The starting point is a bowl of lemon aspen jelly with finely diced kohlrabi and halves of twice-shelled green peas looking like lily pads on the surface of a pond. The finish is a toffee-topped, semi-frozen cream and matching syrup, flavoured with the spiky fallen branches of a bunya pine tree. As stunning as both are, the remarkable part about lunch at the reimagined Restaurant Botanic is that every one of the nine courses between are their equal. For those who care about what they eat, Restaurant Botanic is a Magical Mystery Tour from start to finish. Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide; restaurantbotanic.com.au.

When the world seems weary, cynical, distracted, you can walk into arkhé and the planets start to realign. The welcome is warm and genuine, the mood upbeat, the sense of a large team working with common purpose strangely reassuring. From a seat at the counter (highly recommended), it is a pleasure to watch it all unfold: the fire powering furnace-like ovens, grills and even a cauldron deep-fryer; the preparation of unlikely ingredients such as a magnificent turbot (fish); the synchronicity and sense of calm in a kitchen under the leadership of Jake Kellie, who learnt his craft at Singapore’s revered Burnt Ends. For those entranced by the theatre of the kitchen, by food in all its sensual wonder, by hospitality at its finest, this is one of Adelaide’s finest packages. 127 The Parade, Norwood; arkhe.com.au.

Cancel all meetings. Turn Out of Office on and the mobile off. The long lunch is back. In Fugazzi, the CBD once again has a restaurant with the sense of occasion to encourage wanton misbehaviour. How fitting it is that this relative newcomer should have taken over the site where Rigoni’s was, in its heyday, renowned for lunches attended by the state’s heavyweights, who could be seen at window-side tables by passersby. Fugazzi is more discreet. It all adds to the impact of walking into a dining room that, from the curved joinery to the rows of Fornasetti wall plates, is drop-dead gorgeous. Throw in black-aproned waiters and a big-band soundtrack and this is not Rome or Milan, but New York in full glamour mode. 27 Leigh St, Adelaide; fugazzi.com.au.

Still one of Adelaide’s coolest places to hang out, Africola fizzes with creative energy and mischievous intent. Africola has moved to a “feed me” menu, where the kitchen makes the choices. But fear not, they’ll happily include whatever takes your fancy. The signature crispy chicken tea sandwich with peri peri drippings alone is reason enough to visit. Who knew that something as simple as white bread and chicken skin could taste so ridiculously good? 4 East Terrace, Adelaide; africola.com.au.

The signature snack at the CBD favourite Press* Food & Wine is not your average profiterol. Instead, Tom Tilbury’s choux pastry is wrapped in a layer of crisp biscuit “craquelin” and filled with a chicken liver parfait smoother than a Barry White love song. Just the thing to get you in the mood for love, with their seductively smooth, savoury centres. 40 Waymouth St, Adelaide; pressfoodandwine.com.au.

Snacks. That’s it. A single syllable at the top of the menu. What inadequate preparation it proves to be for Magill Estate’s opening salvo. For a deboned chicken wing stuffed with lobster and scallop meat. For a heavenly honey-brushed crumpet loaded with smoked trout butter and fluorescent pearls of roe. And, above all, for the timber spoon holding a single mussel pouch filled with a wagyu tartare and surrounded by white koji butter. That’s what dining at this level is all about. Memorable moments. The cooking from long-time chef and new owner Scott Huggins seems more carefree, more buoyant now he has taken full control, with fingers used almost as often as forks. 78 Penfold Rd, Adelaide SA. magillestaterestaurant.com

Spring is arguably the sweet spot for this restaurant-in-a-nursery, with wisteria in flower and a popup bar in the courtyard. But even in the depths of winter, a visit to Topiary is one of the state’s great dining surprises. Owner/chef Kane Pollard directs a menu that is fiercely local, dictated by seasonality and daily foraging, guided by a sustainable, nonna-style frugality. Everything is made in-house, even the cheese, with not a skerrick wasted. Spent sourdough mother starter is used in a dainty cracker topped with creamy cauliflower, caramelised into an ambrosial vegetable that even the pickiest toddler would be happy to eat. 1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully SA. thetopiarycafe.com.au

The provision of bread to sop up sauce or gravy is a reliable indicator of a restaurant that cares about its customers. At Maxwell, however, they take this to a whole new level. A pair of waffles, brushed with beef fat, arrive on a folded napkin, ready to swipe through the glossy puddle of sauce at the base of a block of grilled wagyu. This final savoury course is Exhibit A of the sensible sophistication and egalitarian appeal that has taken Maxwell to a place among the very best of the state’s vast array of winery restaurants. And it is a reflection of the crowd-pleasing qualities of the wider Maxwell business. After the wagyu, finish with a dessert that has multiple links with the winery – caramelised oak chip ice cream, malt crumble, mead sabayon and mead jellies. 19 Olivers Rd, McLaren Vale SA. maxwellwines.com.au

A small property at the bottom of Willunga’s famed hill has been finished in natural tones with restraint that suggests modern Japan. It opened as a bar pouring natural wines alongside small, affordable plates but that has morphed into a degustation showcasing the vast imagination of Taiwanese-born owner/chefs Mug Chen and Chia Wu (ex Vue de monde, Melbourne). The detail they put into every plate is extraordinary. Leeks are poached in beetroot juice for two hours and re-rolled into little batons, then piped with “liquid brioche” and sprinkled with beetroot powder. 2/3 High St, Willunga SA. munirestaurant.com

Couples and groups young and old share in spirited conversation and staff seem to be having a good time. There’s a sense that this is what all dining out should be: relaxed, convivial, with food produced with love and care by the kitchen team headed by co-owner/chef Karena Armstrong. The Salopian is famous for its dumplings and pork buns, but other “small delights” might win you over. Like hiramasa kingfish sashimi, spiked with Japanese flavours of soy and ponzu, decorated with watermelon radish and daikon that, like much of the vegies and other produce, are grown in the patch at Armstrong’s home. Main Rd, McLaren Vale SA. salopian.com.au