a Raging Bull (tequila and Kahlua), if you dare.
In terms of decor, Sugar is like a chocolate box; it's desirable, snugly filled and it offers something to suit most. The u-shaped booths encourage cosy conversations, but you'll have to arrive early to secure one. Crowds generally start pouring in en masse around midnight.
The pool tables attract those with a competitive streak, and DJ sounds crank up the dance-floor action. Expect a crowd-pleasing mixed bag of house, dance music and funk, along with a few other quirky tracks thrown in for good measure.
Emily Green & Andrea Tomaz