October 2025: Five To Try
Hungry for more? We’ve got you covered!
The Scenic Hotel
Image supplied
Perched high in the Adelaide Hills, the Scenic Hotel lives up to its name with dazzling city views and a menu that nails pub comfort with a modern, highbrow twist. Think roo loin schnitzels with Dutch cream purée, kraut and pepper sauce, or oven-baked barramundi with Brussels sprouts, pesto consommé and caper butter, mixed in with classic pub meals like a simple beef cheeseburger with housemade ketchup, mustard, cheese and fries. It’s the kind of spot where long lunches roll into golden-hour pints on the deck, and every bite tastes better with that backdrop.
Yes please: Chickpea & potato curry with basmati rice, crispy shallots and paratha roti with a glass of Adelaide Hills resiling.
Where: Old Norton Summit Road, Norton Summit.
Follow: @scenichotel
Summertown studio
Image @summertownstudio
We all know that a good café isn’t just an in-and-out mission of grabbing a coffee from the cold ceramic walls of suburbia, before rushing off to the 9–5. A good café is an experience: a warm, earthy watering hole for friends to gab about their weeks, send off morning emails and bask in the morning sun. Paringa’s Summertown Studio is this space of community making – decked out with vintage furniture, disco balls, greenery, music and local makers’ stalls. It’s just a huge plus that their coffees are to die for, and the seasonal menu boasts gourmet sandwiches and yummy croissants.
Yes please: Sando #1 – Calabrese salami, fior di latte, tomato, rocket, basil pesto, mayo and chilli honey on fresh focaccia.
Where: 13 Paringa Avenue, Somerton Park.
Follow: @summertownstudio
Cosmo’s Pizza
Image @cosmospizzabar
If you’re a fan of Seinfeld or just after some really good New York-style pizza, Cosmo’s Pizza should be on your radar. Opened in April by hospo legends Josh O’Shaughnessy (Taco Cartel) and Josh Bartolo, the spot blends cheesy slices, spicy wings and funky cocktails with ‘90s cult-classic television. Their menu keeps it classic and classy; think gooey mozzarella cheese pizza, mushroom pizza with a tomato base, pecorino, mozzarella, portobello mushrooms and fresh basil, Buffalo wings and a Seinfeld-inspired Snickers cheesecake for dessert. All washed down with ‘The Kramer’ cocktail – Cosmo’s playful take on the cosmopolitan.
Yes please: Calzone – tomato sauce base, pecorino, mozzarella, Italian sausage, mushroom and fresh basil.
Where: 149 Hindley Street, Adelaide.
Follow: @cosmospizzabar
Mr Le’s Vietnamese Food
Image @mrlevietfood
Are you looking for the greatest Banh Mi you have tasted in your entire life – vetted by the editor of The Note? Look no further than Mr Le’s Vietnamese Food on Brighton Road, where simplicity is greatness. Expect crisp baguettes stuffed with house-pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander, aioli, pate and soy sauce, with fillings like lemongrass chicken, crackling roast pork, BBQ char siu or tofu. And don’t skip the sweets: their airy, chocolate-dipped doughnuts are the perfect way to end your lunchtime break with a smile. Best meal deal around town for sure.
Yes please: Noodle Bowl Salad Bun with crackling roast pork, and a Vietnamese iced coffee.
Where: 469 Brighton Road, Brighton.
Follow: @mrlevietfood
Hummus Hustle
Image @hummus_hustle
Adelaide has seen salad bars, we’ve seen yogurt bars and we’ve certainly seen bar bars – but never a hummus bar. Enter Hummus Hustle, taking James Place by storm and reinventing the way we enjoy the humble chickpea spread. Founded by brothers Roger, Riyan and Kareem Awar, Hummus Hustle draws on their Lebanese heritage to deliver a make-it-your-own menu that blends modern flavours with traditional dishes, straight from their grandmother’s kitchen. Think bowls, wraps or pita packed with rice, in-house made pesto or beetroot hummus, covered in tomato, corn, pickles and onion. All served up and ready to demolish.
Yes please: A pita pocket packed with warm chickpeas, fried halloumi, tomato, onion, lettuce and lathered in Harissa hummus.
Where: 13 James Place, Adelaide.
Follow: @hummus_hustle
