Our guide to the best restaurants in Adelaide

At this French-inspired bistro tucked inside Festival Plaza, stories arrive by trolley. Servers pour Champagne tableside, lifting it from an ice bucket with a tale of its vintage. Later, the cheese cart rolls by — French wedges and local Section 28, each one introduced by rind and region, ready to be carved tableside. From your seat at Station Road, you can see straight into the open kitchen, where head chef Baine Stubbs and his team slice, sear and season. They turn Southern Rock lobster into a rich cannelloni and pair Aylesbury duck with sweet blackberries. The service is impeccable but never stiff — A little European. A lot South Australian.

Best for: Their Champagne list — pouring Louis Roederer and Cristal by the glass.
Local tip: Beyond the fine dining experience, the bistro also doubles as the perfect spot for a bar bite and bubbles. Drop in after work, before a show at the Festival Centre or after a game at Adelaide Oval.

Step inside this heritage listed building in Norwood and be enveloped by a sense of warmth — from the soft interiors and welcoming staff to a flame-powered approach to every dish. Walk past dry aging cabinets where local Mayura Station beef is suspended on hooks, before taking a seat at the wrap around counter encircling the open kitchen. From your front row seat, watch knives slice through spring onions with a crisp snap, as chefs shuffle past each other like line dancers in perfect rhythm. Their perfectly choreographed routine takes place before a three and a half tonne wood oven — a key set piece and a nod to the Greek origins of the restaurant’s name. Flames dance over every ingredient. Each plate at arkhé is a window into owner and head chef Jake Kellie’s fiery open kitchen.

Best for: 9+ Mayura Station wagyu tomahawk from SA’s Limestone Coast, dry-aged in-house.
Local tip: Follow @arkhe_restaurant for chef collaborations, one-off menus and specials that pop up throughout the year.

Every dish at Restaurant Botanic is a work of art. The degustation feels more like a gallery collection, but unlike priceless pieces of art, here you are allowed to taste, touch and savour. Smoke billows off the hot rocks as the first dish is seared right before you. Leaning in, every ingredient and every detail is explained with passion by a highly skilled chef. The aroma of the next course wafts your way, stopping you in your tracks. What could possibly follow the five-star act that came before? Your answer arrives in the form of their signature dish — marron that shifts with the seasons, its delicate texture exceeding any conceivable expectation. Each of the courses borrows from its iconic location, using native ingredients sourced from the surrounding 51-hectare Adelaide Botanic Garden. 

Best for: Degustation dining to celebrate a special occasion.  
Local tip: Allow at least four hours for their signature experience (which you can book on the first of each month for two months out). 

Shōbōsho means ‘fire house’ in Japanese — a fitting definition for a venue with fire at its heart. Old traditions mix with the radical new, blending the ancient art of Japanese yakitori with the finesse of modern cooking. There’s a feeling of warmth that comes from more than just the cosy room itself. The long communal table is a tangle of limbs, with friends passing plates of scallop sashimi and duck potsticker dumplings. Conversation ignites the room as you drift closer to its spark — a crackling flame at the heart of this bistro. The heat draws you in, inviting you to pull up a chair at the eight-seater yakitori bar. The open kitchen affords you a connection with the chef while they cook for you. Watch them flip the spit-roast teriyaki chicken on the grill, flames licking at its sides as you pour some sake, highballs or beer. Here, fire feeds more than just the food. 

Best for: Bringing the whole crew (up to 30 in the main dining area).  
Local tip: Want a front-row seat to the flames? Book Shō, the eight-seat yakitori bar tucked inside.

Some places plate food. La Popular Taqueria plates memories. Named after the Mexico City neighbourhood where chef Daniella Guevara Muñoz grew up, this tiny Port Adelaide taqueria mills its own corn and hand-presses every tortilla — each one a nod to home. Here, tacos are built on the holy trinity: handmade tortillas, vibrant salsas and carefully cooked fillings — no hard shells, sour cream or lettuce in sight. It’s how Mexicans actually eat them. To compliment your tacos, chilaquiles and sopa de tortilla arrive. The salsa packs heat, the broth runs deep. This is the kind of place where your fingers get sticky and your Mexican beer sweats on the table. It’s not flashy. It’s just exactly what it should be.

Best for: Chilaquiles — crunchy corn chips, salsa, crema and cheese.
Local tip: 2-for-1 margaritas most Thursdays. The Port Dock train station’s just around the corner, which locals will tell you is no accident.