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Restaurants in Adelaide

With more restaurants per head than any other Australian capital city, Adelaide offers some of the country’s most authentic and multicultural eateries. Prices are relatively low compared to other Australian city restaurants.

The Adelaide restaurants below have been hand-selected by the author, and are grouped into three price bands:
Expensive (over $40)
Moderate ($20 to $40)
Cheap (up to $20)

The above prices are for a main course, including a glass of house wine or soft drink. Tipping is not customary in Australia but diners tend to tip when the service and food have been good.

Expensive

Jolleys Boathouse

Cuisine: Contemporary Australian

Set on the banks of the River Torrens, this tucked away boathouse is a stylish restaurant with friendly, down-to-earth staff. Watch the boats and black swans sail by as you feast alfresco. Or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warmly sat by the flickering fire during winter, banqueting on elaborate seasonal produce.

The menu features suckling pig with caramelised shallots, grass-fed Cape Grim Scotch fillet, roast kangaroo loin and share plates. The crisp-skin barramundi is always cooked to perfection.

Address: , 1 Jolleys Lane, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 8 8223 2891.
Website: http://www.jolleysboathouse.com

Peel Street

Cuisine: Australian

Hip and popular, this locale is a treat for wine-lovers and food connoisseurs alike. The menu, written by hand upon a huge black board hung on the wall, changes regularly, but each share plate is thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. The emphasis here is on creating the most favourable combinations of flavours and textures—but to fully enjoy the experience, be prepared to be adventurous! Consider trying, for instance, the Banana Blossom Chicken.

 

Address: , 9 Peel Street, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 8 8231 8887
Website: http://www.peelst.com.au

Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant

Cuisine: Contemporary Australian

At the birthplace of Penfolds wine, Magill Estate Restaurant is the number one establishment for discerning wine and dine connoisseurs. Their Michelin-starred chef doesn’t just match whites with whites and reds with reds, but expertly fine-tunes flavours, weights and textures between wine and food. The restaurant houses a state-of-the-art, purpose-built underground cellar. Choice menu selections are the Coorong mullet and blue swimmer crab, to be enjoyed overlooking the estate’s vineyards and city beyond.

Address: , 78 Penfold Road, Adelaide, 5072
Telephone: +61 8 8301 5551.
Website: http://www.magillestaterestaurant.com

Moderate

2KW Bar and Restaurant

Cuisine: Australian

An eighth floor restaurant on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace, 2KW Bar and Restaurant offers great views of Adelaide in addition to a unique menu made up of traditional Australian dishes creatively prepared. These dishes are made for sharing, so grab a bunch of your friends and enjoy the food and views in 2KW’s rooftop garden.

Address: , 2 King William Street, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 8 8212 5511.
Website: http://www.2kwbar.com.au

Sq Restaurant

Cuisine: Asian

Overlooking leafy Hindmarsh Square, this modern restaurant is kitted out with a polished timber floor and furnishings between red and brown walls. Enjoy Asian-influenced modern Australian dishes using the freshest South Australian ingredients. Favourites include chargrilled prawns with watermelon nahm jim, green duck leg curry with rice and mango pickle, wagyu pie with beetroot chutney and twice-cooked goat’s cheese soufflé. Save a spot for the illegally good coconut panna cotta, laced with Malibu ice cream.

Address: , 55-67 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 8 8412 3397
Website: http://www.mantrahindmarshsquare.com.au/facilities/sq-restaurant/

The Bistro

Cuisine: Modern international

The Bistro cooks up succulently fresh Adelaide Hills produce within a stylish and contemporary space. The indoor décor of the restaurant is filled with nooks and corners that merge harmoniously with the leafy alfresco section.

Enjoy regional and seasonal local fare, and chew in time to the beats of the weekend DJs and live bands. It’s the perfect place to socialise over an exciting range of shared plates, with terrific examples including the Kilpatrick oysters and salt and pepper baby squid.

 

Address: , 52 Mount Barker Road, Adelaide, 5152
Telephone: +61 8 8339 2345.
Website: http://www.stirlinghotel.com.au/bistro/

Cheap

Burger Theory

Cuisine: American

Adopting recipes from Adelaide’s famous Burger Truck, this East End diner is a hip and funky joint that attracts the bohemian crowd. It’s so good that it often has queues into the street. Their Angus beef is ground by hand, with burgers dressed in the diner’s Truck Sauce (a tightly-held recipe containing 12 secret ingredients). It’s your typical American diner in the middle of South Australia.

Address: , 8-10 Union Street, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 426 763 930.
Website: http://www.burgertheory.com

Let Them Eat

Cuisine: Vegetarian/ Vegan.

Known locally as the vegetarian café that meat-eaters crave, Let Them Eat offers sophisticated, homemade dishes that are nutrient-packed and chemical and preservative free. Some dishes are suitable for vegans.

Tanya Angius, the café’s highly experienced chef, only prepares wholefood that she would be prepared to eat herself. The seductive cabinets have a multi-coloured display of salads that feature quinoa, cracked wheat, mung beans, lentils and chickpeas. Also enjoy outstanding handmade pies, quiches, wholemeal pastries and cakes. The pumpkin and red lentil lasagne is faultless.

Address: , Adelaide Central Markets 44, 44-60 Gouger Street, Adelaide, 5000
Telephone: +61 8 8211 9302
Website: http://www.let-them-eat.com.au

Pancakes At The Port

Cuisine: American

For a fluffy range of sweet and savoury buttermilk-rich pancakes, head to Port Adelaide. As well as the traditional maple syrup, whipped butter and fruit types, this family operated business excels at Hawaiian pancakes topped with ham and pineapple. The sizzling Cajun chicken breast dish with potato chunks and salad is also a fine choice. Sit at a waterside table and watch the resident dolphins glide by.

Address: Port Adelaide, 1 Mercantile Dock, Adelaide, 5015
Telephone: +61 8 8447 1877.
Website: http://www.pancakesattheport.com
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Clarion Soho Hotel

There are only 29 rooms at Clarion Soho Hotel, hence the focus on quality over quantity. With modern Manhattan interiors, commodious king-size beds, crisp white linen and Missoni cushions, comfort and style intertwine in the sleeping chambers. Each room also comes with 42-inch LCD TVs, DVD players with free DVD hire, luxury spa products, iPod docks and cable broadband internet. Don’t miss the restaurant with Tom Dixon feature lighting, Kartell chairs and a marble bar imported from Italy.

The Hotel Metropolitan

Doubling as a hotel and a pub, this historic location dates back to 1883, and is conveniently placed opposite the Adelaide Central Market and a short walk from the Adelaide Railway Station. Although the rooms are small, the amenities are numerous: a game room with complimentary snacks, outdoor dining and live entertainment, and an art gallery. The guest list is mature—you must be 16 or older to stay.

Hotel Ibis Adelaide

Located in the Central Business District, the Ibis Hotel boasts 311 fresh and modern rooms, a ground-floor restaurant and bar with world-class food, and balconies so guests can enjoy the fresh Adelaide air. Wi-Fi, online check-in and an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet are complimentary.

Largs Pier Hotel

Luxury suites and motel rooms await at the Largs Pier Hotel. Built in 1882 and still dominating the seafront by Largs Bay Pier, this is the hotel where AC/DC and Jimmy Barnes played before they were famous. Heritage rooms are a sensory mix of lofty ceilings and cutting edge bathrooms, complete with king-size, four-poster beds. One suite also contains a dining room. The hotel is the site of the very first drive-through bottle shop in Australia.

Majestic Minima Hotel

This artsy hotel stands out not only for its green and silver modern-style exterior, but also its unbeatable location in the heart of North Adelaide. Each of Minima Hotel’s 46 rooms was painted by a local Australian artist, giving every room a unique feel and aesthetic. Guests can look at the website and request a specific room or be surprised when they walk through the door. Expect decorations ranging from abstract ocean scenes to neon sculptures to a blown-up aboriginal alphabet.

Majestic Roof Garden Hotel

At the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, the guest experience is in the name—expect a gorgeous rooftop garden overlooking the city to compliment the usual amenities of a modern hotel, including free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service and complimentary breakfast. The location is great for exploring downtown as well.