Where Chefs Eat: Alessandro Mangione of Hardy’s Verandah Sends Mates to This Inner-City Italian Joint

Alessandro Mangione was appointed head chef at Mount Lofty House and Hardy’s Verandah in February 2025. It was a homecoming of sorts: Mangione started his career in Australia at Hardy’s Verandah. He was a sous-chef on the opening team, where he worked until October 2020.

His work then took him around Adelaide, including as sous-chef working under Justin James at Restaurant Botanic before heading to Bird in Hand’s LVN restaurant, where he worked alongside Jacob Davey as head chef.

His new seasonal nine-course menu includes chicken mille-feuille with pickled muntries and finger lime jam; kelp tacos with abalone, scallop and caviar; and mud crab with spring onion, pine nut and sesame.

We spoke to Mangione about his favourite venues in South Australia and what he orders.

A must-order dish at Hardy’s Verandah

“The porcini creme caramel, cooked inside a baked onion, with burnt onion caramel, foie gras and native thyme. It’s a beautifully presented dish, original and with some amazing flavours, which captures the season and the Adelaide Hills.”

Your go-to for a quick takeaway

“Currently, Han’s on OG. It serves amazing banh mi. Its mega meat combo is a must-try. My son loves their sushi rolls too. I take all my colleagues and friends there. I can’t recommend them enough.”

Best bread

“Sheoak Bakery. Gabi [Flohr] makes amazing bread and is a passionate baker. Her bakery had to close due to a fire, but it’s opening again soon. It’s time to support her!”

Special occasion restaurant

“I love going to Restaurant Botanic when there is an opportunity.”

A gem you think deserves more hype

“Bibo in Kent Town. It’s got an amazing menu and an awesome Italian vibe. Luca [Abbatiello] and Gaetano [Attanasio] are generous with their hospitality, and chef Mattia Bardeggia is doing an outstanding job too.”

Best pizza

“There’s a lot of good pizzas in Adelaide so it’s hard to pick one, but recently I went to Back To Nap and it was incredible.”

Favourite ice-cream

“Again, there’s lots of good ice-cream around, but I tried La Viennese in Stirling recently and loved it.”

Somewhere you’d send a chef friend visiting from out of town

“Restaurant Aptos and Restaurant Botanic for outstanding fine dining, or maybe Anchovy Bandit for casual modern Italian.”

A bucket-list venue anywhere in the world

“Noma.”

Your favourite home kitchen appliance

“My TM31 Thermomix. It’s an old model, without all the fancy screens, but it never breaks and works incredibly well.”