Vietnamese Near Adelaide Festival Centre: A Real Bowl Before (or After) the Show

★ As featured in Glam Adelaide — 2025 SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist

There’s a particular kind of hunger that hits around 5:30pm when you’ve got tickets for the Festival Theatre. You want something warm, quick enough that you’re not sweating the curtain time, and good enough that it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. If you’re near the Adelaide Festival Centre, Elder Park, or anywhere along the Riverbank before a show — or wandering out afterwards during Fringe or WOMADelaide season — a genuine bowl of phở is closer than you might think.

Bà Năm sits at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown, and it’s built for exactly this kind of evening.

How Far Is It From the Festival Centre?

Honestly? A 10–15 minute walk south. You cross the Torrens (if you’re starting at Elder Park), head up through the CBD, and land in the middle of Chinatown on Grote Street. It’s a flat, straightforward walk through the heart of the city — pleasant on a summer festival evening, and easy enough to time around a show.

We won’t pretend we’re around the corner from the Riverbank. We’re not. But we’d argue the walk is worth it for a broth that’s been simmering for 18 hours, and plenty of theatre-goers seem to agree. Public transport and taxis run through the CBD constantly if the weather turns, and Chinatown is well signposted from Victoria Square.

Why This Kitchen

Bà Năm isn’t a phở chain with a festival-season marketing budget. The recipes come from Bà Năm Lời, who’s been making phở in her home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh — Southern Vietnam — since the 1970s. Her grandson Huynh Nguyen and owner Thi Gai Vo brought those recipes to Adelaide in 2023.

The broth is the whole story here: 18 hours on the bone, made with locally sourced beef that Huynh personally selects on his Sunday farm runs. The signature move is the “red coin” in the Phở Tái — a paper-thin round of rare beef that cooks in your bowl the moment the boiling broth hits it. It’s the kind of detail you notice once and then look for everywhere else.

In 2025, Bà Năm was named a finalist in the Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards (Vietnamese category), and the restaurant has been featured in Glam Adelaide. In their own words: it’s not a luxury venue, just very genuine.

What to Order: Pre-Show vs Post-Show

If you’re watching the clock before curtain:

• Cơm tấm — broken rice with grilled pork. No soup to slow you down, arrives fast, eats fast.
• Phở Tái — the classic. The red coin cooks in seconds and a bowl of phở doesn’t demand lingering. (More in our first-timer’s guide to phở.)
• Hoành thánh chiên (fried wontons) or chả giò — quick shares while you wait for mains.

If the show’s done and the night is yours:

• Phở Thố Đá — the stone bowl phở, still bubbling when it lands. This one rewards taking your time.
• Bún Bò Huế — the spicier, deeper cousin of phở. A proper post-show wind-down.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh — lime-cured rare beef salad, ideal as a share starter if you’ve come with your whole row of seats.

We won’t quote prices here — check the live menu for the current line-up.

The Honest Bits

At peak times — and festival season absolutely counts — expect a 15–30 minute wait. If you’ve got a 7:30pm curtain, build that in or come earlier. Walk-ins are welcome, but if you’re bringing a group of eight or more, call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 so the kitchen can look after you properly.

If you’d rather skip the queue entirely, order ahead through the app at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order, which is a nice bonus before a night out.

Coming From Elsewhere in the City?

Bà Năm sits in the heart of Chinatown, which makes it an easy landing point from most of central Adelaide:

• Adelaide Convention Centre / Riverbank west end — a similar walk from the conference precinct.
• North Terrace — straight down through the CBD.
• Hindley Street — cut south through the west end.
• Victoria Square — Grote Street runs right off it.
• Adelaide Oval — cross the footbridge and follow the same river-to-city route as Festival Centre walkers.
• The wider Adelaide CBD — and if you’re coming from the East End, see our Hutt Street guide.

The Short Version

Seeing something at the Festival Centre, picnicking at Elder Park, or Fringe-hopping along the Riverbank? A 10–15 minute walk south gets you an 18-hour broth, a red coin of rare beef, and a family recipe that’s been cooking since the 1970s.

Bà Năm — 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000. Open seven days, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm over summer (October to March), including public holidays. Phone (08) 8151 0106, or order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Bà Năm from the Adelaide Festival Centre and Elder Park?

About a 10–15 minute walk south. From Elder Park, cross the Torrens and head through the CBD to 65 Grote Street in Chinatown. It's a flat, easy walk right through the centre of the city.

Can I have dinner at Bà Năm and still make a 7:30pm show?

Yes, with sensible timing. Allow for a possible 15–30 minute wait at peak times, plus the 10–15 minute walk back. Arriving by 5:30–6pm gives you a comfortable buffer, or order ahead via the app at order.phobanam.com.au to skip the queue.

What should I order if I'm short on time before curtain?

Cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork) is the fastest non-soup option. Phở Tái is also quick — the paper-thin "red coin" of rare beef cooks in the bowl in seconds. Hoành thánh chiên or chả giò make good quick shares.

Do I need to book, or can I just walk in?

Bà Năm is walk-in friendly, and most people simply turn up. If you're bringing a group of eight or more — say, your whole theatre party — call ahead on (08) 8151 0106.

What are Bà Năm's opening hours?

Seven days, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm over summer (October to March), including public holidays — which covers most pre-show dinners and post-show bowls during festival season.