Adelaide is a city full of locally-owned coffee shops, with Starbucks nowhere to be found. I prefer studying in cafes over libraries, so I have tried a lot of coffee at a lot of cafes. I compiled a list and description of each coffee shop I visited below:
Exchange
Aesthetic - More minimalist, big tables, sort of hipster
Coffee - Good coffee, good price, big sizes
Description - Wifi was good (Adelaide Free), but there were no outlets. Also, the bathroom is outside the shop, though a back alley. Service was very friendly. This is more of an early morning place, because it gets packed around 10:30am with the lunch crowd. Sidenote: sparkling water is the default table water.
Hey Jupiter
Aesthetic - French cafe, dim lighting, small and cramped, good place to read a newspaper. Geared toward an artsy, older crowd. Green color scheme.
Coffee - Coffee was the best quality that we've had in Adelaide, sizes are a bit smaller, but price was comparable to Exchange. More variety of coffee options than usual.
Description - No wifi, no outlets, small tables inside; not a study space. Good place to meet up with friends for breakfast/brunch though. I tried the ham and cheese croissant ($8 AUD) and it was great for the price. Service was a bit unfriendly, probably because we were not regulars.
Peter Rabbit
Aesthetic - Outdoorsy vibes, has a vague Alice in Wonderland theme. Great outdoor seating, especially on a sunny day.
Coffee - Artfully served, lots of variety other than the standard espresso drinks. Emilie had the iced chai and I had the iced mocha. Both were good and had ice cream in them.
Description - Dimly lit inside. Would not go there to study, but was a great place to grab coffee with friends. Definitely one of my favorite places in Adelaide for lunch. Also, the restaurant does have a few pet rabbits.
CIBO
Aesthetic - Not much decor, but very spacious
Coffee - Pretty standard coffee, but definitely a good value
Description - This is the South Australian equivalent of Starbucks. It is a chain cafe, so the coffee options are average. On the upside, this is one of the only cafes open after 4pm on most days and they have ample seating, wifi, and outlets. It has consistently been a good place to study.
Fair Espresso
Aesthetic - Very sustainable and eco-friendly place
Coffee - This is the place to go to try alternative non-coffee drinks like matcha lattes and beetroot hot chocolate. I do think that they use too much milk in their lattes, which takes away from the taste of the drink.
Description - Not too much seating, but a good option for take away coffee.
Journey Beyond Cafe
Aesthetic - The term that Emilie and I made up for this place is Arizona minimalist (think succulents at each table and desert travel photos on display). Lots of natural lighting and spacious seating.
Coffee - Pretty good coffee; I have tried most drinks on their menu and usually order either a flat white or mocha. Something unique about this cafe is that they do not charge extra for substituting milk alternatives. They offer oat, almond, soy, and coconut milk. Oat milk pairs nicely with most coffees.
Description - Prices are average, with a wider selection of drinks than most. Students get a large coffee for a regular size price on Mondays and half off on food on Fridays. Staff were friendly and made small talk. Great place to study in the afternoon without the lunch crowd that most other cafes have. There are traditional outlets, USB chargers, and wireless phone chargers available at counter seats. They finally got WiFi the week before I left Adelaide.
Bar 9 Central
Aesthetic - Inside a food court, but still a nice location. Kind of a stereotypical "masculine" aesthetic, with wood furniture and hardwood flooring.
Coffee - The best coffee in Adelaide and the best coffee I have ever tasted.
Description - Prices are good. The menu can be a bit confusing if you are unfamiliar with coffee aficionado terms, but the baristas are friendly and ready with suggestions. Emilie and I finally tried breakfast here the morning we left Adelaide and it was amazing.
First Pour
Aesthetic - Feels like Starbucks, because of the community table and general business/academic atmosphere.
Coffee - The coffee is pretty standard. This is a barista training school, but the coffee is priced regularly.
Description - The coffee is nothing remarkable and the location is far to walk to from the University of Adelaide (about a mile away). However, I enjoy coming here to study, because the staff will let you stay as long as you want without pressuring you to buy more coffee/food. The cafe is on Melbourne Street, which is always nice to walk down.
Honorable Mentions:
Felici - Good coffee, baristas can be a bit unfriendly
Monday's Coffee Store - Very minimalist aesthetic and nice place to have black coffee
KOKO Black - Expensive mochas, but truly worth the price occasionally. Good study space on second floor, but no WiFi.
Coffee Branch - Not much sit-down space, but they have WiFi