We are serious foodies who plan to be in Adelaide for a few days in Dec 2007 specifically for a food and wine excursion. In particular, we'll be doing wine tours by car of both Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale (one day each). We dearly need help with regards to where best to stay (either B&B or hotel) and what are some of the can't miss restaurants to try in the area.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

In the Barossa have a look at Bethany Cottage www.interbed.com.au/bethany right in the middle of the grape growing area and close to many wineries, boutique and corporate. Also Maggie Beers (about 6 or 7 kms. from Bethany and past Tanunda) is a must visit. www.maggiebeer.com.au

Here are a few restaurants in the region:

The Salopian Inn in McLaren Vale is good. It's an 1800's stone inn with a fanatastic cellar & French/ Italian menu specialising in local produce. (08) 8323 8769 www.salopianinn.com.au

Maggie Beer's Farm shop, Pheasant Farm Road, Nurioopta (08) 8562 4477 Lunch only and if you're foodies, you'll love the produce shop, too! www.maggiebeer.com.au/farmshop

Magill Estate, Penfold Road, Magill (08) 8301 5551 www.postcards.sa.com.au/features/magill_estate
Part of Penfolds Wines, and, I think, one of the oldest working wineries in Australia, so you'll probably be visiting this one as part of your "wine tours".

Barr-Vinum, Angaston (08) 8564 3688
Lunch & dinner. www.barr-vinum.com

Bridgewater Mill, Bridgewater (08) 8339 9200 www.bridgewatermill.com.au

For accommodation, you might check these out - not recommendations, I haven't stayed at any of them (friends in Clare & McLaren Vale )

The Lodge Country house - Seppeltsfield www.thelodgecountryhouse.com.au

Peppers Hermitage, Marananga www.peppers.com.au/hermitage

North Bundaleer, Jamestown, near Clare. www.northbundaleer.com.au

Clausens of Clare. www.clausensofclare.com

McLaren Vale:
Ashcroft Country accommodation www.ashcroftbnb.com.au

Chapel Hill Winery Guest House. www.chapelhillwine.com.au

Also add Fechner's Apex Bakery, Elizabeth St. Tanunda for the BEST German cake (Kuchen) and the Butchers in Tanunda (Kalleske?) make incredible "Metwurst" i.e. German sausage, but I am sure Maggie Beers can give you the info. on all things yummy!

If you want to stay overnight in the Barossa there are lots of B & B's - we have stayed at Strathlyn near Angaston which is 5 minutes from Vintners - a restaurant favoured by local wine growers and a lovely dinig experience.

For a hotel style place with a super restaurant you could look at Peppers
http://www.peppers.com.au/thelouise

1918 in Tanunda is a lunch option - under big trees sitting outside will be nice in December.

Penfolds (the makers of Grange) run a tasting and blend-your-own wine tour from Angaston which looks like a lot of fun. You end up with your own bottle and labelled wine. http://stayz.godo.com.au/activity/PENF100

In McLaren Vale I can recommend D'arrys Verandah for lunch - at a winery and specialising in local produce
http://www.darenberg.com.au/C_11-02.php

A few kilometres from the McLaren Vale area is Port Willunga and the Star of Greece restaurant overlooking a gorgeous beach - would be perfect on a December day ! The seafood is the freshest you will find anywhere.

A local institution, Russell Jeavons opens his place for sublime wood oven pizzas on Friday nights only in High street, Willunga.If you are staying in the area on that night it would be well worth a visit. A loud,unique, fun and different dining experience

If you are in the Adelaide city area and enjoy food the Central Market is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - you can wander and taste the produce or take a tour.

This is fantastic, thanks everyone!

My wife just found on the Web these B&B possibilities: Kirkendale, Vale House, Rose Villa and Villa Moserina. Will now check out everyone's recommedations as well. Thanks again.

Also, the Novotel is in Rowland Flat, between Lyndoch and Tanunda (5 mins drive from Tanunda), golf course next door - if you are looking at somewhere to stay - great views! I love Rendevous House in Angaston for dinner, their Chicken is to die for! AND you can never go past Vintners for dinner also. Also for lunch BVE (Barossa Valley Estate) has the best platters and great value wines!!

Looks like you already have a lot of good recommendations for McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley.
In Adelaide, we very much enjoyed The Grange Restaurant at The Hilton Hotel (just please don't order shark's fin). The food and service were exquisite.
Adelaide has some wonderful simple Asian restaurants around the Central Market (which is just fantastic, by the way). I remember a lot of good Vietnamese restaurants, in particular.
If you love wine, you might also consider visiting Clare Valley (very good dry and aromatic rieslings and good shirazes) and/or Langhorne Creek (famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon). Both are close to Adelaide.

Hello,

My wife and I are keen foodies and here are a few of our favourite Adelaide restaurants:

Assaggio – very schmick contemporary Italian with amazing service - http://www.assaggio.com.au/

The Melting Pot – very high end with exceptional degustation menu - http://www.themeltingpot.com.au/

Shiki – high end Japanese in the Hyatt - http://adelaide.regency.hyatt.com/hy...ants/index.jsp

Blakes – more traditional fare with excellent service and a wine list that runs to more pages than the New York phone book – same URL as Shiki

Cibo – more relaxed and mid-market Italian with wood fired pizza oven but also excellent a la carte menu - http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/revi...view.asp?id=15

Alphutté – a bit of an Adelaide institution – excellent Swiss and international cuisine with great service and wine list - http://www.alphutte.com.au/

The Greek on Halifax – contemporary Greek with fresh local seafood - http://www.thegreek.com.au/

The Grange – absolutely cutting edge cuisine which is really out there – you need to be quite adventurous to really enjoy this. Janet my wife nearly wet her pants laughing trying to find something she recognised as food from the menu (sharks lips, squid ink and so on) - but the flavours were amazing . Open Wed through Saturday. http://www.thegrangerestaurant.com.au/

I could go on – Enzo’s for low brow setting but extraordinary food, Amarin Thai, Chloe’s (conservative and traditional but excellent), Universal Wine Bar, ridiculously cheap but with extraordinary food is The Jerusalem (Lebanese food) in Hindley Street, my Mum’s a great cook and she lives in Adelaide...

Craig - Cibo O'Connel street is no more - no more blue swimmer crab linguine! Owners sold it to concentrate on the coffee shops.

Also like Chianti Classico in Hutt Street in the city. Modern Italian.

Cheers