A Prayer For The Wild At Heart
44 Hurtle Square
A big round of applause for this cute as a button restaurant, evocatively named after a line from Shakespeare’s Richard III. A Prayer For The Wild At Heart is the sibling to founder Emily Raven’s My Kingdom For A Horse, famed for its stellar brunch options. French vibes continue with head chef Stéphane Brizard serving the flavours of his homeland across breakfast, lunch and dinner. Happy hour (3–6pm, Fri–Sun) is a highlight.

Adelaide Central Market
44–60 Gouger Street
(08) 8203 7494
For fresh produce, there’s no place more exciting than the historic CBD market. Many of the 70-plus stalls are owned by multi-generational traders, and there are a smattering of dining options in the mix. Must-visits include Lucia’s Pizza And Spaghetti Bar (the first pizza bar in Adelaide) for the late Lucia Rosella’s legendary spaghetti bolognese; SunMi Sushi for buchimgae (Korean pancakes) made by store owner and former Olympic volleyballer Sunmi Kim; and authentic Malaysian flavours, including the signature Sarawak laksa, at Asian Gourmet. Marino’s Porchetta e Cannoli Bar is a great option if you need to grab and run, or take a seat at new seafood stall SiSea for a bowl of Eyre Peninsula wok-fried mussels. People watching doesn’t get any better.

Adelaide Pho
199 Waymouth Street
(08) 8212 0997
A great pho is worth searching out: this little gem has long provided quality, affordable Vietnamese soup to devoted locals. Lieu Tran and her family spent more than a decade labouring over the perfect broth, which arrives with a healthy serving of mint, coriander, Thai basil and condiments. The humble, old-school space is located at the relatively quiet end of Waymouth Street.

Africola
4 East Terrace
(08) 8223 3885
Some of the most famous folk in the world have eaten at this fun restaurant, from Katy Perry to Foo Fighters. It’s no surprise: everything about Africola demands a voracious approach to life. The menu is African-inspired (but not exclusively; there’s always room to play). It opened in 2014 and still merits its place in the line-up of inspired dining spots. New takeaway lunch joint Africola Canteen (The Parade, Norwood) is worth a gander, too.

Chianti
160 Hutt Street
(08) 8232 7955
An oldie but a goodie. Chianti owners Maria and Frank Favaro have clocked up three decades (and counting) of devoted regulars. Warm, Italian charm (and food) is their secret: this is fine dining with a jovial undercurrent where even newcomers are welcomed as old pals. Below the bustling restaurant, there’s an impressive cellar of old and new wine. The generosity here is genuine; a percentage of tips are donated to charity.

East Taste Café
119 Gouger Street
(08) 8231 0268
Gouger Street is full of restaurants dotted with lazy Susans begging to be piled high with BYO wine and authentic Asian dishes. East Taste is particularly popular due to its tendency to remain open into the wee hours. Order the BBC (broad beans, bean curd and Chinese chutney) and make the most of the $9 per bottle corkage charge. 

Fino Vino
82 Flinders Street
(08) 8232 7919
For what is arguably the best value meal in town, go no further than Fino Vino: the express menu includes three plates and a glass of wine for around $55 per person. The feel-good factor at this top-notch Italian haunt is palpable. Exuberant co-owners Sharon Romeo and chef David Swain put their heart and soul into service, from pickled vegetables made using a recipe concocted by Romeo’s late father to the famous crema catalana.

Fugazzi
27 Leigh Street
(08) 7089 0350
If you’re after a sleek, sexy, New York-Italian diner-style atmosphere, this is the ticket. The front bar is full of dark leather and rich red tones, while marble tables and timber booths dot the main dining space where co-owners Laura and Max Sharad’s Italian heritage permeates the menu. It’s one for a festival season date-night or negroni-fuelled catch-up with pals. And, unlike many restaurants, Fugazzi is open seven days a week.

Garçon Bleu
108 Currie Street
(08) 8432 1900
Hotel restaurants can be hit and miss but as far as atmosphere goes, this spot gets two thumbs up. Look up as you enter Sofitel’s foyer; the Bordeaux-inspired art installation flows like a Garonne River of red wine. There’s more French influence to be found on level nine, where the Garçon Bleu team serves modern French fare with a touch of drama. Kick things off at the bar with a glass of bubbles and crisp whitebait, before taking a seat with a bird’s-eye view of the city.

Gondola Gondola
1 Peel Street
(08) 8123 3877
Good things come to those who wait. Walk-ins are permitted at this South-East Asian restaurant, where Japanese, Thai, Singaporean and Vietnamese beer, Asian whiskies, and South Australian wines help pass the wait time. It’s worth it, if only for the papaya salad and salt and pepper eggplant. If you’ve got time, their ‘feed me’ option (minimum of four people) is a hit. Long share-tables and cracking cocktails make for a social outing.

Herringbone
72–74 Halifax Street
0428 926 9770
Conviviality is audible in this rustic city haunt, with a greeting like a welcoming hug from a friend. Happy staff wave from the kitchen, over a herringbone-tiled bar topped with tempting jars of pickled produce. Dishes are full of life, vibrant with fresh produce. In the atrium space, a tree stretches its boughs above dining tables; Mother Nature’s very own centrepiece. It’s a beautiful, unpretentious place and the quiet side-street location brings a moment of festival-season calm.

Hey Jupiter
11 Ebenezer Place
0416 050 721
This is as close as you’ll get to a Parisian café in Adelaide. When French restaurateur Christophe Zauner and his partner Jacqui Lodge opened their small East End brasserie in 2002, the aim was to bring French joie de vivre to Australia. The petite bistro serves hit after French hit; from breakfast (available late on weekends), to snacks (freshly shucked oysters served with a glass of Louis Roederer champagne), lunch and dinner. C’est délicieux.

House Of George
30 Vardon Avenue
0434 812 023
They say a change is as good as a holiday. When East End Greek restaurant Yiasou George reopened as House Of George in mid-2023, new head chef Sav Sexton (previously from award-winning neighbourhood bar Good Gilbert) hit the tools. The menu is packed with Euro-infused goodies and fun shareable dishes (think oysters with ouzo mignonette and whole baby snapper swimming in caper butter). Vegan options are impressive, too. Sitting outside lands you so close to the festival action that you’re basically a performer.

Kafe Suka Suka
358 King William Street
0413 761 622
Another new kid on the block, this time with an Indonesian-fusion focus. It’s small, pleasantly casual and a big hitter for breakfast or brunch with an Indo twist. Egg noodle dishes alongside poached eggs with a curry twist? Rendang benedict, anyone? If nothing else, make time to drop in for a pandanmisu or a tiramisu latte: what a treat. 

Kiin
73 Angas Street
(08) 8448 1221
If you haven’t tried Kiin’s red curry cheeseburger, you simply haven’t lived. The punchy little handful is an example of chef Ben Bertei’s fresh take on modern Asian dining. Kiin (Thai for ‘eat’) opened in December 2022 and the slick, warehouse-style space welcomes all forms of dining: bar-style seating with a kitchen view, quick lunches, or long, lazy feasts. On the dessert front, the Thai-ra-misu provides a quirky finale.

La Trattoria
346 King William Street
(08) 8212 3327
Prepare yourself for chaos. This expansive, frantic, delightfully popular pizza joint has been an Adelaide icon since opening in 1975. The food is Italian; pizza, pasta, minestrone, stracciatella, and scaloppina cacciatora served by wait staff who’ve been here so long they’re part of the furniture. Add affordable house wine (by the carafe, of course) and you’ve got a rollicking good time.

Longplay Bistro
131 Pirie Street
As dream teams go, the crew behind Clever Little Tailor, Pink Moon Saloon and Brighter Later gin have the magic touch. Their latest hospitality adventure is a bistro serving a small but endearing mix of European classics (given a modern twist by former Summertown Aristologist chefs Calum Horn and Jude Hughes) and an epic global wine and spirit list. A carefully curated vinyl soundtrack adds to the laid-back vibe. Atmosphere is everything here.

Osteria Oggi
76 Pirie Street
(08) 8359 2525
The perfect bowl of pasta does exist: you’ll find it at Osteria Oggi where the focus on house-made pasta is unwavering. It’s a vibrant place, where things hit full swing with the arrival of dishes such as campanelle (laden with smoked eel, peas, chilli, lemon and chervil) and wood-grilled sirloin. The award-winning interior and fast-paced service creates a buzz. Oggi opens until late, seven days a week.

Paper Tiger
285 Rundle Street
0429 455 357
Imagine the scene: your diary is jam-packed with show-hopping and you want to schedule a quick bite with friends. Paper Tiger (by Malaysian-born Benjamin Liew) serves everything from dumplings to DIY crispy pork belly bao, to a variety of noodles and salads. It’s not exactly cheap but it is extremely cheerful and, as far as location goes, it’s a Rundle Street winner, especially once the DJ decks and dancefloor fire up.

Peel Street
9 Peel Street
(08) 8231 8887
One word: fresh. Towering plates of fresh ingredients attract a steady flow of regulars to this buzzing CBD favourite and the hum of anticipation fills the (always busy) space. Generosity of size and spirit permeate the restaurant and endearingly honest staff talk you through the options scrawled on two large blackboards. Each dish heaves with herbs, South-East Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours and there’s fun to be had identifying them.

Peter Rabbit Cafe
234–244 Hindley Street
Got a hankering for a Bloody Mary? This Hindley Street café delivers enchanted garden party vibes in the city’s West End: it’s like entering a hidden grotto (there’s even a vintage caravan). It’s a great option for a CBD breakfast, with pastries and full-blown meals.

Soi 38
74 Pirie Street
(08) 8223 5472
A certain kind of magic happens when Terry Intarakhamhaeng hits the kitchen. Soi 38’s co-owner and executive chef champions regional Thai flavours, with an emphasis on dishes that capture Thailand’s lesser-known regions, history and ethnic minority groups. Located in the old Pirie Street Subway, the warm hospitality is typical of the lovely family that runs it. Possibly one of the most underrated restaurants in Adelaide.