Adelaide’s 20 most powerful restaurants – ranked

#20 Enoteca

Enoteca is a newer player in Adelaide’s hospo scene, having only opened in 2023. However, it inherits legacy power from Enzo’s Ristorante. Natalie, the daughter of Enzo, and her Milan-born fiancé Alessandro opened Enoteca with the same values, but with a contemporary flair.

When CityMag visited Enoteca ahead of its opening in August last year, Natalie told us that while their new generation is different, they still want to emulate Enzo’s legacy of making guests “feel like they were VIP”.

Enoteca focuses on shared meals, the inclusion of charcoal dishes and a contemporary take on Italian cuisine. The restaurant is located on Rundle Street, but stretches all the way back to Vardon Avenue, where a casual bar overlooks the Ebenezer/Vardon thoroughfare.

CityMag is known to enjoy their negroni, one of the best we’ve found, while people-watching in the powerful location.

281–283 Rundle Street, Adelaide 5000. Connect with Enoteca on Instagram.

#19 One Sneaky Cheetah

When One Sneaky Cheetah opened in 2022, they told us they were going to break those traditional Italian pizza rules. This means they’re happy to have fun with their flavours and use ingredients like barbecue sauce. These non-traditional tropes are nowhere to be found in this hospitality group’s original restaurant, Pizzateca (which couldn’t qualify for our Restaurant Power Rankings as it’s not a part of metropolitan Adelaide).

Luckily for the Pizzateca group, their name is synonymous with good quality – which is part of the reason for their inclusion in our top 20 most powerful restaurants in Adelaide. So no one was too worried when a bit of pineapple was purposely placed on their pizzas. One Sneaky Cheetah now has three locations and continues to enhance their brand name.

73 Magill Rd, Stepney 5069. Connect with One Sneaky Cheetah on Instagram.

#18 Press Food & Wine

In 2022, Press took a new direction when it was taken over by a hospo group that also covers Leigh Street Wine Room and Peel Street Restaurant.

The tone shift was marked by a more relaxed dining room and a huge bar in the centre, with CityMag told it was a place “you could wear a suit or walk in high heels, or you can just wear your denim and whatever and that will be completely fine”.

The revamp marked a change for the venue opened in 2011, spearheaded by notable restaurateur Simon Kardachi. Kardachi is also behind Osteria Oggi, Shobosho and was, for good reason, a big part of our conversation about what constitutes power in Adelaide’s hospitality scene.

Despite a change in ownership, Press’ reputation is rock-solid, with the modern European restaurant winning votes from within our office as a hot spot to dine, whatever you’re wearing.

40 Waymouth Street, Adelaide 5000. Connect with Press on Instagram.

#17 Kiin

Located on Angas Street, Kiin is led by hospitality veterans, chef Ben Bertei and sommelier David Wickwar. Kiin, which opened in 2022, is particular with its approach to modern Asian food and changes the menu as the seasons pass, with curated cocktails to match. This restaurant is a passion project from co-owners Ben and David who have a combined 50 plus years of experience in the industry.

What is most notable about Kiin’s power in Adelaide is all about the experience when you dine in. We are always greeted with friendly hellos and the staff at the restaurant make a special effort to accommodate needs, wants and everything in between to all guests. What can we say, Kiin just hits the spot and was deserving of a spot in the top 20.

73 Angus Street, Adelaide 5000. Connect with Kiin on Instagram.

#16 Fino Vino

CityMag doesn’t venture beyond metro Adelaide often.

We were created to explore postcode 5000, but we’ve expanded that boundary for delicious reasons before.

But when it comes to our power rankings, having to consider every contender across the regions from the Fleurieu Peninsula to the Barossa Valley and beyond is regrettably not a realistic option.

So when Fino Vino opened a CBD location in Flinders Street in 2019, you can imagine we were thrilled.

The original Fino opened in 2006 in Willunga, and in 2014 was invited to join the Seppeltsfield village in the Barossa Valley, championing local produce and cultivating an international reputation.

The Fino brand set the tone for modern Adelaide dining with its use of share plates and casual but warm service. Fino Vino gave the city a taste of that produce-driven approach, with a reliable wine and cocktail offering and comfortably keeping a spot in Adelaide’s culinary conversation.

82 Flinders Street, Adelaide 5000. Connect with Fino Vino on Instagram.

#15 East End Cellars

Ah, East End Cellars, a Vardon Avenue staple. Bottle shop, bar, restaurant, fancy soup kitchen – what can’t you do?

Answer: squeeze in a table of four hungry journalists on a sunny Friday night.

We should have known better. On a Friday evening, it’s walk-ins only and it’s (still) competitive.

They’ve been operating 26 years, have over 19,000 Instagram followers (staying power and Grammable check and check), have opened a second location in Norwood and some of their team are behind the new Festival Plaza restaurant Station Road, slated to open in November 2024.

But we know them as the OG East End restaurant for prime people-watching with a nifty wine list, just get in early to secure your spot.

25 Vardon Ave, Adelaide 5000. Connect with East End Cellars on Instagram.

#14 Latteria

If we could give this bar another year or so, we think it could’ve climbed its way into our top 10 and had its name printed all over our glorious print pages (which is on streets now, by the way).

It already had multiple votes from the people that matter. Latteria opened in April this year from the Osteria Oggi team and is already making a strong name for itself.

Unlike the Pirie Street sibling, Latteria is more cocktail-focused and offers light snacks, highlighting its inspiration from aperitivo hour in Italy. But the food includes cotoletta, beef tartare and wagyu bresaola. The space, designed by studio-gram, has different sections intended to allow you to spend the whole night in one spot, moving from the bar to a sit-down table and then all the way to the lounge.

185 Hutt Street, Adelaide 5000. Connect with Latteria on Instagram.

#13 Good Gilbert

When CityMag assessed the most powerful restaurants in 2019, one requirement was the 5000-postcode location. In a post-Covid hospitality world, the ‘burbs have showed they’re serving up the good stuff and basically proved to us that they should be included in the 2024 iteration. It’s places like Good Gilbert that pointed this out to us loud and clear.

But what exactly makes this bar so powerful? It could be that the Good Gilbert name now has two other business ventures under their catalogue – Good Burger and the recently opened Asha – it could be because it was Gourmet Traveller’s wine bar of the year in 2023, or it could just be because everyone who pops by GGs for a drink or snack just really loves it.

135B Goodwood Rd, Goodwood 5034. Connect with Good Gilbert on Instagram.

#12 Shobosho

Simon Kardachi is responsible for places like Fugazzi, Osteria Oggi and Melt and is a big name in the Adelaide hospitality scene. Shōbōshō, the Japanese-inspired restaurant on Leigh Street, has a seasonal menu but currently features prawn and nori taco, blue swimmer crab udon and a range of different dumplings.

Just before opening the restaurant back in 2017, Simon sat down with CityMag and said “the [Shōbōshō] concept is a blending of smoke, steam and fire,” and emphasising “the ancient traditions of Japanese yakitori, with the finesse, skill and texture of all that is raw, cured, pickled and fermented”.

CityMag thinks this spot is deserving of a place in the top 20 for its longstanding presence on Leigh Street. It also received high opinion points along with a strong social media presence.

17 Leigh Street, Adelaide 5000.

Connect with Shōbōshō on Instagram.

#11 Hey Jupiter

When contemplating staying power in a fragile hospitality landscape hit by a cost-of-living crisis, CityMag thought about the restaurants that (we hope) won’t go anywhere. Hey Jupiter sprung to mind.

The thought of prying those iconic green tiles off its façade was enough to make us shudder.

When Hey Jupiter first opened in 2012 by Frenchman Christophe Zauner and partner Jacqui Lodge, it was tiny but mighty. They pulled plenty of regulars for coffees and their famous pork belly sandwiches.

In 2017, they expanded, built a larger kitchen and started night-time trade, with the Parisian bistro taking the form we know today.

From day to night, they have a consistent offering, and the décor has a warm, novelty feel to dining in that never gets old.

11 Ebenezer Place. Connect with Hey Jupiter on Instagram.

#10 Anchovy Bandit

Anchovy Bandit is one of three venues in our top 10 located outside of the CBD, which we believe is indicative of the direction of Adelaide’s hospo scene in recent years.

The Prospect pizzeria and pasta bar by the Big Easy Group has birthed spin-off Bandit Pizza and Wine, but it’s the original Anchovy Bandit brand that we see as powerful. Since doubling in size in 2020 and broadening the menu under chef Shane Wilson, they’ve had social media hype to boot, and plenty of word-of-mouth.

A reliable and fun night out, Anchovy Bandit has broad family appeal, but is another particularly popular among Millennial and Gen Z spenders, which bodes well for its future.

3/98 Prospect Road, Prospect. Connect with Anchovy Bandit on Instagram.

#9 Lucia’s Pizza & Spaghetti Bar

Talk about sustained power! Lucia’s is an institution and was, literally, the very first pizza bar in Australia – a title incorrectly, and unknowingly, claimed by Toto’s in Melbourne.

The business is still family run, with Nicci Bugeja and Maria Rosella at the helm of a brand first opened in 1957 by their mother, Lucia – a powerful figure in her own right, breaking norms of that time by opening and working in her own business.

But what makes Lucia’s so powerful? Sure, it may have something to do with the consistent food offering, and maybe a little bit to do with the fact the Central Market site is always busy.

Or it could just be that Adelaide, as we know it, wouldn’t be the same without Lucia’s.

Adelaide Central Markets, Adelaide. Connect with Lucia’s on Instagram for more.

#8 Herringbone

You always know what you’re going to get at Herringbone: quality. This restaurant made the cut for a number of reasons. It scored highly from the people that matter, and always shows up when we need it most. It’s respectably priced and doesn’t try to be the next Restaurant Botanic in its approach. They simply just make good food, and have for a long time – isn’t that what hospitality is all about?

Herringbone opened in 2018 and this same crew have continued to grow, opening up Trak late last year in Toorak Gardens. They’ve also climbed up from number 18 in our 2019 ranking to now number eight and comfortably inside our top 10.

72 Halifax Street, Adelaide. Connect with Herringbone on Instagram for more.

#7 Peel St Restaurant

When it comes to Peel St’s power source, one word comes to mind for CityMag: legacy.

Today, Googling “Peel St restaurant” hits you with lists of small bars and dining options in the West End laneway, but that was not the case when the restaurant opened in 2013 on what was then a barren and little-known laneway.

The restaurant was important in Peel Street’s drink and dine revival when the former Weatherill government created small bar licenses.

At the time the restaurant, opened by chef Jordan Theodorous and business partner Ben McLeod, was one of the most anticipated on the block.

A decade on, they’re still known for a top quality, tasty feed as fresh and simple as the street it’s named for, or at a pop-up such as the Tasting Australia Town Square.

9 Peel Street, Adelaide. Connect with Peet St Restaurant on Instagram for more.

#6 Part Time Lover

The all-day bistro tucked behind Town Hall emerged in 2019 and was nothing if not Instagrammable. Joshua Baker, Stewart Wesson and Luke Turton – who have since added Hutt Street’s Sofia to their hospo portfolio – set out to build an inviting place for everyone at any time with a breakfast, lunch and dinner offering.

Through the warm and inviting interiors and the seasonal standouts on the menu, Part Time Lover has all the hallmarks of a defined food and drink identity.

When it comes solely to Google reviews, Part Time Lover is tied with Herringbone for top spot with a solid 4.8-star rating. Among the millennial and Gen Z crowd, Part Time Lover has a particular pull, with the under-30s in the CityMag office singing its praises the most.

Pilgrim Lane, Adelaide. Connect with Part Time Lover on Instagram for more.

#5 Osteria Oggi

From 9th place in 2019, Oggi is another from powerhouse restaurateur Simon Kardachi, who’s behind Fugazzi, Shōbōsho, and the newly opened cocktail bar Latteria.

When you’ve got so many hospitality ventures under your belt, one or two usually stand out. When Latteria opened, CityMag and other media wrote about it the same way: “The Osteria Oggi team has opened a cocktail bar”.

Oggi has the power to intrigue customers to try new venues, without losing any of its own clientele.

The pasta is made fresh daily and the fit-out is award-winning, clearly setting the tone for other restaurants that have popped up on Pirie and surrounding city streets.

76 Pirie Street, Adelaide. Connect with Osteria Oggi on Instagram for more.

#4 Arkhé

Jake Kellie is the face of Arkhé. Since opening on The Parade at Norwood in 2021, he has made a conscious effort to cook everything over fire, with no gas or electricity powered appliance in the Arkhé kitchen. Along with his experience in restaurants like Singapore’s Burnt Ends and Victoria’s Estelle, Jake is a 40 Under 40 alumnus from 2022 and took out SALIFE’s Absolute Best restaurant of 2023. With the awards and increasing recognition, he most definitely contributes to this prestigious and notable restaurant power in Adelaide. Arkhé has become a top dining spot known for quality produce, wicked experience and one-of-a-kind ethos.

127 The Parade, Norwood. Connect with Arkhé on Instagram for more.

#3 Golden Boy

When we ranked the most powerful restaurants in Adelaide in 2019, Golden Boy came in at number 15. Over its 11 years it’s climbed the charts and now makes our top three.

We appreciate the way Golden Boy is tucked away in its corner spot and minds its own business (but God forbid you try and book into the restaurant on a Saturday with one week’s notice – we think it’s been like this since day one).

Golden Boy is consistent. When you sign up for the $72 Tuk Tuk feed me experience, you will most certainly be full. If you’re not, then they’ll offer you another round of food.

Among their glowing Google reviews, high opinion points and strong social media presence, we predict Golden Boy can keep their power for another 11 years.

309 North Terrace, Adelaide. Connect with Golden Boy on Instagram for more.

#2 Fugazzi

In the name of power, there’s two people to consider: MasterChef alumni Laura Sharrad, and Adelaide restaurateur Simon Kardachi. Put the two together and it makes one heck of a powerful restaurant.

Laura, along with her partner Max Sharrad are the brains behind Nido, and opened Fugazzi in the old Rigoni’s space on Leigh Street in 2021.

It’s an Italian-inspired New York style of dining and is a place to go when you graduate or get engaged, not an everyday occurrence (the price point reflects this).

Nonetheless, it’s tasty as heck, and CityMag recommends the hand rolled taglierini paired with a Negroni.

In terms of power points: the names obviously plonk this one pretty high; that, along with a strong social media presence and a consistent offering.

27 Leigh Street, Adelaide. Connect with Fugazzi on Instagram for more.

#1 Parwana

When CityMag visited Parwana for our cover shoot, we felt instantly assured we had made the correct choice for number one.

Beforehand, Parwana ticked all our boxes: staying power since 2009, rave reviews from everyone spanning The New York Times, Nigella Lawson and the average nonna, a successful cookbook, and plenty of online love.

Their reputation is well documented. But, as volunteers weaved through our photography set featuring a cracked plate spread across the floor while carrying large pots of curry and rice to feed the homeless, it was plain to see hospitality at the business’ core.

Charitable work is nothing new for the family-owned business, with Durkhanai Ayubi a CityMag 40 Under 40 Social Impact award winner for her work telling the important stories of Australian migrants.

When it comes to dining at the Adelaide institution, like most, CityMag can’t go past the Banjaan Borani, their signature eggplant dish.

The Narenj Palaw, a long-grain rice with candied orange peelings, slivered almonds and pistachio is what you see spilling across our cover. We have yet to find a rice as delicious and vibrant as this one.

The Ayubi family is as layered and beautiful as the dishes they present, and we are proud to live in a city that’s embraced such a wholesome and truly hospitable restaurant. Their power is well-earned and used for good.

124B Henley Beach Road, Torrensville. Connect with Parwana on Instagram for more.