Images: Supplied.
One of the Clare Valley’s most celebrated dining destinations is heading to North Adelaide, with chef-hatted Antidote Kitchen & Bar set to open its second venue by the end of the month.
The acclaimed regional restaurant will take over the former Indii Flavours site at 114-116 O’Connell Street, following the success of owner Sunny Mehrok’s Antidote Kitchen & Bar in the Clare Valley.
Antidote Kitchen & Bar first opened in Clare in May 2024, quickly gaining recognition for its inventive menu blending Indian, Middle Eastern, Greek and modern Australian influences.
But the Antidote story began long before the restaurant.
In 2017, Sunny came up with the idea for Antidote as a wine label designed to be exactly what its name suggests.
“You have a long day at work, you put your feet up by the fire and have a glass of Antidote,” Sunny said.
That simple idea evolved into Antidote Wines before eventually inspiring a restaurant concept alongside chef Rupesh Agrawal.
Rather than opening a traditional Indian restaurant, the pair wanted to create something that reflected their heritage while drawing inspiration from cuisines across the Mediterranean and beyond.
“We use dukkah, hummus, tzatziki, olives, Greek salad and yrios, and the chef has his own way of serving it,” Sunny said.
“It’s tempered with Middle Eastern spices, onion and capsicum, and it gives the food that extra level of depth.”
And while he said there may be some small menu changes, diners can expect all of the Clare Valley favourites to make the trip to the city.
“The smoked yiros platter is definitely coming to North Adelaide,” Sunny said.
“So is the truffle chicken – it is chicken thigh with truffle salsa, shaved parm, and rice.”
The menu will also continue to blur the lines between cuisines, with Mediterranean plates sitting alongside classic Indian curries.
“We don’t call ourselves an Indian restaurant because we bring that fusion of dishes,” Sunny said.
“You don’t normally find burgers, fish and chips and that sort of thing at an Indian restaurant.”
The wine list will also be expanded at the new venue, Sunny said.
“There’s a massive wine cellar at the O’Connell Street venue, so we’ll be showcasing the Antidote wine, plus lots of local wines and wines from across the world.”
“It’s a glass wine room where you can dine, pick your own bottle of wine, and take it back to your table.”
Antidote Kitchen & Bar North Adelaide is expected to open in around two weeks and will trade seven days a week for dinner, with breakfast and lunch also available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Antidote Kitchen and Bar North Adelaide
When: Roughly two weeks
Where: 114-116 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
To find out more, click here.
