15 Adelaide Hills Cafes You Can't Miss

These top Adelaide Hills cafes set the table for the region’s best local fare.

Pause a day of weaving your way through cellar doors with a lunch break at one of the many produce-driven and seasonally-inspired Adelaide Hills cafes. Proliferated with gastronomic delights, these casual eateries may be more relaxed than the region’s fine dining restaurants, but they’re certainly equal in flavour and devotion to the craft of eating well. Start your day with a good coffee and breakfast, stop for brunch, lunch or a snack and graze your way through the hills.

1. Fourth Hill Providore

As the sun rises over the charming stone cottage that is Fourth Hill Providore , breakfast begins at 7.30am with house-made baked beans, an omelette, or perhaps a toastie filled with pastrami and provolone, by 9am focaccia is being turned out, a potato and confit garlic iteration, then come 11am, lunchtime appetites are well-provided with the likes of linguini with slow-cooked ragu or orecchiette with garlic and chilli.

the stone cottage cafe at Fourth Hill Providore, Adelaide Hills — Fourth Hill Providore is housed in a charming stone cottage.

No matter the hour of the day, the Italian-inspired menu here will convince you to take a seat on a white Adirondack chair on the sun-filtered lawn and tuck in. After all, wine-tasting is best undertaken on a full stomach.

Check out the fresh bread and pastries on offer at Fourth Hill Providore.

Address: 34 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Verdun

2. Rise Artisan Bakers

Pretty little cakes arranged in formation tempt even the most casual sweet tooth here. Just try resisting a raspberry, pistachio and rose cream bun or a strawberries and cream lamington. You may as well allow your eyes to grow as big as your stomach and sit down with a Meyer lemon meringue Danish and a good coffee.

a look inside Rise Artisan Bakers cafe in Nairne — The former church was transformed into a quaint cafe now known as Rise Artisan Bakers.

All sugary temptation is forgiven in this former church and schoolhouse in Nairne . Take a loaf of fresh sourdough away with you and some provisions of jams and preserves for afternoon tea back at your place.

little cakes and pastries on display at Rise Artisan Bakers — Pair a good coffee with pretty little cakes at Rise Artisan Bakers.

Address: 54 Old Princes Highway, Nairne

3. SUSA Kitchen

The second cafe from sisters of Mount Barker’s Lady Luck (scroll down for more on that gem), SUSA is a very attractive addition to the casual diner scene. A stop-and-stare view sets the tone here for a minimal interior style that’s as slick as it is inviting. It’s not strictly vegetarian, but there’s a lot here to satisfy plant-preferring eaters, such as a burnt Brussels sprout gnocchi or fried enoki on sourdough with dukkah. Meat-eaters will relish an elevated bacon and eggs with polenta and parsley oil or a Cuban sandwich. With a well-chosen wine list and chilled ambience, Susa Kitchen is a great long luncher.

Address: 1 Aston Parade, Mount Barker

4. FRED Eatery

Half-cafe, half-homewares store, FRED is an Adelaide Hills destination for dining with a side of shopping, or the other way round if that’s how you roll.

a plate of food at FRED Eatery — FRED Eatery offers excellent fare from breakfast to lunch.

The stylish eatery serves an early breakfast, all-day brunch and great lunch options that dart from South America to Asia and Italy, such as hot and sour noodle broth, gnocchi, and a Cuban sandwich. It’s all good and can be enjoyed alongside a local wine, beer or cider. Come Friday night to book in for The Chow Chow Session from 5.30pm.

the cafe exterior of FRED Eatery in Adelaide Hills — Drop by FRED Eatery for a Cuban sandwich.

Address: 220 Mount Barker Road, Aldgate Village

5. The Organic Market and Cafe

Passionate purveyors of organic goods, this market and cafe in Stirling is your one-stop wholesome shop.

a healthy breakfast platter at The Organic Market and Café — Turn to The Organic Market and Cafe for all things vegan.

Pick up groceries from local growers, as well as pantry staples, snacks and sweets and settle in for a feelgood breakfast of avocado and peas on toast, smoothie or bircher, or order from the all-day lunch menu with the likes of bruschetta, focaccia, soups and salads. If you’re just after something small, nibble on a vegan croissant with your espresso.

a look inside The Organic Market and Café — The Organic Market and Cafe is your one-stop shop for pantry staples and snacks.

Address: 5 Druid Avenue, Stirling

6. Sazón Espresso

It’s Mexico meets the Mediterranean at this beloved coffee joint, where owners José and Oswaldo Estrella leverage their Mexican roots with their experience working in Italian restaurants. While the go-to dishes have a Central American lean, such as tacos, quesadillas and huevos rancheros, this petite cafe also spins a good burger, sandwich and pastry. Colourful and cool with coffee from Veneziano, this is a Mount Barker must for laidback lunches .

holding burger and fries on a plate with a drink at Sazón Espresso — Sazón Espresso spins a good burger.

Address: 1/24 Gawler Street, Mount Barker

7. Stirling Cellars and Patisserie

You don’t often expect to find a patisserie in a pub , but here you will. Tucked into the sleek Stirling Hotel, which is also home to a bistro, wine bar and chic accommodation, this delightful spot is open every day from 7am to service your croissant and coffee needs. Five Senses Coffee makes up the brew, while you can grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and cakes or take a seat to eat. Pick up a bottle of your favourite Adelaide Hills wine at the adjacent cellar while you wait for your coffee.

Address: 52 Mount Barker Road, Stirling

8. Kitchen 2C

The thirty years of hospitality experience amassed by co-owners Chany Park and Cheryl Wood (the two Cs) has steered this local haunt into a welcoming and laidback eatery with underlying polish. Local produce gets star billing with cheese from Udder Delights and spreads from Beerenberg Farm and you’ll find the menu wanders from Asian-style dishes to Spanish highlights and cafe usuals, each elegantly expressed on the plate. It’s a good vibe Hahndorf haunt, minus the German infusion of its neighbours.

Address: 43B Main Street, Hahndorf

9. Red Cacao

Take note chocolate lovers, this Stirling Cacao is an imperative addition to your Adelaide Hills itinerary. But be warned, self-restraint may not come easily at this artisan chocolatier with packets of truffles, ganache-lacquered treats, bars, blocks and boxes of chocolates lining the shelves.

the dining setup at Red Cacao cafe in Stirling — This Stirling Cacao is an imperative addition to your Adelaide Hills itinerary.

They’re all to take with you, but while you’re here, sit and sip a coffee accompanied by the most lavish tiramisu you’ve ever seen, house-made gateaux, waffles or just surrender to your cravings and opt for the dessert platter for two. If you’re on the savoury side of the fence, there are toasties, soups and tarts.

bread and coffee on the table at Red Cacao cafe in Stirling — Sit and sip a coffee paired with fresh bread at Red Cacao.

Address: Shop 3, 41 Mount Barker Road, Stirling

10. The Summit Cafe

This all-day cafe and function centre presides over the Adelaide Hills at 710 metres above sea level. From such a vantage point you’re treated to a sweeping lay of the land woven with grape vines and undulating valleys and meadows. Once you’re done absorbing the view, you’ll find the menu to be equally as expansive with everything from pizza to burgers and brisket to schnitzel. It’s also a great spot for an afternoon Aperol spritz.

an aerial view of The Summit Cafe, Crafers — The Summit Cafe overlooks sweeping views of the grape vines over Adelaide Hills.

Address: 266 Mount Lofty Summit Road, Crafers

11. Emma & Ivy

Sitting pretty in the quaint town of Lobethal, this converted former garage is a light and uplifting space festooned with blooms and good food. Not only will you find a cafe serving very good expressions of the classics, but there’s also beautifully selected homewares and hampers, a plant studio, and a boutique bar and cellar door. Take your time to peruse and choose something savoury, such as pesto beans or souvlaki, or for something sweeter, you can’t pass up the buttermilk banoffee pancakes.

Address: 24 Main Street, Lobethal

12. The Good Pantry

This wholefoods coffee shop is keen on an all-day breakfast and is rather fond of cake – all with a healthy lean, of course. Gluten-free and vegan cakes are whipped up onsite and served with well-made coffee. For something more substantial, The Good Pantry caters to the Gumeracha community and wine-tasting transients with brunch-ish meals of French toast, smashed avo, eggs in all guises, salads and burgers with optional (but highly recommended) hash browns.

Address: 35 Albert Street, Gumeracha

13. Charlie Boy’s Coffee

Judging by the logo and namesake of this cute Stirling spot, Charlie Boy is a very good dog. Inside, there’s a cosy fire and excellent coffee, as well as pastries and sandwiches to go or plates to sit and savour, from breakie wraps to toasties and cupcakes featuring the floppy-fringed Charlie. On Fridays, a $10 pork bahn mi is a regular hit. You might even see the Charlie Boy mobile coffee caravan doing the rounds about town serving hot cuppas to spectators of local sports at nearby netball and footy fields.

the cafe exterior of Charlie Boys in Stirling — Charlie Boys serves hot cuppas and cupcakes.

Address: 4 Mount Barker Road, Stirling

14. The Pallet Cafe

Pouring cups of local Adelaide Hills’ Husky Coffee Co, this casual Nairne spot pairs your brew with a rotating menu of breakfast to brunch to lunch eats finessed with regional produce. It’s all friendly classics here with the likes of a Rueben, eggs benny, smoked salmon bagel and eggs your way complete with all manner of upgrades.

Address: 73a Main Street, Nairne

15. Lady Luck Cafe

Sisters Maddy and Taylah are the ladies behind this bright cafe, but luck probably has little to do with the delicious delights and good coffee at Lady Luck . Instead, put it down to an astute curation of local produce and flavours for a menu with everything from warming mushroom and truffle toasties to pillowy pork dumplings and soba noodle soup. Coffee is by way of De Groot and the interiors feature a fondness for cowboy boots.

Address: 16 Walker Street, Mount Barker

Head into the city to continue your brunching tour of the region and start your day at these unmissable Adelaide cafes.

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

a couple on Mount Oberon — Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.

the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland — Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The best bush hikes in Gippsland

the Baw Baw National Park — The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland — Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park — Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park — The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the WildernessRetreats in The Prom — Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

Eating there

the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.