Review Orana - Adelaide

Unbelievable restaurant. Intimate dining room, amazing tasting menu, the service was thoughtful, passionate and casual, we enjoyed the wine list. Can't speak highly enough about Orana. Some of the best food I've ever had (damper with lamb fat butter/soup soup/prawn & green ants/surf & earth/whiting sandwich); the importance placed on Australian produce and food traditions in this country made it even more special. You have to experience Orana.

Amazing dining experience - the best Australian Ingredients inspired degustation I have ever had. Staff are exceptional and the food and wine is simply an experience not to be missed. The restaurant can be hard to find, its upstairs and there are no obvious signs - all feels a little mysterious. The wine matching is very well done. There is a non-alocholic drink matching - but it was quite disappointing - very smalls shots of impressive concoctions, but not really a drinks compliment to the meal.

One of the best dinning experience we had in Australia. The staff from the welcoming to the end are really professional warm and knowledgeable. The cooking his really inspire by the native Australian Culture as the all experience. A huge thank you to the team and well done Chef. Is clearly for us the restaurant to visit in South Australia

Similar to the review at Dinner by Heston in Melbourne. I can't fault a restaurant based on my palate and preferences in food. A few the native Australian ingredients mainly lovage and the uses of eucalyptus are foreign to me. Despite that, service from staff is exceptional. Not being most glamorous of restaurants, the small space creates an intimate dining experience. Having the Executive Chef bring out the entree explaining its origin added to the experience. Dishes that favoured my taste buds were absolutely incredible. A truly wonderful experience made possibly by a team who's passion for native produce bleeds into their work, efforts and food.

I look for 3 things in every restaurant i go, food, venue and service. My first visit to Orana and i got all 3 things in here, pretty rare lol. best seafood i ever had, my taste buds are in heaven. Staff was super nice, one thing that you won't find everywhere. I was shocked when i they told me the chef wasn't aussie. Very nice and polite man, he knows his way around australian cuisine. Overall best sunday for me and friends. Cheers Orana, 5 stars from me. Will see you soon

Exemplary service, unique Australian flavours and tasteful fit-out. Friday lunchtime menu was fairly priced for a 12-course degustation ($195 without pairing) and we left very full. Deserves the title of one of Australia’s best restaurants and will surely become a more renowned name now that head chef Jock Zonfrillo has joined MasterChef as a judge.

Deserves all its accolades. A real Australian influence. I got the standard matching wines but these were all organic wines which I must say I didn't really like.

What an absolutely amazing dining experience. Every dish was creative and delicious. All the favours were brilliantly balanced and thought out. Just wow.

Had the most amazing dining experience. Food was so delicious and each course explained. Waiting staff were casual but professional. Highly recommend trying the lunch menu. Every mouthful was like a party in your mouth.

What an amazing place Food was impeccable...very different and tasty. Could not fault any of the dishes. Service is personal and friendly. The team all were knowledgeable and explained the dishes to the point where we were excited about tasting.

We had the dining experience of a lifetime at Restaurant Orana last night. The meal itself comprised of numerous courses which were prepared in ways that we never would have thought of. All the staff were very courteous, knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommended with 5 stars from us.

This meal was a great experience. Loved every bite. Presentation was superb. The damper on the coals was novel and great. The staff were attentive and very friendly. It was like eating in the dining room of a private home.

A night to remember. After years of wishing and hoping, tonight we went to Orana for dinner. It was an amazing dining journey and meeting the owner chef Jock Zonfrillo was a life highlight. He chatted to us for almost 20 minutes. An intimate and exceptional dining experience of 18 courses inspired by ingredients indigenous to Australia.

Exceptional food, service, wine and experience. One of the best restaurants in Australia. Highly recommend

We were taken on the best food journey of Australia's fabulous produce & flavours. The staff were so friendly and knowledgable. The wine pairing just topped off this wonderful food experience.

Fantastic night with adventurous food and amazing wine matched to perfection. Staff are exceptional and every aspect of the restaurant has the wow factor.

I struggle to put into words the incredible food journey we were taken on during our dinner experience at Orana over the weekend. Not only were the courses inspiring, interesting and full of colour, flavour and texture, but the service was impeccable. It was such a experience to spend a few hours in this place and to be treated as very special guests. The small touches were really appreciated including Head Chef, wait staff and kitchen staff all coming out of the kitchen to wave us goodbye and thank us for dining at Orana. We can't wait to return.

One of the best meals we have had. The staff, the atmosphere, the food and wine were all beautifully matched.

Amazing. From the beginning to the end. Service was casual but detailed. Every course correctly explained. The wines were spot on. One of the best dining experiences I have had.

What an amazing experience. The food was just gorgeous and love the use of forage items. The staff are unbelievable, so much knowledge and spend time discussing things with you. Thank you �

Exceptional service from all waiting staff and chefs. Incredible food and wine matching. The perfect combination of textures and flavors. Immaculate presentation. Overall perfection. Cannot speak highly enough of this establishment.

One of the finest meals we have had in Australia. Professional knowledgable staff, enthusiastic service, gloriously creative dishes. Such wonderful tastes of true yet unfamiliar Australian flavours. Congratulations to the chefs, such inspiring delicious food. I like that you are unpretentious and not gushy and self conscious. Serious talent, nothing 'try hard' or trendy here.

When I heard the news that Adelaide’s fine dining establishment and only 3-hatted restaurant Orana would be popping up in Sydney for a month, I created an alarm to alert me of when reservations would open. Orana serves a 22-course degustation for $350 per person. I was surprised that I was able to get a booking on a Saturday, and reserved a table for two, paying the required full amount upfront. In my excitement, I didn’t see that lunch bookings were available via a different button further down on the website page. Luckily I was able to change the dinner booking to lunch, no problems at all.

When I saw news that Orana coming to Sydney, and not a ten-minute’s walk from our apartment, I knew I had to book in. They took over the Longrain space for about a month or so, bringing down some core staff from Adelaide and hiring a whole new crew of folks in Sydney for the occasion. My husband and I have dined at many top restaurants from around the world and this experience was up with the very best.

We came here as a lunch for a wedding pre-reception. A change in order to the usual. I was told to come here hungry, well and I sure needed to. They just get everything so right. It's a wonderfully intimate setting serving "Australian" cuisine. But Australian cuisine, they mean classic cooking methods using ingredients with a very local themes, many of which are foraged from the local area. They have a forager that brings in fresh ingredients each day, gathered from the Adelaide Hills or as far as Port Augusta, sometimes as soon as half an hour before service. This all combined with a local soundtrack (apart from the odd Queen song!) and waiters that are most enthusiastic, keen for a chat to inform us about the food, but yet are able to not be intrusive when required. The service was just perfect. <br/><br/>Being like many modern restaurants, they have the option of two wine matches, a standard, a premium and also a non alcohol match. The wine match was fantastic and really well chosen. The non alcohol match wasn't as imaginative as some other places I've been to; it was primarily juice based (whereas others have tried soup and tea based ones too) but it was very clever in the way they used the texture and the tartness of the juice to pair with the courses. They are not all sweet!<br/><br/>The food; each dish was a beautiful combination of flavours, textures and imaginative presentation. The first dish was a damper cooked on the table with the most wonderful butter. It was fantastic to have the waft of charcoal through out the restaurant every time that dish is served to a table as the first course.<br/> <br/><br/>The second course consisted of white aspen and trout roe, also Port Lincoln Squid. The hot and sour Port Lincoln Squid was possibly my favourite course of the meal. It was absolutely wonderful. The white aspen was very interesting; it was unlike anything I haven't eaten before and very well paired with the roe. <br/><br/>The next course was a mini burger with a Spencer Gulf prawn. Apparently we were supposed to get our hands dirty with this one but we didn't. The flavours were excellent; the prawn must have just seen a bit of heat, barely cooked at all. Wonderfully paired with a Yarra Valley Chenin Blanc.<br/><br/>Then came a pasta; it certainly had a lot of kick with the bush pepper. A little bit like a ragu but no tomato.

I love this place. Probably one of the best places to eat in ADELAIDE . Very interesting food and always look forward to the menu changing with the seasons. Love the native ingredients especially the ants. We eat there every year and have not been disappointed so far. The wine list is good with a couple of burgundy options. The only thing I wish they would offer is a chance to bring a special bottle of wine(s) ie byo.

What is Australian cuisine? A few years ago, this question would have been unanswerable. Even now, it’s a head-scratcher. It is not uncommon for tourists visiting Australia to remark that despite our food being – you know – delicious, there is very little about it that’s Australian.

We were so keen to try this restaurant for our anniversary. <br/><br/>The restaurant is small and intimate. Make sure you come to this restaurant hungry because after the 16 courses you will be so full! Quite a few ingredients we’ve never heard of before and of course ingredients we have heard of but we were just reminded of how simple vegetables like leek can taste so damn delicious! There were some absolute stand out dishes for us like the marron tea and kangaroo.<br/><br/>The service was good however if I were to be picky it is quite hard drinking a whole bottle of wine when you are given so many other “drinks” throughout the evening. Would recommend going by the glass just in case you get full! <br/><br/>We loved the little hand written card by the staff for our annniversary and we loved the idea of giving the menu at the end so you just kept being surprised dish after dish.<br/><br/>Would recommend for a special evening.<br/><br/>Thank you team for a great evening ❤️

My bride and I went last week and found the staff to be very professional and pleasant . The glassware was excellent and dining room was comfortable , We found the first of many courses ( Damper cooked at our table on hot coals ) to be inventive and wonderful . Sadly the majority of the next 17 courses promised so much but did not deliver , We found them to be over seasoned generally . The use of lemon mrytle seemed to invade and overwhelm many dishes , there was a oily mouthfeel with some sauces which was unpleasant and we found the sequence of dishes to be inappropriate with the kangaroo tarte ( excellent pastry and filling ) completely dominating our pallets before the prawn Roti ( over cooked and dry) the squid dish , Soup and mud crab were pleasant enough but the delicate Marron dish was completely over done as all we could taste was the smoke !! , The 2 desserts were clean and innovative with fascinating presentation . Happy to spend big for ultra premium experiences but this one left us underwhelmed .

Wow! As soon as I stepped into this restaurant I felt comfortable and none of the stuffiness of other high end restaurants. Brain child of Jock Zonfrillo with its cheaper sister restaurant, Bistro Blackwood downstairs, it is a relaxed atmosphere and intimate setting as the restaurant itself is not all that big but definitely delivers in all facets. Orana means welcome and the ‘Alkoopina’ menu mean delicious and this restaurant delivers in spades in both. <br/><br/>The service is extremely personable with each team member willing to chat to you even if they’re busy. It is extremely refreshing to have this level of professional service but be so casual all at the same time! <br/><br/>18 course degustation in total (including the bread and petit fours). Course after course we were surprised and delighted with a real focus on native Australian bush food. Some dishes were brought out together to complement one another. It is a well thought out menu and the diner is not overwhelmed or rushed. The cutlery and crockery had interesting textures and added to the experience. <br/><br/>The highlights included having the Wholewheat Bread enclosed in a glass cloche before the chef whips it away to bake and brings it back with a Macadamia & Native Thyme Butter. We could’ve eaten that all night and be happy. I loved the interactive element of the Potato Damper & Lamb Butter. Cook your own damper on the coals and make sure you don’t burn it! The Macadamia & Native Thyme is presented as a milk and oil and the flavours are heavenly. Another revelation for me was the Port Lincoln Squid. Do not normally enjoy seafood, the sauce that enveloped the squid was so flavoursome I didn’t care it was squid. The ‘Soup Soup’ had a depth of flavour from the kingfish and when served with the Kohlrabi, my tastebuds were so excited! This was crunchy and nothing really like anything I’ve tasted. As a sweet tooth I really enjoyed the deserts served. <br/><br/>If you had a to do restaurant, this should definitely be on your list. Not the cheapest but worth the money.

Came here as a group of 6 and we all enjoyed our meal. Whilst the actual restaurant itself is nothing fancy (quite a small space with simple decor) the menu left us all quite impressed. I would have to say I enjoyed orana far more than Attica. Every dish was delicious from the damper to that tea at the end. And thank you to our lovely waitress who gave me more green ants because I loved them so much.

Great fine dining experience, 18 courses in total. The menu is themed around local and indigenous ingredients. The green ant marron dish was certainly the highlight. Staff are very attentive, well informed and charismatic. A restaurant everyone in Adelaide should visit at least once.

I can only echo the previous comment . This was one of my best dining experiences ever, it was so very personal like dining in your best friends Home . Well done

The complete dining experience. The food was excellent and recommend the wine pairing. Would definitely be going again when I get the opportunity. Think everyone needs to go at least once

I grew up in a small city in Australia called Adelaide (pronounced Radelaide by locals) but moved away in my very early twenties, to a slightly larger small city called Brisbane. Anyhoo…  I was recently back in Adelaide visiting some relatives and, as is my custom when visiting a city, I booked into one of the better restaurants for a dinner.

This meal made the side trip to Adelaide worthwhile<br/><br/>Given we were heading to Melbourne, I chose Adelaide instead of hopping over to Sydney. I have to admit that for a very long time, Adelaide didn't rank high on my list of places to visit as a holiday destination but changed my mind after reading an article on the food scene in Adelaide including Orana's degustation menu.<br/><br/>Orana delivered on all counts and this meal ranks in my top 10 dining experience of all time lol. Executive Chef Jock wins hands down as the master of native Australian produce.<br/><br/>I could wax lyrical on each of the dishes served as part of the degustation menu but I won't. The stand out dishes were the pippies, kangaroo tendon, liver parfait, scallops and mullet. The chocolate nougat was melt in your mouth perfection and I was not shy at asking for another decadent piece lol.<br/><br/>Truly memorable night. Highly recommended.

This is what modern fine dining should be - exciting, theatrical, full of flavour, and, above all, unique. The food, service, and space are all fantastic and the overall experience reminiscent of a young Attica. An experience not to be missed.

The Grand Gelinaz is an event held every two years where 40 of the world’s most acclaimed, pioneering and creative talents takes part in an international restaurant swap. The chefs will exchange their lives, homes, pets and kitchen for three days before they participate in a 24-hour long dinner.

I've been eating smaller portions over the past year, but still love eating out. I thought degustation would be a perfect mix. I still ended up incredibly full (I went for lunch, I have no idea how you could survive dinner). The service was nice. Very friendly and attentive. The food was amazing and it was great to hear from the chefs who prepare it. I don't even know how to describe it, but I was impressed with something from every course even where it was sone sort of seafood that I didn't particularly like. Great textures and amazing rich flavours. My favourite had to be the scotch we had which had these charcoal cooked mashes potatoes. It may not sound that special, but it was spectacular.<br/><br/>Very small dining area. Makes it feel very intimate and tucked away. We had the juice pairing. It was nice, but I'll probably go for water next time and save my money to get back again for another meal.<br/><br/>There was a card at the end asking if you wanted to provide a tip. I found this awkward as tipping is not customary in Australia, and so we hadn't budgeted one in. Guess just giving a heads up for future diners!

Impressive. Clearly worthy of at least two Michelin stars. Had the degustation dinner with wine pairing. Classy selection with a heavy if well-deserved predominance of local wines. Highly innovative flavors, combinations of mostly locally-sourced produce. Eclectic but elegant. Service staff were professional and knowledgable about all aspects of food and wine. Very impressed and hence strongly recommended. Definitely one of the best in SA and perhaps comparable with Andre's in Singapore which is high praise from me

If there was one totally random thing that eventuated into the most amazing experience ever, it would have to be Orana. I stumbled across something on Facebook that featured their food, and thought RB would be keen enough to try this crazy 20-course (yes. T.W.E.N.T.Y) degustation with me, and true to the call it was!

I was given a voucher from my friends - highly recommend for any foodies! Such a memorable meal with attentive but not snobbish service. It was very relaxed which I like when dining out. I loved that each dish celebrated the Australian flora and fauna, and embarrassed indigenous culture also. The dishes were unique, with flavours I hadn't imagined together. The wine was plenty - I had 3 glasses on the go As I couldn't keep up! I also asked for a doggie bag for the rest of my bread and they gave me a whole new loaf wrapped like a present 😊. My partner didn't miss out on anything being coeliac either.

The most amazing restaurant I've ever been in Australia... And I've been to some of the best. It will blow your mind. It's of Michelin Star quality...really. Go!!!

After 6-7 weeks of hard work during my final placement, I wanted to treat myself to something. Naturally, it would be food-based. Enter Restaurant Orana. I had heard of this place way before I came to Adelaide, and after doing a bit more research it was quickly locked in as my celebratory degustation dinner. The use of native Australian ingredients really spoke out to me as I love this movement in food culture, and I knew I would be regretting it if I didn’t go!

A spoonful of green ants includes both ants and ant larvae. Mixed in amongst them are Alexander palm heart and native honey. I'm told that the green ants come from Elcho Island just off the coast of Arnhem Land. The ant nest is frozen and the ants are dehyrated before transport. The ants themselves are very aggressive otherwise.<br/><br/>The taste? They taste refreshingly of lemon. The green butt of the ant (hence their name) is where the lemony taste is most prominent.<br/><br/>Aborigines would often use green ants to flavour water (hello lemon water!). They're also apparently used as a traditional medicine to treat ulcers.

both visits were made on week nights, with the recent being on 10/5. and this wise move has made both my dining experiences with orana splendid ones.<br/><br/>we were sat down promptly on arrival (6pm intake), with offers to take my jacket (twice haha), and were given the choice of still and sparkling only. imogen (our waitress) was friendly, brilliant, attentive, and very well-informed. i really commend the quality of orana's waiting/kitchen staff. their extensive knowledge, silent confidence, and the grace they carry themselves in when it comes to bombarding questions from my table-- since both of my other guests were curious and first-timers to a degustation. <br/><br/>well-paced flow. the food was eccentric, poetic, full of depth, and of impeccable flavour. i love intelligent and thoughtful food and i love the idea on how 90% of the ingredients were foraged exclusively and showcases australia in its true essence. even their dinnerware is made entirely out of indigenous matter. <br/><br/>by far the easiest 4-hours-sit-down dinner and the most unpretentious fine-dining experience i've ever had. i'm pretty sure at one point, they told us to "have fun with it", when we had the potato damper/plum prawns/marron dish (to die for). needless to say, we had so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed this unique culinary adventure.<br/><br/>JUST DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND MAKE THAT RESERVATION ALREADY! : ]

We arrived excited for a highly anticipated meal. We were greeted and seated promptly but then crickets ... no not the edible type (unfortunately) but silence! No water, no wine list, no waiter. The four of us just sat staring at each other wondering what to do. Finally after 10 mins I waved down a waitress and the meal began. What followed was an amazing procession of food - each bite and course were very well introduced by the chefs. The food was outstanding, experimental at times and exactly what you would expect from a restaurant of this calibre. It is so sad to note that the service was not up to standard ... but I am looking to return and hope this is improved next time. <br/>***Special note to the kitchen ** You guys rock :)

A real dining experience. Staff were friendly and service was fantastic. Courses came thick and fast and every one unlike the previous. Great use of Australian ingredients presented in a myriad of ways throughout the night. Standouts for myself were the macadamia soup and the kohlrabi. Lisa's favourites were the kangaroo and the prawn with Davidson plum. Expect to stay for 3+ hours. It is expensive, but you get 24 different dishes and an experience you won't regret.

Orana is an amazing experience. Our dinner lasted 3 and a half hours but I don't know where the time went - the service was friendly and certainly not slow - every single one of the 24 dishes was exquisite, beautifully crafted and a work of art. That sounds like a lot, but the serves are dainty and many are bite-sized snacks. Dish after dish arrived, each one full of 'wow' factor, and we were eagerly anticipating what might come next ('what else could they possibly think of?') never to be disappointed. It sounds cliché but if a meal can be a 'journey' then dinner at Orana is a safari, whirlwind tour and first class luxury cruise all in one. This surely stretches the limits of what is humanly possible. Unforgettable, thank you!

There is not much to fault here, Orana is probably the closest thing we will have to a michilin star restaurant. Having had the chance to recently dine at the 3 michilin star restaurant Andre in Singapore this really stacks up as a great intimate dining experience. The staff, food and service were all excellent. Will definitely return!!

5/5. Food and service were phenomenal. So different to any other restaurants in Adelaide. A memorable experience that all adelaidians should try, well worth the $$

Fantastic dining experience at Orana. Unique flavours and new dining experiences. It was the beauty of Australia on a plate and would highly recommend dining here. I would advise against the wine pairing option and the choice of paired wines extremely disappointing. Although they matched the food relatively well most were common wines and I expected better especially considering the high standard set by the food. Wine pairing per person costs $130 and you could buy a bottle of each of the wines served (7 glasses in total) for $220.

It’s taken a Scottish chef to renew the Adelaide restaurant scene’s interest and love of foraging for native ingredients. . Orana is a very special, special occasion restaurant. It was the singular best restaurant experience of my life. . Let me count the ways. . To make your way into Orana, first you pop into Street ADL’s bar, an institution in it’s own right. Bar staff happily pop down their cocktail shakers and walk us to the “secret” staircase just in a laneway next to the bar.

Potato damper & lamb butter. Macadamia & native thyme. Venison, wild mulberry & mountain pepper. Mussel, custard & sea blight. Roast beef & pumpkin. Saltbush, black garlic, creme fraiche. Mulloway, ice plant & vinegar mother. Prawn & Davidson plum. KI scallop & Mundarhum raspberry leaf. Morton Bay fig & pandanus. Woolgool, native honey & black ants. Kangaroo tendon & native peppers. Pippies, marshcress & samphire. Crab & yoghurt sorbet, neptune’s pearls & sea purslane. Maclura, feral coffee cherry, riberry, loganapple & tea tree. Kohlrabi, dorrigo, quandong & lemon myrtle. Charred kangaroo, gubinge, grasses & wild garlic. Marron, Geraldton wax & watercress. Blackfaced Suffolk lamb, native cherries, smoked potato & leek. Pocky sticks, native currant fool, feral coffee cherry marshmallow. Bunya nut, Davidson plum & pine. Set buttermilk, strawberry, eucalyptus.

Best dining experience for a long time.  Enjoyed every aspect from the effort and amazing technical expertise in every dish to the wonderful wine , somelier and well executed service staff.  We had a wonderful night and can't wait to go back. It's great to have such a talented team here in little old Adelaide !

Hands down the best dining experience I've had in Adelaide. Beautiful food. Excellent matched wine. Perfect ambience - intimate but not pretentious. Staff are attentive and friendly. The matched juices were excellent and a treat for my non-drinking partner. Every detail felt considered. Highly recommended.

Orana is no typical dining establishment. First of all, the cheapest offer is lunch at $80 and it goes all the way up to $295 for dinner + wine pairing. Not in my typical budget, I justified the spending as a self-earnt belated birthday present to myself. The cuisine is dobbed 'Australian;' though not your classic pie floater, but using quintessential Native ingredients sourced from all over outback n beyond, taking both Indigenous and contemporary inspirations. The menu is set, with a number of snacks, savoury dishes and dessert. Much like 'yolo,' the adjective unique is extravagantly overused. However there is just no other way to describe the myriad of sensations and textures your taste buds experience in each bite, I have not quite tasted anything like these dishes. My favourite snack was the buffalo curd with saltbush; a rich morsel of delicious curd topped with a contrasting savoury, crunchy component, mmmm. I don't even really like fish, but the coroong mullet with red lentils and succulent got my mouth salivating, and that longhorn beef was a fine piece of cow. The buttermilk, strawberry and eucalyptus dessert was absolute heaven. Let's not forget that fantastic home made bread accompanied by the best butter I've tasted in my life that I ended up eating the butter by itself. The service is immaculate, as it should be and the interior design is minimalistic, intimate and swanky. A fabulous dining experience, my only qualm was the rather conservative serving sizes (for my large stomach pit) and thus lack of fullness after lunch - hey I would've been happy with some more 🍞 n butter as filler

Took some friends from overseas to try Orana out for lunch a few months ago and I was glad I did. My friends really enjoyed being able to try all of the different local produces and the descriptions and explanations on how things were made and how they were foraged locally. These explanations from the knowledgeable waitress only made the eating experience more enjoyable. The food was great and the service was first class. Highlights included when they served us damper cooked on wood coals right on to the table with ?lamb fat butter, and the lamb rack which was tender and succulent. Very expensive but you do get what you pay for and also a very uniquely Australian menu. Will need to come back and try their dinner menu!

Attentive staff who really know each dish. They were lovely to chat to and you could tell they were excited just talking about the dishes. The food was very special. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants something different. It will not disappoint.

Exceptional dining experience with locally sourced produce. Imaginative and presented with flair. The best of the best in Adelaide. Small and intimate, excellent informative and helpful staff. Foraging type cuisine.

Treat yourself to a dinner at Orana. The service is impeccable, the dishes are at once novel and familiar. Familiar because they draw on local ingredients and flavours from childhood. Novel because they combine those flavours in new ways, with an attention to detail, and with a lot of care and enjoyment. You couldn't be disappointed with a night here.

Noma’s Executive Chef, Rene Redzepi, recently contacted his peer at Orana, Jock Zonfrillo, to discuss Jock’s take on “Australian” cuisine. It is fitting that I was reading about this on the way to Adelaide, and our eventual date with Orana. It must be quite an honour considering Orana is undoubtedly taking more than a pinch of inspiration from what Noma is doing with Nordic ingredients.

We found this restaurant by accident. We were reading the list of Australia's 100 best restaurants while planning a visit to Adelaide so the stars aligned. <br/><br/>Wow, does this place deserve a place on the top 100 list! It's quite amazing.<br/><br/>We had the lunch tasting menu and it can only be described as spectacular. <br/><br/>Each dish had unique flavor, texture, taste and ingredients.<br/><br/>Their extensive use of Australian native herbs, vegetables, meats and spices makes this restaurant a trail blazer that others in the industry should be following instead of slavishly reproducing foods from 'exotic' ingredients originating in other parts of the world. <br/><br/>The restaurant itself is small and intimate and this, combined with the super friendly and knowledgeable staff, made us feel as though we were special guests in a friend's dining room rather than patron's in a restaurant.<br/><br/>Well done Adelaide for producing this very special place. It should be on every tourist and local's 'must do' list.

Mind blown. Superb 25 course degustation unlike any I've tried before. Uses the most unusual ingredients. Every dish featuring an amazing combination of flavours and textures. Worth every cent!

Deciding it was time to treat ourselves, we (Mirko and Amanda) booked in for a fine dining degustation dinner one Saturday night.  Restaurant Orana won South Australia's top restaurant in the 2014 Restaurant and Catering SA Awards for Excellence and since this accolade we have both been eager to give it a try.  Entering the venue for our 6:30pm booking, we do not know what to expect and are presented with a warm, dimly lit small space with maybe 8 or so tables.  We are the first to arrive and are quickly seated with jackets whisked off to the cloak room.

Orana is a restaurant that all Adelaidians should try at least once, and it's something we should be proud to call our own. It's a wonderful experience and a glorious celebration of all things Australian. It is truly a food journey that competes (and often wins) against top restaurants around the world.<br/><br/>Food:<br/>I cannot speak highly enough of the food experience at Orana. You will be served somewhere in the region of 20+ snacks/dishes and each and every one of them will be original, interesting and immaculately presented. You might not like every single ingredient throughout the night, but you will not leave disappointed. Some dishes will speak to your heart and make you deliriously happy and some dishes will make you think you're glad you tried it, but maybe it's not for you. The price for the food is more than fair when you consider the quality, time and effort that goes into providing this wonderful experience.<br/><br/>Service:<br/>The service is as to be expected from a top end restaurant. The staff are friendly and professional and happy to explain every dish to you and the chefs will come out to greet you every so often.<br/><br/>Ambience:<br/>Orana is a small space and can sometimes have a bit of a weird vibe. If you go on a weeknight it is usually not completely full and there is no noise coming from the bar below, hence it can be a bit quiet. There's nothing wrong with that, but just be aware that it can make for some awkwardness when everyone around you can hear your entire conversation. On a Friday or Saturday night it can become somewhat loud as it is usually full and it's a small space, combined with the noise from the bar downstairs. <br/>The decor is nice and it is conveniently located in rundle street.<br/><br/>Dish to look out for:<br/>I think the menu would be best kept as a surprise, but the mud crab dish made me want to dance.

What do ice plant, sea blight, kutjera, lemon aspen, gubinge, codium, karkalla and sea purslane have in common?  Give up? OK, I’ll tell you – they’re all Australian ingredients and you’ll find them all, and many more, on Orana’s current menu. The mastermind behind bringing all of these things (that mostly grow out in the wild) to our tables is Jock Zonfrillo, formerly of Magill Estate.

Deciding it was time to treat ourselves, we (Mirko and Amanda) booked in for a fine dining degustation dinner one Saturday night.  Restaurant Orana won South Australia's top restaurant in the 2014 Restaurant and Catering SA Awards for Excellence and since this accolade we have both been eager to give it a try.  Entering the venue for our 6:30pm booking, we do not know what to expect and are presented with a warm, dimly lit small space with maybe 8 or so tables.  We are the first to arrive and are quickly seated with jackets whisked off to the cloak room.

Been here a couple of times and it is one of the best dining experiences I've had with such unique ingredients in their dishes. Also love the sourdough bread fresh from the oven. Definitely will be back.

We finally had the pleasure of dining at Orana. Initially we were seated downstairs at Street ADL for drinks while we waited for Orana to open, then we were promptly ushered up the stairs to the beautiful intimate dining space. Being the first diners there gave us time to properly appreciate the restaurant, and I was actually surprised that it was so relaxed with Australian- Scandinavian furnishings. The waiting staff were very attentive and made sure we were comfortable, particularly the sommelier who was much more light hearted than that of the very serious waiting staff. The waiting staff knowledge of the ingredients and individual dishes was impeccable! The twenty one course dinner was outstanding and diverse. Each course was divine and very unique in flavour. It was nice to have the commencement and conclusion of the dinner on a similar note (being a beautiful twist on traditional damper). The emphasise on supporting local and hand picked produce from interstate is outstanding, and respect was clearly paid to all ingredients and their sources. The meals were reasonable in size and we left satisfied by the quality and quantity. It's truly an amazing dining experience and worth every moment of the nearly three hours we spent there!

Orana is the wackiest and most interesting restaurant I've been to. On my last visit, I didn't like a lot of the food, but it was a fascinating experience for a feedie like me. :)<br/><br/>Tonight will be degustation.

A recent trip to Aus from New Zealand took us as far as Adelaide, and a brief bit of prior research suggested that Orana was probably the most interesting restaurant at the moment. Finding it wasn't particularly easy - we walked past a couple of times trying to find it. Eventually we arrived at the upstairs entrance and went into a space that seemed half finished - some parts seemed modern and done up but others seemed as if they were storage areas, and the old air-con hanging off the wall seemed odd. Anyway all of that isn't really relevant because Orana isn't about the walls, its about indigenous cuisine.<br/>This restaurant is like no other Ive experienced in Australia or New Zealand. It doesn't just play lip service to the plants and animals of Australia - a few bits of dried gum leaves from Herbies or whatever - Instead it reveals a huge range of fantastic products made delicious, either with minimal effort, clever cooking or with long ferment. Tapping indigenous people's knowledge and skill, the chefs at Orana have created a cuisine that stands alongside anything from the other side of the world. <br/>I couldn't believe how delicious some of the dishes were, and it took me some time to realise that the ingredients were plants and animals I had never seen or tasted before. The dish I remember best was a little tart made from gooseberry-like miniature apples - it was extraordinarily beautiful.<br/><br/>A young waitress - greta - was a superb and passionate guide to the degustation menu, the wines were excellent and at the end getting to meet the creating genius was a perfect ending.<br/><br/>Despite the air-con, Orana is the most memorable restaurant in Australia, I'm certain its the beginnings of something really special for Australian cuisine.

Thoroughly enjoyed an absolutely amazing dinner at Orana on Saturday night. The whole team were well versed in the service, fun to be around. Could not recommend it highly enough. Stunning.

One of the Best!. Staffed by ex-Magill Estate employees, overseen by respected executive head chef and founder, Jock Zonfrillo, this combination of exceptional customer service with amazing palette titillation brings you the most progressive dining experience on the Australian Native food scene to date for Adelaide.<br/>Blink and you might miss it, this place is tucked away upstairs above Street ADL. So, do ask for directions if lost, like we did.<br/>We were surprised by how compact this 'dining room' was once inside. It only had six tables in total. We were later informed that they are in the middle of procuring additional furniture to increase its capacity.<br/>Three of us dined here on this evening. Two opted for the full degustation (food and wines pairing from Australia around the globe), while the third opted for food only.<br/>I like to make a note that this restaurant caters to all dietary requirements and accommodates any odd requests. For example, if you are Muslim, they will not serve you pork, instead arranging for alternatives. Same for those with lactose issues, nuts allergies and so forth. I asked for red meat to be excluded from my experience.<br/>The menu is pretty much set for each season (with variations catering to those odd requests) and availability according to seasons. It is Australian focussed though, either indigenous or introduced. Regardless of which or both, the dishes are rather innovative, perfectly balanced and definitely gives literal meaning to the phrase "food for thought".<br/>It is often the case that we dine at these so called 'fine dining restaurant' with the preconceived idea that we will need to do a Macca's drive-thru afterwards. Well, we were surprisingly wrong in this case. With 20 dishes or so in total including home-baked native bread and two desserts, we were full to the brim. Not only were we uncomfortably full, but we were absolutely delighted with each of the dishes consumed. I can say that never before have I thought you can eat salt-bush deep-fried, or green ants or known what native coconut with native currant tastes like.<br/>Suffice to say, this is the place if you want to explore what our amazing indigenous produce is all about. It is both educational and delightful. I'm very glad that we are blessed to have someone with such vision and creativeness to bring this concept to fruition.<br/>Below are some of the dishes consumed at Orana shared to entice and for you to salivate over.<br/>Treat yourself and someone you love to a dining experience here, it is well-worth it.

Intriguing. Orana is an interesting experience from start to finish. It's a small dining room, not ostentatious, a little understated yet tastefully fitted out.<br/>What is amazing is the incredible innovative use of the native berries, herbs, vegetables, produce with a variety of meats and seafood. So many different little tastes of a whole lot of different dishes....I think we had in total 21 different experiences, and they were each an experience.<br/>Orana is certainly worth a visit. It's unlikely you will find this food anywhere else.

Glorified little food pieces. Had the degustation menu for dinner a while back. Not sure what the hype was with this place, but it wasn't memorable at all. Didn't feel the dining experience was at all spectacular. Definitely won't return. Ever.

Brilliant!. This is a small restaurant which means that you get excellent service all night. The staff are really knowledgeable about the ingredients and even the cooking techniques which makes for an interesting evening. There is no menu but the staff check on allergies etc when you book so no problems there and it is lovely that every course is a surprise that is explained at the table. The snacks before the bigger courses were delicious mouthfuls and the courses themselves were all a good size and fantastic flavours. We went with the matched wines which was a good option. We left very satisfied.

FOMO. Awesome food and wine, marred ever so slightly by imperfect service. That is not to say that service was bad. It's just not at the level of what you would expect from a degustation experience of this calibre. Part of this is no doubt intentional - this is meant to be informal and fun - but the other part has you wondering how long it will be until your next course will arrive - and what it will be. You look over at other tables and have a guess, but there's no telling until the food arrives at your table. This is where I had my main issue with Orana - it's quite possible that you won't get the same as what everyone else does in the restaurant. Yeah, spending this much on food is incredibly bourgeois and complaining about inequality is ridiculously ironic, but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when our table didn't get the marron everyone else did - especially when it's a signature dish. But I don't want this to discourage anyone who wants to go from going. The restaurant works on what produce is supplied to them and it's inevitable that there will be times when they won't have enough for all diners on the night. Everything else is superb and given the limited number of staff they have, service is pretty good. Even when one of your dining party is drunk and calling into question the authenticity of Jock's family haggis recipe. Face palm. Anyway, if you love food, love being surprised by new textures and want to see how native Australian produce can be integrated into contemporary dining, - go.

10/10. Everything perfect, fantastic experience in every facet.

Absolutely incredible. My husband is an Australian native fanatic and he was extremely impressed. The balance of flavours was perfection. We had the five course tasting plates for lunch and walked away comfortably full. The service was first class. Loved the chefs coming out and meeting the diners - lovely touch. Highly recommend Orana, wish there were more restaurants that are as passionate about native bush tucker. Will be back for dinner next time!

Fantastic. Innovative use of Australian ingredients. Great setting and service. Well done.

A total experience. We went to Orana without any preconceptions. When we entered the restaurant we were surprised by how small it was. With only six tables first thought was that it looks expensive but we pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived. We had a 15 course menu, starting with numerous "snacks". Unfortunately there were few too many entrees which meant we were too full to eat some of the delicious delicacies that followed, plus because there were so many the staff were obliged to rush us through them. The many interesting Australian spices and accompaniments were a great talking point and the marron, kangaroo, lamb and smoked mulloway broth were all amazing. The service was very personal and staff went to a lot of effort to explain the food.

Wow Wow Wow!!. Orana is amazing! The degustation is unbelievable, all 10 tastings followed by eight courses. You see food you would eat at home or in a restaurant and its then elevated to another level with Australia native produce that you know much about. Its like it is the secret herbs, spices and sauces of Australia.<br/>Aaron and Josh at front of house were excellent in their food and wine knowledge. Which just made the night brilliant. I cant wait to go back when the seasons change to experience some more great Australia native produce. <br/>Jock and the team have converted me to explore more native produce for home cooking.

Have to agree. Fri lunch 1/8 group of 7. Service laid back, young, friendly, very switched on/professional from the first booking to the very end. Never felt rushed as opposed to a Fri lunch at Quay where they were vacuuming around us at 4:30. The food was better than Quay and I must say, most of the other top ones in SA and interstate that I've been to. Certainly the best in Adelaide/SA (also think Peel St tantalises the taste buds). One of the best value lunches around at $150 with matching wines which although not exceptional (what do you expect at that price), still interesting. The 5 courses were certainly enough combined with the tasty little starters. There was not a dish that disappointed, something not often found in a degustation. Loved the dining space for a winters day. Handy to then move onto to the new bars behind or stay at Street afterwards.

What a culinary experience! Simply amazing. Went for a birthday surprise and had to say its the best food I've ever eaten!! Simply Devine you will not find better in Adelaide

Michelin quality in Adelaide.<br/>I have been lucky enough to travel the world and eat at some of the worlds best restaurants. <br/>Recently I dined at Orana and find it hard to remember a better dinning experience. <br/>Congratulations to all involved in the establishment of such a tremendous culinary venue.<br/>Unequalled in South Australia, probably Australia.

Absolutely incredible degustation dinner with a wine package. Orana; tucked away up a quiet stair case on Rundle street is a small, welcoming restaurant with very friendly, well trained staff. From the moment you walk in you are attended to with excellent professionalism and friendliness. The meal was an experience to say the least, with 20 or so different courses from a variety of different native Australian plants and animals. There were plenty of different fish dishes with the highlights being raw snapper in the tasting plate. In general, the highlights of the meal would have been the lamb, one of the kangaroo dishes and the desserts were absolutely fantastic. The wine package was worth every dollar and each wine was well matched with the food. The chefs came out and spoke to us about the dishes as well as the front of house staff who gave us great descriptions of the food and wine. The highlights from the wine list would be the champagne at the start during the tasting plates, and the cherry dessert wine which was from Spain. An array of exciting different flavours from around Australia made for a very delightful evening full of surprises. The service was un rushed and this really made the night. In the end we spent about 2 and a half hours there without a dull moment. Worth every dollar and I would recommend this to any foodie.

The most stunning and progressive dining experience we have ever had. Impressive beyond words and a great addition to the adelaide culinary scene.

New Benchmark. Best dining experience I have had in Adelaide-gustatory thrilling with each dish beautifully presented with superb flavours that thrilled my senses. Service was excellent , and had some great wines which would never have tried otherwise . Superb!

Interesting experience that we won't repeat. As fans of fine dining and degustations, we were really looking forward to coming to this restaurant. We had heard good things and were especially interested in the use of native ingredients that we otherwise might not get a chance to try.<br/>We took another food-loving friend with us: a group of three for lunch at 1pm. We had a drink in their downstairs bar "Street" before heading upstairs to the restaurant.<br/>It started well with tasty nibbles eaten with the hands. They were flavoursome and indeed inclusive of the much-talked-about native ingredients. The service was generally efficient and friendly. The goats milk butter for the house baked bread was a nice touch. There were quite a number of courses to follow, my favourites being a dish of raw mulloway and the suffolk lamb. The dessert is a dish to be celebrated. Absolutely delicious!! The let-downs were a kangaroo dish with a painfully salty paste underneath and the matched wines. Very nice wines, but we didn't feel that they really brought anything special to the dishes.<br/>The service was quick... a little too quick. We did feel a bit rushed through the meal (all courses were done and dusted by in only 2 hours!) and this is when things turned really sour. <br/>We ordered three coffees, only two of which came. We had to ask for the third. When the third was delivered we were told that there was "dinner service" coming up and basically we had to hurry up, drink our coffees and leave. It was not it these exact words, and was certainly put far more politely, but the message was clear. It was only about 3:30pm. Dinner service starts at 6:30pm. There was only one other table for the lunch service (which had been cleared but not cleaned at this stage), so two tables to clear in 3 hours? It put a very dissapointing slant on what was otherwise a fairly enjoyable lunch.<br/><br/>The good: the food, for the native and interesting ingredients. <br/>The bad: salty kangaroo and mismatched wines. <br/>The ugly: being told to hurry up after spending $530.<br/> <br/>We won't go again. Lunch is on Fridays only. $150 for food and matched wines. Judging by the other, more positive, reviews maybe a dinner booking would be safer.

OMG this restaurant is dest.... OMG<br/>this restaurant is destined to be one of the greats ! Food and tastes are extraordinary. Service is friendly yet so professional. Wine list and assistance are sensational. This restaurant will take Adelaide back to world pre eminence. NOT TO BE MISSED

" A truly outstanding dining out experience". After many years dining out in different parts of the world Orana has absolutely topped our best restaurant experience yet!! With the amazing array of food flavours, perfectly matched range of Aussie and European wines, an adventurous and educative menu, flawless service and a warm, welcoming yet sophisticated atmosphere. A truly recommended experience!!

Had the 8 course banquet, service was amazing, food was mind blowing. Adelaide should be proud

Ate at Orana on Saturday and had a fantastic meal. Service and setting were informal and pleasant (and much quieter than Street downstairs). Food was almost uniformly stunning with great use of native ingredients. Between here and Hentley Farm for most exciting restaurant at the moment.

Australian Native Rundle St. April 25, 2014 As I understand it, this restaurant was set up by people who used to work at Penfolds Magill Estate, which is probably Adelaide's fanciest restaurant. Tonight is degustation. This is the only other degustation-only restaurant in Adelaide, as far as I know. This place is unmarked, and sits atop Street ADL, on Rundle Street. Raw Snapper 5/10 This tasted raw, but had a bit of acid, and the flowers added a strange dash of taste. Better than just raw fish.