Five new restaurant and bar openings to add to your bucket list…

Gelato Messina 

The time has finally arrived! Messina opened in Kent Town this Monday, the long-awaited grand homecoming of the cult-favourite gelato store welcoming hundreds of customers to try its famed flavours. South Australian-born Nick Palumbo first opened Messina in Sydney in 2002 and the brand has since gone on to chart national (and international) acclaim, now with 30 stores Australia-wide and one in Hong Kong. With 40 flavours to try in-store – 35 traditional and five weekly rotating specials – there’s no shortage of scoops that’ll appeal to any tastebuds. In celebration of this week’s Adelaide opening, South Australians can try an exclusive special flavour (aptly titled ‘I Know The Owners’) – it’s a custard gelato with biscuit crumb and caffe latte fudge.

Find Gelato Messina at 44 The Parade W, Kent Town. The store is open from midday, seven days a week. 

SORA

This sky-high establishment needs to be on your must-visit list for multiple reasons. Not only does this Pirie Street restaurant offer incredible views over Adelaide’s CBD, but its modern Asian menu and service are outstanding. Think seaweed cured salmon with shredded apple and turmeric soy, spiced wagyu beef pot stickers with crispy “umami” chilli dressing and twice-cooked Korean-style pork belly with a red cabbage kimchi slaw, all served inside a spectacular glass venue. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a clear roof allow you to watch the sunset while wining and dining, while the modern bar and sleek furniture add to the luxe vibe. And, if you need any more convincing, SORA’s executive chef is Adam Liston of Shōbōshō fame.

Find SORA at L9/89 Pirie Street, Adelaide. The dual-levelled restaurant is open from midday Wednesday to Sunday.

Home of Plenty

This sun-drenched cellar door opened quietly in Currency Creek over the Christmas break, quickly becoming a weekend destination for many South Australians keen to check out this Fleurieu hotspot. Owner Ben Shaw transformed an old shearing shed to create this Palm Springs-inspired paradise, the white-walled, exposed-brick and timber-clad restaurant giving California desert vibes. As for drinks, Home of Plenty’s single vineyard pours are fun, light and bright, designed for easy drinking year-round (the Sangiovese is a must-try). A tasting will set you back $10 and it pairs perfectly with the cellar door’s range of small plates – our favourites include the caprese salad with a pistachio pesto and sardines drizzled in lemon. Did we mention Home of Plenty is dog-friendly, too?

Find Home of Plenty at 261 Myrtlegrove Road, Currency Creek. The cellar door is open from Thursday to Sunday from 11am.

ODÉ Bistro

This restaurant nods to the finer things in life, creating a dining experience that celebrates “culinary artistry and cultural fusion”. Opening on O’Connell Street, North Adelaide, the venue champions the flavours of contemporary Australia and native ingredients in its menu designed by Head Chef Simon Ming (ex-Jolleys Boathouse Restaurant). Stand-out dishes include torched hiramasa kingfish with daikon, tomato consume and apple granita, chicken karaage with lemon myrtle and caviar, and crab udon with cherry tomatoes and crispy chilli oil. This menu is complemented by the wine list curated by leading sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj (ex-Est, Sydney). Head to this dark and moody North Adelaide bistro to try the experience first-hand.

Find ODÉ Bistro at 141-157 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide. The restaurant is open from 5:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 12pm at Sunday.

LVN

The re-imagining of Woodside’s Bird in Hand winery continues with the opening of LVN, the new cellar door restaurant that encompasses the best bits of its Adelaide Hills surrounds. Headed up executive chef Jacob Davey, who was formerly at Restaurant Botanic, LVN says its experience is “inspired by place and culture”, manifested via a farm-to-table concept featuring seven to 10 plates. Ingredients are sourced from the garden at the Woodside winery and other South Australian producers, with rare flavours arriving via Tasmania. Exactly what is on the menu is still firmly under wraps, but Bird in Hand has given us a glimpse of the fresh flavours via Instagram. Think grilled oysters with warrigal, horseradish and blood lime and mullet with fermented tomato, fig and Tasmanian pepper leaf, served alongside the museum collection of Bird in Hand wines and the vineyard’s latest releases. What a treat!

Find LVN at 150 Pfeiffer Road, Woodside. The restaurant is open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm. During February and March, you can also book a Saturday twilight session from 6pm.