Restaurant Reviews

The best restaurants in Adelaide (plus a few nearby)

The dining scene continues to heat up in our nation's south. Here are the restaurants we love in and around Adelaide, as reviewed for our annual Restaurant Guide.

By The Gourmet Traveller team
In Adelaide and its surrounding suburbs and towns, good food is never far away. Thanks to the South Australian region's renowned wineries and excellent local produce, Adelaide restaurants combine exceptional food, fine wine and charm. From fine dining establishments on just a short drive from Adelaide to inner-city dining room gems that deliver every time, we've scoured the city and nearby towns for the best places to eat, drink and celebrate Adelaide's thriving dining culture.
Here are the best restaurants in Adelaide right now.

BEST RESTAURANTS ADELAIDE

RESTAURANT BOTANIC
GT's Restaurant Guide SA State Winner
At Restaurant Botanic, the line between the kitchen and the surrounding Adelaide Botanic Garden is all but invisible. Head chef Justin James works directly with the gardeners to grow rare ingredients such as blue quandong, oyster leaf and Mexican tarragon, with the intention of telling the story of Australia's diverse flora and fauna. The result is 28 enthralling flavour combinations (and counting) marked by dazzling technique: a bite-sized apple "flower" sporting a pistil of green ants, say, or a "Coat of Arms tasting plate" comprising cured emu, seared kangaroo and a single warrigal-green leaf topped with drops of emu-liver pâté and kangaroo caramel. Large jars of garums, pickles and vinegars nod to seasons gone by, some of which appear in the "Temperance" drinks menu, which wows as much as the three tiers of wine pairings featuring local gems and rare pearls. As far as stories go, this is one told with rare thoughtfulness and synergy.
Plane Tree Dr (via Friends' Gate), Adelaide, restaurantbotanic.com.au
Bunya, wattle seed miso and native thyme at Restaurant Botanic.
Of course there's (very good) steak at a restaurant focused on cooking with fire, but the joys of Arkhé are the unconventional ways in which chef Jake Kellie embraces the flame. Take the signature parfait tartlet à la Burnt Ends, in which duck liver's blended to a velvet softness and a scorched brittle top delivers an audible, sexy crunch. Two years after opening, Arkhé still provides a buzz, with the kitchen bench offering the best view of the team in motion. The energy is tangible. It sizzles in sticky, glazed kingfish collar and permeates a fermented pork-and-rice sausage with chilli jam fierce enough to blow cobwebs away. A wine list full of far-flung global beauties sits alongside a cocktail spread that includes a Penicillin, which gets flamed for extra theatrical fun. Even freshly baked madeleines with face-puckeringly tart passionfruit curd get the fiery treatment, rounding out a dining experience that's always red-hot.
127 The Parade, Norwood, arkhe.com.au
There are few things you can rely on in life, but the stellar snacks at Magill Estate Restaurant are a constant. The "Signature Menu" includes a single Kinkawooka mussel stuffed with Mayura Station wagyu tartare – a little treasure topped with lacto koji butter, pops of finger lime, chive oil and a mohawk of crisp saltbush. A spectacular deboned chicken wing stuffed with scallop and lobster also remains worthy of its staple status. As the pace shifts to mains, grilled Adelaide Hills porcini mushrooms are smoked in dried pine needles on the way to the table, presented with drama. The elegant space, located on the Penfolds winery grounds, has long set the tone for suburban fine dining, with vineyard and twinkling CBD views. Executive chef and director Scott Huggins has big plans for the future, too, including an outdoor countertop dining area that will breathe new life and energy into proceedings. Watch this space.
78 Penfold Rd, Magill, magillestaterestaurant.com

BEST RESTAURANTS NEAR ADELAIDE

Andrew Davies, much loved for his work at Osteria Oggi and Press Food and Wine, recently took over a cottage-style building in Stirling – and, of course, diners have followed. In the front window, a wooden antique pasta maker sets the tone for the rustic, Euro-inspired flavours that follow. A handful of house-made pastas peaks in the form of tagliatelle bursting with blue swimmer crab and a garlicky chilli kick. But first, co-owner Belle Kha's crunchy country pickles and a baked Parmigiano-Reggiano flan with a dollop of rich pork sausage ragù. The comfort factor continues with braised oxtail, root vegetables and creamy mash, as well as chocolate or raspberry soufflés that can always be relied on to stand proud. It's all very uncomplicated and nurturing, like a hug from nonna. House-made gelato and sorbet flavours change daily, from pistachio to passionfruit, and are particularly enjoyable in the expansive courtyard, an oasis during warmer months.
143 Mount Barker Rd, Stirling, patchkitchen.com.au
Talk about a success story. When Mike and Trinh Richards launched The Little Rickshaw in McLaren Vale back in 2017, they primarily served banh mì to local winemakers. Vignerons still arrive in droves, but the menu has metamorphosed. Like Trinh's parents, the soul of "TLR" is Vietnamese, but the beautifully presented banquet menu roams more freely. An undercurrent of Japanese flavours is present all year round, in the likes of plump scallops topped with XO sauce made using fermented yuzu. Winter sees a shift towards Thai spices, which permeate the red curry seafood bisque packed with blue swimmer crab. The setting is a rustic rabbit warren of stone walls and a sun-soaked courtyard, an idyllic spot to sip Viet Espresso Martinis and great Champagne while rubbing elbows with local wine producers, who return regularly to experience their creations alongside the inspired dishes. No wonder it's notoriously difficult to secure a booking.
24 Old Coach Rd, Aldinga, thelittlerickshaw.com.au
The flora-packed Newman's Nursery grounds provide a fitting backdrop for Topiary, a breakfast and lunch spot with sustainability at heart. Here, in a 140-year-old building and wisteria-framed courtyard, chef and co-owner Kane Pollard and wingman Alex Payne take the "from scratch, zero-waste" route. Wild artichoke and bastard cabbage "light shades" hang from the ceiling. Foraged weeds, including purslane and chickweed, appear beside a micro-producer bounty sourced during weekly pilgrimages to the Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market. Cheeses and butter are made in-house, and the cooking favours underutilised species and cuts – lamb neck in a Kei apple glaze, for instance. Carp makes its way into fancy fish fingers topped with finger-lime mayonnaise and warrigal greens, while char-grilled tommy ruff wrapped in a fig leaf offers an inspired take on another often-overlooked ocean dweller. Service exudes professionalism and warmth, while slick presentation on the plate pops with vibrancy and colour, mirroring the relaxed, verdant surrounds.
1361 North East Rd, Tea Tree Gully, topiary-dining.com