Sans-Arc Studio turned Anchovy Bandit into an Italian-suburban-hole-in-the-wall-bar, that also serves pizza. The art deco vibes in this eatery gives those visiting a cozy and familiar space in Adelaide, Australia.

Anchovy Bandit became one of the first ‘small bars’ outside of the CBD in Adelaide. The venue is located below a new cinema complex, which was built in a ‘new-art-deco’ style. We took this design intent and gave the space a slightly Italian, timber, art deco spin. The cinema provides a steady stream of customers, but the venue needed to cater for different groups, for all periods of time. A couple drinking at the bar, a few mates for a pizza and a beer before a movie sitting on the banquette, or a family, filling a booth for a long dinner. The venue was to be first and foremost a bar, that also serves pizza. Material selections are a spin on old social clubs and Italian cafes.

With pubs and cafes dominating suburban Adelaide’s hospitality landscape, Anchovy Bandit sits in stark contrast. The skinny footprint provides opportunity for a long timber bar, a central object in the space. This communicates the venue’s identity as a bar with food, not a restaurant, central to Anchovy Bandit’s appeal to the area. Opposite the bar, a series of intimate booths and a banquette in the front window provide casual, flexible seating, all giving a nod to no-fuss, hole in the wall bars and suburban pizza joints. The balance of operating throughout the day and night is found by contrasting a subtle white rendered wall against dark, rich timber panelling. The bar and kitchen are separate, with a window through to the wash-up, meaning these spaces are serviced separately, via a singular access point to the front of house.

Design: Sans-Arc Studio Photography: David Sievers

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