Best restaurants to eat and drink in Adelaide
Adelaide is full of exquisite little restaurants and bars that are low cost and great value. Join us as we share some of our favourite places to eat and drink when visiting Adelaide.
South Australia is well-known for serving exquisite dishes throughout Adelaide and beyond. With world-class wine regions on its doorstep, some of the finest seafood and a diverse range of fresh produce grown nearby, Adelaide is a foodie’s dream.
Pull up a comfortable chair as you read our ‘must do’ list of Adelaide restaurants, cafes and bars. We’ll have you short-listing your culinary adventures during your stay in South Australia. Enjoy!
Bars, Cafe’s and Restaurants you will love
With Adelaide’s proximity to some of the country’s best wine regions, it’s no surprise that foodies put this city on a par with Melbourne and Sydney when it comes to wining and dining.
Just stroll down one of the city’s bustling ‘foodie streets’ – Gouger, Waymouth, Hutt, O’Connell and Rundle Street to see what everyone is talking about. Then of course, there are bars and eateries in Gresham Street, Leigh Street and Topham Mall. There are choices everywhere!
Coffee, Breakfasts, Brunches and Lunches
Coffylosphy
Coffylosophy in Hutt Street is one of our favourite finds in Adelaide serving great coffee, all-day-breakfasts, brunches and lunches … the best selection of sweet treats. The service is friendly, the food is pretty damn good and the coffee up there with the best of them.
Queenies Store in Largs Bay
Queenies Store on Jetty Road was an accidental find. Walking past, we were surprised to see how busy this little cafe was so decided to stop for coffee and ended up staying for breakfast. There’s a very good reason why!
Cafe Troppo on Whitmore Square
On our last day in Adelaide we called into Cafe Troppo for our morning coffee and I couldn’t rave more highly about this very cool little cafe! The fruit and nut toast I ordered was quite possibly the best I’ve ever tasted … and the coffee, devine!
Step back in time and order your fresh biodynamic veggies picked fresh from the patch each week, order fresh sourdough, preserves and Troppo pickles and much more. A cafe with a difference!
Seoul Sisters
Soul Sisters in Halifax Street is one of our favourite restaurants to visit when in Adelaide. Apart from their great coffee (and it really is great), Seoul Sisters is a great place to stop in for lunch.
It’s the additional touches that make all the difference. Chef Chung Jae dresses each and every order. A sandwich is simply not a sandwich without the Chef’s touch.
Great places to hangout with friends
Discover some of some of our coolest bars in basements, behind secret doors and down unmarked alleyways. Just minutes away from the city lie some of the world’s most renowned wine regions, from the Barossa and its bold reds to the cool climate Adelaide Hills.
Wined Bar
A fabulous place to lunch! Indulge in a cheese & charcuterie board or freshly prepared pasta showcasing fresh South Australian produce. When accompanied with a wine or two, the Wined Bar makes for a great place to enjoy a leisurely long lunch.
We started with a tour of the National Wine Centre followed with a personal wine tasting of new and emerging wine styles. One of the highlights of our Adelaide visit.
Mississippi Moon
Mississippi Moon is a cosy little bar in Adelaide’s West End serving spirits, cocktails and other assorted specialties. Dreamy music from their range of vinyl records and provides a classic deep south atmosphere. A great place to meet up with friends to share a drink or two.
Treasury 1860
Set in one of South Australia’s most iconic buildings in King William Street, Treasury 1860 offers modern courtyard restaurant and bar. If you’re after a classic Whiskey Sour, this is the place to start a fabulous evening!
The Tasting Room at East End Cellars
We stumbled on the West End Cellars in Vardon Avenue when trying to escape the rain on a gloomy afternoon. What a find!
Go ‘through the wall’ for the open-plan kitchen and dining room. It’s a great place to enjoy a cosy lunch or settle in for an afternoon of wine tasting … it’s a great place to watch the world go by. Ask about their Masterclass options for something different.
Charming old pubs in Adelaide
Adelaide is setting new trends when it comes to pub food. Many of the charming old pubs have been renovated and are now brimming with energy. We’re loving the new vibes these pubs offer the city … visit a few of our favourites.
The Astor Hotel on Pulteney Street has a unique and quirky décor and offers a good selection of inexpensive meals appealing to all.
The Oxford Hotel is an award-winning hotel and one of the most trendy hotels in North Adelaide. The menu offers everything from gastropub classics to Asian-style street dishes. Advanced reservations are necessary.
Gilbert Street Hotel boasts one of the city’s finest beer gardens. An Adelaide Pub offering a menu of traditional and ethical food as well as their much loved pub burgers, schnitzels and fish dishes.
The Earl of Aberdeen Hotel in Putney Street is an iconic pub combining the rich history of South Australia’s own Coopers Brewery with a contemporary dining experience. Enjoy the wood-fired pizza or one of Adelaide’s best steaks.
The Rob Roy Hotel is the perfect spot to meet up with friends. Their casual, modern dining style caters for everyone with choices from the classics of pub grub, to more exotic specialties and their vegan menu!
No matter what your taste buds or budget demands, you will find a charming old pub to enjoy in Adelaide.
Restaurants you must try in Adelaide
Madre Lievito
Madre is a traditional Italian restaurant on Gilbert Street. Their delicious pizzas are crafted using natural starter dough from Naples in Italy. Begin your evening with their delicious spiced olives, an entre (the specials change so ask about them) and then experience one of Madre’s delicious traditional style pizza’s.
The atmosphere is welcoming, the food delicious and the ‘servizio molto bene’ – you really will think you were back in Italy again! Say hi to Michaela when you visit.
Concubine
Concubine is one of my favourite restaurants in Gouger Street. Serving traditional Asian cuisine, Concubine has a reputation for it delicious flavours, great presentation and premium service. This restaurant has won culinary awards over recent years and continues to offer amazing food.
Peel Street
Peel Street is a refreshingly simple restaurant, serving delicious food. A very popular restaurant with a great wine list, you will need a reservation for your night at Peel Street. Their ever-changing blackboard menu offers a wide variety of flavour and choices.
Dishes range from small plates to larger serves and my tip would be to order 3 small plates to share so that you can sample their flavours. We had a great night out at Peel Street.
Star of Siam in Gouger Street
Star of Siam is the place to go if you’re looking for authentic Thai food. The traditional flavours have Thai WOW factor. The great ambience and friendly staff at Star of Siam made our night out one of our favourites in Adelaide.
Gaja by Sashi
Appealing to the foodie in us all, Gaja by Sashi brings the flavours of Asia into a modern fusion style cuisine.
Sashi, winner of Channel 10’s Master Chef series in 2018 has opened a restaurant in Pirie Street, in Adelaide city. The dishes, sharing plates and cocktails are influenced by Sashi’s Singaporean, Malay and Indian heritage and are a welcome change from other Asian-influenced food.
My suggestion is to start with Kingfish Sashimi and Oysters with Green Chilli Granita (we shared) and share a main with your partner so that you leave room for the Mango Sorbet with White Chocolate Mousse and Honey & Macadamia Crumble! Absolutely delicious!
Luigi Delicatessen
Award winning Luigi’s Delicatessen was one of our most exciting restaurant discoveries during our stay in Adelaide. The aroma’s from Luigi’s was enough to lure us in as we walked by. Live music in the background, friendly and welcoming staff made for the perfect evening.
We ordered the gnocchi with porcini mushrooms and truffle paste and the house rolled spaghetti with blue swimmer crab sauce. A perfect night out!
Chianti on Hutt Street
Chianti on Hutt Street was the perfect choice to meet up with friends for a special night out. The service was impeccable, the menu options were excellent with choices to suit us all and the wine list, extensive.
The menu is a mix of traditional and modern Italian favourites changing frequently to feature local and seasonal produce. Try the Beef Carpaccio or indulge yourself with the Coffin Bay Oysters – they were superb, as was the Spaghetti Nero Blue Swimmer Crab.
Chianti, good friends and good wine made for a perfect night out in the city.
The Greek on Halifax Street
The Greek is a popular family-run restaurant, where the chefs take inspiration from recipes handed down over generations.
Choose from the meze menu, classic mains or vegetarian dishes or generous platters to share with others. Trev opted for the Souvlaki skewers whilst I chose the chargrilled Morton Bay Bugs and our friends raved about the Vegetarian Moussaka!
Tip of the day: Make sure you leave room for desert!
Pin this list for Best Restaurants and Bars in Adelaide for Foodies
More things to do whilst visiting Adelaide
- Fun things to do in Adelaide
- Best Australian Wines under $30 a bottle
- McLaren Vale Wineries and Cellar Door Experiences
- The Ultimate Roadtrip – Adelaide to Alice Springs
