The 9 best Italian restaurants in Adelaide

What is it? Part Italian restaurant, part inventive wine bar with a few modern twists up its sleeve.

Why go? Traditional Italian dishes mingle with other cuisines at Anchovy Bandit to create playful, inventive dishes. Bucatini is tossed through Goolwa pippies, yuzu kosho and chives, and pineapple on a pizza gets a revamp with prosciutto, pineapple, kimchi and spring onion joining forces on their puffy dough. Anchovy Bandit's pizza crusts are so thick and round, you could roll your hair with them. Except don’t; it’s put to much better use paired with one of the house-made “crust dips”. Choose from garlic butter, taramasalata or XO sauce mayo. Wine is taken very seriously here too, with a great range of South Australian and Italian varieties to try.

What is it? A family-run Adelaide institution operating since 1985. 

Why Go? Siblings Jessica Favaro-Richards and Nicholas Favaro have taken the baton from their parents to balance tradition and modernity with grace on their seasonal menu. Start with addictive rabbit croquettes, crunchy and soft in all the right places, and served with dragoncello sauce (tarragon salsa) and pickled carrots. Meaty centrepiece dishes are chargrilled over sangiovese vines, like juicy half-chicken with Jerusalem artichoke and porcini. Explore it all through the five-course menu – excellent value at $95 per person. 

What is it? Traditional handmade pasta dishes in the heart of the city. 

Why go? The first thing you’ll notice when entering Borsa are the strands upon strands of fresh pasta hanging over their counter. They’ve been in the business of serving the perfect pasta for over a decade, and they have perfected the craft. A long-time favourite of city workers for a lunch or dinner treat, the menu at Borsa doesn’t stray far from tradition. Fresh veal tortellini in brodo (in broth) is the ultimate comfort dish packed with umami. End on a fun note with a trio of tiramisu-inspired profiteroles.

What is it? An elegant Italian restaurant inspired by New York.

Why go? Walk through the brick exterior of this inner-city restaurant and you could convince yourself you’re in New York’s Little Italy. Fugazzi’s menu consists of elegant, updated Australian takes on classic Italo-American food. Yellowfin tuna is served with fried capers, bonito mayonnaise and smoked olive oil, and pillows of smoked ricotta anolini are coated in tomato butter, cured egg yolk and crispy nduja. Their woodfire oven also does some heavy lifting. Nigella Lawson-approved 200-day grain-fed Angus tomahawk is served with an anchovy hollandaise sauce that you’ll want in your fridge.

What is it? A seriously stylish modern Australian take on Italian food.

Why go? Worth visiting for the interior alone, Oggi upped the stakes for Adelaide dining when it opened in 2015. At once graceful and modern, the award-winning fit-out draws inspiration from a light-filled Italian piazza and is just as enticing. Grab a seat at the long concrete bar or one of the comfy booths and peruse a highly seasonal menu that melds Italian tradition with the best local produce. Expect plenty of cured meats and seafood, as well as pasta that’s made fresh daily (Oggi is Italian for ‘today’) on the deceptively simple menu that foregrounds fresh produce and bold flavours with an Italian-leaning wine list.

What is it? A relaxed eatery slinging woodfired pizzas and mozzarella plates. 

Why go? As the name suggests, come to this laidback restaurant for some of the best wood-fired pizza in this city. And don’t forget about their mozzarella plates! Their fresh buffalo mozzarella with beef carpaccio and pickled green tomato reminds us that simplicity really is bliss. Follow it up with a pizza, fresh out of their two hand-built woodfired ovens, roaring at 400 degrees. Our favourite is the calabrese, sticking to its roots with the addictive Calabrian nduja spread, hot salami and chilli. Learn the secret to their perfect dough at their monthly pizza-making classes.

What is it? Considered modern Italian fare in Hyde Park, perfect for your next date night. 

Why go? In the warmer months, there may be no better place to be in Adelaide than dining al fresco at this contemporary Italian eatery. On the flip side, the best place to be in winter is with a bowl of ricotta gnocchi tucked into their booths. But before you go for one of their housemade pasta dishes, order as many Australian-inspired bites off their antipasti menu as you can. Their 'rootello bonnato' is a favourite, with diced kangaroo, shallots and bonito grated with cured egg yolk that’s worth its weight in gold. Local produce continues to shine on dishes like wood grilled Coorong mullet with artichoke velouté and a sprinkling of toasted seaweed.

What is it? A scenic spot for pizza and a Spritz, which overlooks the rolling hills of Carrick Hill and beyond.

Why go? First came Chianti, then came Bar Torino, and now the Favaro Group has opened a long-awaited Italian restaurant in the historic Carrick Hill estate. Perched on the balcony under the shade of big, striped umbrellas, you can take in picturesque views of the Adelaide foothills and tuck into Italian share plates. Start with a Spritz (of course), then fill the table with antipasti, including rosemary focaccia, anchovy toast and wood-roasted cauliflower. Pizza is a must too, and there are four woodfired discs to share around.

What is it? An old-school Italian serving pizza and pasta just like nonna used to make.

Why go? For 150 years, Adelaide’s sprawling Central Market has been ground zero for local cooks specialising in every imaginable cuisine – so it’s fitting that it housed the first pizzeria in the state (some say the country). Today, Lucia’s is better known for its housemade pasta and sauces (Friday is lasagne day); rich, silky espresso; deep pan pizzas and one of Adelaide’s best parmigianas. The deli next door makes sandwiches so popular they have their own tea towel.