Charles Rawlings-Way

What are the best restaurants in Australia? With such a diverse and world-class dining scene, picking the best of the best is no easy feat – but don't worry, we've done the hard work (and the eating) for you. Our expert editors, including resident foodie Melissa Woodley, have tasted their way around the country to curate this list of the best restaurants Australia has to offer, from fine-dining institutions to hidden neighbourhood gems. So, what’s the secret recipe to an exceptional dining experience? In coming up with Time Out’s list of the best restaurants in Australia, we considered a mix of ingredients. Talented chefs? Stylish decor? Lively ambience? Top-notch drinks? And of course, food that you can’t stop thinking about for days, months, or even years. Luckily, Australia’s restaurant scene is sizzling with spots that check all these boxes, plus so much more. Here are the best restaurants in Australia right now. Editor's favourite restaurants in Australia: ⭐️ Best bucket-list: Saint Peter, NSW 💎 Best hidden gem: Warrior Restaurant and Bar, QLD 🥂 Best for special occasions: Wildflower, WA 🌊 Best view: Quay, NSW 🌍 Best sustainable: The Agrarian Kitchen, TAS Jump to list:  NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍹 The best bars in Australia⭐️ The best hotels in Australia

Take Main North Road out of Adelaide and keep driving for 1.5 hours. As you roll into Ngadjuri Country, photogenic little Auburn marks the southern bookend of the Clare Valley. There’s a real shift in the landscape here: the silos and rolling wheatfields of the Mid North district give way to vineyards, historic stone villages and sheltered creek beds studded with huge old redgums. Clare itself, the valley’s northern bookend, is just 24 kilometres further on: in between are 50-plus wineries (around 35 cellar doors), bottling up mineral-rich reds, semillon and riesling to rival the world’s best. Snaking through it all is the 33-kilometre Riesling Trail, a disused rail line that’s been converted into a bike/hike path, taking you past some of the valley’s top cellar doors. In an area so rich with top-notch drops, how does one thirsty visitor choose which wineries to visit? To narrow it down, Time Out has enlisted an avid quaffer and wine enthusiast to bring you a list of the best Clare Valley wineries. This guide spans everything from some of the very first estates that defined the region, like Jim Barry Wines, tucked-away contemporary cellar doors like Jeanneret Wines, and biodynamic pioneers like Grosset Wines. So there's nothing left to do but get sipping. Here are our picks of the best Clare Valley wineries. 🍷 Best wineries in the Barossa Valley🍺 Best bars in Adelaide🌳 Best things to do in Adelaide

Adelaide owes much of its flavour to its thriving Italian community that's been shaping the city’s culture and cuisine for well over a century. From bustling pasta bars to elegant trattorias, Italian dining is woven into the fabric of the city. Adelaide loves Italian food – and the locals do it exceptionally well.  Whether you’ve got a hankering for the legendary woodfired pizzas at Amalfi, want to celebrate in style at Fugazzi (MasterChef’s Laura Sharrad is a founding owner), or (re)visit a beloved institution like Luigi Delicatessen in the CBD, Adelaide’s best Italian restaurants have it all. Take your pick from our favourites below.  For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines.  🍷 The best restaurants in Adelaide🍕 Adelaide's best pizza joints☕️ The best cafés in Adelaide

Japanese food in Adelaide is about so much more than a quick sushi roll on the go. The city’s Japanese restaurants invite you to dive deeper into the textures and traditions of this beloved cuisine – without having to book a ticket to Tokyo. From Nishiki Café and Izakaya, a cosy bar serving drinks and small plates to share, to Samurai Teppanyaki House, where you're in for a meal and a show, to Wasai Japanese Kitchen, where the sushi and sashimi boats are works of art, the options are as varied as they are delicious. Whether you’re after an authentic ramen or a fine-dining feast complete with sake pairings, Adelaide has a spot to suit every taste. Here are some of the best Japanese restaurants in Adelaide worth exploring. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍕 The best pizza in Adelaide🍽 The best restaurants in Adelaide🍝 Adelaide's best Italian restaurants

Just a tick over 64km north of Adelaide, the compact Barossa Valley is one of the world’s greatest regions for the best wineries. This is traditional Peramangk and Ngadjuri country, with baking hot summers, cool winters and mineral-rich soils – perfect conditions for producing big, beefy red wines. Shiraz is the local hero, with some mighty fine rieslings emerging from the slightly higher, slightly cooler Eden Valley sub-region, just over the rise. There are more than 150 wineries in the Barossa, and an astonishing 80-plus cellar doors. You could spend weeks going between them, sipping fine wines all day long – but that’s probably not entirely sensible. Why not start with our top picks? Our local wine expert Charles Rawlings-Way recommends visiting the world's oldest shiraz vineyard at Langmeil Winery, settling in for a long lunch and garden wander at Jacob’s Creek, trying bold, fruit-forward drops at Two Hands Wines in Marananga, or soaking up the rustic charm (and regional tasting platters) at David Franz. Here are the best Barossa wineries. 🍷 Best things to do in the Barossa Valley🍇 Best wineries in the McLaren Vale🌳 Best wineries in Clare Valley

Standing in a McLaren Vale vineyard on a hot summer afternoon, gazing across the vines to the shimmering Gulf St Vincent, this place could be Tuscany... But that’s just the wine-tasting talking. McLaren Vale is definitively South Australian – and at just 45 minutes south of Adelaide, it’s also one of the most easily accessible wine regions in the country. Backed by the rippling topography of the Willunga Scarp, McLaren Vale’s agrarian landscape is a gorgeous patchwork of vineyards that was, at one stage, nominated for a World Heritage listing. Shiraz grows ridiculously well in the Vale’s deep terra rossa limestone soils – but with 80-plus cellar doors to visit, you’ll also find grenache, sangiovese, fiano, vermentino and other Med styles with which to blur your afternoon. With so many world-class wineries in the region, it can be a little baffling to choose where to visit. There's a wide array of estates here, from the heritage of Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards to modern, inventive makers like Mollydooker Wines and Alpha Box and Dice. No matter what your palate prefers, there's a drop to suit your tastes. To make the decision easier, Time Out has tasked a passionate wine lover to bring you the best wineries in McLaren Vale. So grab a map at the visitor centre, get someone else to drive and start tasting. 🍷 Best wineries in Australia🍇 Best wineries in Barossa Valley🌳 Best wineries in Clare Valley

Combining seriously stylish design with access to abundant fresh produce from the surrounding wine regions, Adelaide’s restaurant scene has the best of both city and regional dining. Forward-thinking mod-Oz cuisine is informed by food traditions from across the world, which are also visible in everything from Afghan comfort food to Parisian classics and what might be Australia’s first pizza restaurant.  The accompanying wine lists are just as wide-ranging, encompassing powerful Barossa reds, spritzy natural wines and everything in between, all served by knowledgeable staff. And the best bit? Even the extended degustations sit at a price point that will come as a pleasant surprise to East Coast diners. Contributing writer and 11-year resident of Adelaide, Dale Anninos-Carter, has long been scouring the city for the utmost tastiest fare within dining rooms that tick all of the boxes. Together with Time Out’s Travel & News Editor Melissa Woodley, she's curated this guide to the best restaurants in Adelaide for all your eating pleasure. Update August 2025: Since our last update, we’ve ticked a few restaurants off the list and added recently opened eateries that are already turning heads to our guide, like Monica Bistro. Plus, we added some long-time favourites that deserve a visit, including La Louisiane and Africola. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍷 The best bars in Adelaide🍕 Adelaide's best pizza joints☕️ The best cafés in

Two decades ago, a night at the pub was pretty bleak for vegans – think hot chips with a sad side of leaves. But Australia’s dining scene has come a long way since then, with menus now featuring everything from cashew cheese and oat milks to mushroom meats and pub grub that’d fool your meat-loving mates. That said, it’s no secret our hospitality industry’s been doing it tough in recent years, and the vegan scene hasn’t been immune. Beloved plant-based venues like Sydney’s 34-year-old yum cha institution Bodhi and popular Sunshine Coast herbal bar Elixiba have sadly closed their doors, while ethical fast food chain Lord of the Fries has shut down more than half of its Aussie stores. Many fully vegan restaurants have also transitioned to being just veg-friendly – a move we support if it means more creative dishes at a wider range of venues. If you’re keen to back those doing the absolute most for our planet (and our animal pals), here’s just a short selection of the best vegan restaurants in Australia right now. ⭐️ Australia's best restaurants☕️ Our favourite cafés in Australia😋 The best vegan restaurants in Sydney🥑 And the best vegan spots in Melbourne

Australians are constantly in a heavenly food coma, courtesy of Italian cuisine. This is thanks to the huge influx of Italian immigrants who arrived on our shores after World War II, bringing not just a suitcase of dreams, but a whole lot of pasta, pizza and parmesan. Whether you’re craving fresh antipasti straight from The Boot, hand-rolled pappardelle with rich ragu, wood-fired sourdough pizza or boozy tiramisu made just like nonna, we’ve scoured out the best Italian restaurants in Australia for every occasion. Our team of Aussie food writers has independently chosen these spots for their authentic flavours, prime locations, buzzing ambience and signature Italian hospitality. In Sydney, a cheery waterfront spot has been serving classic Italian hits for more than a decade. In Brisbane, live lobster is plucked from tanks and tossed through house-made spaghetti. And in Hobart, a tiny CBD wine bar keeps the vibes flowing with vinyl records all night. In no particular order, here's our pick of the best Italian restaurants in Australia. RECOMMEND: The best Italian restaurants in...Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth | Canberra | Hobart | Darwin

There’s always time for a tipple when you’re travelling around Australia. Our thirsty country is swimming in stellar watering holes that are loved by locals and tourists alike. We’ve even got a handful of contenders on the World’s 50 Best Bars list to back us up. Whether you’re looking for a fancy spot for cleverly crafted cocktails or a natural wine bar with superb snacks, our local Australian editors and drink writers have curated this list of all the best bars in Australia right now. Of course, Sydney and Melbourne's Bar of the Year winners from Time Out's Food & Drink Awards 2025 – Pleasure Club and Caretaker's Cottage – made the list. But there are so many more gems to explore! 🍽️ The best restaurants in Australia🍷 Australia's best wineries☕️ Where to find the best coffee in Australia

‘Barossa' is a name synonymous with world-class wine. Characterised by its luscious rolling countryside dotted with charming stone churches, this compact region is home to many of Australia’s most renowned and historic wineries, including Penfolds, Henschke and Seppeltsfield.  However, the Barossa Valley is more than just an idyllic place to drink, dine and unwind. Just under an hour’s drive northeast of Adelaide city, the Barossa boasts fantastic farm gates, gorgeous goldfield trails and luxurious lodges, for when you’ve had a glass (or two) too many. Here are the best things to do in the Barossa Valley, including the top spots to drink, eat, explore and rest your legs. 🍷 The best wineries in the Barossa Valley🚗 Here are the best day trips from Adelaide✨ All the best wineries in Australia

Forget the ‘City of Churches’ tag – Adelaide has just as many pubs, not to mention bars of all persuasions, which have ridden a boom in recent years following a tweak to licencing laws that now allow small bars to serve booze without food.  From a city-fringe craft beer nook called The Suburban Brew and a hidden speakeasy by the name of Maybe Mae to a cosy cabin right in the thick of it dubbed Pink Moon Saloon, there’s an Adelaide bar to suit every mood and tipple of choice. The 'big country town' is also a UNESCO ‘City of Music’, so expect to hear some live jazz, an acoustic troubadour or at least a DJ spinning rock classics while you quench your thirst. Oh, and don’t forget the wine. Given that South Australia is the nation’s wine-producing heartland, you can anticipate nothing but top bottles here. Without further ado, here are the best bars in Adelaide as chosen by our local expert writers, Dale Anninos-Carter and Charles Rawlings-Way, who've been perusing the scene for more than a decade and observed the ebbs and flows of the city's late-night hospitality world (and been part of it too). For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍺 Adelaide's greatest pubs for a cold beer🍹 The best rooftop bars in Adelaide🍽️ All the best restaurants in Adelaide right now

This compact 28-seat restaurant upstairs from Etica pizzeria doesn’t try to replace meat dishes with vegan alternatives. Instead, every one of the ten dishes on Allegra's set menu is designed from the ground up to reflect the season. The result is a sophisticated dining experience that never fails to delight vegans and omnivores alike with its next-level inventive fare. Flavour combinations you would least expect somehow work in ways unexplainable – take, for example, the coffee dip with Jerusalem artichoke chips, and the porcini-port jelly with spent sourdough. Not only is Allegra Dining Room one of the best vegan restaurants in Adelaide, but in Australia too. We’d go as far as saying that this wee, but mighty eatery has helped shape the country’s plant-based culinary scene. Time Out tip: Go on an empty stomach – the courses start coming, and they simply don’t stop coming. It’s a pretty cute spot for a date night or special occasion too. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Adelaide

Okay so it’s apparent – Adelaide loves a good old-fashioned laneway-situated bar, and Hains and Co is no exception to the unofficial rule. The nautical theme is a little out of whack in downtown Adelaide, but charming in its own slightly incongruous way: think wall-mounted anchors, antiquated maritime decor, endless lengths of ropes, and tiny boats in bottles.  Since the bar is apparently cobbled together from chunks of the old Largs Bay jetty, this shipshape aesthetic certainly passes muster. It’s a handsome port in a storm and a beaut of a bar, perfect for a gin on a hot afternoon or a rum (which is never gone) on a cold night. Once you’ve got your bearings, we suggest the Dark ‘n’ Stormy paired with a little something off the cigar menu from Cuba, Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic, if that’s your thing. Just make sure to position yourself on the deck (outside) for that sweet sea breeze. Time Out tip: Take your Pirates of the Caribbean-loving friend to Hains and Co – it’ll be sure to give ‘em a thrill, me hearties. RECOMMENDED: The best bars in Adelaide

It's a little bit French and a big bit classy. La Buvette has raised the late-night drinking scene in Adelaide’s West End to new heights. Not to yuck anyone's yums, but most of the booze rooms around here are mainstream haunts with notoriously sticky dancefloors, broken toilet doors, multi-coloured flashing lights and somewhat stale-smelling – which is exactly what the doctor orders, sometimes. But we’re here to chat about the finer things in life, or the West End. La Buvette delivers something far more refined: meticulously selected French wines and aperitifs in understated laneway surrounds amped up by streetside, Drucker bistro chairs. Close your eyes, count to three and step inside the closest thing to Gap Paree in Adelaide – all thanks to yesteryear light fixtures, marble tabletops and an intricate wooden bar, exposed stone walls and beams, gold detailing, along with a deep blue colour palette that is just downright sexy. Order yourself a bottle of rosé from Côte De Provence, France, and you’ll need not book yourself a long-haul. Time Out tip: It’s not just about the tipple at La Buvette – French fare is to be expected. Feeling adventurous? Sample the escargots à l'Alsacienne – that’s snails prepared with butter, white wine and plenty of garlic and parsley too. RECOMMENDED: The best bars in Adelaide

Magically secluded in the western Barossa backblocks, Seppeltsfield is less like a winery, more like a historic wine village. This sprawling complex of gorgeous stone buildings, founded in 1851 by recently arrived Silesian immigrant Joseph Seppelt, was Australia’s biggest wine producer in the early years of the 1900s. Getting here is half the fun. From Tanunda or Nuriootpa, take Seppeltsfield Road – a meandering drive through the vines along a roadway lined with surreal colonnades of date palms, planted in the 1930s. Pay your respects at the Greek-inspired hilltop Seppelt Family Mausoleum en route, built in 1927. When you eventually roll into the cellar door, don’t miss a lick of tawny port. Also on site, you’ll find regional fine-dining superstar Fino, coffee roaster/café Octeine, the Jam Factory art and design hub, Vasse Virgin luxe soap factory, a cooperage, Seppeltsfield’s cellar door, and all manner of tours and experiences. Give yourself at least an afternoon to soak it all up! RECOMMENDED: The best wineries in the Barossa Valley The best things to do in the Barossa Valley

Not far north of Auburn’s heritage main street, with its rambling flower gardens and honey-coloured stone cottages, Taylors is one of the Clare Valley’s biggest operators. But in Taylors’ case, big volume and big distribution haven’t translated into any tailing-off in wine quality. It’s still a family-run business (most of the key players here are Taylors), and – if you can excuse the questionable castle-style architecture – the cellar door experience here is down-to-earth and personable. The range of wines produced here is impressive, from splash-it-around backyard barbecue blends to exquisite hand-crafted reds that nudge $300 per bottle.  Pre-booked tasting sessions are a bargain (from $5, redeemable with purchase), or you can extend your afternoon with a $20 wine-and-cheese or wine-and-chocolate experience. Serious wine buffs can opt for ‘the Pinnacle’ tasting experience, which takes you through Taylors’ top-flight range, including salubrious Pioneer shiraz and Visionary cab sav.

Real-estate agents tout ‘location, location, location’ as the winning triad, but at Bank Street Social the formula is ‘local, local, local’ (as applicable to beer, wine and spirits). Head downstairs and lean into the no-frills vibes: exposed brickwork and chunky timber beams set the scene for fab drinking den worthy of any occasion. It’s a laid-back space offering sweet relief from Hindley Street’s red-necked heartland, and live vinyl spinners and fab pizzas seal the deal.

Adelaide and its hilly backdrop are home to around two dozen gin distilleries – welcome to the gin capital of Australia. One of the city’s flagship downtown distillers, Prohibition, gives the gin thing a 1920s spin. Its tasting room features a wall of interesting botanicals to ensnare the senses and inspire conversation. The ‘Next Door Bar’ is a more intimate cocktail room, but you can admire the chunky square gin bottles decking the bar in either space.

This Goodwood Road taproom is barely in the titular suburbs: at around 1km from Adelaide’s CBD, ‘city fringe’ might be a better description. Beyond a big grey roller door, the space opens out into a roomy, industrial beer hall with crafty pale ale, English bitter and heavyweight black IPA ready to be pulled into some pints. For those in search of old school pub energy, especially if you take your beer seriously, this is the boozer for you.

Check out that façade! Built in 1901, Electra House is fronted by some serious stonework – all Corinthian columns, shapely balusters and muscle-clad gargoyles. Inside, the Chamber Bar is also a knockout, with six-metre-high ceilings, black-cane barstools, tan leather booths, mosaic tiles and tall windows the size of pool tables. It's a favourite haunt of barristers and bankers drinking Tanqueray and cocktails, and on a balmy night, you can dress to impress and hit up the jaunty brick-and-glass Garden Bar.

Adelaide’s East End is a high-rent scene: for a bar to make it here, it’s gotta be good. NOLA (shorthand for New Orleans, Louisiana – the mood here is very Deep South) has proven it’s got what it takes. A killer range of whiskies, boundless craft beer, Cajun eats (chow down on cornbread, grits, po’boys and fried chicken) and regular jazz maintains the bayou buzz.

Spinning off from Clever Little Taylor, one of Adelaide’s pioneering small bars is equally petite – a micro-wide cabin wedged into an alleyway off buzzy Leigh Street. The room at the front is where the drinking happens, leading into a courtyard with a food shack out the back – wood-fired, slow-cooked meats are the specialty of the house. It’s an innovative and compact example of how small can be mighty; just don’t walk past too fast or you’ll miss it.

We’re not sure who Mae is or why she’s feeling so uncertain, but her underground speakeasy sure is cool. Cocktails, fine wine and retro-rock vibes make for a seductive combo, underpinned by a local and sustainable ethos. Duck in for a quick G'n'T after work and stay till 2am. The hardest part is finding the unsigned door (hint: it doesn’t look anything like a door). Head upstairs to Bread and Bone Wood Grill afterward if you’ve worked up an appetite (burgers and dogs FTW).