Venue: Power Up Bar
Address: 20 Leigh Street, Adelaide, SA
Open: Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Website: www.powerupbaradl.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/powerupbaradl
Instagram: www.instagram.com/powerupbaradl
Power Up Rating: ExtraYummyBevviesAndGoodGamesWe’llBeBack out of 10
How difficult is it to take decent photos when out and about, doubly so when out and about in a small bar on opening night, triply so whilst juggling couple of cocktails? Agreed? So no comments on the quality of my snaps? Alrighty then. Good.
So, Power Up Bar then. From the proprietor’s of Adelaide’s own wizardry themed The Sorcerer’s Bar, siblings Tira and Than Rattanakosit have launched their own take on a small bar replete with arcade machines, numerous varieties of beer, and quite the tasty menu of gaming themed cocktails and shots.
Looks just like an average small watering hole, right? Nope!
Located in Adelaide’s Leigh Street, a small but funky district absolutely jam-packed with a wide array of awesome eateries and drinking spots, Power Up is well-located for a quick stop along your way on a night or a destination for you and your crew. They five arcade machines inside the venue – all made by Adelaide’s own 1Up Arcade and Gaming [website, Facebook] – are perfectly suited to the small venue. Two upright two player cabinets, two wall mounted single player machines, and one barrel machine – perfect for playing Donkey Kong! Although they’re not original machines, the slimline style and multi-game choices are perfectly suited for a small bar; their minimal footprint and well-positioned locations within the indoor area maximise the amount of space for punters to hang, chat, play, and order drinks.
How long will it take gamers to work their way through this?
Oh, speaking of which, what a beverages menu! Power Up’s initial offerings all look rather tasty and appropriately themed. There’s obviously been some real thought behind weaving the flavours and obvious gaming motifs in their selection. Being a little pressed for time on my initial visit, I declined to partake in taste-testing the shots, but I immediately gravitated toward toward the DK Shake. The banana flavour was an obvious inclusion, but the white chocolate and fresh creme were tasty inclusions, and the addition of an Allen’s Banana lolly was a nice touch that brought me back to my childhood…and only then did the kick of the delicious contents kick in! Be sure not to drink and drive kids!
Alas, our visit was all too short and as I left with the sounds of the games arcade games still ringing in my ears and the cocktail flavours lingering large, I bid farewell to Tira and the other staff – all friendly, quick to serve, and a great accompaniment to the venue itself. I assured them I’d be back soon with more of the Retrospekt crew; that’s always a good sign!
Check out more of the photos in the gallery below – click through for the slideshow and full-sized images.
