This fire-powered neighbourhood restaurant (by a Michelin-starred chef) harnesses a four-tonne wood-fire oven and a fleet of grills to cook dishes starring all-SA produce. Enter for modern Australian barbeque at its finest; plus thoughtful drinks and fiery open-kitchen action.

Adelaide has no shortage of Italian restaurants, but a fresh, modern interpretation is still a rare treat. Several years on Simon Kardachi's indoor piazza is still serving some of the best Italian fare in the city – in award-winning surrounds.

Set within a former printing house, this influential eatery was among in the first in Adelaide to champion nose-to-tail cooking back when it was still a novel concept. Local, ethically sourced produce continues to be a focus here, as is a dedication to SA wines and sharp, convivial service. An elegant, low-lit dining room ties it all together.

The rebranded Restaurant Botanic features 12 different menus (to cater to different diets) that draw from the surrounding gardens. Plus, a cocktail list featuring a koji Old Fashioned, wattleseed Espresso Martini and a “Chef’s Negroni” with mezcal, whiskey and Campari.

A vibrant space that mixes the cuisine of Asia and the Middle East with a dash of laneway attitude.

A suburban aperitivo bar with handmade pasta and a tight Italian wine list.

A former drycleaner is the setting for one of Adelaide's most exciting drinking dens – a cosy, cleverly designed natural-wine bar serving world-class vino and inventive plates by a young chef with Michelin Star cred.

Rustic Middle-Eastern food made and served with love.

Don't let the name – casually taken from a Thai brand of fish sauce – fool you. This is one serious operation. From the excellent Thai food – just get the chef's choice menu and let the staff make food decisions for you – to the high calibre Asian-inspired cocktails and fun atmosphere, Golden Boy is not messing around.

Fino at Seppeltsfield is an icon of the Barossa, so expectations were high for its first urban outpost. Good news: this charming 70-seat wine bar and restaurant delivers. The food is simple and changes often, and every part of the animal or vegetable that comes through the kitchen is prepared in-house, with next to nothing wasted. And the wine list is predictably excellent.

Housed in the old Pirie Street Subway, this food-stall-turned-restaurant continues its legend of regionally-focused Thai specialties in a sleek, modern space. Come for elevated renditions of classic curries, flame-grilled meats inspired by Thailand’s north, plus a little bit of fiery wok drama.

If you're looking for a good time, don't go past this offbeat pizzeria where a dance floor often kicks off after dinner.

An Asian-inspired “fire house” from restaurateur Simon Kardachi.

In its first incarnation, this colourful diner repped food from chef Duncan Welgemoed's homeland of South Africa. A fire in 2016 inspired a shift in focus to the northern part of the country, and a more vegetable-based output, quickly elevating Africola to the top of Australia's dining sphere.

Line up, order a laksa, sit and devour.

One of Adelaide's best traditional Neapolitan pizzerias, and everything is made with ethically-sourced produce. Pizzas are the focus here, but there's a tight selection of pastas and antipasti, too.

This Prospect Road pizzeria has a freewheeling Italian menu that's not bound by tradition. Come for wood-fired pizzas, house-made pasta, a killer vitello tonnato and a lengthy list of alchoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

This Adelaide Hills jewel may look vintage from the outside, but its dizzying lo-fi wine list and inventive pub grub make it a modern classic. At night, the festooned beer garden offers cracking views of the city lights.

“Oztalian” pizza and local wines to match. This is destination pizza: it's well worth planning a trip to the Adelaide Hills for this spot alone.

A restaurant serving classics and with a seriously good wine list. Stop in for coffee before the kitchen opens at 12pm.

This hyperlocal, vegetable-led fine diner in an airy former bottling hall is well worth the trip from Adelaide.

This Italian restaurant, wine bar, and cooking school has close ties with the local market. Next time you're in the Barossa, be sure to book in.

An exciting regional diner, by star chef Karena Armstrong, that’s well worth travelling for.