Bibliotheca

If you love books and your partner loves booze, it makes sense you’d combine the two and share it with the rest of the city. After making the move from Moscow to Adelaide, Marina Tazhdynova (the book lover) and her partner Roman Tazhdynov (the bartender) did just that at the end of 2014.

The Bibliotheca Bar & Book Exchange doesn’t sell books. It’s all about the swap. But you can purchase a cocktail made with high-quality spirits from all over the world. The bar is constantly reinventing its signature cocktail selection and mixes all the classics with confidence.

If you like whisky, there are more than 100 behind the bar, drawn from Scotland, Japan, France, India and beyond. There are also 40 gins to choose from. And while Bibliotheca isn’t a vodka bar by nature, there are plenty of options in the well-considered range. The high-end Russian vodka Beluga can be found on the top shelf in three different styles.

For beer and wine, it’s either exclusively South Australian or from the far corners of the globe.

When the weather’s fine there’s no better spot than the bi-fold windows that look onto Gresham Street, for a spot of people watching. Order a cheese board or some charcuterie and make an evening of it.