This year has already delivered a host of cafes, bars and restaurants worth checking out. But that’s only the half of it. Have your diary at the ready – here’s the best of what’s still to come.
Holey Moley
1/162–170 Pulteney Street, Adelaide
On the back of wildly successful launches in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, mini-golf-themed cocktail bar Holey Moley will tee-off in Adelaide next week. An 18-hole course will take over the former Lava Adelaide site on Pulteney Street. It comes complete with food and cheeky, pun-based cocktails like the Teeyonce Knowles and the Tee-Quila Mocking Birdie. Where else can you party with a drink in one hand and a putter in the other?
Opening August 3.
The Seasonal Garden Cafe
220 The Parade, Norwood
You asked. The Seasonal Garden Cafe answered. Growing demand from city-dwellers has the Adelaide Hills institution sprouting up in the eastern suburbs. Two doors down from suburban juggernaut Argo on the Parade, the former retail space will be re-fitted to align with TSGC’s homey, vintage vibe. On the food front, a completely produce-driven menu will ensure there’s something for everyone.
Opening September 1.
New Nordic
94–98 Prospect Road, Prospect
Brothers Mattis, Lukas and Liam Vanzati have joined forces with parents Louise and Bo Matschke to provide a window into “New Nordic” cooking. Swedish born and raised, the family is also behind Swedish Tarts, Malobo and Hermanos Cubanos. Their new venture, which will open for lunch, dinner and (probably) breakfast, has taken up a street-level residence in the Palace Nova development on Prospect Road. The menu will keep Noma co-founder Claus Meyer’s New Nordic cooking principles in mind. Expect Swedish specialities (of the food and drink variety) that champion local produce.
Opening in October.
Viet Next Door
73a Addison Road, Pennington
Set to join the swag of traditional, decades-old Vietnamese restaurants on Addison Road in Pennington is Viet Next Door. A slick fit-out by Genesin Studio (Antica Pizzeria e Cucina) will give it a new-school flair. The menu will bring the Spanish concept of tapas into a Vietnamese context. Cocktails will be a welcome addition to the area.
Opening in October.
Melt
269 Seaview Road, Henley Beach
Restaurateur Simon Kardachi has gone seaside, taking ownership of the split-level, former Evida site on Seaview Road. With two levels come two separate concepts. Upstairs will house a third instalment of the Melt franchise. The menu will parallel its Hyde Park and CBD locations, but the Studio –Gram fit-out will have a distinct “beach” feel. Beneath it is what Kardachi describes as a “classic 1970s fish and chipper with a modern twist”. Think good-quality seafood, old-school fish‘n’chips and a reinvention of the Chiko Roll. It’ll cater to everyone: whether you’re rolling straight off the beach, sandy feet and all, or with a corporate crowd.
Opening in December.
The Hills Cider Company, Mismatch Brewing Co, Adelaide Hills Distillery & Ashton Valley Fresh
Chambers Road, Nairne
Ochre Nation recently launched in Gumeracha, as a collective home to sibling wine and spirit labels Unico Zelo and Applewood Distillery. A quartet of fellow Adelaide Hills producers are gearing up to launch a similar one-stop shop, on a much larger scale. Currently dubbed “Nairnia”, an ambitious, multi-purpose facility between Nairne and Woodside will bring together The Hills Cider Company, Mismatch Brewing Co, Adelaide Hills Distillery and Ashton Valley Fresh. There’ll be a brewery, distillery, cellar door, restaurant and farm shop for local products.
Opening late 2017.
Port Admiral Hotel
55 Commercial Road, Port Adelaide
A mainstay at The Port since 1849, the Port Admiral Hotel is now under new management. The guys behind Clever Little Tailor and Low & Slow American BBQ have banded together with chef Stewart Wesson (Whistle & Flute) for the takeover. The landmark pub’s re-fit will maintain its centuries-old character.
Opening in October.
d’Arenberg Cube
Osborn Road, McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale’s more than 100-year-old d’Arenberg winery is home to what is (arguably) the region’s most contemporary architectural project. Still in the construction phase, the Rubik’s Cube-esque d’Arenberg Cube is set back from the existing cellar door and d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant, in a crop of mourvèdre vines. Once complete, the five-storey building will house a tasting room, several bars, a restaurant and private areas with personalised tasting options.
Opening late 2017.
