Australia is a multicultural nation, and nowhere is this more evident than in our exciting food culture.
Deciding where to eat out in Adelaide can be a tough choice – Chinese or Italian? Mexican or Korean? Japanese or Indian? Almost every international taste is catered for so students should have no trouble finding their favourite foods from back home.
There are also plenty of great options to suit the student budget. Chinatown on Gouger Street always offers cheap deals, and students will easily find an inexpensive and tasty meal at one of the many pubs around the city.
Serving both food and alcohol, pubs are the great bridge between eating out and staying out, and Adelaide has an impressive growing pub scene. For those wanting to party, there are plenty of popular clubs and trendy bars to be found in the CBD on Hindley St, Rundle St, Gouger St and even more dotted around city streets and beyond.
CBD East
Food
Wander down Rundle Mall and you’ll find yourself on Rundle Street, the classy side of the city. There are plenty of excellent restaurants and cafés along this strip to suit all budgets, with everything from Italian, Thai, Greek, Mexican, Indian, Japanese – even Argentinian is on offer. Those with a sweet tooth aren’t forgotten either, with plenty of coffee spots and chocolate specialists such as Cocolat and the Gelatissimo ice creamery.
Nightlife
Once you’ve had your fill of tasty cuisine, there are plenty of options for late night partying. Sugar and Distill are on Rundle Street and are renowned for their fantastic cocktails. Just around the corner on East Terrace, visit the classy Golden Boy or an old Adelaide favourite, The Stag. If a pub is more your scene, the Austral, The Elephant, or the ever-popular Exeter are great pubs as well.
CBD West
Food
When people say ‘the West End’ they’re mostly referring to Hindley Street – Adelaide’s nightlife strip. It has a reputation for being a little less classy than its Rundle Street equivalent, but there are still plenty of great little places for tasty meals. Just off Hindley, you’ll find Leigh Street – a small lane filled with incredible coffee shops such as Coffee Branch, and cute little restaurants.
Nightlife
Hindley Street has your nightlife covered. If you’re after night clubs, head to the Dog n Duck or Red Square. If you prefer your music with guitars, head to Jive or Rocket Bar where you’ll often find live bands each weekend. For a more upmarket experience head to Leigh and Peel St and taste the delicious cocktails of bars like Udaberri and Clever Little Tailor.
Chinatown & Gouger St
Food
Home to Adelaide’s Chinatown, Gouger Street is always a bustling hub of activity. There is a vast range of Asian restaurants with Chinese, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean all represented. You will also find more upmarket restaurants like Gauchos, British India and Mesa Lunga that are ideal for special occasions.
Nightlife
Gouger St also plays host to a variety of late night cafés and dessert bars. These dessert bars are perfect for a snack and also make ideal locations for dates. If karaoke is your thing, then Gouger Street should be your destination. La Sing and Lyrics karaoke bars are both on Gouger, with others nearby, so you can always find somewhere for a late night sing!
North Adelaide
Food
North Adelaide’s two main food strips are O’Connell Street and Melbourne Street – each hosting a range of different restaurants. Melbourne Street is well known for its variety of Asian and Mexican restaurants, whereas O’Connell Street has a number of excellent Irish pubs, Italian restaurants and cute coffee shops. There are some fancy places but some great late night budget eateries too, including the iconic Blue Burger Bar.
Nightlife
At night, O’Connell Street comes alive with pubs – there’s at least one special every night with the Dan O’Connell, The Archer, The Oxford and The Caledonian each serving classic drink specials. Most of these pubs also have a student night each week, as many of the boarding colleges are located in North Adelaide.
Norwood & Magill
Food
The home of alfresco dining in Adelaide, a walk down The Parade in Norwood is not complete without stopping and having a coffee in one of the Italian cafés that sprawl onto the footpath. It is one of those streets where you can easily spend a few hours just sipping coffee, chilling out in bookstores, and then having a lazy lunch. For those looking to do a large shop, there are a couple of massive supermarkets that stock a surprisingly wide range of gourmet food.
Nightlife
If you decided that after all that shopping it’s time for a drink, you could check out a couple of cool places on the Parade. Grace The Establishment serves up amazing Sangria, while the classy Bath Hotel has an awesome outdoor area and an excellent beer selection. Magill Road has cool restaurants, a couple of nice bars and is the home of Penfolds’ famous Australian wines.
Unley, Hyde Park, Goodwood
Food
Quite a wealthy part of greater Adelaide, this area was built as a commercial hub just south of the city when Adelaide was first created.
Its wealth resulted in some beautiful little gourmet bakeries and small goods stores. You can expect to pay a premium in many of these places, but the quality is often higher.
The restaurants range from budget (try Raj on Taj) to upmarket places (try Lenzerheide), perfect for a romantic dinner.
Nightlife
There are some fantastic nightlife spots such as the Cremorne Hotel, The Goodwood Hotel and the circus/French burlesque themed Boho Bar on Unley Road.
If you don’t feel like drinking, check out the late night coffee and chocolate places, such as Steven ter Horst Chocolatier, Spats and Eggless.
