adelaide CBD

Home-style Italian food and Euro-kitsch above one of Adelaide’s favourite pubs.

You’ve eaten chicken nuggets. But not like at this American style diner and bar, where nuggs might be marinated in laksa or tossed in parmesan spice “dust”. Plus, there’s beer on tap, natural wines and cocktails.

The modern Aces is a two-storey bar and diner with an Italy-meets-Chinatown menu and one of Adelaide’s best chefs at the helm.

The Melbourne-bred chain is bringing its Nashville-hot tenders, chicken sandwiches and boozy slushies to South Australia – for good this time.

Descend to the basement of a heritage city space to find this moody, late-night brasserie from the Nola and Shotgun Willies teams. It’s serving up French fare, live jazz and one of the best Martinis in town – but it’s here for a good time, not a long time.

The team behind Stirling’s fave fish’n’chipper is behind this 100 per cent traceable seafood shop and eatery in the Central Market. Come for dry-aged sashimi and wines, and leave with fresh fish to cook at home.

This tiny deli brings Vietnamese-inspired sangas and toasties to the city. Most popular is the Pho-nomenal, bursting with brisket and Asian herbs.

Occupying an iconic corner in Adelaide’s East End, Exchange Coffee has long been at the front of the pack in the city’s specialty coffee scene. Come for Market Lane coffee brewed every which way, produce-driven brunch dishes and a signature sandwich worthy of cult status.

A small, relaxed city hang serving sandos and pastries with a Filipino twist.

Meeting for coffee in the city? This cool spot has you covered with sandwiches, quality coffee by Rio and pastries by Prove.

A laid-back neighbourhood coffee shop that’s like a second home for the city’s south-end locals. House-roasted coffee, hearty salads and bagels baked on-site are all part of the equation here.

Lounge on the lush front lawn with a coffee or beer.

Two Paper Tiger chefs are behind this big-flavoured wine bar, where contemporary Southeast Asian dishes meet new-wave drops in a relaxed and lofty space.

The Osteria Oggi crew’s Hutt Street hotspot isn’t a restaurant. It’s best thought of as a bar with knockout food – one that’s open all day and flaunts Italian-ish cocktails until late.

Not your average rooftop bar. Here the team is reducing waste with innovations such as tomato skin “paprika”, apple core “flour” and celeriac-skin treacle, plus sorbets and ice creams created from vegetable by-products.

Months of development go into the house creations at this elite 15-seat cocktail bar under Cold Chisel Lane. And they're tasty enough to trap you here for a few hours at least.

CLT is cosy, classic and has a quality libation to satisfy every whim. If you’re after snacks, it’s got you covered with imported tinned fish, local cheese and sliced-to-order charcuterie.

One of Adelaide’s original small bars also happens to have one of the city’s strongest drinks lists. It's also turning out elite bar snacks in the form of levelled up toasties.

The East End institution keeping art on the streets.

The offshoot of Adelaide’s first pizza restaurant is a first-rate Italian delicatessen specialising in pasta sauce and take-home meals.

The first South Australia outpost broadens this curated fashion marketplace's network that already spans Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra. With stock rotating so regularly you’ll likely encounter dozens of new pieces every time you visit.

Need a quick feed while shopping at the market? Stop here.

It’s best known for its fig-and-fennel loaves and other savouries, but this Central Market bakery is also a top choice for sweets.

Spinning independent music since 2010.

Holding the title of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest arts festival is no small thing. But how do you make the most of the Fringe? Planning. [Browse shows by genre](https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au) to find hard-hitting theatre, death-defying circus or side-splitting comedy. Tickets are on sale now. If you’re notorious for leaving things until the last minute, discounted rush tickets are available most days for that night’s shows. Adelaide Fringe runs from February 16 to March 18.

This guerrilla arts festival began in 1960 when a bunch of artists decided to stage their own event in rebellion against the tightly curated attitude of Adelaide Festival. Today it continues to foster new talent and independent performance from both Australian and international artists. Its eclectic program carries an air of liberation and experimentation, and spans cabaret, comedy, circus, theatre, dance, film, music, puppetry, visual arts and design. The four-week celebration will pop up in unassuming warehouses, laneways, empty buildings and parks, as well as in theatres, hotels, galleries and cafes. The next event is February 17 to March 19, 2017.

Come March, Adelaide Festival overlaps with Adelaide Fringe and WOMADelaide to see festivals take over the city. Running March 3–19 in 2017, this multi-arts festival also encompasses Adelaide Writers’ Week – a free six-day literary event. The annual festival’s bold programming covers challenging theatre, mesmerising dance and emotionally heavy classical and contemporary music, as well as striking visual arts and new media from an ever-evolving suite of international artists.