Eleven

Eleven is an ambitious venue by Themys Chryssidis and ex-Masterchef contestant Callum Hann – who also run Sprout Cooking School together – located in a courtyard surrounded by office buildings just off Waymouth Street in the city centre.

Chryssidis and Hann have made full use of the space by splitting into two different parts.

The main attraction is Eleven Restaurant – an elegant fine diner that balances contemporary Australian cuisine with French techniques across two precisely-executed degustations, with a menu overseen by chef Dan Murphy (Murphy helped Hann get his first restaurant job at 1918 Bistro & Grill in Tanunda more than a decade ago).

And while the most important numbers here are 13 and 17 (the possible number of dishes that hit the table), the restaurant holds fast to the numerical theme with 11 settings at the chef table, which looks out over the large open kitchen. Natural light streams in through giant plate glass windows, illuminating a rich palette of forest green walls, brown banquettes, and richly veined slabs of dark marble.

Then there’s Eleven Bar – a more relaxed, open-air venue situated out the front of the restaurant that caters to the morning coffee crowd, as well as offering lunch, elevated bar snacks and pre-dinner or post-dinner drinks.

Chef Murphy and sommelier Geoffrey Hunt have both come from Appellation in the Barossa, coincidentally joining at about the same time Hann and Chryssidis opened Barossa eatery Lou’s Place at Lou Miranda Estate. The bar’s drinks list skews local, with a few surprises from further afield, as well as plenty of spritzes and sparkling wines to suit the outdoor location.

Limited prep space means the menu is tight, but your options might include a fluffy duck-liver parfait with marmalade and oat cracker, and a lobster roll (on a brioche bun) with crunchy iceberg lettuce, dill and crème fraîche that’s already become a crowd favourite.There are also two heartier lunch options (including one that caters to dietary requirements) that change weekly. In the mornings there’s coffee from Mitolo and Abbots & Kinney pastries.