Wall Street Journal names Adelaide ‘Australia’s coolest city’

It’s not like it’s a secret to Adelaideans – but SA’s local charm has been given the nod by one of America’s biggest publications. See the list of ‘coolest’ spots.

Is Adelaide ‘Australia’s coolest city’? The Wall Street Journal thinks it could be.

It’s no secret to the average Adelaidean that our humble home town is an antipodean haven of gourmet delights, a lively bar scene and second-to-none access to nature’s best.

But the cat might now be out of the bag on the global stage, after prominent New York-based daily newspaper the Wall Street Journal labelled Adelaide ‘Australia’s coolest city’.

An article published over the weekend, and shared to WSJ’s average circulation of 3.9 million readers, spruiked SA insiders’ tips for the best Adelaide has to offer.

“The capital of South Australia, Adelaide offers an almost utopian alternative to the typical urban sprawl,” the story reads.

“A moat of lush parklands surrounds a one-square-mile city centre full of shops and restaurants. Beyond that, leafy suburbs give way to the Adelaide Hills, where koalas roam, and to the sea.

“Despite such a compact footprint, the city packs a serious culinary punch, thanks in part to easily accessed fresh seafood, the region’s profusion of produce and the nearby vineyards of the Barossa Valley.”

Justin James, head chef at Restaurant Botanic. Picture: Matt Loxton

International supermodel Adut Akech (left), with her brother Bior, has shared her favourite Adelaide haunts.

Well, they’re not wrong. But how do the American publication’s recommendations stack up?

Among the big names to contribute their “local insider” knowledge are award-winning Restaurant Botanic executive chef Justin James, international model Adut Akech Bior, influential architect Max Pritchard and mixologist Callan Fleming.

James’ local picks include bespoke cocktail bar Bar Peripheral, new-age pasta institution Osteria Oggi and local midcentury sellers Retro Room.

It fits that Mr Pritchard’s eye turns to Adelaide’s spectacular architecture - recommending the “cultural boulevard” of North Tce, our riverfront sporting crown jewel in Adelaide Oval and the meticulously restored Queen’s Theatre.

Adelaide’s own taste of France at Hey Jupiter also gets the shout, offering some of the best coffee in Australia (according to Mr Pritchard).

Fashionista Adut Akech spruiks The Parade’s shopping strip and the suburban beachside sprawl of Henley Beach, along with a night at luxury Adelaide Hills getaway Sequoia Lodge - which recently played host to Beatles legend Paul McCartney.

CBD pasta purveyors Osteria Oggi made the list.

Ross Dillon of Dillons Bookshop on the Parade. Picture: Matt Turner

Mr Fleming, co-owner of bottled cocktail company Privee, lists iconic family-run booksellers Dillons Bookshop as one of his go-to spots, alongside brand-new brasserie La Louisiane, Prospect Rd’s Meze Mazi and Anchovy Bandit, and Hades Hula House - home to 2021’s best bartender in SA - for cocktails.

City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters’ Mayor Robert Bria said he was “absolutely thrilled” to see The Parade and local areas get the international recognition they deserved.

Mr Bria also extended his congratulations to Ross Dillon, owner of Dillons Bookshop, for the nod on the global stage.

“Dillons Bookshop is an Adelaide institution, having first opened its doors in 1984, and Ross has always been an integral part of our local community,” Mr Bria said.

So, what did the Wall Street Journal miss? Tell us your favourite Adelaide spots in the comments below.