fizz on the beach - r3 holdfast promenade glenelg south australia 5045 08 8376 9777

fizz on the beach is a great name for a bar. sounds sexy, tasty, yum. this place didn't quite hit all the marks, but they did try pretty hard and the name is so damn good. we had champagne on the balcony overlooking the beach - ignoring the sub-zero westerly trying to pull our hair out by the roots - and then went inside to a sofa overlooking the marina for salt and pepper calamari and something else which was probably good but obviously unremarkable.

the staff were friendly and jokey in that country town sort of way where to take oneself too seriously is asking to be ridiculed by the entire town and given an embarrassing nickname which will become embedded into your life even though your driver's license says 'robert nicholas'. an american waitress in particular was possibly more than friendly, with a sort of pre-prepared talent quest life story for us or anyone else who paid any attention. 'yeah, i've been here for about six months, y'know, down from sydney? and i like it here but, y'know, i thought i might do some more travelling? but i've also applied for some uni courses? and if i get in...?' tell your story walking, girlfriend.

they had done some good stuff with the interior of the place with a bit of a warehouse thing happening. all that exposed brick and polished concrete and wood is good. the owner looked like an arsehole drinking with his mates and i think he might have made the manager cry. so while not advocating a place that encourages that sort of behaviour, it is a good place to go and maybe if we go there it will help the manager keep her job.