The best Italian restaurants in Adelaide

What is it? An Adelaide institution serving Italian classics with heart since 1981.

Why go? Loved for its generous portions, lively atmosphere and nostalgic Italian dishes, Amalfi Pizzeria Ristorante has become a local go-to, whether it’s for family dinners, date nights or footy feasts. Their wood-oven pizzas are legendary, and the pastas are just like your Nonna’s. Start with one of their focaccias or garlic bread. For mains, tuck into any of their woodfired pizzas – the Amalfi Special has prawn, anchovy, salami and more on a napolitana sauce, while the Cardinale is topped with bocconcini, basil, mushroom and prosciutto. For mains, the crumbed veal cotolette with potato fritti is a classic, as is the polpette with hand-rolled meatballs and a recipe that goes back more than 40 years! The wine list leans towards Italian and South Australian bottles, and they go down a treat. And yes, they also do takeaway.

Address: 29 Frome St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $27; pizza from $25

What is it? A beloved Adelaide eatery right in the CBD serving comfort food from Calabria. 

Why go? Started by mates Luigi and Joe, Luigi Delicatessen has no fixed menu, but serves Italian food made with heart. Think handmade pasta, slow-roasted meats and fresh seafood that feeds your soul. Start with the antipasti board of cured meats, cheeses and marinated veggies to share. For mains, go with something seasonal: casarecce with chilli and garlic, gnocchi with porcini mushrooms and truffle paste, or spaghetti in blue swimmer crab. Wash it all down with a cheeky glass of vino and, if you like tiramisu the way mamma makes it, don’t skip dessert. There’s Pasta Trio Night every Tuesday with three handmade pastas made for sharing, and they’ve got live music every Thursday to Saturday. Psst! They’ve also got a restaurant in Seaton. 

Address: 43 Franklin St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $40

What is it? An Italian pizzeria and pasta bar that’s a little bit saucy.

Why go? With a name as intriguing as Anchovy Bandit, you know you’re in for some inventive Italian fare. Start off with the totally addictive 'crust dips' – choose from garlic butter, taramasalata or XO sauce mayo. Move on to the wood-fired pizza with Olasagasti anchovy, potato, and smoked scamorza, or the ever-popular pepperoni pizza with hot honey. For pastas, the mafaldine with lamb ragu, spinach, and parmigiano or the ‘2 Gulfs’ fettuccine with blue swimmer crab is delish. Can’t decide? Opt for the ‘Trust the Chef’. The drinks menu boasts cool cocktails and a great range of South Australian and Italian drops to try.

Address: 96 Prospect Rd, Prospect

Price: Pasta from $35, pizza from $26

What is it? A family-run Adelaide institution operating since 1985. 

Why go? Siblings Jessica Favaro-Richards and Nicholas Favaro have taken the baton from their parents to balance Italian tradition and Aussie modernity at Chianti. Start with a quattro formaggi tart and some beef carpaccio served with Cipriani mayo. Mains include a ravioli alla Norma that’s stuffed with eggplant, or a juicy steak cooked your way. Explore it all through the four-course menu – excellent value at $88 per person. 

Address: 160 Hutt St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $38, mains from $45

What is it? An upmarket Italian-American dining room by MasterChef's Laura Sharrad. 

Why go: Step through the brick façade of this inner-city restaurant and you might just think you’ve landed in New York’s Little Italy. Fugazzi serves up Italo-American classics with a modern twist. Think yellowfin tuna with citrus cream and Davidson plum, delicate gnocco fritto, charred veal crudo, and a silky, decadent crab pasta. From the ‘Fire’ section, expect Mayura Station 9+ wagyu bistecca or the daily roasted fish. Sip on a perfectly made Martini or Old Fashioned, then choose between the Pranzo Tasting Menu – three courses ideal for a business lunch – or the indulgent five-course Lusso experience. And yes, tiramisu comes theatrically served tableside.

Address: 27 Leigh St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $35, mains from $55

What is it? An old-school Italian serving pizza and pasta since 1957 – just like nonna used to make.

Why go? For 150 years, Adelaide’s sprawling Central Market has been ground zero for local cooks specialising in every imaginable cuisine – so it’s fitting that it housed the first pizzeria in the state (some say the country). Today, Lucia’s is better known for its small-batch pasta and sauces that you can buy online, in select supermarkets, and in-house; deep pan pizzas; and one of Adelaide’s best parmigianas. The deli next door makes sandwiches so popular that they have their own tea towel!

Address: Central Market, Shop 1-2 Central Western Mall, S68/44/60 Gouger St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $20, pizza from $14.50

What is it? A scenic spot for pizza and a Spritz, which overlooks picturesque Carrick Hill and beyond.

Why go? First came Chianti, then came Bar Torino, and now the Favaro Group has opened Rozelle’s – an Italian restaurant in the historic Carrick Hill estate. Perched on the balcony under the shade of big striped umbrellas, you can take in picturesque views of the Adelaide foothills and tuck into Italian share plates. Start with a Spritz (of course), then fill the table with arancini, Angus beef tartare, and a couple of pastas. Their woodfired pizza is a must too, and they range from a simple but sublime margherita to the white-based pizzas like the patate and the funghi. 

Address: 46 Carrick Hill Dr, Springfield

Price: Pizza from $25

What is it? A casual Italian bistro serving traditional handmade pasta in the heart of the city. 

Why go? The first thing you’ll spot when walking into Borsa is the strands of fresh pasta hanging proudly in the open kitchen – it’s a little preview of yummy things to come. A go-to for city workers, Borsa nails both the quick business lunch and the relaxed after-work dinner and drinks. The menu doesn’t stray far from tradition and is pure comfort food: pillowy veal tortellini in brodo (broth), classics like tender veal saltimbocca, plus hearty dry pastas like rigatoni osso buco and spaghetti vongole. And here’s the kicker – their midweek lunch special (Tuesday to Thursday) includes a glass of vino for just $5. Salute!

Address: 1/25 Grenfell St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $28

What is it? A seriously stylish modern Australian take on Italian food in the CBD.

Why go? Worth visiting for the interior alone, Oggi upped the stakes for Adelaide dining when it opened in 2015 (yep, it’s turning ten!). At once graceful and modern, the fit-out draws inspiration from a light-filled Italian piazza and is just as enticing. Open seven days, it invites you to grab a seat at the long concrete bar or one of the comfy booths and peruse a seasonal menu that melds Italian tradition with the best local produce. Expect plenty of cured meats and seafood, as well as pasta that’s hand-made and hand-rolled fresh daily (after all, ‘oggi’ is Italian for today). The drinks menu has an Italian-leaning wine list as well as groovy cocktails (we like the look of their OG Negroni). An Oggi staple is the Olasagasti anchovy soldiers bursting with flavour, while the wood-grilled Port Lincoln squid with ‘nduja is delish.

Address: 76 Pirie St, Adelaide

Price: Pasta from $34, four-course tasting menu for $85pp

What is it? A relaxed eatery slinging woodfired pizzas and mozzarella plates. 

Why go? Come to Pizza e Mozzarella Bar, an Italian restaurant with a laidback vibe, for some yum woodfired pizza and mozzarella plates – just as their name suggests. Everything – yes, everything – is cooked in two wood ovens; one for breads and meats, the other, set at a roaring 400°C, blasts their pizzas. Try the capricciosa with ham, artichoke, and anchovies; the seafood-based tutto mare; or the spicy calabrese with ‘nduja and salami. Their pizza bianco section includes quattro formaggi and the funghi with porcini mushrooms. The mozzarella plates remind us that simplicity really is bliss. The best bit? You can learn the secret to their perfect dough at their monthly pizza-making classes.

Address: Epworth Building, 33 Pirie St, Adelaide

Price: Pizza from $27