The 9 Best Pre-Theatre Dinner Spots in Adelaide to Complete Your Sophisticated Night Out
Our wedding anniversary tradition is that I buy my wife flowers, then I ask her out to watch a theatrical performance. Our meet-cute story was in one of the local theatres. The rest is history!
We love to make a night of it, eating before heading to the venue. This also keeps us from getting hungry in the middle of a show, which can take up at least an hour.
Through trial and error over the years, we now have a list of restaurants near our frequented theatres. A few places we had in mind were the Adelaide Festival Centre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, and the Dunstan Playhouse.
See our recommendations, and enjoy the theatre with a full stomach!
Restaurants near the Adelaide Festival Centre
Shiki Japanese Restaurant
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Address: InterContinental Adelaide, North Terrace
Contact: +61 8 8238 2400
Operating hours: Tuesday to Saturday – 6 pm to 10 pm
Website
Shiki at North Terrace is only 550 metres by car from the Adelaide Festival Centre. They specialise in Japanese food, specifically teppanyaki. Their teppanyaki, in which meat is cooked over a large iron grill, is served through a four-course menu.
This menu was developed by their head chef, Kenny Trinh, based on the four seasons, which is also the restaurant’s name in English! Throughout the four courses, the chefs were efficient in grilling lobster, fish, and Australian Wagyu.
We liked that our meals had a fast cooking time because of the high heat. We were able to eat a lot and arrive on the dot for our theatre schedule. Plus, seeing the meat being grilled in front of our eyes was a performance in itself!
Pro tips:
- Shiki requires its customers to book at least 24 hours in advance.
- If you’re looking for ways to encourage loved ones to check out this restaurant, you may give them gift vouchers! These vouchers may be sent via post or email, valid for up to three years.
Malt Shovel Taphouse
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Address: Festival Centre, Festival Drive
Contact: +61 8 8331 5215
Operating hours:
- Wednesday to Thursday – 11:30 am to 11 pm
- Friday to Saturday – 11:30 am to 2 am
- Sunday – 11:30 am to 10 pm
For Malt Shovel Taphouse, we didn’t have to worry about distance. It’s only 170 metres from the Adelaide Festival Centre by car! This could also be walked, so we were able to park here, eat, and take a leisurely stroll to the theatre.
In 2021, they won the Draught Beer Quality Award under the AHA SA Awards for Excellence. We knew sharing a pint would be special for our anniversary! This was also best enjoyed with their riverside view.
The pint was also paired with their platter meal for two. This meal had roasted pork, roasted chicken, medium-rare striploin, and vegetables. This was rather filling, so we had no worries that our stomachs would growl while in the theatre.
Pro tip: Malt Shovel Taphouse is also available for functions! These functions have a separate menu that must be paid for before the event, and they prioritise public outdoor locations. So, if you are looking for a place to celebrate events while overlooking a stunning view of nature, this is the restaurant to go to!
Gin Long Canteen
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Address: 42 O’Connell Street
Contact: +61 8 7120 2897
Operating hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 5:30 am to 9 pm
- Friday – 12:30 pm to 2 pm, 5:30 to 10 pm
- Saturday – 5:30 pm to 10 pm
On our third anniversary, we went to Gin Long Canteen at O’Connell Street, a 1.5-kilometre journey to the nearby theatre via car.
This was the farthest restaurant from the Adelaide Festival Theatre we picked. But it was worth the distance for their Southeast Asian fusion menu!
They specialise in the Vietnamese soup pho, which is a light yet filling meal perfect before our theatre schedule! We also liked their vegetarian options, such as the pad Thai and spring rolls. These meals ensured we were full but not bloated.
We also ordered mocktail mojitos! Mine was lime, while my wife’s was lychee, both refreshing and sweet, and they helped digest our meals.
Pro tip: Gin Long Canteen has restaurant-exclusive seasonal and holiday-specific events! These include time-limited menus, so check out their Instagram account to catch their next gimmick. One example is their Gin Long cocktail, served only on World Gin Day last June!
Restaurants near Her Majesty’s Theatre
Part Time Lover
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Address: Paul Kelly Lane
Contact: +61 488 448 807
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 7 am to 10 pm
- Saturday – 6 am to 10 pm
Part Time Lover, located in Paul Kelly Lane, is only an 850-metre car ride to Her Majesty’s Theatre. If you prefer to walk, that would take around 8 to 10 minutes.
They offer a diverse range of flavours, with meat, plant-based, and seafood options. We chose their menu called Feed Me, in which the staff served their recommended meals depending on how long our stay was.
It’s best for people like us to go to the theatre. Depending on our schedule, we could choose their short-stay or long-stay options. It allowed us the flexibility of time and service speed.
Pro tip: Part Time Lover shares that the founders lifted its name from the saying “part-time lover, full-time friend.” The restaurant was originally a space to share with their friends, eventually opening to more people and menu items!
Speaking of menu items, the restaurant also offers seasonal menus updated through its Instagram account.
Georges on Waymouth
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Address: 20 Waymouth Street
Contact: +61 8 8211 6960
Operating hours:
- Tuesday – 11:30 am to 3 pm, 5:30 to 10:30 pm
- Friday – 11:30 am to 3 pm
- Saturday – 5:30 to 10:30 pm
Georges on Waymouth Street is for reservations and private bookings only, so it was quite hard to catch a pre-theatre dinner here. Still, because it was only a 1-kilometre drive to the nearest theatre, we wanted to secure one, and we did!
They specialise in Mediterranean-inspired food and beverages.
Their menus are structured around small-plate and large-plate servings, as well as a five-course tasting menu. The small plate menu we ordered featured kingfish, chargrilled octopus, Italian cheese, sliced veal, and braised beef cheeks.
They also had a wine selection, alongside a cheese and dessert menu. These were perfect to set the mood for our anniversary.
We ordered burnt chocolate cheesecake paired with South Australian white wine. The cheesecake was savoury and only mildly sweet, which blended well with the strong flavours and fruity fragrance of Sauvignon Blanc.
Pro tip: Georges on Waymouth Street is hosting an event this coming August 2025! This event is called Across Terroirs Dinner, a fine dining and wine tasting experience. Save the date by booking a reservation through their website!
Fino Vino
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Address: 82 Flinders Street
Contact: +61 8 8232 7919
Operating hours:
- Tuesday and Saturday – 5:30 pm to 11 pm
- Wednesday to Friday – 12 pm to 11 pm
Fino Vino restaurant is a 1.4-kilometre drive to its nearest theatre. It’s a restaurant-bar hybrid, offering not only a set course menu but also a tasting selection. This was another choice for us to have a more intimate meal with complimentary drinks.
What we liked the most, though, was their express menu. Meals are served fast with little to no waiting time.
It featured three courses, inclusive of wine. This could be the best choice for people on a tight theatre schedule who still want satisfying food and drinks!
For the best experience in this restaurant, we were advised to arrive at least two hours before the reservation time. Their space is quite small, good for intimate meetings among couples, but could be prone to crowding.
Pro tip: Fino Vino releases express menus that feature exclusive meal sets and wine-tasting events! These are sporadic and could be limited, so keep up with their updates on Instagram!
As of writing, they’re holding Pie July, in which they have a rotating line-up of surprise pie flavours throughout the month.
Restaurants near the Dunstan Playhouse
Press Food & Wine
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Address: 40 Waymouth Street
Contact: +61 8 8211 8048
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 12 pm to 10 pm
- Saturday – 5:30 pm to 11 pm
Press Food & Wine is 1 kilometre away from Dunstan Playhouse, a theatre that focuses on live performances. The restaurant is a modernised European-style bistro highlighting seasonal produce.
For our meal at the time, we selected their set menu. This eliminated the hassle of choosing meals, saving time before our playhouse schedule.
We had a baguette, a dip, sweet potato with jam, and raw snapper with buttermilk and persimmon. It was quite satisfying with their in-house sorbet, giving us a light and balanced meal. Moreover, their drinks menu was expansive, offering cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, aperitifs, and brews!
Pro tip: Much of Press Food & Wine’s menu is always subject to change. This is because their dishes are prepared according to seasonal produce and stock availability. So, it’s recommended to call their restaurant at least 72 hours prior to dining!
Jolleys Boathouse
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Address: 1 Jolleys Lane
Contact: +61 8 8223 2891
Operating hours:
- Wednesday to Friday – 12 pm to 10 pm
- Saturday – 5 pm to 10 pm
- Sunday – 12 pm to 4:30 pm
Jolleys Boathouse was a fun experience, and it’s accessible, since it’s only a 500-metre distance to the nearest theatre!
It’s a restaurant inside a boat with a wonderful riverbank view, a good way to relax before our theatre schedule!
We also liked that they offered 60-minute lunches and pre-theatre menus. It made decision-making easier on our part, since meals and drinks were already prepared beforehand. The meals were still served fresh, and we thoroughly enjoyed them with efficient customer service!
For the pre-theatre and 60-minute menus, they had seafood chowder, salad, braised lamb, chicken, and risotto selections. They also offered pudding for dessert. With this much food, we left satiated!
Pro tip: Looking for a sip of alcohol before heading to watch a performance? You may check out Jolley’s Boathouse’s extensive wine menu, ranging from gins with mixes to cocktails! For those planning to bring their own wine, though, the restaurant applies a $35 corkage fee.
Madame Hanoi
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Address: SkyCity Adelaide, 125 North Terrace
Contact: +61 8 8218 4166
Operating hours:
- Tuesday and Wednesday – 5 pm to 10 pm
- Thursday – 12 pm to 3 pm, 5 pm to 10 pm
- Friday – 12 pm to 3 pm, 5 pm to 12 am
- Saturday – 12 pm to 2 pm, 5 pm to 12 am
Madame Hanoi is a French-Vietnamese fusion restaurant 600 metres from the nearest theatre. They also have a bar, which has wine, draught and craft beers, and cocktails.
This was the restaurant we went to when we wanted something with an interesting twist of flavours!
They offered us small and large plates. We went with the small plates, and I had the mini beef pho served with rice noodles, which was warm and filling. My wife chose the crispy cauliflower and fried squid, both having a kick of spice enough to keep her awake during our theatre time.
Since we still had a little bit more time, we checked out their signature Vietnamese martini. It was mixed with espresso, chocolate, and condensed milk. It was heavy on the sweetness yet not overwhelming, and it gave us room to avoid being tipsy before we headed off to the theatre!
Pro tip: Speaking of Madame Hanoi’s bar, this bar also features bao, a Chinese bun filled with sweet or savoury meats! The bao bar opens intermittently, with updates about its launch posted on their Instagram account. Their last pop-up happened from February 22 to March 14, so don’t miss out on their next one!
