Adelaide’s Best New Cafes and Casual Spots of 2023

Well, we called it! Sandwiches are here to stay, and all but two of the seven venues on this list – the exceptions are a bakery and a gelateria – are offering them. From traditional panini and hefty Italo-American hero subs to toasties, deli sandwiches and even steak frites sandwiches, it’s not hard to put a finger (or two whole hands) on the biggest trend in Adelaide’s casual dining scene this year. Sandwich spots have sprung up from Glenelg to the CBD to Mount Barker and everywhere in between – and we couldn’t be more excited.

Here are the new cafes, bakeries and casual dining spots that caught our eye this year, in alphabetical order.

Dante’s Deli, Glenelg

Adelaide’s sandwich scene is on a roll. Following the arrival of Pinco Deli, Carton Deli, Good Neighbour Deli and Our Boy Roy, this tiny beachside contender arrived in Glenelg earlier this year, inspired by the al fresco grab-and-go panino bars of Italy. The menu reflects the Italian inspo with fillings like sopressa, fior di latte, tomato, peppers, mayo and basil, or mortadella, capocollo, provolone, pickled veg and pesto, both in fresh Turkish bread. Plus, a mushroom ragu toastie with provolone and shredded mozzarella. There are also tuna melts and a chicken-salad sanga with Kewpie mayo, dill pickles, shallots and green oak lettuce. The trio tapped Goodwood’s Boulangerie 113 to supply the bread and pastries and Hark Coffee to provide the air-roasted beans. For those who would rather eat in, there’s a dog-friendly, ivy-clad courtyard out the back with around a dozen chairs.

@dantes.deli

Fratelli Deli, Prospect

It was a trip to the US that inspired a foursome made up of family and friends to open an Americana venue in Prospect. The cornerstone of the menu is hearty, two-hander subs served in hero rolls and stuffed to the brim with pastrami and chicken with vodka sauce. A firm favourite when the venue opened in October was a sandwich made on Schinella’s ciabatta with prosciutto, crushed pistachio and That’s Amore stracciatella from Melbourne, drizzled in sweet, spicy honey. Sandwiches are made to order and the team is happy to make substitutions. Sides include a crumbed and fried pasta wedge, which the team encourages you to pair with a drinks list that includes frozen Espresso Martinis and a zesty, effervescent limoncello spritz.

@fratelli.italiandeli

Gelateca, McLaren Vale

Look, we get it. Despite their espresso gelato, Gelateca isn’t quite a cafe, but no list of 2023 new openings would be complete without a nod to Pizzateca’s sweet new expansion. At the helm of this ice-cream dream is Andrea Calabrese. A native of Vieste, Calabrese has been making gelato for most of his life – and his love for it infectious. “I think you can have all the problems in the world but that five minutes you spend in an ice-cream shop … Everything around you disappears and it’s just you and the gelato,” Calabrese told Broadsheet. Although there’s a wide range of flavours which will rotate depending on the best seasonal produce on offer, the one flavour that’s guaranteed to always have a spot in the cabinet: the Oztalia chilli honey gelato inspired by Pizzateca’s signature diablo pizza.

@gela_teca

Our Boy Roy, Clarence Park

Our Boy Roy wears many hats. This colourful corner spot manages to squeeze in a coffee and sandwich bar, a buzzing 100-seat cafe, a delicatessen and a general store all under one roof. On the food menu, it’s largely about the sandwiches. You might find a meatball and sugo panini, or a chunky deli meats sanga as well as a bowl of breakfast gnocchi and a pillowy, thick and syrupy hotcake (singular). As for the coffee, owner Michael Cotton has an exclusive deal (within SA) with pioneering Sydney roaster Single O, which also supplies his Semaphore cafe, High Tide. Beyond the usual espresso options, you can enjoy batch-brew filter coffee via a self-serve tap and screen – ideal if you’re on the go. Before you leave, don’t forget to grab a bunch of fresh flowers, or eye the enormous range of craft hot sauces and chilli oils.

@ourboyroy_adl

Prove Patisserie, Stepney

Prove Patisserie has been supplying its coveted pastries to the city’s best cafes since it launched in late 2020. Now – after moving operations from a co-working space in Port Adelaide – owners Anna Rogers and Megan Bowditch (who’s also the head pastry chef) are selling their luminous line-up of croissants (plain, pain au chocolat, choc-raspberry and almond), scrolls (cinnamon, butterscotch and the occasional baklava special), and seasonal danishes (like rhubarb and pistachio, and pear and honey crumble) at their own shopfront in Stepney. Since relocating, the team has also started baking bread – 100 per cent sourdough plain, seeded and rye loaves, plus baguettes, ciabatta and specials like olive and rosemary fougasse – which has been selling out every Saturday. Luckily, the team’s just expanded its retail hours to include Fridays too. But we recommend getting in early to be safe.

@prove_patisserie

Spread Deli, Unley

When the team behind inner-east wine bar Lune opened its Unley cocktail bar Dolly in January, everything was perfect. Well, almost perfect. There was no room at Dolly for a coffee machine – so they decided to lease the adjoining space to open Spread, a deliciously diverse space operating as a deli by day and drinking hole by night. The team was inspired by Melbourne’s Hector’s Deli and Sydney’s Continental Deli. The lunch menu runs long in paninis and toasties. Think bonito melt with American cheese and pickled jalapeno and eggplant katsu with smoked tomato, oozy stracciatella and prosciutto. There’s also an Italian hoagie piled high with deli meats, giardiniera, chilli and mozzarella as well as a steak frites sandwich which practically begs to be paired with a glass of wine.

@spread_adl

Susa, Mount Barker

Every single dish at sisters Taylah and Maddi Canny’s Mount Barker cafes comes with a breathtaking side: a gorgeous view over the Adelaide Hills. While the pair also run [Lady Luck] in Mount Barker, the two cafes sit at opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum: Lady Luck is filled with colourful bits and bobs while Susa is slick and minimalist with curved lines and textured off-white walls. On the food front, expect wholesome dishes like mushroom ragu served with crispy enoki and beetroot relish; a banh mi brekkie waffle served with pork shoulder, pickled carrot and gochujang lime aioli; and a selection of loaded toasties too. Pastries and sourdough come courtesy of Lobethal-based baker, Clara Cakes. The drinks list features coffee by De Groot and a range of cold-pressed juices and, as far as booze is concerned, the wine list is concise but well-curated with local bottles, while there’s beer from Mismatch Brewing and Pirate Life, and cocktails made with Applewood gin.

@susa_kitchen/

Honourable mentions

Any Given Sundays, Cheltenham:

Suka, Adelaide:

With additional reporting by Kurtis Eichler & Emily Taliangis