NOW EXPERIENCING:Longplay Bistro

Read time 2 Mins

Posted 04 Dec 2024

By
Daniela Frangos


The bar and dining setting at Longplay Bistro in Adelaide

The crew behind two of Adelaide’s best small bars brings together French and Italian classics, great wines and groovy vinyl in a cool and casual bistro that hits all the right notes.

The entrace to Longplay Bistro in Adelaide
Why you goMarshall King, Henry Holland and Dana Whyte are behind two of Adelaide’s best (and longest-running) small bars, Clever Little Tailor and Pink Moon Saloon, both of which helped transform the city’s drinking scene. Longplay marks the trio’s first restaurant – a vibing Euro-inspired bistro named for the in-house vinyl collection curated by fourth owner and DJ, Lenin Paunovic, and it’s striking a chord with diners. Joining the esteemed line-up is Scottish-born head chef Calum Horn (last seen at The Summertown Aristologist before its closure, and stints in Byron and the Northern Rivers before that), who’s plating up French and Italian classics (plus some playful riffs) you’ll absolutely want to devour alongside the sprawling wine list.
Why you stayPeel back the golden curtain masking the venue (and cosying the space) from the bustle of Pirie Street to a cool, low-lit dining room of warm timbers and warmer hues. The team wants it to feel like a friend’s dinner party – if your friend was a top chef with a deep cellar and an enviable record collection. Jazz and funk LPs are played in full through the Funktion-One sound system by friendly, laid-back staff dropping the needle on the vintage Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable in between taking orders and carting plates of pappardelle in white ragù and three-week dry-aged ribeye with truffle butter. (Tip: take a seat at the bar, beside the record player, for rambling chats with the waitstaff and to watch them flipping records.)
The bar counter at Longplay Bistro in Adelaide
Find a great range of drinks and dishes at Longplay Bistro, Adelaide
What drink to order

Start your night with the Two-Sip Martini, a slightly salty, wet version that mixes their own Brighter Later Marine Ultra Savoury Dry Gin with dry vermouth, served ice-cold at three-fifths the size of a regular Martini. It’s perfect for smashing before your meal – “A couple of sips of refreshment,” says King – while it’s still at the optimal drinking temperature.

But the wines are the focus here – with 300-odd bottles in the cellar running the gamut from very reasonably priced local heroes (BK Wines! Moorak! Unico Zelo!) to serious international offerings, with a big emphasis on chardonnays and pinot noirs, including top-end Gérard Raphet and Domaine Bart grand crus from France. But the team is extra-conscious of the current climate, keeping mark-ups reasonable and even encouraging BYO if you want to crack open a bottle from your own collection.    

Teetotallers are catered for with tins of TINA’s raspberry, green tea and Geraldton waxflower number, Gruppetto’s bitter, tangy and toasty highball, and Hiatus’s tropical Pacific ale beer.

What to eatIt’s the group’s first venue where food isn’t second to the drinks, so bring a crew to help you work your way through the menu. You’ll want to start with a plump dinner roll served with a dollop of marjoram butter, and the golden, stretchy house-made Jersey cheese drizzled with blossom honey. Then it might be onto tender lamb heart skewers, or a puck of venison tartare scooped up with house crisps, and a sweet and sour butternut agrodolce with pine nuts and chèvre goat’s cheese. For something larger, there’s a signature vodka pasta and a super-creamy, super-fresh green risotto, served with a hunk of crumbed and fried Taleggio cheese. Plus, King George whiting with silverbeet and rich, buttery beurre blanc sauce.
One of the desserts at Longplay Bistro in Adelaide