Rather unkindly, Adelaide has long been dubbed a ‘big country town’ and for years, revealing that you were born there would invariably invoke a look of sympathy. But the tide has turned: Adelaide is now officially cool and its restaurant scene has much to do with it.
The city boasts a packed events calendar, including WOMADelaide, the Adelaide Fringe Festival, LIV Golf tournaments, Tasting Australia, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and, of course, the cricket, culminating in the Ashes at the Adelaide Oval. There’s rarely a quiet weekend in this historically sleepy town. Adelaide’s compact layout and size makes it ideal for cultural revelry; Adelaide and the event become one.
The city’s restaurants have not been left behind and the selection is now more exciting than ever. Increasingly, great chefs and restaurateurs are bypassing the chaos and cost of Sydney and Melbourne to open in Adelaide. The food and wine offering in the city is only enhanced by its inescapable link to wine by location. The close proximity to regions such as Barossa, Eden Valley, Clare, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Longhorn Creek and the Adelaide Hills makes it an ideal base for the wine tourist and, naturally, the excellent wines from the local regions are served in the city’s restaurants.
Adelaide is also home to one of the world’s leading oenology and wine business schools at the University of Adelaide. Not only has it produced some of Australia’s finest wine makers but its influence is evident across Adelaide’s hospitality scene, where many of the front-of-house team running plates and slinging bottles are students, the next generation of wine professionals in training. Read on for ten of the best restaurants in Adelaide.
Ten of the best restaurants to visit in Adelaide
Longplay Bistro
Pirie Street
As the name suggests, Longplay takes music seriously, with a record player spinning vinyl day and night without a Spotify playlist in sight. The team lovingly renovated the space themselves. It’s functional yet warm and full of energy, leaving guests to focus on the Europe-inspired bistro food, wine and tunes.
Patrolling the floor with intent and overseeing the wine program is co-owner Henry Holland – a familiar face in Adelaide hospitality. He’s a true owner-operator, always omnipresent, topping up glasses and guiding customers through the thoughtfully curated wine list.
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Sofia Bistro
Hutt Street
Sofia is a newish addition to the Adelaide restaurant scene, serving Mediterranean food through a modern lens – think spanakopita dip with crispy filo shards or mini lamb souvas with yoghurt and tabouli. It’s seriously fun. The music’s great, the place is buzzing and the staff are clearly enjoying the packed service as much as the diners. The food hits a sweet spot between nostalgia and deliciousness. The Sofia team is also responsible for Part Time Lover, another great restaurant, this time in the city’s CBD.
Star House
My love of dumplings and noodles is unrivalled. As a result, you’ll find the Hill-Smith family at Star House most Sundays. Star House is more than just another Cantonese restaurant; it has has become an unofficial ‘club house’ for Adelaide’s wine trade, thanks to a generous corkage policy and good food. Quintessentially Aussie-Chinese with its white tablecloths, paper napkins, lazy-susans and a wall of live seafood tanks, it’s a fantastic choice for both dim sum and dinner, with all the usual suspects on the menu: Peking duck, beef ho fun, shallot pancakes and, of course, plenty of dumplings. Other favourites in Adelaide’s Chinatown district include Concubine, Ying Chow and Ding Hao.
1/31-39 Gouger St, Adelaide SA 5000
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The Exeter
Rundle Street
Dating back to 1853, The Exeter is an institution. Located in Adelaide’s vibrant East End, it’s still gloriously rough around the edges. In 2001, the South Australian government listed The Exeter Hotel as a heritage building. Any attempt at gentrification would be a tragedy and scrub away its soul, typified by the mantra ‘no pokies, no pub crawls, no bullshit’.
Ordering a bottle of Krug in the front bar is a cherished Adelaide vinous tradition. So iconic is the experience that Olivier Krug himself supplies the pub with custom-branded Krug butcher glasses – the classic South Aussie 200ml beer glass – made especially for The Exeter. One of the world’s finest Champagnes served at a compelling price in a scruffy city pub is a delicious juxtaposition. A full a la carte menu is served to soak up the fine fizz, including schnitzels, steaks, burgers, reuben sandwiches, and fish and chips.
Good Gilbert
Goodwood Road
Wilson Shawyer spent close to a decade working in London at The Wolseley. London’s loss was Adelaide’s gain when Wilson and his wife Issy returned to their homeland and opened Good Gilbert, a neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant in the suburban surrounds of Goodwood.
What began as a local haunt has become one of Adelaide’s most respected wine venues, now boasting a list of more than 400 bottles. On occasion, you might even find Domaine de la Romanée-Conti available by the glass, poured under Coravin.
It’s routine to arrive under the guise of a quick after-work wine, only to leave hours later – stomachs full and in high spirits – after a second glass, a few snacks, followed almost inevitably by a full three-course dinner. Starters include tuna crudo, beef short rib with kohlrabi remoulade, grilled asparagus and pickled cabbage, while main dishes could be a lamb rump with pea and mint salsa or steak with charred corn salad and a pico de gallo butter. Visiting Good Gilbert is a slippery albeit delicious slope.
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Jasmin
Hindmarsh Square
Jasmin serves some of the best Indian food in Australia and there’s surely no bigger stamp of approval than the patronage of the Indian cricket team whenever they’re in town. Marco Pierre White, a notoriously harsh taskmaster, said of visiting Jasmin: ‘I had probably the best Indian meal of my life.’
Established by the Singh-Sandhu family in 1980 and overseen by the charming Amrik, Jasmin has long been a beloved Adelaide restaurant, dishing up classic north-Indian fare in its cosy, subterranean dining room. Our family order is always a point of passionate debate: vegetable pakoras, tandoori barramundi, tandoori lamb chops, boonagoosh and beef vindaloo usually win out – but you really can’t go wrong. Even after all these years, you’ll still need a booking – particulalry when the cricket is on.
Africola
East Terrace
When Africola opened its doors in 2014, it was something of a watershed moment for Adelaide’s rising restaurant scene. South African–born chef and owner Duncan Welgemoed arrived with serious culinary clout, having worked in the kitchens of Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, and Adelaide swiftly claimed him as one of their own. Africola’s menu is bold, vibrant and unapologetically flavourful, focused on food cooked over an open fire. The crispy chicken tea sandwich with peri peri drippings is god’s work.
4 East Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
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Arkhé
The Parade
Arkhé opened in 2021 when chef Jake Kellie relocated to Adelaide after a solid stint as head chef at the Michelin-starred and World’s 50 Best restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore. Like Burnt Ends, it focuses on open-fire cooking, so naturally, one of the big draws is beef from South Australian boutique wagyu beef producer Mayura Station. But there are so many essential dishes on the mene: the caviar with crème fraiche and hash browns, blue swimmer crab tostadas, and parfait tartlet are all outstanding. Sit in the leafy courtyard, the main restaurant or the bar, watching the action unfold in the flame-filled kitchen.
ORSO
Kensington Road Rose Park
Since his appearance on the first season of MasterChef, Andre Ursini has established one of Adelaide’s busiest and best suburban restaurants. Just 10 minutes from the CBD, ORSO is a bright, modern dining room anchored by an open kitchen that radiates energy.
Like Ursini himself, the menu is a seamless blend of Italian heritage and Australian sensibility. The food is gutsy and ingredient-driven, served with a confident, no-nonsense approach that lets the produce shine. Say hello to sommelier Michael Murphy and seek his advice on what to drink from a considered wine list.
Osteria Oggi
Pirie Street
Serving modern and delicious Italian fare with pasta made in-house, Osteria Oggi has been busy and consistent since opening in 2015. Part-owner Simon Kardachi is behind some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, including Fugazzi and Shōbōsho, so you know you’re in good hands. Inside, cobblestone floors and graceful arches frame intimate booths, a lively bar, and a cosy cellar room for ten. It’s a fantastic all-day option, equally suited to solo diners and groups alike.
