51 Best Restaurants in South Australia, Australia

There's a relaxed, nautical air at this mainstay—which perfectly suits the location on the south bank of the River Torrens. Sliding glass doors open onto a full-width front balcony for alfresco dining. The imaginative modern Australian menu, offered in both à la carte and tasting menu forms, changes seasonally, but continues the theme with seafood selections that might include seared Murray cod with Goolwa pipis (cockles), fermented chili and sea urchin butter. The lunch crowd is largely corporate in nature while warm evenings attract couples.

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.

In a beautifully restored 160-year-old flour mill, this inviting restaurant on the way to Cape Jervis (and Kangaroo Island) proudly foregrounds local produce. The floor staff know many of the suppliers personally and all ingredients on the prix-fixe menu are sourced within a 50-km (31-mile) radius. Fortunately, the surrounding land and sea are so bountiful that can include multiple types of seafood, buffalo curd, free-range lamb and beef, and even truffles when in season.

This bustling pan-Asian food hall is a beef-with-black-bean-sauce–free zone. Instead, stalls including Mum's Kimbap and Li's Mouth Magic produce such dishes as salty fish and chicken fried rice, special hot pot, and pho gà (Vietnamese chicken-noodle soup with fresh mint and coriander). Shoppers and tourists crowd the fake-marble tables next door to the Central Market, yet you never have to wait more than a few minutes for a delicious, cheap meal.

The multicourse tasting menu at this winery restaurant is the most beautiful food you’ll encounter in the Vale. The presentation is often striking and innovative but the dishes themselves are still eminently approachable. Multiple seafood courses lead into a three-part main before desserts paired with Maxwell’s other famous beverage: mead. The venue itself melds traditional materials like stone and timber with more modern touches and overlooks gnarled 60-year-old shiraz vines and a working winery.

Shaded by a large mulberry tree, this cute café has a short blackboard menu that changes daily to incorporate fresh produce from the colorful on-site garden and beyond. Salvaged materials give the large deck a rustic feel and the eponymous pantry is filled with a huge variety of goods from local producers. Coupled with the proximity to the ferry terminal, this makes it a great first or last stop on the island.

After working in Melbourne with respected roasters Market Lane and Everyday Coffee, Monday's owner Jarrad Sharrock brought his knowledge back to his hometown of Adelaide and opened his own roastery and minimalist design café in 2017, to the delight of locals.This is his second site and in addition to excellent coffee serves a tight menu of bagels and delicious pastries made fresh at a nearby bakery.

Locals swear that the pizzas at the popular BIG4 Stuart Range Outback Resort are among Australia's best—maybe, maybe not, but they are certainly the best in Coober Pedy. The toppings combinations can be classic, creative, or gourmet, such as the Noon (with tomato, mushrooms, and onions) and the Garlic Prawn (with basil pesto and semidried tomatoes).

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.

A sweeping view of Adelaide is the backdrop for contemporary workings of traditional bush meats such as kangaroo, emu, and wild boar, plus herbs, and fruits at this "floating" riverfront restaurant. The downstairs River Torrens Café, the restaurant's sister venue, is more informal, and offers a modern Italian menu for weekday lunches and dinners.

Adelaide is a prime spot for enjoying Australia's incredible seafood. At Sammy's on the Marina, enormous fishbowl windows frame views of million-dollar yachts at the far end of Glenelg's glitzy Holdfast Marina and are perfect for watching the setting sun, playing dolphins, or a storm rolling across Gulf St. Vincent as you tuck into a dozen freshly shucked oysters or the popular and generous seafood platter.

In 2018, Caitlin Duff and husband, Nathaniel Morse, opened this daily coffee shop, café, and coworking space next to the retail shop Ensemble, run by Caitlin’s sister, Anny. They serve locally roasted coffee, cold-pressed juices, pots of tea, vegan baked goods, and more, including breakfast and lunch in an airy space flooded with natural light and brightened by hanging plants.

The dining area at this local favorite spills from a 1850s cottage onto a beautiful veranda overlooking a flower-filled garden and rows of grapevines. The menu changes seasonally, but entrées might include fish tagine with olives, apricots, and Skillogalee figs with saffron and lemon couscous or dukkah-crusted chicken breast. You can't go wrong with the "vine pruner's lunch," chef Diana Palmer's spin on the British plowman's meal, a platter of rum-glazed local ham, cheddar cheese, chutney, and crusty bread.

Gourmet picnic baskets can be ordered (24-hours notice required).

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.

In the seaside town of Aldinga this cute little spot offers vibrant Southeast Asian cuisine accompanied by an excellent selection of wines, mostly from smaller producers. The restaurant occupies an old blacksmith’s shop and adjacent courtyard and is full of charm, while the owners are friendly and accommodating---order the "feed me" option and you won’t leave hungry. If you’re passing by in the morning, there’s a wonderful coffee roastery and espresso bar in the same complex.

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.

People have watched the world go by from the veranda of this landmark hotel in Auburn, 17 km (10 miles) south of Sevenhill, since it was built in 1849. Pull up a chair overlooking the street and partake of the filling comfort food like braised lamb shanks with wilted greens and creamy mashed potato to go along with an excellent selection of 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).

Local families, winemakers, and travelers all convene here for great seafood and a stellar wine list, all in a relaxed, comfortable setting. There are daily specials not to miss, and the menu ranges from fresh oysters to excellent bar food like classic schnitzel and and salt-and-pepper squid, and also includes more composed Modern Australian dishes with fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables.

Proprietor Doug Govan is particularly fond of Burgundy, so you might get to enjoy some very special Pinot Noir if you go down in the cellar to pick out a bottle.

Locals flock to this sophisticated, long-standing favorite, where giant ironwood beams overlook a light-filled dining room and wide windows open out onto rows of vineyards. An upbeat soundtrack, friendly service, and comfortable charcoal suede chairs make it easy to relax into a leisurely meal, as does the wine list that includes plenty of international options alongside Barossa classics. The menu blends Australian, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors, and features modern takes on classic seafood dishes and choice meat cuts. Prix fixe only on weekends.