Up on the roof: where to see Adelaide and be seen

Up on the top floor of Adelaide's chic Mayfair Hotel is a very swish cocktail bar that is pretty much a secret to everyone except for the city's most tuned-in drinkers.

Hennessy is the place to see great views of the city, and be seen by movers, shakers and fun lovers.

The 13th floor rooftop bar on King William Street in the Adelaide CBD has an al fresco terrace with its own lit-up wall garden, a chandeliered bar space and and relaxed lounge area.

It's a place to take in the views from up high, and to enjoy Champagnes (from Besserat to Louis Roederer Cristal) and house cocktails, as well as a range of small bar eats.

Signature cocktails include a Cherry Mob, Pink Panther, and a Blue Lychee Martini as well as all the classics,  and there is also a range of mocktails.

A Roku gin from Japan with pink tonic, fig and cherry blossom was just the ginspiration I needed after my masked flight from Hobart.

Or maybe you would prefer a two-tier whisky tasting pitching bourbon from Maker's Mark from Kentucky alongside an Oban 14-year-old malt from Scotland, or a Hibiki Harmony whisky from Japan. 

Jacob Quigg is the well-travelled Hennessy bar manager and has been curating a number of gin and dark spirit offerings to enhance the beverage program. Many guests arrive after dinner in the Mayflower Restaurant in the same hotel.

The lovely terrace features luxurious underfloor heating and tiled bar around the edge of the terrace, providing plenty of opportunity for admiring the city skyline.

The bar is named not after the cognac, but after the original architects of the building which houses the hotel - the 1930s CML building designed by Hennessy, Hennessy & Co.

Hennessy is open Thursday-Sunday right now and is accessed via an express lift from the hotel lobby. Dress up, not down. 

# The Mayfair Hotel is a five-star boutique hotel with 170 rooms and is home to Mayflower Restaurant and Hennessy rooftop bar. www.mayfairhotel.com.au