Adelaide is a city of diversity. Get your heart rate up with a rooftop climb on the Adelaide Oval, discover wine country on a tour or sample scrumptious food from its world-class restaurants.
Impress your herbivore friends at Adelaide’s best vegan restaurants or satisfy a sweet tooth with the city’s finest dessert bars. Pick up a sweet trail passport at participating locations and complete at your own pace.
1. Haigh’s Chocolate Factory
The oldest family-owned chocolate maker in Australia, Haigh’s has been a South Australian icon since 1915. Jump on a tour to see how the chocolate magic happens at their Mile End factory, roasting their own cocoa beans in-house and combining artisan skills with modern manufacturing. This results in innovative flavours that can’t be found anywhere else, from chocolate bars to truffles and hot chocolate. Charlie would be proud.
If you’re craving a taste of Europe, look no further than Muratti’s opulent range of cakes, tarts and croquembouches. Their dessert menu is a symphony of flavours, with delicate layers of dacquoise, praline, mousse and sable breton. Almost too pretty to eat, their creations glisten invitingly from behind glass displays at their cafe on Hutt Street.
Just down the road is another local chocolate-maker – Red Cacao. This boutique artisan chocolatier, cafe and dessert bar is run by Adelaide’s own Willy Wonka, Marcus Booth-Remmers. He’s trained in Australia and Europe and dishes up a wide array of sweat treats at his Stirling cafe, from blocks of pure chocolate to ganache and truffles. Using unique ingredients like mulberry and local Shiraz, the sweet creations are sure to hit the spot.
In the heart of Adelaide city, Astonish Patisserie is a gastronomic delight. Astonishing by name, astonishing by nature, this hidden gem serves up a delicious menu of delicate and innovative cakes, pastries and desserts (plus some savoury items too). The creme brûlée and risotto are particularly enticing.
For a more active experience, take your sweet tooth on the Amy Gillett Bikeway – a 17km cycling trail named in honour of the Australian cyclist who died tragically while competing in Germany. Leaving from the Mount Torrens Bike Park, this trail meanders through the Adelaide Hills and takes in wineries, shops and restaurants – including Melba’s Chocolate Factory – all while keeping you fit! You can bring your own bike, or hire one from Bike About in Woodside. They have regular bikes, kids’ bikes and even e-bikes. Check out the website for details. It’s a fun and tasty way to spend the day.
2. Adelaide Central Market
If you’re looking to satisfy a sweet tooth that demands a splurge, head to Adelaide Central Market. With its opulent assortment of cakes, tarts and croquembouches, this renowned market has been delighting locals and visitors alike since 1869. One of the largest undercover markets in the Southern Hemisphere, it promises to captivate your senses with its bewitching colours and aromas.
With over 80 traders selling everything from local meat and produce to seafood, cheeses and baked goods, the market also houses a selection of cafes and restaurants. Indulge in a slice of heaven at Lucia’s Bakery or feast on a traditional Italian antipasto platter from Con’s Fine Foods before exploring the array of exquisite chocolate creations at The Sugar Man. With a cult following and impeccable craftsmanship, these indulgent treats are not to be missed.
Astonish Patisserie is the ultimate destination for those with a sophisticated palate and an eye for exquisite designs. Located in the heart of Adelaide’s shopping district, this boutique eatery creates delicate and innovative cakes, macarons and desserts that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.
From towering ornate cakes to savoury Afghan cream rolls and indulgent gulab jamun – the list goes on. A visit to this modern market is an essential part of any Adelaide trip.
As well as offering a bounty of fresh and delicious foods, Adelaide Central Market is also home to an eclectic mix of makers and crafters. With a rich history of supporting emerging creative talent, you’ll find a wide range of handmade jewellery, clothing, homewares and even art. Wander through the stalls, or take a seat at the JamFactory and watch as master craftsmen and women transform raw materials into works of art before your eyes. It’s a unique insight into the artisan culture that Adelaide proudly wears on its sleeve.
3. The Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley is home to one of Australia’s best wine regions, but it also dishes out a range of delicious desserts. A day trip or weekend tour of the region is a must-do for wine and food lovers, with many cellar doors offering tours and tastings. The Barossa is famous for its Shiraz wines, but you can also enjoy Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache in the region.
If you’re craving a pastry, you can’t go past the exquisite creations at Muratti. These opulent confections are almost too pretty to eat, with delicate layers of dacquoise, praline and sable breton, and artfully garnished with everything from whole macarons to berries and chocolate shards.
For the ultimate in indulgence, head to Love, Stephy, a pink paradise that’s a relative newcomer on the Adelaide dessert scene. A Hindley Street eatery that’s decked out in pink from wall-to-wall, it serves up a huge menu of sweet treats. We’d recommend the Wild Strawberry served with white chocolate and berry coulis or the Ferrero, a mouth-watering waffle topped with crushed hazelnuts, melted Nutella and chocolate drops.
North Adelaide’s Chocolatree is another sugar-lovers dream, with a funky interior that’s decorated with a giant indoor mural, cafe seating and chocolate-coloured walls. The lively eatery is a chocoholic’s paradise and serves up all your favourite sweet treats, including waffles smothered in chocolate, Tim Tams and ice cream. Their churros are a standout, a South African dish made of fried dough filled with sweet ricotta and glazed with burnt honey.
Another chocolate cafe with a couple of locations in the city, Bracegirdles is casual and friendly, offering a range of desserts and savoury snacks. Their ice creams are especially good, and you can also grab a coffee or hot chocolate while you’re there. Their chocolate truffles are a must-try for any chocolate lover.
4. Kangaroo Island
While it might be best known as a wildlife sanctuary, Kangaroo Island also produces a surprisingly high percentage of Australia’s finest gourmet food and wine. What the island lacks in five-star fine dining establishments, it makes up for with intimate restaurants and delicious local delicacies. Explore the best of them on the Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail, which covers Kingscote and the Dudley Peninsula. Highlights include rookery wines from the award-winning Rookery Wines, cheese and meat from the Ferguson Australia family’s sheep dairy and artisanal koala-free ham and brie from Vivonne Bay General Store.
Then there’s the renowned Penfolds Magill Estate, which offers tastings, tours, high-quality cuisine and the chance to admire its vintage Grange collection. A little further afield, the Mclaren Vale region is home to many wineries with beautiful vineyard views and excellent wines. Vivonne Bay General Store & Bottle Shop is the perfect one-stop-shop on Kangaroo Island, selling everything you need from the freshest local produce to the tastiest burgers and drinks.
For those who want to explore Kangaroo Island’s wine and food scene, a full-day tour is the way to go. It pairs wine tasting with visits to a eucalyptus oil distillery, a lamb and kangaroo farm, and a beekeeper’s hive. You’ll also take in the Flinders Chase National Park’s top landmarks, such as Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks.
For more sweet things to do in Adelaide, get your pulse racing at the Adelaide Oval Roof Climb, satiate your sugar cravings with a Haigh’s Chocolate Factory tour, and sample the city’s vibrant food markets. You can even learn more about South Australia’s wine heritage at the Barossa Valley, where sixth-generation winemakers work with some of the oldest vines in the world to produce world-class drops. Cheers!