A taste of Adelaide

This weekend I’m sojourning in South Australia’s Adelaide (or Radelaide, as we affectionately call it in Australia). Our Saturday morning adventure has been hitting the road with Meg the vintage Mini up to the gorgeous Adelaide Hills - not for wine on this occasion, but rather for brunch.

Patch Kitchen and Garden is in our sights, found in the quaint and picturesque town of Stirling. What was the original post office and general store, dating back to 1885, now dishes up seasonal produce for brunch and lunch plus dinner towards the later part of the week.

A brief but sufficient breakfast menu had me leaning towards the mushrooms with haloumi and greens - such a sucker for cheese at breakfast (or anytime for that matter). Very much a breakfast salad, it was sprinkled with tasty roasted pinenuts and rustic croutons, but for $20 could have perhaps been enhanced with the addition of crumbled feta (yes, more cheese) and pomegranate, or even a wedge of lime. The coffee? On point! The service? Friendly, attentive and local. Bonus points for the garden in which you can dine and where the herbs are grown that Patch kindly offers to patrons to take home.

Naturally, a drive through the hills calls for a touch of sightseeing so we stopped into the Mount Lofty Summit for incredible 180+ views of the greater Radelaide region. There are some great walking trails around the summit, between 15 minutes and 3 hours in length, alas not ideal for the flats I was sporting today. Hours could be spent here taking in the views and inhaling that beautiful signature scent of the Eucalypts.

Back down the hill and within around just 15km we’d returned to the CBD frindge for more caffeine (and iced chocolate) at Fawn. It’s 32c degrees outside, sunny, with a gentle buzz in the air and distant sound of church bells.

As someone who previously wasn’t a fan of Adelaide, I’ve come to realise it’s appeal - including a delicious share dinner and cocktails at Bar Torino in the city last night. If the way to a foodie’s heart is through their stomach, then Adelaide is winning me over.