The Best Degustations in Adelaide for Fine Dining Fun

A degustation (French for tasting) is an experience everyone should try at least once. Multiple courses of exquisite dishes, served in just the right proportions, allow you to sample a variety of flavours, leaving you satisfied and possibly discovering a new favourite dish. A la carte menus no longer reign supreme. Trust the chef's meticulously curated flavours, complemented by the expert sommelier's pairings, to provide a memorable culinary journey.

Here’s our curated selection of South Australia and Adelaide's finest degustations and premium set menus for an unparalleled dining adventure.

Restaurant Botanic 

Situated in a stunning heritage rotunda and nestled within the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Restaurant Botanic is a luscious romantic haven. With some of their ingredients sourced right from the botanic gardens themselves, their degustation menu stretches across four hours and offers over 20 different flavour combinations, not including the addition of a delectable paired wine flight.

Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Plane Tree Drive, Adelaide

Leigh Street Wine Room

For an unforgettable chef's selection experience, head to Leigh Street Wine Room. It's an exceptional destination known for its ever-evolving menu, offering a delightful array of dishes that highlight seasonal ingredients and innovative flavours. The Chef's Selection, featuring six plates to share, promises a culinary journey that's perfect for adventurous diners. Standout dishes might include the likes of saffron and bone marrow risotto, duck breast with spiced chickpeas and apricot, and indulgent Japanese doughnuts with chocolate hazelnut sauce. With its intimate ambiance and expertly curated menu, Leigh Street Wine Room is a must-visit for food enthusiasts, and one of the best degustations in Adelaide. 

9 Leigh Street, Adelaide

Stem

Stem in Adelaide is a vibrant and contemporary restaurant known for its innovative cuisine and stylish ambience. A premium set menu with paired wines here promises an exquisite culinary journey. Begin with bites like hash brown with taramasalata and Smoky Bay oysters. Progress to small plates such as beef tartare and lobster sando, before indulging in larger dishes like baby barramundi with salted plum or a succulent 350g Angus scotch fillet. Finish with delectable desserts like mandarin cake or a unique affogato.

Stem’s expertly paired wines elevate each course, creating a truly unforgettable dining experience. It's one of our favourite degustation-style menus in Adelaide right now, a top-notch place for fine-dining hospitality - without the fuss. 

188 Hindley Street, Adelaide

Five Regions Restaurant

Taking inspiration from Adelaide’s world-renowned surroundings, Five Regions Restaurant brings the produce and experience of The Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Coonawarra into the heart of Adelaide. Their six course degustation menu is changed with the seasons, telling the story of each wine region through regional ingredients, landscapes and seasonality.

Adelaide Oval, King William Road, North Adelaide

Apoteca

Take a trip down Hindley Street and you may see Apoteca – a seemingly unassuming venue that will make your jaw drop upon entry. The multi-roomed space includes an enormous bar built from 143-year old pharmacy cabinets originally from London, a stunning courtyard, iconic cellar restaurant and more. Sit down and experience the Chef’s Selection four or five course menu, curated from their most popular seasonal dishes with or without ‘prescribed’ wines to match.

118 Hindley Street, Adelaide

Windy Point

Halfway between Adelaide’s CBD and the Adelaide Hills, Windy Point offers the ultimate dinner with a view. The restaurant is perched on the edge of a drop, with panoramic windows looking across the twinkling lights of Adelaide to accompany their delicious five course set tasting menu. The menu changes with the seasons as the team whips up the freshest seasonal produce, so there’s always something new to taste.

Windy Point Lookout, 339 Belair Road, Belair

LVN at Bird in Hand 

LVN at Bird in Hand offers a spectacular degustation menu that perfectly captures the essence of Adelaide Hills. With a focus on farm-to-table dining, the menu features seven to ten courses that highlight seasonal native ingredients sourced from the winery's kitchen garden and surrounding regions.

Under the expert guidance of Executive Chef Jacob Davey, guests can expect dishes like mutton bird, wallaby, and coastal fruits, all paired with Bird in Hand's exclusive rare museum wines.

The dining experience is enhanced by the restaurant's naturally lit interior, adorned with original artworks, making it a must-visit for a luxurious culinary journey​, and one of the best degustations in Adelaide Hills. 

150 Pfeiffer Road, Woodside

Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant

Nestled away in the dramatic Piccadilly Valley, Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant is renowned for its classic, luxury settings and surroundings. Their seasonally changing degustation menu comes as four or seven courses, with the ‘Valley to Verandah’ concept courses paired with a multi-award-winning wine selection, sake collection and creative cocktail menu.

Looking for a romantic weekend away? Continue your delectable experience and book a room to stay at Mount Lofty House and treat yourself to a treatment at their Gatekeeper’s day spa. 

Mount Lofty House, 1 Mawson Drive, Crafers

Magill Estate Restaurant

The decadent Magill Estate Restaurant doesn’t just appease your sense of taste. The smells, sights, sounds and textures of both the food and restaurant interiors and exteriors offer the cherry on top. Their seven-course signature dish tasting menu stretches across approximately three hours, with the option for wine pairings.

78 Penfold Road, Magill

Ondeen Farm

Found mere minutes from Hahndorf in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, Ondeen Farm offers one of South Australia’s most extraordinary dining experiences. Located within a beautifully restored 1851 homestead, it celebrates local artisans and producers through innovative degustation menus.

Ondeen crafts unique tasting experiences and masterclasses, highlighting the journey from farm to table. Their commitment to sustainability and traditional methods shines through in every dish, featuring hyper-seasonal local produce and botanicals used in their award-winning spirits.

This dedication ensures a memorable and meaningful connection to the land and its bounty for all guests. It easily tops lists as one of the best degustations in Adelaide. 

15 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Verdun, Adelaide Hills

The Lane Vineyard

Among the many luxury experiences on offer at The Lane Vineyard, their seven course Chef’s Table Experience stands out as one not to be missed. The immersive, sensory menu celebrates seasonal ingredients, all grown and produced either on the estate or by local farmers, growers and suppliers and ethically produced.

5 Ravenswood Lane, Hahndorf

Topiary

Topiary offers one of South Australia's most unique dining experiences, blending rustic charm with culinary excellence. Nestled in a 140-year-old home, this restaurant champions a sustainable approach reminiscent of our ancestors, sourcing local ingredients, creating everything from scratch, and embracing seasonal changes.

Their Foragers Tasting Menu is a journey through the kitchen's creativity, featuring dishes like wild fennel marinated olives, seared fish with grilled strawberry juice, and fig leaf-wrapped tommy ruff. This intimate and innovative dining experience is perfect for those seeking a degustation menu that celebrates the best of what is truly seasonal and handcrafted.

1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully 

The Currant Shed

Sat among the picturesque McLaren Flat, The Currant Shed offers an informed, yet informal dining experience across their six course chef’s selection menu. Originally built in the early 1900s, the structure may have modernised throughout the years, but it still holds on to its inherent charm and history.

104 Ingoldby Road, McLaren Flat 

Appellation

Part of luxury accommodation The Louise, Appellation’s kitchen team of ‘dedicated storytellers of the Barossa Valley region’ create dishes inspired by culture, guided by the seasons and looking to the future. Local produce reigns supreme here, with 85% of the menu coming from within the Barossa Valley and South Australia – they even carbonate their own rainwater.

375 Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga, Barossa Valley

The Line & Label 

Under the masterful eye of Executive Chef Mark Jensen, Line & Label in Port Lincoln has become a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts. Peter Teakle Wines' restaurant offers an award-winning menu, combining outstanding local produce with fresh Asian flavours, and earning an AGFG Chef Hat for five consecutive years.

Guests can indulge in the "Trust the Chef" five-course tasting menu, featuring dishes like wagyu tartare, blue swimmer crab congee, and miso roasted kingfish, paired with exceptional wines. Vegetarians also have a delightful tasting menu available, with the likes of karaage eggplant and sesame avocado with soba noodle salad.

Sitchu Tip: The picturesque view of Port Lincoln enhances the unforgettable dining experience at Line & Label - so take a good peek of it while you're there. 

31 Whillas Road, Port Lincoln 

Enjoyed our guide to the best degustations in Adelaide and surrounds? It's time to plan out more luxurious meals in Adelaide and South Australia, from the best fine dining restaurants to set menus you have to check out, and where you should book out your next gourmet getaway for a foodie holiday.