Peel St

Peel St the restaurant is a concentrated version of Peel Street the real thing. Innovative, collaborative and a little bit cramped, this place takes its namesake and delivers an experience that outshines its unassuming exterior.

The show starts around midday, when crowds fill up the space that was once a clothing storeroom. It now mixes its original brick walls with a long concrete bar that overlooks the open and ever-buzzing kitchen.

The entire menu is written on looming blackboard walls, and divided up into “smaller” and “larger”, with most dishes evoking Middle Eastern or Asian flavours. The former category might include cardamom and carrot cured salmon; hummus with minced lamb and pomegranate; and banana blossom chicken with chilli jam and coconut salad.

For larger appetites you might find lamb shank and pearl barley tagine pie; or pork belly and prawns with Asian greens. Sweets can include lemon curd and yoghurt panna cotta; or peanut parfait with caramelised banana.

The drinks list is succinct with a good mix of South Australian, French and Italian wines, as well as a brief selection of local and imported beers. Peel St’s focus is rightly on the food. The dishes are made to be shared, and that feeling is reflected in the atmosphere.