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The Best Restaurants, Cafes and Bars in Unley for Every Craving
Whether you're in the mood for a very good coffee, a leisurely lunch, late-night pasta or a wine bar worth settling into, these are the Unley and surrounding spots to have on your radar.
Unley has quietly become one of Adelaide’s most versatile dining pockets, with neighbourhood cafes, flaky pastries, Italian restaurants, wine bars and pubs all within easy reach of the CBD. Unley Road brings the casual all-day crowd, while nearby King William Road is where you’ll find everything from long brunches to pasta dinners and a very good glass of wine. Then there are the Goodwood and Hyde Park favourites just beyond, giving this corner of Adelaide plenty to keep you coming back.
In This Guide
The Best Cafes and Delis in Unley
Tonino
Part neighbourhood deli, part Italian cafe, Tonino feels like a little slice of Italy dropped onto King William Road. The focaccia sandwiches are generously filled, the coffee is excellent and the cabinet is hard to resist, with house-made pasticcini, cannoli and specialty scrolls (the crème brûlée is a particular standout), plus the occasional spritz or affogato.
Sitchu Tip: For the serious cinnamon scroll lover, there’s the three-tier Cinnamon Roll Cake. Available by pre-order, the $150 treat comes in Classic, Biscoff or Pistachio, with custom requests also on the table. It’s the sort of thing worth planning a celebration around.
Suburb: Goodwood
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Italian, Cafe
Best For: Quick bite, weekend plans, locals
A Mother’s Milk
A Mother’s Milk has been part of the Unley cafe scene for years, pairing a retro-leaning wood-and-brick interior with a menu that goes well beyond the standard cafe playbook. Portuguese sardines on toast, green chilli eggs and huevos rancheros sit alongside the classics, while a recent renovation has added a fully licensed space for everything from birthdays to weddings.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Brunch, group dining, weekend plans, locals
He Said, She Said
He Said, She Said has earned its weekend regular status on King William Road, where coffee-sipping families and friends spill onto the footpath. The menu covers the brunch classics, from eggs your way and hot chocolate specialities through to salt and pepper squid, while cocktails make a strong argument for turning breakfast into lunch.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Brunch
Best For: Brunch, families, weekend plans, cocktail lovers, locals
Unley Social
Unley Social is a specialty coffee shop and roastery from the team behind Gilbert Social and Please Say Please, with a distinctly neighbourhood feel. The focus is firmly on good coffee, with ethically sourced, locally roasted specialty-grade beans and a relaxed space that makes a quick caffeine run feel worth lingering over.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Coffee bar
Best For: Quick bite, budget-friendly, locals
Pepo Eatery
Pepo Eatery is the kind of neighbourhood bakery that makes popping out for coffee considerably more dangerous for your wallet. Set along King William Road, it turns out fresh-baked goods daily, from cinnamon scrolls and pork and beef sausage rolls to muffins and cookies, making it an easy stop for breakfast or a leisurely morning coffee.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Bakery, Cafe
Best For: Breakfast, brunch, weekend plans, locals
Mettā Sol Specialty Coffee
Mettā Sol keeps things easy in Goodwood, with onsite parking, nearby public transport and a menu centred around seriously good specialty coffee. It’s a straightforward neighbourhood stop when all you really need is a good coffee and somewhere to take a breath.
Suburb: Goodwood
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Coffee bar
Best For: Quick bite, budget-friendly, locals
Whistle & Flute
Whistle & Flute brings a playful edge to brunch in Unley, with creamy smashed avo on flaky croissant, crab scrambled eggs and fried chicken with hotcakes all vying for attention. Pair it with a specialty coffee, or lean into the full weekend ritual with a Bloody Mary or breakfast gin and juice from the full liquor bar.
Sitchu Tip: Sister venue Just Down The Road is the one to know when you’re after something a little more grab-and-go. The new-age deli deals in generously filled sandwiches and bold flavours, from eggplant parmy and loaded deli pastrami to a sausage and egg muffin.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Brunch
Best For: Brunch, cocktail lovers, weekend plans, locals
Stories & More
Stories & More is Hyde Park’s new answer to the question of where to go when the group chat can’t agree on a coffee order. Bagels, toasties and brunch favourites sit alongside an impressively broad drinks menu, spanning the signature Stories Latte, matcha, ube, rose and even Nutella lattes. Come hungry, leave caffeinated.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Breakfast, brunch, quick bite, locals
Abbots & Kinney
Abbots & Kinney is a reliable stop for excellent pastries, fresh bread and clever specials, with the basque cheesecake bun a particular weekend draw. Expect the kind of cabinet that makes picking up just one thing surprisingly difficult, and a queue when the mood for a pastry hits Adelaide.
Sitchu Tip: Sister venue One Block Up, just a block back from Unley’s main strip, turns that same pastry know-how into a full brunch destination. The sleek space serves everything from a hearty sausage, bacon and egg roll to avocado and salmon on sourdough.
Suburb: Malvern
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Bakery
Best For: Brunch, weekend plans, budget-friendly, locals
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The Best Restaurants in Unley
Farina 00
For a proper Italian feed, Farina 00 is the sort of place that makes choosing what to order the hardest part of the evening. Fresh pasta is made daily, with a menu spanning comforting mains, pizza and a homemade tiramisu that deserves a little room at the end.
Suburb: Goodwood
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian, Pasta
Best For: Date night, special occasion, group dining
ShoSho
ShoSho brings the convivial spirit of a Japanese izakaya to Hyde Park, with a menu designed for sharing and settling in. Tempura, BBQ and izakaya-style plates make up the core of the offering, with toothfish and scampi among the more unexpected additions. It’s intimate, unfussy and particularly well suited to a table of friends.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Date night, group dining
Bandit Pizza & Wine
Bandit keeps the formula pleasingly simple: pizza, wine and a handful of very good things to eat alongside them. The short menu moves between classic and more left-of-centre Neapolitan-ish pizzas, with snacks such as woodfired sourdough and kingfish crudo. The low-ceilinged space feels cosy and intimate, making it equally suited to a casual dinner or a date night.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pizza, Wine bar
Best For: Date night, group dining, locals
Need To Know: Discounted pizza, starters and drink specials every Monday evening.
Melt
Melt made for those dinners where one pizza was never going to be enough. The menu brings together signature pizzas and tapas designed to share, while the all-day opening makes it just as easy to drop in for a quick bite at the bar as it is to settle in for a long lunch that somehow becomes dinner.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pizza, Tapas
Best For: Group dining, long lunch
Nido
Nido brings a little Italian polish to King William Road, with fresh pasta made daily, flame-grilled meats and a generous list of snacks and antipasti. The wine list keeps its focus on Italy and local winemakers, while the room has the easy energy of somewhere you could happily stay for another round.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Italian, Pasta
Best For: Date night, special occasion, group dining, wine lovers
Need To Know: Larger group bookings require a set tasting menu.
Hello Neighbour / Artusi Gnoccheria
This Hyde Park favourite has a rather clever two-part personality. By day, Hello Neighbour is the spot for coffee, brunch and easy daytime eats. Come Saturday evening, Artusi Gnoccheria takes over, swapping daytime plates for pillowy house-made gnocchi and cosy Italian fare. Consider it a very good reason to stay in the neighbourhood from morning through to night.
Sitchu Tip: The pork belly salad is brunch perfection, while the beef ragu gnocchi melts in your mouth.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe, Italian
Best For: Brunch, date night, weekend plans
Need To Know: Hello Neighbour opens 7am to 3pm daily. Artusi Gnoccheria runs Saturdays, 5.30pm to 9pm.
Asha
Asha keeps things intimate with just 34 seats and a modern Australian menu from chef Kyle Connor, where Middle Eastern influences weave through the cooking. The set-menu format makes this one for settling in rather than rushing through dinner. Al Rihla, meaning “the journey”, takes the long way around with a broad run of dishes and techniques, while Al Rihla Sa’ir offers a shorter version.
Suburb: Goodwood
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Middle Eastern
Best For: Special occasion, date night, group dining
The Best Bars and Pubs in Unley
Dolly
Dolly is a neighbourhood wine bar that knows how to do a night out, with a little sass, a little sophistication and plenty of reasons to stay for another drink. Pull up a seat at the concrete bar or head outside with a cocktail in hand, with house creations including the pineapple cobbler and cherry-forward Dolly’s Disco Sour.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar, Cocktail bar
Best For: Date night, late night, outdoor dining, cocktail lovers
The Unley
The Unley sits right on the edge of the CBD, but feels a world away once you’re settled into one of its fireplaces or up on the rooftop. There are three light-filled dining spaces to choose from, while the rooftop is made for sundowners, local South Australian beers, regional wines and seasonal cocktails. The food sticks to crowd-pleasing gastropub territory, from schnitzel and parmigiana to the Unley Burger.
Suburb: Parkside
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Gastropub
Best For: Outdoor dining, group dining, locals, weekend plans
alt. Wine Bar
alt. Wine Bar takes its wine seriously without making a song and dance about it. The 200-strong list is organised by characteristic rather than variety, with a strong focus on South Australian and Australian drops. Pair your pick with something from the bar snack menu, whether that’s Kangaroo Island oysters or miso devilled eggs, and settle in along King William Road.
Suburb: Hyde Park
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Date night, wine lovers, group dining
The Cremorne Hotel & Bar 1854
The Cremorne Hotel covers the full pub brief, from casual drinks and a beer garden to elevated plates like black truffle mushroom arancini and seafood pappardelle. But head upstairs and you’ll find Bar 1854, a moodier suburban speakeasy with impressive cocktails, French Champagne and Japanese-inspired snacks, all wrapped up in eclectic wallpaper and quirky art.
Sitchu Tip: Swing by Bar 1854 Thursday to Saturday from 4–6pm for aperitivo hour, when $15 gets you one of five signature sips plus complimentary popcorn.
Suburb: Unley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Gastropub, Cocktail bar
Best For: Date night, group dining, outdoor dining, cocktail lovers, locals
Good Gilbert
Good Gilbert has been a Goodwood mainstay for good reason. The wine list changes weekly and spans more than 400 bottles, with over 40 wines available by the glass or carafe, so there’s plenty to explore whether you’re after something familiar or feeling adventurous. Add seasonal beers, cocktails and a menu of bar snacks or full dinners and you’ve got all the ingredients for a long afternoon.
Suburb: Goodwood
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, date night, group dining, long lunch
Frequently Asked Questions About Eating and Drinking in Unley
King William Road runs parallel to Unley Road through Hyde Park and Goodwood, and is known for its paved streetscape lined with wine bars, Italian restaurants and brunch spots. The strip covers the full day, from coffee and pastries at Tonino and Pepo Eatery to brunch at He Said, She Said and dinner at Nido, where pasta is made fresh daily. Evenings extend into alt. Wine Bar, with its 200-bottle list organised by characteristic. Sitting a short drive from Adelaide’s CBD, it suits everything from a quick coffee to a long dinner.
Unley has strong date night options across price points. Asha in Goodwood is the pick for a special occasion, with just 34 seats and a set menu designed for a long evening. Nido in Hyde Park pairs fresh pasta and flame-grilled meats with Italian and local wines. For a drinks-led date, alt. Wine Bar in Hyde Park and Dolly in Unley both suit a night of good wine or cocktails, while Bar 1854 above The Cremorne Hotel offers a moodier speakeasy setting. Bandit Pizza & Wine in Unley is a more casual, intimate option built around pizza and wine.
The best bars in Unley range from wine-focused rooms to rooftops. alt. Wine Bar in Hyde Park organises its 200-strong list by characteristic rather than variety, while Good Gilbert in Goodwood changes its 400-plus bottle list weekly, with more than 40 wines by the glass or carafe. Dolly in Unley pairs house cocktails with a concrete bar and outdoor seating. Upstairs at The Cremorne Hotel, Bar 1854 is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar pouring French Champagne, and The Unley in Parkside has a rooftop made for sundowners with South Australian beers and wines.
For specialty coffee in Unley, Unley Social is a neighbourhood coffee shop and roastery from the team behind Gilbert Social and Please Say Please, using ethically sourced, locally roasted beans. Mettā Sol Specialty Coffee in Goodwood keeps things simple with good coffee and onsite parking. If pastries matter as much as the coffee, Tonino in Goodwood pairs coffee with house-made pasticcini, cannoli and crème brûlée scrolls. Pepo Eatery in Hyde Park bakes cinnamon scrolls and sausage rolls daily, and Abbots & Kinney in Malvern is known for its basque cheesecake bun.
For brunch in Unley, Whistle & Flute serves smashed avo on croissant, crab scrambled eggs and fried chicken with hotcakes, backed by a full liquor bar for a weekend Bloody Mary. He Said, She Said on King William Road in Hyde Park is a weekend favourite with families and friends, covering brunch classics through to salt and pepper squid. Hello Neighbour in Hyde Park handles coffee and easy daytime eats, while A Mother’s Milk in Unley goes beyond the standard cafe menu with Portuguese sardines on toast, green chilli eggs and huevos rancheros.
The best restaurants in Unley lean Italian, with strong Japanese and modern Australian options. Farina 00 in Goodwood and Nido in Hyde Park both make fresh pasta daily, with Nido adding flame-grilled meats and an Italian and local wine list. ShoSho in Hyde Park brings Japanese izakaya-style tempura and BBQ built for sharing, while Asha in Goodwood offers a 34-seat set-menu experience from chef Kyle Connor, with Middle Eastern influences through its modern Australian cooking. For something more relaxed, Bandit Pizza & Wine on Unley Road serves Neapolitan-style pizza alongside wine.
Loved our roundup of the best restaurants in Unley and ready to dine in another foodie pocket? Dive into the best eateries in Norwood and Kent Town, or head further north to the buzzing Prospect.
