Fleurieu Peninsula: Where to eat, drink and shop | delicious.SA: Regional 50

The Fleurieu Peninsula has some of SA’s best beaches, fresh produce and cellar door restaurants. And as an easy 40-minute drive south of Adelaide, it’s the perfect place to spend the day or linger longer

Explore Port Elliot on the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula. Picture: istock

The Fleurieu Peninsula has some of South Australia’s best beaches, fresh produce and cellar door restaurants. And as an easy 40-minute drive south of Adelaide, it’s the perfect place to spend the day, weekend or longer.

COFFEE | LIGHT MEALS

Willunga’s de Rose Kitchen (formerly 3 Monkeys Fine Foods) is a breakfast and coffee gem. Find a perch inside the cosy cafe and providore, or head out to the charming courtyard – it’s kid-friendly, too. For a quicker (and delicious) bacon-and-egg roll, Maxwell’s Grocery in Aldinga has you covered.

One Little Sister in Normanville serves up posher style eggs (as well as lunch and dinner) in a dining room bustling with art and atmosphere, while to the other side of the Peninsula, Pipi at Middleton, Beaches (Port Elliot) and Motherduck (Goolwa) tick all the brunch boxes.

In McLaren Vale, some lighter cellar door lunches can be had at Harry’s Deli at Wirra Wirra and Beach Road Wines. For a weekend feast, check out Vigna Bottin Cellar Door and Osteria (Willunga), where Italian winemaker Annika Pomodora serves up traditional long table meals on weekends, while Our Place at Willunga Hill puts on an Italian-inspired spread on Sundays. Coates Wines in Kuitpo also offers changing themed menus on Sundays, prepared by chef Rebecca Stubbs.

Harry’s Deli at Wirra Wirra is a great spot for a quick bite. Picture: Mark Brake

For pizza the whole family will love, head over to Sicily Mare in Aldinga – by the time you’re there, they’ll likely have opened their gelateria next door. It’s a pizza party on Fri-Sun nights in Willunga, where Russell’s Pizza pumps out wood-fired dough topped with the likes of seafood and Turkish lamb. For $39 you will get shared starters and pizzas until you’re full, plus BYO drinks. In Port Elliot, you’ll find traditional Neapolitan style pizzas at Harborganics on Fri-Sun at No.58 Cellar Door. For a quicker bite, former food truck brand Gang Gang has just launched Nice Day Deli in a shipping container at Port Elliot coffee haunt and retailer, Yeo Haus.

More coffee can be found at nearby De Groot, which draws people from near and far for their excellent brews and bags of beans. While you’re there, pop next door to Charlotte Dalton Wines’ cellar door. Back in Port Willunga, keep your eyes peeled for a colourful caravan on the esplanade – Zan’s Van serves up Soul City Roasters coffee and Mork Hot Chocolates most mornings (check their Instagram, @zans.van).

For more ideas on where to eat, check out our delicious.SA: Regional 50 guide for the best restaurants for your road trip.

Anthony Mitolo from Pizzateca, Tom Harvey from Chalk Hill Wines and Tim Boast from Never Never Distilling Co. at their McLaren Vale home. Picture: Matt Turner

BARS | BREWERIES

Bottoms up! Swell in McLaren Vale is a popular spot for mates and families alike (so popular, it’s best to phone ahead). You’ll find all Swell beers on tap plus a few local wines, alongside a full lunch menu. Nearby Goodieson Brewery is a relaxed place to perch – there’s no food but you can take along a picnic or snacks. Forktree Brewing in Carrickalinga boasts all the booze and bites, plus play equipment and a sandpit for the kids to burn their energy, while casual pizzas are on offer at Smiling Samoyed (Myponga).

If it’s gin that makes your heart sing, Never Never serves up tastings and cocktails at the recently-opened Chalk Hill Collective (you’ll also find Italian bites at the on-site Cucina di Strada), or garnish-your-own at Settler’s Spirits. Drink with the Goolwa locals at the Wharf Barrel Shed at 90 Mile Wines, where you can watch the boats on the water while enjoying live music on weekends, or catch a theme night (from Spanish to Japanese) over at Islanders Tavern on Hindmarsh Island.

Willunga Farmers’ Market is a must-do. Picture: supplied, delicious.

SHOPPING

A trip to the Willunga Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning is a must. Go early (it’s open 8am-12pm) to snag the best fresh produce, as well as yummy belly-fillers such as Little Acre Foods’ brisket (or mushroom) toasties that are well worth the 10-minute wait. Then hop over to Four Winds Chocolate on High St (also open Sat) for delicious handmade pastries. Other local shops worth a visit include Ellis Butchers, while further down the Peninsula, when all you catch is a cold, try Al and Kerry’s Fish Sales in Cape Jervis, Oyster George in Port Elliot (weekends) or Hoad Fisheries on Hindmarsh Island (only open Sundays 10am-2pm).

Head to HomeGrain Bakery in McLaren Flat, Aldinga and Middleton for all your bread and pastry needs – hot picks include the Cornish pasty or ask for the pie of the month. Port Elliot Bakery continues to attract massive line-ups for its pasties, sausage rolls and coveted doughnuts, particularly over the summer.