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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This unpretentious brasserie will take you from breakfast right through dinner. Expect a globetrotting 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.
Here's where we're going for brunch right now.
Plenty of places are open for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Save the Easter eggs for dessert (if you can).
The venues shaping this city’s culinary scene.