How To Spend 24 Hours in Adelaide in 2026

Visiting Adelaide over summer? Or back in town and need to know all the cool new spots? Broadsheet’s series of city cheat sheets is here to help. From new players that live up to the hype, to old favourites that continue to deliver, this hit list will have you making the most of every minute in Adelaide.

Where to eat in Adelaide in 2026

In Unley, you’ll find Whistle & Flute, a beautiful indoor-outdoor urban jungle with a menu to please everyone – whether you’re after chicken and waffles with sriracha maple sauce and crispy bacon, or a brekkie bowl stacked with broccoli, pumpkin, haloumi and hummus. It’s also a top spot for dog-watching.

On the other side of the city, Masterchef alumnus Jessie Spiby is upping the sustainability game at her cafe My Grandma Ben inside the lofty Plant 4 marketplace. Go for the signature roo bolognaise with a fried egg; harissa and yoghurt on fluffy house-made crumpets; or maybe the bagel topped with fennel and vodka-cured Port Lincoln kingfish with horseradish labneh, garnished with red onion, pickled fennel and crispy fried capers.

At the east end of the city, Exchange Coffee is the go-to for expert brews, with service and food to match. Choose from espresso, Aeropress or batch brew by Melbourne stalwart Market Lane.

A bunch of new bakeries has joined the Adelaide scene lately, including Homeboy with its viral cinnamon scrolls, and Shadow Baking, an interstate export from the Messina team. For more, consult our list of the best new cafes to find the closest caffeine jolt.

In the city? Head to Hey Jupiter for a line-up of French treats (steak frites, croque monsieur, escargot), cocktails, a superb wine list and a green-hued bathroom that all but guarantees a mirror selfie. It’s a go-to among local hospo workers for a reason, and an ideal setting to watch the passers-by in Ebenezer Place.

If you’re after a quick pick-me-up to sustain you for a busy itinerary ahead, you’re in luck because Adelaide is in the middle of a love affair with sangas. Pick up a two-hander treat from Italian panini spot Tonino in Goodwood from siblings Anna-Lisa and Nick Barone, or drop into Spread Deli in Unley for a steak frites sandwich, or a panini packed with oozy stracciatella and prosciutto, and a cheeky glass of wine.

On the subject of things between bread, Adelaide’s burger scene is thriving with chicken sandwiches from interstate chain Belles Hot Chicken and Good Burger from the team behind Good Gilbert, which serves – you guessed it – very good burgers.

The Botanic Lodge in the lakeside kiosk of the Botanic Gardens is a must-visit. Its menu is approachable but exceptionally executed and dripping in nostalgia. The menu features a pastie served on a crumpled tuck shop bag and a crumbed Tommy Ruff sandwich served with iceberg lettuce and mayo on white bread (with the crusts cut off). Desserts include a take on a Golden Gaytime and elevated lamingtons with quandong jam.

In the Hills, perched in a heritage Verdun homestead, is Ondeen. The menu embraces the bounty of the local landscape with brined tomato and smoked mussels on fried toast; pickled sardines served with cauliflower cream and sweet corn; and a honey malt crème caramel with fresh honeycomb.

Not quite a cafe and not quite a bistro, Thelma in Piccadilly ’s menu pairs European country cooking with fresh produce from small-scale market garden Presqil. The menu changes from day-to-day, which means evolving, grazing-style breakfast plates – made up of bits and pieces like seasonal veggies, cheese slices, house-made sourdough and a boiled egg – or Comte tarts, escargots and savoury pizzettas.

Down south there’s Muni in Willunga, a destination diner serving a produce-driven set menu that touches on Taiwanese flavours courtesy of expat owners and chefs Mug Chen and Chia Wu. Or for something more casual, you can’t look past Pizzateca in McLaren Vale for perfectly blistered pizzas with “Oztalian” (a phrase owner Tony Mitolo coined) toppings. Consider the Diablo pizza: it’s topped with mild salami, Asiago cheese and house-made chilli-infused honey. Thanks to Gelateca, the team’s new on-site gelati stand, you can also finish your meal with a chilli-honey-flavoured scoop. If you’re looking for another Italian joint, check out Joe’s at Sabella, an Italian joint which serves $20 bowls of pasta with free BYO each Wednesday night.

For a sunny feast, go Greek with Vasili’s Table, a taverna with an on-site vegetable garden, a chicken coop  and a menu inspired by Ikaria. If you’re looking for a truly unique meal, visit Mini Lokanta. Mini Lokanta is a 10-seat Turkish restaurant that’s run by a couple from the front room of their North Adelaide home.

For an intimate romantic dinner, La Louisiane ’s chef Alexis Besseau (formerly of Sydney’s Hubert) brings classic brasserie fare and tailor-made Martinis to the city. Buzzy Italian diner Osteria Oggi is an Adelaide mainstay for good reason. Gnocchi and pasta are made on-site each day and coated in rich silky sauces.

Or head to Adelaide’s singular Parwana Afghan Kitchen, an inner-west eatery serving vibrant, home-style Afghan food courtesy of the Ayubi family – matriarch Farida heads the kitchen. BYO booze, opt for the banquet and don’t go past the signature borani banjan, an eggplant dish in tomato sauce drizzled with garlic yoghurt.

Where to drink in Adelaide in 2026

In the East End, you can enjoy the sunshine (and people-watching) at topnotch bars Mother Vine or East End Cellars, situated right opposite each other, or head around the corner to divey institution The Exeter Hotel for an Adelaide-sized pint of Coopers, or the best-priced Krug you’re likely to find anywhere in the country.

On a sunny day, Latteria brings Milan’s aperitivo culture to Hutt Street. The focus is on Italian-ish cocktails such as a Negroni Sbagliato spiked with dark rhubarb and house-made native currant and cranberry beaujolais. To pair with the cocktails, the trick is to go long on snacks. One winner is the risotto al salto, which involves freshly cooked risotto, pan-fried until crispy, then served on a creamy Parmigiano base and finished with bonito flakes. Other hits included a savoury cannolo with whipped ricotta, prosciutto and spiced honey, and chargrilled octopus skewers with fermented peppers and crispy polenta.

If it’s cold out, bunker down at west-end boltholes Clever Little Tailor, Proof, La Buvette, Leigh Street Luggage, Pink Moon Saloon or Jennie Wine Bar. Saunter down Peel Street, Leigh Street and Gresham Street laneways and you’ll quickly find a bar to suit your needs.

There are few better places to be as the sun goes down than the Adelaide Hills’ longstanding, recently refurbished, Scenic Hotel. The clue is in the name – and it doesn’t disappoint, with a gorgeous vantage point at golden hour either up on the balcony or down in the beer garden under glimmering fairy lights. Grab a bottle of local lo-fi wine and, if your appetite is back, you’re in luck because The Scenic also boasts some of Adelaide’s best pub food – including a cracking kangaroo schnitzel with mash and pepper sauce.

As the night progresses, go underground to Maybe Mae for expertly made cocktails. Behind a concealed entrance you’ll find a 1950s-style cocktail lounge tended by master mixologists. Then turn the volume up a notch at Memphis Slim’s House of Blues, a rollicking blues and cocktail bar with live music, whisky shooters and riffs on classic American cocktails: think Mint Juleps and Clover Clubs. End the night at cocktail bar Smokelovers, where you’ll find local and visiting DJs playing till late and clocked off hospitality workers having a nightcap. Order the signature smoky Margarita or a late-night Fernet-Branca.

Things to do in Adelaide in 2026

No trip to Adelaide is complete without a visit to the Central Market, a grand undercover haven of organic vegetables, smelly cheeses, native meats, freshly baked bread and locally roasted coffee. You’ll also find homestyle pasta, steaming laksa and fresh falafel pockets.

The Art Gallery of South Australia has one of the best permanent collections in the country, with pieces grouped thematically rather than by era and hung in brightly coloured, wallpapered rooms.

We’ve recommended a few eateries above, but if you’re keen to really discover Adelaide’s regions, then you need to do a proper minibreak. If you’re looking for inspo, check out Elise Cook’s guide to McLaren Vale.

 For the time-poor, take a shorter drive down to Port Adelaide where a flock of new operators has moved into the area. Get traditional tacos made with soft corn tortillas at La Popular Taqueria; feast on Texan-style barbeque at Low & Slow American BBQ; and sample a huge selection of beers at Pirate Life’s mammoth brewery. You could easily spend a whole day drinking and eating, but save time for a walk along the waterfront and heritage backstreets.