For most of Adelaide’s dining life, saké has existed in length on menus at Japanese restaurants. Offered politely by waitstaff with promises of umami, often served warm, and not much beyond that, other than the curiosity that comes when it arrives at the table in a teacup. Or is it a shot glass?
Which is why stepping into Sodewa, now the city’s only dedicated saké bar, feels like a meaningful shift in how Adelaide drinks.
Nearly a decade has passed since Saké Society briefly came into existence as a three-week pop-up in 2017. Since then, there’s been no permanent home for sake, no place designed around its nuance, its flavours or its experience. Which feels surprising, given how enthusiastically Australia has embraced Japanese culture – matcha, wagyu, sushi, ramen, all absorbed to near obsession.
Sodewa might just be the entry point saké has been waiting for, and with two veterans at the helm, we greet it with eager anticipation.
Behind the bar are long-time business partners Ri (from near Osaka) and Hiro (from near Tokyo), who have spent more than 20 years immersed in Japanese hospitality. The pair previously ran a busy, well-loved Japanese restaurant in Brisbane before selling up and relocating to Adelaide during COVID. They stayed, they watched, and eventually, they decided this was the city they’d build something.
Speaking with Ri, she and Hiro are clear about what Sodewa is – and what it isn’t. Despite its prime Pirie Street address, this isn’t a casual watering hole for rowdy Friday knock-offs. It’s an elevated, high-brow saké bar. And seeing the almost-complete space, the tone is set immediately.
Deep harbour-blue walls and rich, moody colours give the room a sense of calm elegance. Delicate curtains and koi-inspired artwork pull you gently towards Tokyo, while a timber-wrapped bar anchors the space, offering a clear view into the open kitchen. Drop lights glow warmly overhead. Seating is intentionally limited. Wherever you sit – bar, table, front row – the kitchen remains the focus, just as it would be in Japan.
Food follows the Japanese principle of restraint through perfection. Hiro, a trained chef, isn’t letting the food live in saké’s shadow. The menu is tapas-style and made for sharing, but nothing feels casual about the execution. Fish is sourced locally, tested repeatedly, refined obsessively. Sashimi is sliced to order – salmon, kingfish, scallop – so clean and smooth you know it’ll dissolve before you’ve fully thought about it.
There’s also plenty of familiarity. Karaage fried chicken. Gyoza. Agedashi tofu. Pork belly. The menu sits comfortably between the recognisable and the refined, so you can ease into the experience. But take a risk and order the salmon cooked en papillote (“in paper”), steamed with mushrooms, fried onion, beans and a sharp miso vinegar. You won’t regret it.
If you’re saving room (and you should), dessert knows how to appease the Adelaide audience. One thing, – house-made ice cream with azuki bean and whipped matcha cream. That’s all. Or skip straight to the liquid finale.
Which brings us, inevitably – and finally – to the drinks.
The saké list is entirely imported from Japan and deeply considered. Some bottles are gold-flecked, others brewed from red rice, many impossible to find outside specialist importers. Some lean dry, some sweet, some fresh. Kizakura is always a great start, but the beauty of sake is that its 90ml serve and inoffensive flavours make it easy to trial at least half the menu until you find the perfect drop.
The saké list is entirely imported from Japan and thoughtfully curated. Some bottles are gold-flecked, others brewed from red rice, many impossible to find outside specialist importers. Some lean dry, others sweet, some fresh and aromatic. A pour of Kizakura is always a good place to start, but part of saké’s charm is its approachability. Its small 90ml serves and inoffensive flavours are an open invitation to try more than one.
Then there’s the umeshu. For the unacquainted, it’s Japanese-born liquid gold, a plum liqueur made by steeping unripe ume fruit in alcohol and sugar until it turns softly sweet, gently tangy, and ridiculously drinkable. The first time I tried umeshu – at the ripe age of 21, only just retiring my $5 moscato and Smirnoff Double Blacks – it felt like an awakening. My eyes widened, my palate followed, and suddenly drinks weren’t just lubricants or used to aid social interactions – they could actually taste good. On ice, straight, with soda, or in a cocktail, it doesn’t matter. Umeshu always tastes good.
True to their roots, Ri and Hiro also integrate South Australian wines into the experience, encouraging saké-and-wine pairings that celebrate cultural craft.
Officially opening yesterday and trading daily until January 11, Sodewa arrives at just the right time. A place to sit close, eat slowly, drink thoughtfully, meet the lovely Ri and Hiro, and maybe leave knowing a little more than when you arrived. If there’s a time you can relax enough to fully absorb the art of saké, it’s Christmas break. And everyone learns better with a drink in hand.
Sodewa Saké Bar
Where: 268 Pirie St, Adelaide
When: From December 23 – January 11, 6pm daily (including Christmas Day). Trading hours subject to change thereafter
To book, click here.
@sodewa_sakebar
