This Aussie city’s dining scene is underrated and full of surprises

Tucked neatly between the bountiful Southern Ocean and three wine regions that moonlight as picturesque food bowls, Adelaide has long excelled when it comes to produce. Local chefs have joined the party in recent decades, harnessing global culinary traditions and a healthy dose of creativity to breathe life into a rich dining scene that is accessible, affordable and filled with pleasant surprises.

Parwana

Perfect for: authentic Afghan soul food

After fleeing Afghanistan in 1985, food provided the Ayubi family with a tangible link to their homeland and the black-and-white photographs lining the bright blue, rose and tangerine walls of this inner west restaurant are an invitation to journey there with them. The slow-simmered banjaan borani eggplant has achieved legendary status, and even rice is elevated to a centrepiece thanks to the slivers of caramelised carrot, pistachios and sultanas that stud the Kabuli palaw.

124B Henley Beach Road, Torrensville. Phone: 08 8843 9001. See parwana.com.au

Herringbone

Perfect for: contemporary classics in a casual setting

Business meetings and post-gym diners are equally welcome at this understated spot on a quiet city street, where owner Paul Tripodi embodies true hospitality and variously serves as waiter, sommelier, photographer and concierge. The kitchen draws freely on influences from across the Mediterranean and the only firm rule is that you should always order the focaccia, which comes in handy for scooping up cannellini bean dip spiked with chermoula or gorgonzola and brown butter sauce left behind by pan-fried gnocchi.

72-74 Halifax St, Adelaide. Phone: 0428 926 977. See herringbonerestaurant.com.au

The Flying Fig Deli

Perfect for: the full Jewish deli experience

Unbothered by the latest trends sweeping Instagram, this bluestone and red brick cafe in leafy North Adelaide sticks to what it knows. That means crowd-pleasing New York Jewish classics like lox bagels, latkes and vinegar-based shrubs, but it’s the showstopping Reuben that inevitably draws envious glances from surrounding tables. A hulking masterpiece of house-smoked pastrami, Swiss cheese and kohlrabi and caraway sauerkraut between slabs of dark rye, it’s best tackled with two hands.

161 Jeffcott St, North Adelaide. Phone: 08 7226 1788. See theflyingfigdeli.com.au

Makan

Perfect for: natural wines and South-East Asian share plates

An adventurous wine list packed with local micro-producers and a few surprises from further afield (Chinese chardonnay, anyone?) make this neon-lit hideaway an excellent option for cheeky knock-offs. Stay for dinner and you’ll find equally bold flavours leaping off every plate. Malaysian, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese influences collide gloriously in dishes like the crispy prawn doughnut with tom yum sauce and roti murtabak stuffed with confit duck leg.

L1/116 Flinders St, Adelaide. Phone: 0450 966 665. See makanwinebar.com

Lucia’s Pizza & Spaghetti Bar

Perfect for: Italian classics just like nonna makes

Located at the entrance to the bustling Central Market, this Adelaide institution has been going strong since 1957. Allegedly Australia’s first pizza restaurant, it also introduced locals to real coffee and (non-tinned) spaghetti. The recipes and decor have barely been updated since, and everything still looks as if it has come straight from nonna’s kitchen; if pizza and pasta don’t take your fancy, grab one of the bright orange tables and order the pan-fried veal parmigiana with hand-cut chips.

Shop 1-2, Central Market, Gouger St, Adelaide. Phone: 08 8231 2303. See lucias.com.au

Restaurant Botanic

Perfect for: destination dining in the heart of the CBD

Reached via an avenue of stately Moreton Bay fig trees, this much-feted fine diner in the Botanic Gardens offers true destination dining in the centre of Adelaide. Epic degustations unfold over four hours and 20-plus dishes, each sprinkled with elements foraged from the surrounding gardens and native Australian produce that goes well beyond the usual suspects. Expect to find ingredients like turban snail, crocodile tongue and bunya bunya branches woven into exquisitely plated dishes, and the presentation adds a sense of theatre that more than justifies the extended run time.

Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide. Phone: 08 8223 3526. See restaurantbotanic.com.au

OMADA Bar & Grill

Perfect for: modern Greek that’s made to be shared

Adelaide’s CBD is dominated by neoclassical sandstone buildings, but this modern Greek restaurant offers a more contemporary update on the classics. The latest venue in Simon Kardachi’s hospitality empire foregoes blue-and-white-striped Hellenic stereotypes in favour of a minimalist fitout and generously flavoured modern Greek dishes made for sharing. Bring an appetite, and the knowledge that once you try the gyros sprinkled with pork crackling and wrapped in outrageously fluffy housemade pita, you’ll never be able to look at a late-night yiros again.

46 Currie St, Adelaide. Phone: 08 7118 4391. See omadabargrill.com.au

Allegra

Perfect for: vegan fine dining that offers something for everyone

Earthy tones dominate this 28-seat restaurant perched above Etica pizzeria, but there’s nothing muted about the flavour-packed vegan creations that emerge from the kitchen. For a single weekend each month, a micro-seasonal degustation showcases inventive dishes like soy-marinated roast watermelon with zingy mint and coriander chutney. Umami-rich flourishes of miso soy butter and hemp seed cream mean there’s no risk of FOMO for omnivores, and a take-home snack stretches the feast into the morning after.

125 Gilles St, Adelaide. Phone: 0404 129 686. See allegradiningroom.com

Mandoo

Perfect for: divine dumplings with a Korean twist

Whether you’re partial to momos, pierogis or xiaolongbao, it’s hard to beat dumplings as a go-to comfort food. But none of them hit quite like the house specialty at this hole-in-the-wall joint. Packed with glass noodles, minced pork, vegetables and kimchi, each handmade parcel is served with house pickles and piquant choganjang dipping sauce, and one bite is enough to justify the constant line-up outside.

Shop 3/26 Bank St, Adelaide. Phone: 0475 032 828.

Topiary

Perfect for: a plant-forward lunch in a living garden

Located in a working nursery on Adelaide’s northeastern fringes, this 150-year-old cottage starts each day as a cafe before pivoting to vibrant lunches that use exclusively South Australian produce. Everything from sourdough to cheese is made in-house, and chef Kane Pollard’s zero-waste philosophy means that it’s rare to see a dish without a sauce or vinaigrette made from byproducts, but you don’t need to be a MasterChef judge to enjoy dishes like breaded graffiti eggplant with radicchio and golden gazpacho.

1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully. Phone: 08 8263 0818. See topiary-dining.com

Osteria Oggi

Perfect for: modern Italian with a side of world-class design

Much has changed in the decade since Oggi arrived alongside Adelaide’s small bar boom, but this modern Italian marvel continues to impress. The long concrete bar is a portal that leads from busy Pirie Street to a piazza-like atrium with cobblestone floors where every day feels like summer and la dolce vita takes the form of tables piled high with salumi from the race-car red meat slicer, pasta made fresh each morning and vibrant Italian wines.

76 Pirie St, Adelaide. Phone: 08 8359 2525. See osteriaoggi.com.au

The Sugar Man Gelato

Perfect for: a late night sugar rush

Cult chocolatier Alex Crawford’s pastries used to draw lines around the block, but there’s no need to wait for miso and chocolate cookies or Willunga almond baklava now that they’re available in gelato form.

The shop’s nightclub-bright lighting foreshadows some decidedly adult flavours among the dozen scoops on offer, but take a leap of faith and you’ll be rewarded with flavour bombs like mascarpone custard, blackberry and smoked salt gelato topped with a pool of yuzu-infused olive oil.

197 Hutt St, Adelaide. See thesugarman.com.au