Adelaide’s best bartender Abby Roennfeldt to relocate Hades Hula House to the city

She’s the Semaphore bartender named Adelaide’s best – and now her cocktail creations are coming to an iconic Hindley St venue. Here’s where you can drink up.

Abby Roennfeldt never dreamt she’d run a successful cocktail bar, let alone be named SA’s best bartender.

The 34-year-old opened Hades Hula House in Semaphore four years ago, inspired by her love of Tiki bars.

It soon became a western suburbs institution and earned her the mantle of SA’s best bartender in the Advertiser’s best-of poll last year.

Now, many Adelaideans looking to try Ms Roennfeldt’s cult creations will have their travel times slashed.

Hades Hula House is set to reinvigorate the old candy bar beneath Hindley Street’s GU Film House building, using its iconic palm trees to pave an entrance to the Hawaiian-inspired bar and eatery.

Ms Roennfeldt had always dreamt of a big venue with large, open spaces, live music and lots of diversity but never quite found the right space in Semaphore.

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Abby Roennfeldt from Hades Hula House named South Australia’s best bartender by delicious

She told The Advertiser that the Covid pandemic had, surprisingly, provided the drive she needed to expand.

“Covid came about which I’m really grateful for, because it helped me build on my management skills and look at things a different way,” Ms Roennfeldt said.

“I looked at the big picture and reassessed what I wanted for myself and the team.”

Ms Roennfeldt said Hades Hula House would look to kickstart a new life for the western end of bustling Hindley Street.

Bartender Abby Roennfeldt at Semaphore's Hades Hula House. Picture: Michael Marschall

“We said, ‘what can we do and how can we make it beneficial to the whole precinct?’,” she said.

“That space and that entire complex has been under-utilised … I think it will start a snowball effect in that other businesses will be attracted to it and it will become a bustling, thriving area.”

But diehard fans of the original Hades, never fear – the venue’s ‘good vibes guarantee’ will be travelling with it.

“We still plan to deliver the ‘good vibes guarantee’ that has always been our motto – good food, good drinks and good times,” Ms Roennfeldt said.

“There will just be more of them.”

Abby Roennfeldt’s cocktail creations are coming to Hindley Street.

The new location promises an immersive, escapist experience, with a commissioned mural on the front window transporting visitors into the tropical bar.

There will be space out the back for live music and private functions and a dining room offering unique ‘Hades’ dishes inspired by Hawaiian, Mexican and Asian cuisine.

Ms Roennfeldt said Australian spirits would remain at the heart of the bar’s cocktail menu, with exciting options for discerning drinkers.

Hades Hula House’s last day of trade at the Semaphore venue will be May 28, with its Hindley Street doors set to swing open in July.