Fino Seppeltsfield
730 Seppeltsfield Rd, Seppeltsfield
(08) 8562 8528 fino.net.au
Chef Sam Smith
Price guide $$ Bookings Recommended Wheelchair access Yes
The drive to Fino gives a hint of what’s to come. Sweeping streets lined by swaying palms. Old bluestone. Topiary and water features. You could call it glamorous if it wasn’t so full of authentic country charm. Days spent exploring the cellar, the grounds, the artist studios. Or just find a spot on the sun-drenched terrace and wait for the joys of the area to be brought to you. Fino is entrenched in the South Australian culinary scene. The original in McLaren Vale swiftly become an institution – as has newest offshoot, Fino Vino in Adelaide’s CBD. But it’s in Seppeltsfield that it shines the brightest, under David Swain and Sharon Romeo’s guidance, bolstered by that Barossa magic. If it’s asparagus season, expect perfectly cooked asparagus. Oyster season? Expect perfect slurps of salt and sea. The wine list showcases the best of the region, with a few interstate varietals dotted throughout. Don’t hold back.
78 Penfold Rd, Magill (08) 8301 5551 magillestate restaurant.com
Chef Scott Huggins Price guide $$$$ Bookings Essential Wheelchair access Yes
Magill Estate Restaurant would be the grande dame of South Australia’s hospitality scene, if she wasn’t prone to giving the odd cheeky surprise.
The first is that, as you while away a long lunch or celebratory dinner gazing out over the vineyards, you’re only 15 minutes from the city. A choice of two tasting menus allows you to sit back and enjoy the view while utterly professional staff waltz you through the courses – they’ll tell you anything you need to know about what’s in front of you, but only as much as you want to know. The snacks are tiny, perfect plates popping with flavour and colour. A single oyster with tiny mushroom heads and dainty lilac-hued flowers. A layered chicken broth as an amuse-bouche. Spectacular dry ice made from fermented tomato drifting over lobster. Delicate petits fours. And, of course, the wine. The legendary Penfolds wines, chosen or matched.
You won’t be bombarded with heart-starting shiraz (unless that’s what you want). It’s a refined-yet-lengthy, jaw-dropping list, delivered with experience and expertise. Everything here gets better with age.
17 Leigh St, Adelaide (08) 8366 2224 shobosho.com.au
Chef Adam Liston Price guide $$ Bookings Recommended Wheelchair access Yes
Under Tokyo’s railways there is a jumble of cheap grills and thrills. Tiny bars and festoon lights inhabit the night time, with flashes of neon and snatches of music. Sho- bo- sho channels some of that energy, with a dash of Korea and kitsch. Smoke from the yakitori bar at the front lures people to the little shopfront, where they jostle whiskey and fine wine glasses and order tasty snacks on sticks. Inside, there’s blond wood and backlighting. The most Zen spots are the sidelining booths, for chaotic fun pick the stools at the bar. The main menu is full of all things grilled, smoked, raw and fermented – heavy on umami. Standout dumplings earn their place alongside local Smoky Bay oysters, fire-roasted leek, and of course, wagyu. Chefs call to each other, staff are happy to chat, and no one minds if you pop in for a drink or hang about for a lazy dégustation. The only hassle is trying to decide whether to go here, or sister restaurant ShoSho.