Adelaide's Winter Dining: The Personalities

BENJAMIN ON FRANKLIN

The dynamic duo of venue manager Danny Stone and chef Michael Brown make the Benjamin a warmly comforting place to drink and dine this winter. While Stone grows a stunning craft beer collection behind the bar, Brown brings out the best of South Australian produce in the kitchen. It’s all locally sourced, of course, with menus containing a map to prove plating provenance, and tested by Brown and Stone who work closely together to make sure their matchings sing. Benjamin on Franklin 233 Franklin Street 8231 4380 benjaminonfranklin.com.au

SOCIAL STREET S2

Puangpayom Namsonthi (or Polly for short) relishes in her opportunity to make guests at Social Street S2 feel at home. S2’s emphasis on streetstyle food shines through in Namsonthi’s menu and with some old classics designed to warm the belly. But Namsonthi also wants to blend her style with Australian expectations, as seen in the delectable Thai Fusion Breakfast, a perfect comfort dish with a twist for Sunday mornings. Social Street S2 174A Hutt St 8232 1625 socialstreets2.com.au

BISTRO DOM

Head chef Luke Southwood brings inimitable experience to Bistro Dom’s table. Having cut his teeth in Basque and Catalonian restaurants and worked in multiple prestige venues thereafter, Southwood’s menu is at once steeped in tradition and running over with innovative new plates. He aims to “get into peoples’ subconscious” with dishes that summon childhood memories of comfort and satisfaction. Bistro Dom 24 Waymouth Street 8231 7000 bistrodom.com.au

THE PLAYFORD

The Playford’s executive chef Kevin Martel comes with a storied pedigree most venues would kill for. Working in kitchens since he was 14 years old, Martel made the move to Australia and has worked at the likes of Magill Estate and Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor. While the Playford’s restaurant is distinctly silver service, Martel brings a comfortable interactivity to his work, and recognises the importance of “a formal dining setting with personality”. The Playford Restaurant 120 North Terrace 8213 8844 theplayford.com.au

KIN KIN THAI EATERY

Chef Noppadol Sophon aims to “stay as authentic as possible, and let people know what real Thai food is” at the new and booming Kin Kin Thai Eatery. With a strong background in traditional Thai styles, Sophon’s team makes all curry pastes from scratch and aims to showcase a side to Thai that Australian diners might not be familiar with. New experiences abound under Sophon, and this winter their aim is to make their mark “with a balance of spice, sour and warmth”. Kin Kin Thai Eatery 242 Hutt Street 7073 0328 kinkinthaieatery.com.au

1918 BISTRO & GRILL

1918’s owner Sid King knows the importance of being an ambassador for the Barossa. A mix of “locals and tourists from all over the world” regularly inhabit his homely space, so he wants to help people “experience the Barossa as a whole” with locally sourced produce and wines in an intimate setting. Yet, King aims to confound pre-conceived notions as well by “defying expectations” in 1918’s diverse wine and dining choices. 1918 Bistro & Grill 94 Murray Street, Tanunda 8563 0405 1918.com.au

THE COLONIST

“This menu is our own take on what winter is,” says The Colonist chef Dean Lennerth. The experienced and experimental chef is grateful to have free reign over The Colonist’s kitchen and happily says that many of the hotel’s dishes are “based on [his] emotions”. He’s looking forward to “more experimentation in the future”. Coupled with venue manager Alison Davies’ attention to detail and easy rapport with customers, this is a brilliant spot to dine with friends and family over winter. The Colonist 44 The Parade 8362 3736 colonist.com.au

THE UNLEY

Working alongside head chef Callum Stewart-Watt, The Unley’s venue manager Quinton Hughes aims to “make people feel at home” in this newly renovated pub. Hughes is excited that since the venue transformed from Boho into The Unley, the hotel’s crew has a real opportunity to “play around with nice products and fresh produce” to give diners an experience as well as supreme comfort. The Unley 27 Unley Road 8271 5544 theunley.com.au

NEST BISTRO COFFEE BAR

Nest’s owner Jim Christou put together this venue with one goal in mind. He wanted to create a venue that was at once forward-thinking and suitable for families. Indeed, Nest was born from a desire “to just be able to take my daughters out to breakfast in a nice location”. With big, hearty breakfasts on offer in the airy yet comfortable space and a menu to accommodate diners right up until the late evening, Christou has achieved that goal. Nest Bistro Coffee Bar 104 Walkerville Terrace 8342 0287 nestbcb.com.au

MILE END HOTEL

“A bit of love goes a long way,” says the Mile End’s Executive Chef David White, and it shows in both the menu and venue. Dishes that are individually prepared and designed to bring out the best of all ingredients go perfectly with the convivial nature of this born-again hotel, thanks to the work of the charming Venue Manager Rachel Hendrie. “We want to push the boundaries and offer a bit more of that gastro-pub feel that people have come to expect,” says White. Mile End Hotel 30 Henley Beach Road 8443 4756 mileendhotel.com.au

GILBERT STREET HOTEL

Chef Greg Frith brings a worldly touch to his menu at the Gilbert Street Hotel, which, perhaps surprisingngly, gels perfectly with the community ethos of a pub known so well to locals of the area. A visit to the Gilbert is well worth the trip as the newly appointed Frith is quickly making his unique stamp on the iconic south-city venue. Gilbert Street Hotel 88 Gilbert Street 8231 4380 gilbertsthotel.com.au

CULSHAW’S

In a rapidly diversifying dining world, Culshaw’s executive chef Matthew Inkley is determined to get back to basics. “Do it simply and do it well” is this pragmatic chef’s motto, and it shows in a menu that puts classic, hearty dishes at the top of the order. Inkley also aims to showcase the very best South Australia has to offer with a menu that weaves subtle elements of native produce into its dishes, and treads a careful balance between classic fine dining familiarity. Culshaw’s at The Majestic 55 Frome Road 1800 008 499 culshaws.com.au

Photos: Andy Nowell and Janathan van der Knaap *Adelaide’s Winter Dining is a promotional feature from The Adelaide Review