Where To Eat and Drink in Adelaide 

South Australia’s capital punches well above its weight when it comes to its food and drink scene. Meet world-famous chefs, dine at boundary-pushing restaurants, and feast on unusual global cuisine when you explore the best places to wine and dine in Adelaide.

Our guide to Adelaide’s food scene has it all, from kitsch pizza parties and chic rooftop bars to North African bites and Australia’s best restaurant for 2023. Read on to discover the best family-friendly restaurants, cool wine bars, top brunch spots and more in the city.

Treat yourself to a fancy feast

Surrounded by Australia’s top wine regions and top-tier producers, it’s no surprise that Adelaide has incredible restaurants. If you’re a degustation fan, lock in a reservation at Restaurant Botanic, which took home the crown as Gourmet Traveller’s Restaurant of the Year 2023. 

Set within the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Garden, chef Justin James will lead you through a tasting menu lasting four hours that highlights plenty of native produce.

Eat around the world in Adelaide

Adelaide favourite Africola will take you on an adventure through Northern Africa with peri peri chicken, falafel and harissa.

Journey through Japan at Shōbōsho and feast on smokey yakitori skewers, umami-rich share plates, sashimi and gyoza.

For hawker-style Singaporean food, look to MasterChef Australia 2019 winner Sashi Cheliah’s Gaja by Sashi, loaded with bold curries and delicious satays.

Noi dishes up Vietnamese plates inspired by the food owners Thy and Quang Nguyen grew up eating.

And make sure you set aside time to feast on red curry and wok-tossed mussels at Golden Boy, a modern Thai restaurant.

Adelaide’s best Italian food

Everyone loves pasta, and Fugazzi is Adelaide’s temple, inspired by New York’s Italian bars with an Aussie twist. You could also try its sister restaurant Nido, or another favourite pasta spot Osteria Oggi. 

For pizza, Sunny’s Pizza is a local favourite dishing up Napoli-style pizza along with tasty cocktails, kitsch vibes and party tunes, while contemporary diner iTL keeps it simple with house-made pizza dough that’s left to rise for 36 hours.

The best family eats in Adelaide

Don’t be restricted to pub dining just because the kids are in tow. The aforementioned iTL Italian Kitchen has a brilliant kids menu with pizza and pasta, or you can take them to colourful Spaghetti Island for more Italian eats. 

For lunch, the AGSA_eat at the Art Gallery Of South Australia offers a kids’ menu as well as huge grassy lawns where little ones can blow off steam while you eat. Peter Rabbit is another gorgeous space with a fenced garden for kids to run about.

If you do want a pub, the Gilbert Street Hotel has a beer garden as well as games and toys for children, and Malt Shovel Tap House welcomes families to enjoy the riverfront space.

Adelaide’s best budget bites

Dive into Afghan street-style food at Parwana at Henley Beach to try some of the best Middle Eastern food in Australia. Order a big steaming bowl of laksa at Asian Gourmet, a favourite noodle bar at Central Market.

Also at Central Market, grab a table and a bowl of spaghetti bolognese at Lucia's Pizza and Spaghetti Bar, an Adelaide institution with more than 60 years in business. 

Best cafes in Adelaide

When it comes to coffee, Exchange Specialty Coffee tops the list in Adelaide. Drop by for a flat white made with Market Lane beans, and stay for the short menu. Drop into local roasters Elementary Coffee or Crack Kitchen to taste fresh roasts at the source. The latter offers great cafe fare too.

If you’re a fan of unusual breakfast dishes, sustainably minded cafe My Grandma Ben serves dishes such as crumpets with kangaroo bolognese, harissa and a fried egg, or you can try the five-spice babka with peanut butter custard at family-friendly Peter Rabbit.

Secret cocktail caves and rooftops bars in Adelaide

Adelaide’s CBD – especially around Peel and Leigh streets – is filled with little cocktail bars and drinking dens. Descend the stairs into award-winning Maybe Mae for produce-driven cocktails, step into the narrow Pink Moon Saloon for a beer, or try Clever Little Tailor for a bit of everything.

If you prefer rooftops to laneways, take your drinking sky-high at 2KW. Set on the eighth floor of a historic building, its huge terrace and excellent local wine list make this a top pick for Adelaide locals.

Where to drink Adelaide’s best wine

The best place to indulge in a few glasses of South Australia’s top reds or crisp whites is at the source. But if you don’t want to travel the short distance to cellar doors dotted around the Adelaide Hills, Barossa or McLaren Vale, you can seek out top drops lining the shelves of city bars.

Fino Vino is a city wine bar linked to one of South Australia’s best regional restaurants – Fino at Seppeltsfield – that dishes up seasonal snacks and local wines. Other local favourites include East End Cellars, with its 15,000 wines from across the globe; Leigh Street Wine Room for natural wines; La Buvette for French cheeses and wine; Apoteca for that New York feeling; and Hellbound for basement party vibes.

Happy wining and dining!