The Best Restaurants In Adelaide | Australian Traveller

Surrounded by rich wine regions and fertile agricultural land, Adelaide’s restaurant scene has long punched above its weight and the abundant local produce means that quality and affordability go hand in hand.

Balancing world-renowned wine with the freshest produce imaginable, South Australian chefs have long been known for making foodies’ dreams come true.

Book a seat at one of the best restaurants in Adelaide and you’ll discover kitchens working with local producers to create a distinct sense of place, resulting in memorable dining experiences that linger long after the last of the sauce has been mopped up.

The shortlist

Great for special occasions: Restaurant Botanic
Best wine list: Magill Estate
Best for long lunches: Sofia Bistro
Best for casual eats: Peel Street

1. Restaurant Botanic

With an unbeatable location in the middle of the 51-hectare Adelaide Botanic Garden, it’s no surprise that the kitchen at Restaurant Botanic makes liberal use of the many onsite plants. They find their way into everything from garnishes to garums, helping to add a hyperlocal touch to elaborate degustations that unfold over four hours and feature 20+ “flavour combinations".

the lakeside Restaurant Botanic in Adelaide — Restaurant Botanic sits by the lake in the leafy Adelaide Botanic Gardens. (Image: Jonathan van der Knaap)

The leisurely pace means that both dinner and weekend lunches see only a single sitting, allowing the kitchen and floor staff to be generous with their time.

a look inside Restaurant Botanic in Adelaide — Snag a seat with garden views. (Image: Jonathan van der Knaap)

Named the top restaurant in Australia several times over, a visit is as much about the experience as what’s on the plate, with presentation worthy of a gallerist, impeccable service and a drinks list (including a non-alcoholic “temperance" pairing) that benefits from as much care as the food.

a close-up of a dish at Restaurant Botanic, Adelaide — Restaurant Botanic cares about the experience as much as the food. (Image: Jonathan van der Knaap)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$$$

Atmosphere: Modern elegance

Review: 5/5

Location: Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide

2. Osteria Oggi

There are plenty of Italian restaurants in Adelaide, but this classy joint stands head and shoulders above the rest.

a female staff at Osteria Oggi arranging tables — Osteria Oggi offers intimate dining in the heart of the CBD. (Image: Josie Withers)

Whether you visit at lunch or dinner, simply follow the long marble bar through several arches into the piazza-inspired back room and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported from bustling Pirie Street to a regional Italian square.

pouring a drink into a glass alongside a dish on the table at Osteria Oggi — This classy joint serves up sophisticated Italian food. (Image: Duy Dash)

Then all that’s left to do is grab a seat in one of the arched booths and check out the menu that lives up to the restaurant’s name (“oggi" means today).

a table-top view of the Italian menu at Osteria Oggi, Adelaide — The Italian menu at Osteria Oggi stands above the rest. (Image: Duy Dash)

That means fresh pasta made every day, from classics like carbonara to tagliatelle with blue swimmer crab and campanelle with smoked eel, along with elegant piatti piccoli (small plates) and heartier offerings in the secondi section.

the dining area at Osteria Oggi, Adelaide — Grab a seat in one of the arched booths. (Image: Duy Dash)

Cuisine: Italian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Warm and inviting

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 76 Pirie St, Adelaide

3. Peel Street

There’s a reason this Peel Street favourite is busy every night of the week (except Sunday, when it closes its doors). The warm, personal service epitomises hospitality and the fabulously fresh plates that meld Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisines are generous enough that you can almost guarantee there’ll be leftovers.

friends dining al fresco at Peel Street, Adelaide — Pop by Peel Street for casual eats. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

A large blackboard menu changes regularly, but the banana blossom salad is a non-negotiable. Put it all together, and you have a people-pleasing joint that makes it easy to sit back and enjoy life, and if you fancy a post-dinner drink you can find some of Adelaide’s best laneway bars just a few metres away.

friends drinking outside Peel Street, Adelaide — Grab a post-dinner drink at laneway bars next door. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Cuisine: Modern Australia

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Review: 5/5

Location: 9 Peel Street Adelaide

4. Parwana Afghan Kitchen

Since opening this labour of love in 2009, the Ayubi family have become legends in Adelaide’s hospitality scene.

the dining interior of Parwana Afghan Kitchen in Adelaide — Nab a seat in the charming and cutesy dining of Parwana Afghan Kitchen. (Image: Duy Dash)

A large part of that is the menu that packs in plenty of flavour without ever trying to be cutesy – the jewelled rice with slivers of candied orange and pistachios is justifiably famous, and the decadently gooey banjaan borani (eggplant braised in tomato sauce and served with tangy yoghurt) is to die for.

a close-up of a dish at Parwana Afghan Kitchen, Adelaide — Parwana Afghan Kitchen serves up dishes close to home. (Image: Duy Dash)

But there’s more to this spot in Adelaide’s inner west than what’s on the plate. Indigo and salmon walls adorned with old family photographs are a reminder that these dishes provide a very real connection to home, and the Muslim owners use corkage fees to buy and cook food for local homeless people on the weekends.

a spread of food on the table at Parwana Afghan Kitchen, Adelaide — Their Afghan menu is bursting with flavour. (Image: Duy Dash)

Cuisine: Afghan

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Warm

Review: 5/5

Location: 124B Henley Beach Rd, Torrensville

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5. Magill Estate

Situated on the Penfolds estate in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, this sumptuous spot has set the bar for Adelaide’s fine dining scene for decades. Just a fifteen-minute drive from the city, it’s still high enough to afford magnificent views of the vineyards, city and the sparkling Gulf St Vincent beyond.

friends enjoying dinner at Penfolds Magill Estate — Magill Estate has set the bar for Adelaide’s fine dining scene for decades. (Image: Tourism Australia / South Australian Tourism Commission)

Expect plenty of wow factor on the plate as well – chef Scott Huggins curates an indulgent tasting menu that combines dramatic presentation, opulent flourishes like caviar and truffle and his signature snack – a crispy deboned chicken wing packed to the brim with lobster and scallop meat.

a winery tour at Penfolds Magill Estate — See the underground tunnels on a heritage-listed winery tour. (Image: Tourism Australia / South Australian Tourism Commission)

The drink pairing unsurprisingly makes liberal use of the Penfolds cellars – opt for the Icon Pairing and you’ll get to taste some seriously impressive back vintages pulled from the museum.

friends exploring the cellar of Penfolds Magill Estate — Peek into the Penfolds cellars. (Image: Tourism Australia / South Australian Tourism Commission)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Refined

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 78 Penfold Road, Magill

6. Sofia Bistro

The first thing you notice when entering this newcomer , which is part of a Hutt Street renaissance, is the warm welcome. The second is how well it uses its relatively small footprint. An abundance of natural light makes this all-day bistro feel surprisingly spacious, especially during daylight hours. The kitchen is open from breakfast (or brunch on weekends) right through to dinner, but it’s still worth booking ahead if you want one of the comfortable banquettes. Or you could sit at the bar and watch puffy flatbreads, vegetable skewers and proteins emerge from the wood-fired oven. Even the most voracious eaters will be satisfied with the ridiculously generous option, which pairs selections from the oven with cold plates like Sicilian-style crudo featuring kingfish, tuna and scallops. And if you want to settle in for the afternoon, you’ll find a wine list that pairs local classics with some lesser-known lights.

Cuisine: Italian

Price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Cosy

Review: 4/5

Location: 16 Hutt St, Adelaide

7. Black Dog Gallery

There’s no shortage of Japanese restaurants in Adelaide, but this unassuming diner in the city’s leafy Eastern suburbs sits comfortably among the best.

a bowl of noodles at Black Dog Gallery, Adelaide — Slurp on a comforting bowl of noodles at Black Dog Gallery.

A menu that covers plenty of Japanese classics is augmented by daily specials that skew more contemporary, leaving room for rich, creamy bowls of soy and miso ramen, karaage soft shell crab sliders and colourful poke bowls topped with sweet braised eel.

a Japanese dish at Black Dog Gallery, Adelaide — Choose from their Japanese menu.

The anything-goes spirit carries over to beverage offering, which always includes an idiosyncratic selection of specialty Japanese teas and craft beers that help make every visit feel like a journey of discovery.

black dog Kuro posing for a photo at Black Dog Gallery, Adelaide — Black Dog Gallery was named after black dog “Kuro".

Cuisine: Japanese

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Casual

Review: 4/5

Location: 4/455 Greenhill Road, Tusmore

8. Topiary

There’s no mistaking the time of year when you visit this casual restaurant that occupies a 140-year-old cottage in the centre of a suburban nursery. Whether you’re ordering breakfast eggs served with roast pumpkin and miso or tucking into a lunch featuring fresh figs in a bed of honey-spiked feta and celeriac schnitzel topped with fennel oil, it’s important not to get too attached to any dishes as the menu constantly changes to make the most of the seasonal bounty. Owner Kane Pollard draws much of his produce from the site and follows a no waste, made from scratch philosophy that sees bread and cheese made in house and even the smallest by-products repurposed into tasty morsels.

a table-top view of the menu at Topiary, Adelaide — Topiary offers a plant-based dairy-free degustation menu.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Serene

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully

9. arkhé

When chef Jake Kellie says he likes to cook over fire, you’d better believe it. With no gas or electrical stovetops, everything at this stylish neighbourhood fine diner is grilled, toasted, charred, roasted, caramelised and even fried over glowing chunks of river red gum. And the menu is far from a parade of proteins slapped on the grill (though the richly marbled steaks, butterflied fish and southern rock lobster are all done to perfection).

the classy black and white restaurant interior of arkhé, Adelaide — The interior at arkhé screams classic elegance. (Image: Timothy Kaye)

Kellie shows a surprisingly light touch on flavour-packed small bites like the signature parfait tartlet à la Burnt Ends, a slightly more than bite-sized pastry filled with plush duck liver parfait and topped with a delicate brûléed shell, while ingredients cooked over flames also make their presence felt in several smoky cocktails.

cocktail glasses alongside a plate of oysters at arkhé, Adelaide — Order smoky cocktails to pair with your oysters. (Image: Duy Huynh)

To top it off, Kellie has leveraged his international connections to host regular collaborations with some of the finest chefs from around Australia and the world, ensuring there’s always something new happening at arkhé.

Chef Jake Kellie preparing in the kitchen of arkhé, Adelaide — Chef Jake Kellie likes to cook over fire. (Image: Duy Huynh)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Contemporary chic

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 127 The Parade, Norwood

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10. Fino Vino

The city outpost of Fino Seppeltsfield may lack the Barossa restaurant’s broad courtyard and cellar filled with ageing tawny, but the creations emerging from the kitchen here are every bit as enticing.

pouring wine into a glass at Fino Vino, Adelaide — The three-course express menu lunch includes a glass of wine that is an absolute steal for $55. (Image: Julian Cebo)

A fit-out that goes heavy on exposed brick and natural materials mirrors a culinary philosophy that leans towards the classics and allows the flavours in the fresh local produce to shine.

the restaurant interior of Fino Vino in Adelaide — Fino Vino is a contemporary chic restaurant perfect for night outs. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Add in front-of-house guru Sharon Romeo’s note-perfect service and the legendary crema catalana for dessert, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect night out. And if you’re popping past at lunch, the three-course express menu lunch that includes a glass of wine is an absolute steal for $55.

a spread of food on the table at Fino Vino in Adelaide — Fino Vino leans towards the classics. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Contemporary chic

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 127 The Parade, Norwood

11. Makan

Accessed via a narrow set of stairs, this venue is billed as a wine bar but the name (which means “to eat" in Malaysian) points towards a broader ambition.

a plate of shellfish at Makan restaurant, Adelaide — Makan serves up pan-Asian dishes.

Enticing flavour combinations abound on both sides of the offering, with a 60-strong wine list featuring local natural wines alongside Chinese and Japanese drops (plus some sake and umeshu) and a pan-Asian menu that stretches from Indonesia to Japan.

a table-top view of a dish at Makan restaurant, Adelaide — Enjoy enticing flavours at Makan.

Punchy snacks including prawn “doughnuts" and betel leaves with salmon and green mango match the playful tone of the neon-lit interior, while bolder Chinese flavours shine through in larger plates like jiao ma chicken and smoked chacha cauliflower.

a snack platter with a dip at Makan restaurant, Adelaide — Kick it off with a punchy snack platter.

Cuisine: Japanese

Price: $$

Atmosphere: Trendy

Review: 4/5

Location: Lv1 116 Flinders Street, Adelaide

12. Aces

This old-school Italian restaurant in Adelaide’s Chinatown has been through many iterations, but the latest one might just be the best. Plush red carpet and dim lighting give the downstairs dining room the retro air of a classic Little Italy joint, while the black and white tiled upstairs bar features DJs and a dancefloor on weekends. It’s no surprise that hearty pasta dishes do most of the heavy lifting on the menu, but you’ll also find a few surprises in an appetiser section that features tender lobster ravioli and neatly cut lasagne skewers. Look further and you’ll even find a nod to Aces’ location with Italian-Chinese crossovers including spaghetti vongole à la Golden Century and a “yum ciao" lunch menu of small plates made for sharing.

Cuisine: Italian

Price: $$$

Atmosphere: Vibrant

Review: 4/5

Location: 96 Gouger St, Adelaide

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Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

The best restaurants in Adelaide for every occasion

Surrounded by rich wine regions and fertile agricultural land, Adelaide’s restaurant scene has long punched above its weight and the abundant local produce means that quality and affordability go hand in hand.

The shortlist

1. Restaurant Botanic

2. Osteria Oggi

3. Peel Street

4. Parwana Afghan Kitchen

5. Magill Estate

6. Sofia Bistro

7. Black Dog Gallery

8. Topiary

9. arkhé

10. Fino Vino

11. Makan

12. Aces

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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food