201 Rundle St, Adelaide
The view: Hellbound is in a basement space, so there's no view outside. There's plenty to look at inside, though.
The vibe: There's a warm welcome and comfy bench seating from which to enjoy the casual, funky vibe and the historic decor: a gorgeous pressed-tin ceiling and atmospheric restored stonework walls, contrasted with pink neon. The punters seem wide-ranging, from a couple I highly suspect were on a Tinder date, to small groups of local wine lovers in for pre-theatre drinks. I was told an entire wedding party was expected later in the evening for an after-party. I loved the 80s English pop hits that were playing.
The chat: The staff here are young, super-friendly and seriously know their wine. It's perhaps not surprising as one of the owners is also a winemaker. It feels like one of those places where you can front up not knowing quite what you feel like, and come away from the bar with the perfect thing.
The menu: This is a wine bar, in the middle of one of Australia's great wine regions. As you'd expect there's a fabulous selection of local wines on the menu, as well as an extensive range of wines from the rest of the world. If you're after just a glass, they've got you covered, or you could go for a "mystery wine" of the sommelier's choice; a fun and interesting way to try something new. You don't have to have wine though; there's a full range of interesting spirits including locally distilled gin, and just three perfectly-formed cocktails: a negroni, a martini and a "fancy fruit cup" – a local version of Pimm's.
