Adelaide’s best sandwiches: Italian-style panini and gourmet sandos
There’s a new food phenomenon sweeping over Adelaide: gourmet sandos and Italian paninis. Here’s our guide to some of the best new spots and some old favourites.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
First it was burgers, then it was Neapolitan-style pizzas. Now there’s another food craze sweeping over Adelaide: gourmet sandos and Italian paninis.
Cute delis and sandwich shops are popping up all over the city, showcasing the delicious carb-filled treats, often loaded up with plenty of cured meats, salads and condiments.
Here’s our guide to some of the best new spots around town, and plus some old favourites as well. Buon appetito!
TONINO
114 King William Rd, Goodwood
Brother and sister team Anna-Lisa and Nicholas Barone are behind Tonino, a recent addition to King William Rd, which is best described as a “modern take on a traditional Italian deli”.
“We have beautiful, carefully selected small goods on display in our fridge, which we freshly slice to fill our focaccias sandwiches,” said Anna-Lisa.
“We have a selection of products for sale on our shelves, that are staples in the pantry of any Italian. We use family recipes for almost everything on offer at Tonino, from the bread to the semifreddo gelato.”
Their most popular offerings include the Tricolore (prosciutto, fior di latte, basil, tomato, EVOO and balsamic) and the jam-packed Calabrese, which includes three different types of salami and a spicy mayo.
“However, some of our personal favourites are the capocollo, with its punchy Gorgonzola cream and sweet chilli honey, and the porchetta, which is inspired by the porchetta that our Abruzzese Nonno Tonino makes – the namesake of our store,” Anna-Lisa said.
PINCO DELI
73 Glen Osmond Rd, Eastwood
There’s only eight sandwiches on the menu but that’s more than enough variety for their loyal customers, who have been flocking to this coffee and lunch spot since September 2022.
Saba Maghsoudi is the man behind Pinco, and he says the focus is on serving up simple yet flavour-packed offerings.
“Our aim was to bring high quality, simple and considered sandwiches to the city. Simple but done well. Inspired by our chef’s travels through Italy,” said Saba, whose business partners include Elijah Makris, Ben Pankhurst and Ramon Tampos.
Their most popular focaccias include salami, whipped ricotta, crushed pistachio and chilli honey, and the mortadella, salami and provolone.
“Our lifelong passion for food, hospitality and design has been displayed through this venue,” said Saba.
“We’re grateful it’s been enjoyed by so many in the city we love.”
FRATELLI ITALIAN DELI
1/117 Prospect Rd, Prospect
Launched last October, this delicatessen has quickly become a cult favourite in the inner north, with the chicken alla vodka, featuring chicken cutlets, vodka sauce, stracciatella and basil pesto, and the tuna melt, among their bestsellers.
It’s a true family affair at Fratelli, which is led by husband and wife duo Renee and Johnny Chaptini, and Johnny’s cousin Nissrine Daher and her partner Paul Skounos.
Johnny says top quality coffee, fresh, toasted sandwiches and Italian-American inspired hero rolls are what make Fratelli special.
“Italian-style sandwiches have become popular because of their flavourful ingredients, simple yet satisfying combinations, and the versatility to cater to different tastes,” he said.
Other sandwiches on the menu include the salami featuring house-made olive tapenade, stracciatella, rocket and evoo, and the mortadella with crushed pistachio and honey.
DANTE’S DELI
3/58 Jetty Rd, Glenelg
Brothers Blake and Taylor Ferrante, along with longtime friend Nick Buesnel, have been crafting their Italian-style sangas down south since April last year.
The trio, who have previously worked in hospitality together, took inspiration from the sandwich culture in Melbourne and Italy. They wanted to create a venue that incorporated traditional deli character with a clean, modern take, designed by studiohead.
“I think the Italian style sandwiches have become popular as they have a lot of pros as a lunch time meal,” says Taylor.
“They are quick, affordable, versatile and when done right very delicious. And there’s nothing more aesthetic than a beautiful sandwich cross section so you can get your Instagram stories in as well.”
Their sopressa sando remains a firm favourite, while their pastrami offerings has been a “massive hit” since they added it to the menu.
“We’re playing around with some new specials ideas such as a porchetta and a bean-inspired veggie sanga,” says Taylor.
SPREAD DELICATESSEN & BAR + DON’S DELI COMING SOON
246 Unley Rd, Unley
Top Adelaide chef Sam Worrall-Thompson has been one of the leaders in the city’s sandwich renaissance.
In October, he launched Spread – right next to one of his other venues, Dolly – just off Unley R. The delicatessen and wine bar offers delicious toasties, paninis, coffee, deli goods, spreads and vinos.
This week, Sam has brought the same sando vibes to The Parade, thanks to his new project, Don’s Deli, which is across the road from another of his eateries, Bar Lune.
Don’s will have a strong focus on authentic Italian focaccias, along with pastries and quality coffee.
“I think it’s (sandwiches) become so popular because people just want something fresh,” he says.
“Things come in waves, it was the burger craze and now we seem to have moved onto fresh cold cut sandwiches.
“If you think about it, there was very little offering before 12 months ago, now you have one on every corner. It’s an exciting time to be alive.”
Spread’s best-selling sando is the mortadella, with pistachio, pickled peppers, stracciatella, and fermented chilli.
“Whether you’re looking for something fresh and clean, for lunch, or a naughty bite for your Friday knock-off, Spread is where you’ll find it,” Sam says.
AYE FRANK
254 Grange Rd, Flinders Park
Frankie Dicerto, one-half of the team behind panini and coffee shop Aye Frank, says the Italian sandwich and panini trend is here to stay.
“I think at the moment, ciabatta rolls and focaccias are fast overtaking the classic white and doublecuts rolls we’re probably more familiar with,” he says.
“There are ingredients that are common in a lot of Italian background households that are still foreign to those who have different upbringings such as nduja, cimi di rapa and cheeses like taleggio and stracciatella.”
Frankie and Matthew Laurito opened Aye Frank in July, a panini bar which also includes a recording studio, allowing the best mates to combine their great loves.
The pair share plenty of hospitality experience at restaurants including Italian hotspots Ruby Red Flamingo and Orso.
Among the wide array of traditional Italian sandwiches on offer are the nduja with leg ham, scamorza, eggplant and pickled green chilli, and the porchetta with fontina, roast peppers and rocket, which they crafted alongside head chef Rhiannon Mercurio (Osteria Oggi, Pink Moon Saloon).
“Both of us being of Italian background, we are making the paninis similar to the ones Matthew’s dad would make us or we’d eat in Rome, with a heavy focus on top quality ingredients,” Frankie says.
RODEO
224 The Parade, Norwood
You can find more than just Italian-inspired sandos at Rodeo, which was launched in July by longtime friends Fraser Monfries (Pogo Coffee Roasters) and Izabel Czechowicz.
The pair have recently expanded their menu, with their most popular offerings the Fried Chicken and their Rodeo Reuben.
“The mortadella and provolone is up there too. We supply our mortadella from Secco fine foods and it’s delicious, it definitely has an Italian flair to it,” said Izabel.
She said sandwiches are popular around Adelaide at the moment because “they’re such a classic”.
“They’ve always been popular and always will be,” she said. “We’ve been able to add more items on and we have also played around with rotating specials.”
LUCIA’S FINE FOODS
Adelaide Central Market
Lucia’s Pizza e Spaghetti Bar has been a Central Market institution for over 60 years, famous for its homestyle pizza, pasta and fresh coffee.
But just over a decade ago, Lucia’s Australia managing director Simon Bugeja was visiting Rome, Italy, with his wife when he came up with the idea for a panini bar.
“We were in a traditional Italian deli buying some prosciutto and cheese, when a local Roman man being served beside us, picked up a bread roll from the bread table and asked the gentleman behind the counter to freshly cut a particular prosciutto he liked, then pointed to the fresh buffalo mozzarella to add to the bread roll,” Simon said.
“I then asked the shop attendant serving us if we could have the same. She said ‘of course’.
“From that moment I knew when we returned to Adelaide, we must have the same service available to our customers.
They opened their adjoining shop in 2012, custom-making sandos with any combination of bread, meat, and cheese.
Simon says their San Danielle prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and basil panino remains the most popular with customers.
“I think its great for the people of Adelaide, the fact that the quality of food, and choices, here in South Australia continues to get better,” he said.
BOTTEGA BANDITO
1/96 Prospect Rd, Prospect
Oliver Brown, managing director of The Big Easy Group, admits he never imagined the sandwich boom would take over Adelaide when they started Bottega in 2021.
“Sandos are an interesting phenomenon. We had no idea they would pop off like they have,” he said.
“The lunchtime culture has changed over the years. People are no longer wanting a 3 hour long lunch, so sandos have stepped in and become a great grab-and-go option.”
Bottega’s Sopressa option is their bestseller, while their rotating Friday sando specials also fly out the door.
So much so that Oliver and his team are opening a sister cafe in James Place, in the city, at the end of May.
Oliver said the new venue will have a “micro bakery” on site, producing all the breads and pastries for both locations each day.
“For me the boom has been centred around quality, they have gone from a convenience purchase to something that is actually delicious and uses great ingredients,” he said.
“For us it’s all about the focaccia that is baked in-house, that’s what gets people coming back for more.”
DELLA’S DELICATESSEN
1 Ridgway Dr, Flagstaff Hill
Husband and wife team Amy and Jak Rivers-Dixon had been running The Front Page cafe in Plympton for nine years when a new site opened up in Flagstaff Hill – near where they live.
“When the shop came up for lease we signed on straight away,” said Amy.
“The same week we signed the shop I found out I was pregnant with our daughter who was conceived via IVF. We only had one poor quality embryo so she really is a miracle.
“The shop is named after her.”
Della’s launched in April last year, serving up a range of sandwiches, toasties and rolls, plus pastries and they also roast their own coffee.
“Our most popular is probably the Reuben but also the meatball sub, a recipe from Della’s grandfather,” Amy said.
“For us, we have seen the most success in menu items across both our shops that are simple but executed consistently well and I think that’s part of the reason these style of sandwiches have become so popular.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Adelaide’s best sandwiches: Italian-style panini and gourmet sandos
Cornes calls out ‘insidious’ ageist slur against Hinkley
The AFL’s $20,000 fine slapped down on Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was a ‘disgraceful abuse of power’ and the reaction was unjust, according to SA footy legend Graham Cornes.
SA freezes through record-breaking morning temperatures
One of Adelaide’s weather stations has recorded its coldest ever September morning on record with data dating back over 100 years.
Iconic SA number plate fetches eye-watering price
How much?! A South Australian number plate has sold for a record seven-figure price at auction with car enthusiasts eager to get their hands on the iconic ‘plate 8’.
Exposed: The costly crimes of SA’s con-artists and fraudsters
From accountants fleecing millions from clients to dodgy doctors, lawyers and tradies, these criminals all ended up proving crime doesn’t pay.
Man tried to set woman on fire, days after jail release, court told
A day after being released from jail, a man allegedly poured acetone on a woman and tried to set her on fire – but his lawyer claims the alleged victim has “serious credibility issues”.
High Court released criminal behind bars after visa breach
He was released as part of the High Court decision, now this detained criminal has allegedly reoffended and refused to comply with his visa conditions.