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Could This Secret Arcade Basement Be Adelaide’s Next Speakeasy?

The historic underground spot is all ready for a tenant.

A couple of weeks ago, Adelaide Arcade popped a glass floor in a section of the ground floor giving a glimpse into the underground of the more than 130-year-old building.

https://www.facebook.com/adelaidearcadeofficial/photos/a.1694729707524254/2052387728425115/?type=3&theater

People got pretty darn excited at being able to have a look down the original staircase into what was once the arcade’s tearooms. 

Adelaide Arcade’s Andrew Jonats said the space, which is right in the middle of the arcade, has been used as a storeroom for a number of years.

The building has had many tenants over its history, and they’re still discovering nooks and crannies. A few stores even have their own basements – a section at the Grenfell Street end was even once Turkish baths!

So what’s going to happen with the basement under the glass floor? Andrew said they’re open to suggestions.

“If someone wants to do something with the space to actually make it into a tea room again or a gin bar or a speakeasy or something that complements the heritage, we’re very open to that,” he says.

With its own separate entrance down a hidden staircase from the adjacent alleyway, we think this one has underground bar written all over it. 

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