CityMag’s guide to Adelaide’s east end
There’s nothing better than a springtime spot outside of the Exeter to thaw out those winter bones. But if you’re heading to the east end anyway, here are six other spots you should hit up.
The east end has long been a haunt for traders. For more than 100 years, it was Adelaide’s first formal fruit and vegetable market. Before that, it was bustling, busy but was also home to the grisly visage of a budding young settlement. Amid the produce was decaying fruit and veg, and carcasses of dead dogs and cats rotted. Eventually, the east end’s status as a proper marketplace was formalised. Landowners in the area, like Richard Vaughan, were eventually immortalised on street signs. William Charlick – who also has a laneway named after him – constructed the Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange in 1904, which eventually supplanted the East End Market as the go-to for fresh produce.
It wasn’t until the late 1980s that fruit and veg trading ended in the area, and thus began the location’s transformation into what it is today: the trendy, upmarket side of town. Here, you’ll find expensive coffee, pricey vintage garb, steak frites and Adelaide’s best restaurants. It’s a leisurely spot; you come here for a sit-down, a chinwag, and a pint or two of lager.
There’s so much variety and colour here, and it was a real pain narrowing down our recommendations to six. Adelaide visitors likely wind up on Rundle Street and discover The Exeter, Smokelovers and The Stag anyway, so we wanted to put a spotlight on a few other gems tucked away in the area’s many nooks and crannies.
These are places dear to our hearts and newer locations you shouldn’t miss. Happy hunting.
Penny University
1/7 Union Street
Penny University was opened in 2015 as a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. Lined with milk crates for seats, the quirky cafe was quickly discovered as a hidden gem in the east end. Over a decade later, it continues to live up to its reputation, with classic breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, and, if you’re lucky, some Greek pastries or a cinnamon roll to enjoy with your morning coffee. Its name derives from 18th-century coffeehouses, which cost a penny to enter but would grant access to a free ‘university’ of local gossip, news, and politics within the cafe. This is exactly what you’ll get at Penny’s – especially if owner Foti Likouras is behind the coffee machine. CityMag’s top pick for summer is the freddo cappuccino, a frothy, iced beverage topped with chocolate powder.
Streetlight Adelaide
Shop 2/15 Vaughan Place
I still have vivid memories of the first time I walked into Streetlight. I was an obnoxious teenager who thought his music taste was superior to that of his peers. I thought Radiohead was the best thing since sliced bread, and that In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was the best music ever pressed to wax. The rows of records at Streetlight humbled me fast. I hardly knew of any of the bands, but it opened up a brand new world to 16-year-old me. It’s since been my go-to record store in the city, thanks to its brilliantly curated stock of vinyl, its new and used CDs, and its collection of books on music, philosophy and art. Whatever your listening level, Streetlight is a must-visit.
Umai Kitchen
8-10 Union Street
If you’re looking for a cheap, delicious feed for dinner or even lunch, Umai is one of the east end’s best-kept secrets. Consistent in output and catering for all seasons, Umai does a banger ramen in winter, while during summer, a tall whisky highball goes well with the California Poke Bowl. It’s tucked down Union Street too – away from the brighter lights of Rundle Street – offering one some privacy while devouring donburi ungracefully. More of a sushi guy or gal? Umai’s premium Japanese cuisine is a sight to behold; huge pieces of the rolled seaweed get diners drooling. If you’re there for lunch, you’d be mad to pass up Umai’s bento box special, containing only the best the Japanese kitchen has to offer.
Cha Cha Dessert Bar
230-232 Grenfell Street
There’s no shortage of options in the east end for sweet tooths, but they’re mostly franchise operations and classic ice creameries. Cha Cha Dessert Bar is something else entirely. It’s a unique offering for east enders in that it brings a taste of Korea to the heritage end of Grenfell Street, occupying one of the tenancies in the former Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange gateway. Above it, the building declares: “The Earth is the Lord’s and the Fullness Thereof”. Apt, as you’ll likely roll out of Cha Cha feeling like a god, stuffed full of decadent treats like the peanut butter Biscoff French toast or tiramisu bingsu. Don’t skip the hot chocolate either – it’s one of the best in Adelaide.
Honeydripper
11 Frome Street
Things get fancier this end of town. Rundle Street is stacked with luxury boutiques, the coffee probably costs a dollar more than you’d get elsewhere, and you can relax on brown leather sofas with a unique cocktail creation in hand while listening to jazz on wax. The latter is an experience you’ll only get at the east end’s only Hi-Fi listening bar: Honeydripper. After opening in 2025, the space has built in popularity and in size, with a second mezzanine level recently welcoming even more cocktail lovers. We love the commitment to style the bar takes, which is so detail oriented that the venue’s menu is a baseball card-style binder (it makes more sense if you see it for yourself).
Midwest Trader
2 Peel Street
The first shop on Ebenezer Place, Adelaide institution Midwest Trader, has remained a haven for vintage lovers since it opened its doors in 1993. Small and dimly lit, behind the unassuming shop front lies a store filled to the brim with high-quality vintage leather and denim. Although it’s packed, everything has been lovingly curated and organised by owner Kate Tomkins, with items carefully sourced and handpicked from flea markets in the US. Browsing the selection of cowboy boots and original band tees, the passion and care behind each piece becomes evident; a refreshing change from fast fashion retailers. The selection of old school American vintage is one of the most extensive in Adelaide.
This article first appeared in the 2026 Festival edition of CityMag.
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