Best French Restaurants in Adelaide
We owe a lot of our culinary terms to the French. Chefs, sommeliers and maître d’s? All français. The same goes for the front- and back-of-house structures of modern restaurants, which originated in eighteenth-century Paris.
As for French food itself, it often springs to mind when picturing restaurants and dining. Almost every chef started out training in classical French cooking, and for good reason: Gallic gastronomic techniques are the cornerstone of modern cookery.
And while Adelaide's German roots certainly run deep, the city has no shortage of excellent French restaurants worth your time. From brasseries and bistros, to bastions of both haute and nouvelle cuisine, here’s our selection.
Cafe
Hey Jupiter
A little corner of France in Adelaide’s East End, Hey Jupiter has been throwing down champagne breakfasts and Bloody Marys for more than a decade. At night, it transforms into a cool spot for small plates and big-flavoured French classics.
Bar
La Buvette Drinkery
Aperitifs reign supreme at this romantic riff on the Parisian bistro. Pull up a stool at the dimly lit bar for freshly baked bread and imported French cheese, or spill out onto the street with a lo-fi wine in hand.
Restaurant
La Louisiane
A moody brasserie from the teams behind Adelaide favourites Nola and Shotgun Willie’s. Descend to the basement of a heritage space for pitch-perfect Martinis, classic French fare and live jazz until late on weekends.
Accommodation
Sofitel Adelaide
Garcon Bleu is the Sofitel’s flash ninth-floor restaurant, which combines local produce with time-honoured French techniques. Think Clare Valley Angus steak frites and a Paris-Brest with Adelaide Hills peaches.
Restaurant
Bistro Français
The owners of this intimate bistro are out to prove French cuisine isn't always rich or elaborate. And they're doing that with a menu of everyday classics like steak frites, twice-baked cheese soufflé and an ASMR-worthy creme brulee.
Restaurant
A Prayer for the Wild at Heart
This unpretentious brasserie will take you from breakfast right through to dinner. Expect a menu spanning flat iron steaks with cafe de Paris butter, and ricotta and truffle gnudi. Plus, afternoon snacks and special reserve wines from France and beyond.
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