The must-try places and staples of a good food and drink time on Magill Road and The Parade.

1. Cold Rock
228 The Parade, Norwood

Before you get ice cream on The Parade next time, we implore you to re-visit the original Cold Rock in Adelaide. That classic shop that had line-ups out the door in 2004 is still going strong in 2018.

The rock is still cold, the ice cream flavours still unique and the lollies you can have smashed into your ice cream – still sinfully sweet. Our order is the Ferrero ice cream and Picnic bar with Nutella.

For the full nostalgic experience, get a cup from Cold Rock before going to see a movie across the road at Hoyts. You’ll be feeling sweet 16 in no time!

2. The European
219-219B The Parade, Norwood

Celebrating 40 years on The Parade this year, The European is an institution and one of Adelaide’s timeless establishments. We’ve just finished a delicious gnocchi gorgonzola and side of rucola salad and down comes this perfectly wobbly panna cotta. “That’s on us,” says the woman as she places it down.

Of course this is not any woman but Gabriella Cavuoto who, along with her husband George established The European on The Parade in 1979. This landmark restaurant set the standard for Italo-Australian cuisine in Adelaide in many ways. It’s idiosyncratic interior evokes the design sensibility of the famous Campari illustrator Fortunato Depero and each dish sings with the warmth of family cooking.

Indeed It’s not just Gabriella and George running The European but their sons as well. While Adelaide seems obsessed with new restaurants and million-dollar-fit-outs there is a reason why quality establishments like The European continue to thrive – and you’ll have to book a table to find out for yourself.

3. La Madeleine and the Little French Wine Bar
246 The Parade, Norwood

Who says Adelaide can’t have nice things? Indeed we can have real French pastries made with real French butter. We can also have Louis Roderer in an ice bucket at happy hour and cheers to another excellent year with real Champagne.

William Blanc has brought a lot to The Parade and his patisserie La Madeleine and adjoining wine bar do well to convey the elegance and authenticity of French cuisine.

“I always liked Norwood. There’s more people, always busy. Daytime, nighttime, I like the vibe,” William says.

It’s strange to think of what we and the rest of Adelaide might be missing had William chosen to remain as a military police officer in France, instead of leaving to study pastry but lucky for us he did.

4. Stone’s Throw
127 The Parade, Norwood

Stone’s Throw is a truly versatile business with a bit of a mullet approach – business at the front and party out the back. Immediately upon entering the venue, you’re greeted by a small bar with stools and a fine selection of wines and boutique spirits.

Further into the venue you’ll be amazed as the dining room opens up in light with a garden beyond. Letting the chef “feed you” is always a great way to tackle a delicious meal and Stone’s Throw’s chefs know how to do this well. 

5. 400 Gradi
Coming Soon

Coming from Melbourne, 400 Gradi is still under construction but we can already see from the formwork  and stone installed to-date that this is going to be a bit of a game changer for The Parade.

And while exquisite design features continue to take shape on site, what everyone is really wanting to know is, ‘What does the pizza taste like?’ Stay tuned to CityMag to find out.

6. Viva Continental Deli & Wine Bar
349 Magill Rd, St Morris 

Viva has been on Magill Road for little over 12 weeks now and Mark Najar is very happy with his decision to move from Burnside Village.

At Burnside Village, Viva was just a providore / delicatessen type of shop but at the new Magill Road location Viva is a full time cafe and restaurant with a bit of side hustle as a wine bar too. Viva moved because the lease was up in Burnside and Mark owned this building.

“We purchased this property 10 years ago for offices and warehousing. Back then there was nothing around us – you could walk outside and not see anyone on the street. But we’ve just watched it develop – it was so lucky that it became this hub around us,” Mark says.

Viva’s wine list is all biodynamic, organic, sustainable and small batch. They’re not doing the ho-hum offering of every other restaurant and this niche is working well to bring new customers in through the doors early. We had the smashed avocado breakfast with beetroot and it was delicious but unfortunately it was a little too early for wine – even of the lighter Basket Range kind.

7. Martini Ristorante
59A The Parade, Norwood

Martini Ristorante has been in its current location for 12 years but you might not recognise what head chef and owner Larry Piscioneri has done with the place.

Elegantly re-imagined with contemporary furniture and embellishments by Hames Sharley architects, Martini is looking light and airy and every bit the contemporary Australian diner.

Of course Italian food is at the heart of the operation but Larry (a Calabrese) says he’s happy to cater to Australia’s changing eating habits.

“We’ve always had sharing items on the menu but with the re-design of the space I thought we could re-design the menu a bit and make those options more obvious,” he tells us. “We Australians are more and more into sharing food and that’s the way they do it in Italy too, so it all makes sense.”

Looking at the menu there’s not a single thing we don’t want to try, so we’re glad sharing is an option on the table because we’re going to need to order everything.