The best food in Adelaide
Adelaide's food scene quietly punches above its weight. Restaurants on the CBD east end, cafes in Walkerville and Unley, single-origin coffee everywhere. We pick the rooms worth a booking and the spots worth a Saturday morning.
- Restaurants checked for a recent recommendation in Gourmet Traveller, Time Out or The Urban List
- Cafe lists weighted by coffee program, kitchen consistency and neighbourhood foot-traffic
- Every address, phone and website verified the month of publication
- Illustrative photo.
The Best Restaurants in Adelaide
Eight Adelaide restaurants that consistently turn up in the city's best-of lists, paired with the practical detail (address, booking lead time, what to order) you need before walking in.
Illustrative photo.The Best Pubs in Adelaide
Six Adelaide pubs that capture what the city does best: heritage front bars from the 1850s, fiercely independent craft-beer rooms with the live music to match and gastropubs that have quietly moved beyond schnitty-and-pint cliches.
Illustrative photo.The Best Fried Chicken in Adelaide
The Adelaide fried chicken worth the napkins, spanning Nashville hot, Korean double-fried and the saucy soju-bar style.
Illustrative photo.The Best Cafes in Adelaide's Inner Suburbs
The cafes worth a detour across Adelaide's inner ring, from the Prospect, Nailsworth and Walkerville corridor in the north and east through to Unley and Goodwood in the south.
Illustrative photo.The Best Brunch in Adelaide
Seven Adelaide cafes worth planning a weekend brunch around, from the CBD's south-west corner to Unley, Highgate, Hawthorn and Dulwich.
Illustrative photo.The Best Cafes in Glenelg
Six Glenelg cafes worth the trip to the bay, split between the Jetty Road strip, the quieter Broadway end of Glenelg South and one local favourite in Somerton Park.
Illustrative photo.The Best Rooftop and Terrace Bars in Adelaide
Six Adelaide bars where you drink above street level, from a hotel rooftop sixteen storeys up to a laneway cocktail bar with an upstairs terrace.
Illustrative photo.The Best Indian Restaurants in Adelaide
Eight Adelaide Indian restaurants spread from Rundle Street and Hindley Street out to Magill, Greenacres, Prospect, Highgate and Alberton.
Frequently asked
How far ahead should I book a top Adelaide restaurant?+
For weekend dinner at Restaurant Botanic or Magill Estate, book three to six weeks ahead. Africola, Osteria Oggi and Shōbōsho usually need two to three weeks for Friday or Saturday. Casual neighbourhood spots like Anchovy Bandit often have same-week availability.
Where in Adelaide has the best brunch?+
Unley, Walkerville and Nailsworth all run strong cafe corridors. The neighbourhood lists linked above break out the specific picks: A Mother's Milk and Bricks and Stones in Unley, Coffee Institute in Walkerville, Around the Corner and Yolk in Nailsworth.
Are there many gluten-free or vegan friendly options on these lists?+
Most modern Adelaide cafes and restaurants handle dietary requirements well. Africola, Anchovy Bandit, UR Caffe and Restaurant Botanic all run dedicated GF and vegan menu sections, not just retrofits.