Five years ago, if you’d booked a trip to Adelaide in search of fabulous food, people would have thought you were mad. What a change half a decade makes. Today, the city boasts a slew of skillful chefs dishing up mouth-watering fare. But maybe we shouldn’t be all that surprised.

Back in the ’80s – the heady days of shoulder pads, prawn cocktails and pesto – Adelaide had serious food cred, thanks to innovators such as Cheong Liew, Maggie Beer and Ann Oliver. The following two decades may have been a tad uninspiring – the city certainly lost its gastronomic mojo – but Adelaide is well and truly back on the epicurean map.

An Adelaide gastronomic itinerary is now firmly focused on cosmopolitan restaurants and buzzing nightspots, local produce and global flavours. Maybe it’s a renaissance; maybe it’s a food revolution; or maybe Adelaide is simply claiming its rightful place within the national culinary conversation. Whatever you call it, it’s a tasty place to be. Here is your must-visit list.

It’s perhaps fate that Shobosho (17 Leigh St), named after a Japanese fire house, is also the hottest opening of the year. This latest from serial restaurateur Simon Kardachi (Press, Osteria Oggi, Bread & Bone, Melt, The Pot) sports blond- and blackened-wood interiors that slide between a Japanese-teahouse and yakitori-den vibe; very cool, but all focus is on the slender 10-metre-plus open kitchen and the specialised kit contained within: a wood-fired oven, hydraulic wood-fired grill, customised yakitori pit and rotisserie.

Head chef Adam Liston wields it all with expertise, and his menu is bursting with tantalising smoky and umami flavours, as well as varied textures, from crisp to slippery. Sit up at the bar, drink sake and enjoy the fireworks.

Head chef Paul Baker describes the ethos at Botanic Gardens Restaurant (Plane Tree Dr) as similar to that of a regional establishment – firmly focused on local produce. The difference is that his fine-diner happens to be in the CBD (though nestled in the lush greenery of the Botanic Gardens) and ‘local’ often means within strolling distance of the front door.

Upwards of 55 ingredients come from the gardens themselves, from bay leaves and thyme to Davidson plums and warrigal greens. Given the verdant setting, lunch is the optimal time to dine; order the elegant tasting menu – it’s one of the city’s best.

Best caffeine fix in town? It’s a tie. First, Handsome & the Duchess (16 McHenry St), serving carefully crafted Monastery brews and excellent house-made pastries.

Equally impressive is Elementary Coffee (9-17 Young St), where owner/barista Brad Nixon roasts his beans on-site.

When it opened in 2014, Africola (4 East Terrace) was dominated by a large fire-pit, a riot of colour and a South African-led menu rich with meaty delights. It earned plenty of acclaim – rightly so – but last year, a small hiccup (read: fire) led chef Duncan Welgemoed to rethink.

The fire-pit has gone, the interiors are sleeker and the menu veers towards northern Africa, with more vegetarian and pescetarian options. The trademark peri-peri chicken is still here, but dishes such as ‘cauliflower steak’ will convert the most dedicated carnivore.

André’s Cucina & Polenta Bar (94 Frome St) is always a firm favourite with Adelaide’s culinary cognoscenti. Why? Because chef and owner André Ursini keeps the focus on simple, authentic flavours.

Order one of his polentas. And the burrata. Also his homemade gnocchi. Plus the la carne steak tagliata. You’ll want the pasticcini dessert plate, too. Oh, and a zeppole. Actually, you’ll need more than one visit.

There are more than 70 small bars in Adelaide; which you visit will depend on your preferred tipple. Oenophiles should flock to Mother Vine (22-26 Vardon Ave). Fancy aperitifs and escargots? La Buvette (27 Gresham St) is pour vous.

Gin-sippers and rum-swillers should look no further than Hains & Co (23 Gilbert Pl). Join the cool kids for cocktails overlooking striking skyline views at 2KW (Level 8, 2 King William St).