Coming Soon: Nine Adelaide Venues Opening in the Second Half of 2025

It’s shaping up to be another blockbuster year for Adelaide’s food and drink scene. The first half of 2025 saw the opening of some killer new restaurants and cafes. The second half of 2025 is shaping up to be just as impressive.
Here – in alphabetical order – are nine venues opening in Adelaide in the second half of 2025.

Aptos, Stirling

A 156-year-old church. Sixteen courses. Three floors. Destination diner Restaurant Aptos , from former Restaurant Botanic executive chef Justin James , is shaping up to be the most anticipated opening of the year – and of recent memory. American-born James is reawakening the Stirling church – formerly home to Aptos Cruz Galleries – with a bold vision: an immersive degustation that guides 14 diners on a progressive culinary journey through unique spaces in the venue.

Bar Cruz, Stirling

Because Justin James doesn’t do things by halves, he announced last month that he would be opening two more venues alongside degustation diner Aptos, in the same 156-year-old Hills church. The larger of these additional venues is Bar Cruz: a 14-person restaurant that comprises a six-seat bar, an intimate dining room and lounge, as well as a courtyard. Bar Cruz won’t take bookings; it’ll be first come, first served, and a more flexible option for people who just fancy a drink and snack – or even a full meal without the degustation angle. The 12-dish main menu will include courses pulled directly from the Aptos kitchen. There will also be a matching cocktail and snack menu. It opens in October.

Bar Mary, Stirling

The final piece of Justin James’s triple threat is Bar Mary – a moody whisky bar designed around a single, eight-seat table. Tucked away upstairs, it’ll have an “if you know, you know” kind of vibe, open to Aptos and Bar Cruz diners and, of course, whisky lovers. James, who is a whisky enthusiast, will offer a curated selection of the liquid gold, served neat or on the rocks. Food will take inspiration from the Japanese concept of otsumami – snacks typically served with alcohol – with snacks served in a bento box.

EST x Sheoak Baker, Adelaide

Plant stylist Emma Sadie Thomson – the green thumb behind lush installations at restaurants including Osteria Oggi and Station Road – is teaming up with pastry whisperer Gabi Flohr of Sheoak Baker for a new monthly pop-up bakery. The EST x Sheoak Baker collabs will take place on the first Saturday of every month in Thomson’s Gilles Street showroom, which she moved into earlier this year. Expect Flohr’s lauded sourdough, made with her family’s house-milled grain, alongside treats like honey almond croissants; wholewheat sponge and sour plum jam lamingtons with semolina custard; and quince danishes. The pop-up launches on August 2 and will run from 8am until midday.

Honeydripper, Adelaide

The two-level, 200-capacity venue in Frome Street promises to fill a gap in the city’s bar scene. Designed by Claire Markwick-Smith (Africola Canteen , Loc , Chicco Palms), Honeydripper will offer two giant conversation pits, surrounded by a handful of booths and bar seating, and a top-of-the-line audio experience backed by an in-house vinyl library of more than 3000 records. By day, Honeydripper will serve sandwiches and coffee, and cater to those who want to tap away at their laptops (those booths come complete with USB ports). At night, it’s a sophisticated spot for people who want good music and good drinks, without the crowds. The venue is targeting a mid-August opening.

Hummus Hustle, CBD

Lebanese brothers Roger, Riyan and Kareem Awar know the power of hummus. So naturally, they’re opening Adelaide’s first “hummus bar”, inviting diners to build a bowl or pita wrap with a variety of hummus styles – think, traditional, beetroot, harissa and basil pesto – and add proteins including falafel, chicken and beef shawarma. “Hummus is always the first thing on any traditional table when we’re having a meal with the family,” Roger Awar tells Broadsheet. “It’s always the first thing Mum thinks about to make, and in recent times, has become popular as a healthy snack.” Other dishes will include traditional soups and sweets. It opens to the public on July 21.

Lucky’s Pizza, Bowden

Four years after opening in Plant 3, Bowden Brewing is growing – with a slice of something new. Lucky’s Pizza will sling crisp, New York-style slices to beer enthusiasts and hungry hordes alike, from Thursdays through to Sundays. It comes as the boutique brewery and taphouse takes over the remaining Plant 3 space, which is also home to the label’s Mexican-inspired diner, Masa, and Emma Shearer’s Lost Loaf bakery. With its expansion, Bowden Brewing will now take on two new bars and two function spaces. It’s all set to open August 23.

Mr Mario’s, Adelaide

If you’ve seen the latest season of The Bear , you’ll know the fictional restaurant’s takeaway sandwich bar, The Beef, enjoys a roaring trade out the back of the restaurant. That general concept has been transported to Adelaide, where family-run seafood restaurant Louca’s is now opening a casual takeaway joint, Mr Mario’s, accessible via the rear alley of the Pulteney Street restaurant. Lunch-goers can expect fish’n’chips, burgers and monthly specials such as lobster rolls or seasonal seafood bowls. The name is a nod to owner Peter Louca’s late father Mario, who ran a Norwood fish’n’chipper. It’s set to open by mid-August.

Osteria Oztalia, McLaren Vale

The family behind McLaren Vale pizza juggernaut Pizzateca will throw open the doors to their long-awaited function space at the end of the year. Osteria Oztalia will cater to the hundreds of function enquiries the Mitolo family fields each year. The new space, being built adjacent to Pizzateca, will have capacity for 250 people seated and 400 standing (yep, it’s big). It’ll also act as a cellar door for the family’s Oztalia product line, which includes wine, sugo and chilli honey. All going smoothly, Osteria Oztalia will open in December.