8 Best Restaurants in Adelaide, South Australia

Located in a basement off Hindmarsh Square, this elegant establishment is beautifully decorated with stylish timber furniture and local artwork. The dim lighting and relaxing background music really set the mood for some quality Indian cuisine, which is what you'll get in spades; in fact, you might want to try everything on the menu, and the Feed Me Menu allows for just that.

It takes two elevators to get to this rooftop venue, but it’s worth it for elegant Modern Australian dishes that make the most of highly seasonal produce—many local producers are name-checked on the menu. After dinner, retire to the adjacent bar overlooking the governor-general’s house (and most of North Adelaide) for a nightcap.

This local favorite is rustic and noisy, with professionals and university students engaging in enthusiastic conversation. The terrazzo-tile dining room is furnished with bare wooden tables and paper place-mat menus, which list traditional pizza and pasta dishes in two sizes—appetizer and entrée.

This restaurant, located in Adelaide's premier Asian dining strip, is a step above its neighbors with modern Chinese dishes that utilize traditional spices and fresh local produce, meat, and fish. The service is professional yet warm and friendly, with an ambience that is second to none thanks to the funky decor and trendy vibe. Lunch is served only on Friday.

Owned by a French expat and his Australian wife, Hey Jupiter is in all aspects a Parisian brasserie transported to Adelaide---wicker seats, oyster happy hours, and all---but with better service and a wine list that goes far beyond average. Located on a quiet street near plenty of other shops and bars in Adelaide's bustling East End, Hey Jupiter is a great place to stop for weekend breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as well as a nice place to simply grab a drink after a long afternoon of shopping on Rundle Street.

A restaurant masquerading as a natural wine bar, this former dry cleaner takes its design cues from trendy Parisian bistros. Come for predinner drinks—the walls are lined with 500 bottles of mostly natural wine and the knowledgeable staff are happy to point you in the right direction—then stay for the sophisticated share plates. Meats are cured and fresh pasta made in the small kitchen and the fresh, elegantly plated dishes really pop with the accompanying wines.

It may look like your run-of-the-mill fish-and-chips shop, but this Gouger Street veteran of more than 60 years is the place to get hooked on King George whiting, Australia's fabulous oysters—natural or with various preparations—or salt-and-pepper squid (an iconic Australian dish). It's been hailed as one of Adelaide's best—and best-priced—seafood restaurants.

For a great view of the bustle in the open kitchen, request a table upstairs on the ship's-deck-like mezzanine floor.

Sourdough pizzas topped with house-made sauces and fresh local ingredients are the first reason that locals can't stop going to Sunny's any night of the week. Then there's the negronis so perfectly executed you'd swear you were in a piazza in Milano—plus the incredibly friendly service, the fun wine list featuring small producers from the Adelaide Hills and around Australia, DJs on weekend nights, and cold craft beers on draft.