‘The Ex’ ticks every box for a dream local. A packed beer garden, wallpapered with band posters? Curry nights and a mean schnitty? It’s all here. Glasses of Krug mightn’t be on your bingo card, but it’s part of the incongruous charm of this East End legend. The Champagne was added to its chalkboards in the ’80s at the urging of the wine crowd that frequented the front bar, and is still best ordered in the quintessentially South Australian 200ml ‘butcher’ glass. Otherwise, it’s an all-local affair: from the Australian wine list to the Coopers that will never leave the taps. 246 Rundle St, Adelaide. theexeter.com.au

It’s not every day a duck tries to take a seat at the table during lunch. But interactions with the resident birdlife are part of the charm at this relaxed alternative to fine-dining sibling, Restaurant Botanic, next door. While both share soul-lifting Botanic Garden views, respected chef Tom Tilbury ensures Botanic Lodge’s food never gets ahead of itself. His compact menu manages to blend surprises (sand whiting crudo with lardo and lemon) with a strong sense of place (mussels, native curry, myrtle oil) and crowd-pleasing Aussie nostalgia (tommy ruff in white bread and butter; Golden Gaytime parfait). Main Lake (Kainka Wirra), Adelaide Botanic Garden, Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide. botaniclodge.com.au

Christened the “Wonder Room”, this elegant cellar door with a difference gazes out over vineyards, bushland and gleaming limestone cliffs from one of the most scenic spots in McLaren Vale. Concrete floors echo the white limestone underfoot, while solid girders nod to the rich ironstone soil of a neighbouring hill. The kitchen has a similar eye on its surroundings. Three-tiered tastings pair Elena Brooks’ treasure trove of wines with elevated snacks like oxtail and kohlrabi tacos or savoury cannoli stuffed with cured ocean trout and salmon roe; long lunches add in larger dishes that hero estate-grown food. 191 Chaffeys Rd, McLaren Vale.

Hidden away among the barbed wire of an industrial estate just outside Mount Gambier’s CBD, Elementary feels as if it could be a secret gang hideout. Fear not. Once inside the black-on-black surrounds of this atmospheric dining room, the surprises are pleasant ones as chef Kirby Shearing pulls together a six-course set menu featuring snacks such as seared Coorong mullet fillet on a miso-smeared cracker and mains like oxtail tortellini with mushroom XO. To drink, there are matched selections for wine, non-alcoholic and sake. An express lunch menu is also available. 12 Margaret St, Mount Gambier. soulprojects.com.au

It might be Adelaide’s single biggest tourist drawcard, but locals know to visit Central Market on Friday evenings, when late-night trading transforms the historic covered market into the setting for a roaming dinner. Claim a stool at SiSea for bowls of Port Lincoln mussels; help Cumbia empty its giant paella pan; slurp Asian Gourmet’s famous laksa and fill your basket with everything from Section28 cheese at Smelly Cheese Shop, to wild-caught buffalo from Something Wild and Lucia’s iconic red sauce. With renovations doubling the market’s footprint by 2026, it looks set to remain the beating heart of this foodie city. 44/60 Gouger St, Adelaide. adelaidecentralmarket.com.au

An unloved old primary school on the road to Seppeltsfield has become a hub for like-minded businesses that offer a fresh perspective on the Barossa. At staġuni, chef Clare Falzon (ex Hentley Farm) taps into the kitchens of Europe, North Africa and her Maltese heritage in a series of snacks and larger plates, perhaps sumac roasted chicken with sesame flatbreads. New Wave Wines is a cellar door for a collective of small-scale producers including Coulter, The Cutting and Evan Evans. The school’s oval has been retained so youngsters can run off some energy, and a cafe/bakery/providore is in the pipeline. 457 Seppeltsfield Rd, Marananga.

A dream team of chef Kane Pollard and distiller Full Circle is making magic in a historic cellar door in the Adelaide Hills. Come for a tasting, a snack or, preferably, a languorous lunch, in an enclosed verandah that looks over the property. Pollard has a rare knack for capturing time and place, as well as making the most of very little – think fillets of nannygai roasted ‘en papillote’ in a charred cabbage leaf with saltbush butter, or a sublime creme caramel made with estate honey malt liqueur. Look out also for Pollard’s ‘Place’ dining events, staged outdoors in various locations. 15 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Verdun.

Beachside fish and chips don’t get much better than this, or come with a better wine list. Fresh-caught Coorong mullet in golden batter, fries, house-made tartare and, in the glass, anything from a stunning chablis to a pint of Coopers. The new dining room retains the welcoming vibe of the lifesaving club that once sat atop this gorgeous stretch of Fleurieu coastline. The menu includes a first-rate cheeseburger and schnitty, alongside a snapper crudo and grilled garfish on spiced carrot puree. Co-owner Nick Stock puts a lifetime of wine experience into twin lists, including rarely seen releases under Coravin. The very end of Norman Rd, Aldinga Beach.

Finally, the Riverland has a top-flight dining experience that showcases its agricultural bounty and evolving wine culture. Located within the historic Renmark Hotel, Temperance brings together the talents of chefs Hugh Hazelwood and Anthony Cresp and service supremo Mel Hamilton to fashion one of the state’s best regional offerings. There’s a shorter ‘Austerity’ menu, or go the whole ‘Prosperity Experience’ with eight courses that could include a memorable snack of king prawn and curry leaf on a turmeric cracker, Waikerie lamb with beetroot and a tarte tatin of locally grown jujube with St Agnes Brandy ice cream. Hotel Renmark, 81 Murray Av, Renmark.

Maggie Beer’s farm shop draws most of the crowds visiting her Barossa Valley property, but those in the know keep walking past the duck-filled pond to this relaxed onsite eatery. One half of the building hosts cooking and distilling classes, but why do all the hard work when you can let the kitchen take care of it for you? Maggie’s daughter Elli is a consummate hospitality professional and makes it a pleasure to sit back as four- and five-course menus are stretched out with snacks that offer a lighter, more contemporary take on the hyperlocal fare that made Maggie famous. 50 Pheasant Farm Rd, Nuriootpa.

From November to April each year, this one-of-a-kind Kangaroo Island venue invites diners to step into a dream, set within the boughs of a 120-year-old fig tree overlooking the blue waters of Snelling Beach. Last season, chef John Stamatakis took over the iconic experience, and has relaunched with a new menu and more accessible price point. Dappled sunlight filters through a canopy of rustling leaves as diners in ‘rooms’ created by tree branches indulge in a Mediterranean-inspired feast that makes liberal use of local produce like American River oysters, succulent marron and coastal rosemary foraged metres from your table. 5995 N Coast Rd, Middle River.

It’s Australia’s most iconic train journey – but one of The Ghan’s greatest surprises waits in the dining car. All meals are included – breakfasts, brunches, multi-course lunches and dinners – and of a calibre beyond what you’d think possible on a train. Each day, a different, beautifully illustrated menu fuses international flavours with Australian ingredients like barramundi, crocodile, saltbush and Kakadu plum. It’s a delicious silver-service celebration of the unique flora and fauna the train passes. The drinks list is similarly Antipodean, from Vasse Felix chardonnay to Cut Hill whisky. Fast before you board: you’re going to be eating very well. Darwin Berrimah Terminal, 3 Salloo St, East Arm.

The booming beachside suburb of Aldinga is home to this buzzy spot inside a charmingly ramshackle 190-year-old blacksmith’s shop. It’s booked out weeks in advance, thanks to the skills of chef Trinh Richards, whose exquisite (and very reasonably priced) set menus unfold in a joyous parade of flavours from across Southeast Asia and beyond. Her punchy creations go heavy on flavour but still exhibit a delicate touch – think crispy taro puffs stuffed with duck, water chestnut and fermented chilli, and local squid that’s barely out of the water before it’s thrown on the grill with gochujang glaze and katsuobushi butter. 24 Old Coach Rd, Aldinga.

Leave city stresses behind with a drive up to this most hospitable of Hills eateries that has made an art of relaxed overachievement. Working alone in a primitive kitchen with only two burners, chef Tom Campbell produces a constantly shifting menu of soulful, seasonal food that will likely include a smattering of offal and super-fresh produce from a neighbouring farm. His fried calamari with brassica leaves, whole lemon sauce and black ‘risotto’ of lentils, freekeh and rice was one of the better dishes seen last year. Take home a pizzetta or slice of burnt bread tart and share the love. 176 Piccadilly Rd, Piccadilly.

A day at this ground-breaking Clare Valley pub and its nearby property will have you wanting to grow your own vegies. The tour starts with a trip up the road to Penobscot Farm, a bountiful market garden using biodynamic and regenerative principles. Back at the hotel, settle in for a six-course degustation, much of it featuring the fruit, greens, flowers and produce that you’ve just seen. Or you might want to skip all this and tuck into a decent burger or one of the wild food delights (camel neck braised in Afghan spices, perhaps) from co-owner and chef Nicola Palmer. 37 Main N Rd, Watervale.