5 Best Restaurants in The Adelaide Hills, South Australia

This is contemporary food that takes Modern Australian cooking to new heights. A chalkboard, listing dishes defined only by their ingredients---most of which are locally grown---greets diners who come to this casual, wine-focused, entirely seasonal restaurant, where chefs in the open kitchen work hard to deliver creatively composed share plates served on handmade ceramic dishware. Downstairs, a wine cellar goes far beyond the usual suspects; instead of Barossa Shiraz, there are bottles from Europe and Australia made from organic grapes with no or minimal additives. If they pique your interest, the adjacent cellar door pours natural wines from the nearby Basket Range.

A stylish yet charmingly casual restaurant in a converted 1860s flour mill, this is a great spot to linger over a long lunch of share plates. Using regional produce, head chef Ben Fenwick creates an imaginative contemporary menu that is a mix of French, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Modern Australian.

Pram-wheeling parents, hikers resting their walking poles, and friends catching up on gossip keep this red-and-blue café and adjoining organic supermarket buzzing all day. Reasons to linger include tasty focaccias and soups; rich, indulgent baked goods like home-baked muffins and cakes; and all kinds of purportedly healthy and unquestionably delicious drinks.

If you suffer from vertigo, think twice about dining here; this glass-front building atop Mt. Lofty is all about dining with altitude. Breakfasts range from a simple grilled cheese sandwich to an imposing "brekkie tower" that feeds four and lunch is upscale café fare. By morning, the Summit also serves lunch and becomes an intimate candlelit restaurant by night, serving Modern Australian cooking (which might include kangaroo).