The 10 Best Restaurants in Adelaide, Australia

This contemporary Thai restaurant exploded onto the scene in 2014, and its golden shine hasn’t dimmed in the years since, collecting award after award for the best Thai food in the state. Adjoining the Botanic Bar in the East End of town, Golden Boy uses the freshest seasonal produce to whip up the house-made sauces and relishes that ignite its massive Southeast Asian menu.

Don’t let the name fool you — Andre’s does plenty more than just polenta. The homely decor and lively atmosphere is as much of an attraction as the regional Italian fare, including a fixed menu that the chefs change daily based on the freshness of their ingredients, many of which are sourced from their kitchen garden located in the Adelaide Hills.

Combine South Australia’s freshest seasonal produce with impeccable service and traditional European surroundings, and you’ve got one of Adelaide’s finest contemporary dining experiences. George and Voula Kasimatis opened Georges in 2002 and have been pleasing diners ever since with a Mediterranean menu that leans heavily on South Australia’s scintillating seafood and farm-fresh delights.

Opening its doors in 1985, this Hutt St institution was one of the first eateries in South Australia to be awarded the ‘Ospitalità Italiana’ seal of certified quality by the Italian government — and three decades later, Chianti is still dishing up the same authentic fare its reputation was built on. Peruse the extensive wine list and ever-changing menu in the cosy alfresco dining area or ground-floor dining room.

Located within the glitzy InterContinental Hotel on North Terrace, Shiki is renowned as Adelaide’s finest Japanese restaurant, serving up a flamboyant dining experience courtesy of skilled teppanyaki chefs. The authentic sushi, sashimi and other Japanese specialties go down a treat with Shiki’s quality wine list and array of imported Sake.

With a history stretching back to 1985, Gaucho’s claims to be the oldest Argentinian restaurant in the country, blazing a trail for the long list of South American steakhouses that have popped up all over the place in the new millennium. The pioneering eatery chargrills prime cuts of beef that are butchered and aged on site, and the wide range of locally-sourced seafood will have you salivating, too.

A star of Gouger St’s strip of top restaurants, Concubine prides itself on fusing traditional Chinese flavours with all the world-class produce South Australia has to offer. Adelaide’s most upscale Chinese restaurant is also the city’s best, plating up fine-dining Oriental dishes that you won’t find at your suburban takeaway shop, including a selection of banquets and set menus that give diners a little taste of everything.

The elegant Mayfair Hotel in the heart of the city adds a touch of luxury to the corner of King William St and Rundle Mall, and the Mayflower is a suitably luxurious dining experience. Wind your way down the opulent staircase to sink your teeth into their delectable breakfast, lunch and dinner options, as well as High Tea and the sort of world-class wine list you’d expect in South Australia.

What began as a small unlicensed family restaurant way back in 1980 has blossomed into one of Adelaide’s premier eateries, renowned as the best Indian fare you can find in the South Australian capital. Pay Jasmin a visit during cricket season, and you might be lucky enough to spot touring players tucking into a curry, not to mention all the other celebrities — Billy Connolly, Elton John and ex-PM Gough Whitlam, for example — who’ve popped in over the years.