Walking into Luma Bar and Restaurant, nestled on the ground floor of The Playford MGallery along North Terrace, may seem a little intimidating at first.
The striking design, with a polished sense of luxury that winds it way through the 180-seat venue, with soaring pillars, a warmly lit stone bar and a ceiling alive with a curling, sculptural light. It all seems fancy and luxe, and while it is, once you get to know the personality inside something softer emerges.
Awarded two Chef Hats for 2026, Luma restaurant and bar has cemented itself as one of the country’s standout dining destinations, and it shows.
Recent years have seen Luma restaurant and bar collect an impressive run of accolades, from back-to-back Chef Hats to Tripadvisor recognition as one of Australia’s top luxury stays, along with an international award for the world’s best restaurant lighting.
Now, the award-winning venue is introducing a brand new menu, ‘Earth & Ember’ with features that may turn heads and leave you wanting more.
Drawing inspiration from the understated charm of European culinary traditions, the newest menu is a blend of low-waste cooking, creativity and refined technique.
Led by Chef Hugh Hazlewood and his highly talented team, the menu is based on actual sustainability, not just a pretence. Each menu item and produce pick celebrates South Australia’s regional producers, stories and flavours.
“Everything is sustainability and reusing and minimal wastage, like the canapés are byproducts of the whole menu,” Hugh said.
“So we don’t just go and buy a load of stuff because it’s the best quality… there is no wastage.”
The team aims to practise what they preach, and the approach brings an entree list featuring a sweet oyster ice cream with refreshing cucumber, dill sea herbs and a sprinkle of caviar. If you’ve never heard of the ice cream flavour, you wouldn’t be alone, but it’s one of Hugh’s top picks – creamy, refreshing and surprisingly you may be asking for a second serve.
“It’s cool and a nod to sustainability, reusing oyster shells that people just discard, with South Australia’s Coffin Bay oyster arguably being one of the best in Australia.”
The dish quickly became our favourite too, after the opening bites of soft but fresh waves melted over the tongue.
Before mains, a house-made mini loaf arrives at the table,intended to mop up every divine drop of sauce and encouraged to be ripped apart with your hands.
Then comes the clear entree stand out, a wild rabbit agnolotti with a sweet tarragon prune and black truffle, all of which will have you wanting to lick the plate clean. Comforting, soft and beautifully balanced, it is the kind of dish that makes the rest of the table go quiet for a moment
“We pay homage to our ancestry and this rabbit dish couldn’t get any more Italian Tuscan if it tried,” Hugh laughed. “We get whole rabbits in, confit prepared in-house, and the bones are used for stock.”
Celebrating South Australia’s cattle farming, a Black Angus beef fillet is served as a main dish with heirloom beetroot, potato and horseradish.
While the menu leans into refinement, it never loses its sense of fun. The signature Playford bombe Alaska set alight at the table will always have its place no matter what other options come and go.
New additions bring a lighter touch – golden pain perdu with pineapple and spiced rum, chocolate délice lifted with Riverland citrus, and a composed South Australian cheese offering with quince and muscatels. A bright Riverland grapefruit with Hentley Farm sorbet provides a palate-cleansing pause along the way.
What makes Luma restaurant and bar work so well, though, is that for all its polish it resist formality. The dishes are creative and visually playful, but flavour always comes first. Hugh is equally clear that they don’t want diners to feel like they have to behave a certain way, it’s a venue that’s fine dining in quality, but not with a snobby attitude.
“It’s meant to be a retreat, you’re switching off life for a few hours.”
The name Luma is derived from the word light, and it’s a fitting symbol for the restaurant with one of the best lighting displays in the country.
This is certainly a venue that glows above the rest, not only for the food but the personality behind it.
Luma Bar and Restaurant
Where: 120 North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
For more information, click here.
