Whenever you’re a local of a city, you always have you favourite places and know the hidden gems in your city. However, I’m also a local that is happy to let you in on these!
GREEN TEA HOUSE
22 Jetty Road, Glenelg SA 5045
This is definitely our most-visited place since moving to the beach just over a year ago. The service is exceptional (they’re starting to recognise us haha), everything we’ve ever eaten there is superb and it’s just got such a great feel to it. Without a doubt, our favourite item is their Bun (noodle) bowls with crispy Pork Crackling on top. We have eaten other items there, but this is the favourite, so the only thing I’ve taken a picture of haha
Closed Monday, 5-10pm every other night
THE LITTLE HUNTER
25 Victoria Ave, Adelaide SA 5000
I’m just going to put it out there – this was THE BEST steak I’ve had in my life (sorry mum!). I had the 200g Black Angas Eye Fillet, and requested it to be cooked as the chef recommends, so it came out a gorgeous Medium-Rare. Let’s not forget that it comes out wrapped in BACON!! I had it with Mashed Potato and a Red Wine Glace. The Ribs and Chicken Schnitzel are also hits as well. Their wine list is good, but I’d recommend one of the local beers on tap or signature cocktails.
Open 5pm – 9pm daily
303 BY THE SEA
303 Seaview Road, Henley Beach SA 5022
This is by far one of the best breakfast places I’ve been along the beach in recent times – and their constant lines back me up. What I love the most is that their menus are seasonal. When I visited, we were just coming out of winter, so they hadn’t switched over to their summer menu yet, so I was able to indulge in more of a winter item. I had the Apple Crumble Porridge with maple cream on top – amazing! My bestie had their smashed Avo and gave it two thumbs up. We also had one of their Jungle Juices – which had Watermelon, Pineapple, Apple and Coconut Juice. My best tip is to get there early, or prepared to wait, but it’s worth it!
Open 7am – 4pm daily
THE HOLDY
83 Brighton Road, Glenelg South SA 5045
The Holdy ended up being a really lucky find. We initially chose it as they had a big open area that my friends son could crawl around in and we chose a day mid-week in the hope it wouldn’t be too busy….and it wasn’t! Plus we all had burgers and were definitely impressed! I had the Southern Fried Chicken and Chipotle Colesaw Burger, served with a decent amount of chips. We also went early enough to take advantage of happy hour drink prices 🙂 It’s now become our local pub!
Open 8am – 2am daily
FEED
89 Jetty Road, Glenelg SA 5045
I spent a week working on Jetty Road and Feed quickly became my go-to place! Their coffee is sublime and one of the best along Jetty Road. And very quickly I began to eat there every day as well! The highlight of what I ate was definitely their Schnitzel Burger. It had crispy Bacon, Lettuce and Mayo, with a side of Fries.
Open 8am – 5pm
ORGANIK STORE & CAFE
37 Broadway, Glenelg South SA 5045
Before moving down south, we had been going to the Organik cafe for years as a good coffee spot for when you’re down at the beach. However, we’ve begun to learn just how good it is for a breakfast/brunch location as well. I’ll admit that I’m a bit picky with how I like my eggs cooked, but they do it perfectly, plus the bacon is always nice and crispy! My other favourite (and one I’ve ordered everytime since these eggs) is their French Toast. They have daily specials and the toppings on the toast change weekly – sometimes I go because I’ve seen what it is on instagram and have had to go!!
Open 7.30am – 5.30pm
TOMIKO
Marina Pier, 7 Holdfast Shores, Glenelg SA 5045
Down at the Glenelg Marina is a strip of restaurants and eateries with varying styles and cuisines available. We decided to give Tomiko a try as we’ve never had a bad meal on the Marina and I LOVE Japanese food. I decided to go for a couple of starters spread out as I couldn’t decide on just one meal and I loved everything I had! I got the fried Chicken and the Pork Gyoza (fried dumplings), plus also nibbled at everyone elses meals! The Chicken was so nice and crispy and the Gyoza were full of flavour! I was very happy with my choices – they were both as good as any Japanese place I’ve eaten at in Adelaide!
Open Lunch and Dinner
TASCA VIVA RESTAURANT AND TAPAS BAR
18 Jetty Road, Glenelg SA 5045
Down along Jetty Road, right by the Tram stop are a couple of amazing restaurants that often get overlooked for some of the more recognisable places – Tasca Viva falls into this category. It has a non-assuming front, but such warm and welcoming staff members. I’ve been there twice in the last 2 months and loved it both times! Both visits, I’ve started off with a Red Sangria, then we’ve all selected a few tapas to share. The staff have always recommended 1-2 tapas per person when sharing. Some of the favourites have been the dip selection and Jamon to begin with, then the Jerk Chicken and Pork Belly and the Patatas. Sadly, I’ve always eaten too much to even consider dessert….one day I will though!
Open 11.30am – 10pm daily
GOODLIFE PIZZA BAR
42 Jetty Road, Glenelg SA 5045
There are a number of Goodlife Pizza Restaurants across Adelaide and whilst we’ve visited their Hutt St. location many times, since moving closer to the beach, we’ve been visiting their Jetty Rd location. I have to say – in summer, I actually prefer it, as in the summer warmth, it’s nice to sit out on the balcony. Over last summer, they were doing some different styles of cocktails. One night I had an alcoholic Butterbeer and another was a Frozen Rose. As for the pizzas, they are by far some of the best I’ve ever had as the bases are handmade, the topped with the freshest local South Australian produce. Sometimes their specials are the best as they have usually gotten the toppings from some sort of a market that day. So I’ve had some with Prosciutto and Figs, or various Roasted Veges in the middle of winter. But I’ve definitely had some of my best pizzas that were on the special board. Definitely worth a visit if you’re at Hutt Street or Jetty Road.
Open some lunches and 6 – 9:30pm
DUKE OF BRUNSWICK
207 Gilbert St, Adelaide SA 5000
The Duke of Brunswick (affectionately known as the DOB) made headlines in January 2019 when they shut their doors for 3 weeks and re-opened with a completely Gluten Free menu. For family members with Coeliac’s disease, this almost felt too good to be true! So when they did re-open, we were quick to head in and try them out. Not being Gluten Free myself, I can compare the two better and for the most part, you wouldn’t know the difference. The first time we went, I had a Chicken Burger, where I could tell that the bun was different, but the chips and the Onion Rings were incredible. The next time we went, I had a Chicken Parmy and it was a s good as any I’ve had! The DOB are also the only place in Adelaide that has Gluten Free Beer on tap. This is a good city eats even if you’re not Gluten Free!
Open 9am – 9pm daily.
SHOBOSHO
17 Leigh Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Shobosho is one of those places I’ve heard a LOT about and kept saying I’d have to visit, just never got around to it. So when my birthday came around, I knew just where I wanted to go! Luckily for me, my best friend’s birthday is a week earlier than mine, so she was more than keen to come along!
What drew me in was that the menu changes often as they like to get the freshest ingredients that are in season at that time. We were seated at the Bar top, so we could watch them cooking while catching up, eating and drinking. We started off with a couple of cocktails, whilst deciding on the food. Our waiter suggested to get 4-5 dishes to share – we ended up going 4 plus dessert at the end. The dishes we had were: Strange Flavour Eggplant Ssam (yes, it’s called that), Tempura Fushimi Peppers, Spiced Pork Pot Sticker Dumplings and the Sher Wagyu Fried Rice. Out of the savouries, the Fried Rice was by far my favourite. I could’ve easily eaten the whole bowl by myself! For dessert, we had the Coconut Sorbet with Honeydew, Yuzu and Mint Oil. It was this gorgeous mix of sweet and savoury – the perfect way to end the meal. All in all, an amazing meal – highly recommend! Make sure you make a booking.
Open Tues – Sun 11.30am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
MELT
38 Waymouth St, Adelaide SA 5000
Melt Adelaide is one of many locations that this powerhouse group run here in Adelaide. Melt is one of those amazing set ups where it is encouraged to share everything. One of my favourites and must haves are (of course) their pizzas. When sharing as a group, we’ve found that their Tapas work really well as side dishes. My top 2 picks are the green beans with Chilli and Garlic and the Baked Gnocchi with Peas, Pesto and Cream, Just make sure you get enough for everyone or there will be fights break out!
Open Monday – Saturday 11am – 10pm
BETTY’S BURGERS
211/215 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Betty’s Burgers opened in Adelaide in January 2019 and despite Covid-19, has been doing amazing since. When it opened, it provided a small American-Diner corner in the city. Sitting in the restaurant with the food and the atmosphere takes me back to my favourite Burger Bar in Alaska. I decided to go with the Crispy Chicken Burger, Onion Rings (because of course!) and the Peanut Butter Thickshake. The burger was sublime and the shake reminded me of the ones found at 50s Prime Time Diner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. All in all, a good snapshot of USA cuisine in Adelaide.
Open 11:30 – 9pm daily.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What is your favourite restaurant in Adelaide? I’m always up for trying new places!
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