Vietnamese Food & Phở Near Gilbert Street, Adelaide

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

Gilbert Street sits one block south of Gouger Street’s dining strip, running east–west across the southern end of the Adelaide CBD. It’s a quieter pocket of town — offices, apartments, workshops — which means when lunchtime hits, you’re often walking a few blocks for something properly good. Here’s the honest version: Bà Năm, at 65 Grote Street in Chinatown, is an 8 to 18 minute flat walk from Gilbert Street depending on where you start, and at the end of it there’s an 18-hour bone broth waiting.

Bà Năm isn’t a luxury venue — it’s a genuine Vietnamese kitchen opened in 2023 by Huynh Nguyen and Thi Gai Vo, cooking recipes that started in Bà Năm Lời’s home kitchen in 1970s Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, in Southern Vietnam. The broth simmers for 18 hours on real bones, no concentrates or powders, and the signature Phở Thố Đá arrives in a stone bowl still boiling at your table. If you work, live or park anywhere along Gilbert Street, this page covers exactly how far the walk is, what to order, and how to skip some of the queue.

How Far Is Bà Năm from Gilbert Street?

Gilbert Street runs east–west roughly between the Gouger and Sturt latitudes, one block south of Gouger. The walk to Bà Năm is flat the whole way — head north toward Victoria Square and Grote Street, then turn west along Grote into Chinatown. You’ll spot 65 Grote Street on the Chinatown strip.

• Western Gilbert (near the King William / Whitmore Square end): about 8–12 minutes. See also our King William Street guide.
• Mid-Gilbert: about 10–15 minutes at an unhurried pace.
• Eastern Gilbert (toward the Hutt Street latitude): about 12–18 minutes — or check the Hutt Street route if you’re starting further east.

If you’re actually one block north on Gouger Street, you shave a few minutes. One block further south puts you on Sturt Street. And if your walk takes you up past Wright Street (between Grote and Gouger), you’re basically following the smell of char-grilled pork the whole way. Grote Street runs right past the Adelaide Central Market, so the last stretch is the best-smelling part of the CBD.

It’s a genuine lunchtime or after-work walk — long enough to earn the bowl. If you’re on a tight window, order ahead through the app at order.phobanam.com.au so your food is underway before you leave. There’s a small credit on your first app order.

What to Order After the Walk

You’ve earned a proper bowl. Start here:

• Phở Thố Đá — our signature stone bowl phở. The broth arrives still boiling at the table, so the last spoonful is as hot as the first. It’s the dish people cross the city for.
• Phở Tái — the classic. Our “red coin” rare beef is sliced paper-thin and cooks in the bowl in front of you. Read more on the phở tái page, and if you order the stone-bowl tái dine-in, you’re automatically in the TÁI CLUB monthly lucky draw.
• Bún bò Huế — for spice-leaning days, the bún bò Huế brings lemongrass heat.
• Cơm tấm — broken rice with grilled pork, egg and pickles. The lunch that makes the walk back feel shorter.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh — lime-cured rare beef salad, bright and sharp, good for sharing.
• Finish with a Vietnamese iced coffee for the stroll home.

Still weighing options? Our honest take on what makes a good bowl of phở in Adelaide lays out how we think about broth.

An 18-Hour Broth from a Trảng Bàng Home Kitchen

Bà Năm started long before Adelaide — in the 1970s home kitchen of Bà Năm Lời in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, in Vietnam’s south. Founders Huynh Nguyen and Thi Gai Vo carried that recipe here and opened on Grote Street in 2023.

The method hasn’t been shortcut. The broth simmers for 18 hours over real bones — no concentrates, no powders. The beef is local, topped up with Sunday farm runs. At peak times you might wait 15–30 minutes for a table, and we’d rather tell you that straight than pretend otherwise. Not a luxury venue. Just very genuine. In 2025, the restaurant was named a finalist in the Vietnamese category at the Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards — finalist, not winner — and Glam Adelaide has featured the kitchen twice. The honest measure is still the broth itself.

Practical Notes from Gilbert Street

• Address: 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000 — in Chinatown
• Walk time: about 8–12 minutes from the western / King William end; 10–15 from mid-Gilbert; 12–18 from the eastern / Hutt latitude end
• Hours: open 7 days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included
• Phone: (08) 8151 0106
• Walk-ins: always welcome; honest 15–30 minute wait at peak
• Bookings: OpenTable via /book/ — groups of 8+ please call ahead
• App: order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order
• TÁI CLUB: order the stone-bowl tái dine-in and you’re in the monthly draw — details on the TÁI CLUB page

Coming From Somewhere Else in the CBD?

Gilbert isn’t the only southern CBD street we’ve mapped honestly. If you’re starting elsewhere:

• Vietnamese near Light Square
• Vietnamese near Whitmore Square
• Vietnamese near South Terrace
• Vietnamese near Gouger Street — one block north of Gilbert
• Vietnamese near Sturt Street — one block south of Gilbert
• Vietnamese near Wright Street — between Grote and Gouger
• Vietnamese near Carrington Street
• Vietnamese near Wakefield Street
• Vietnamese near Angas Street
• Vietnamese near King William Street
• Vietnamese near Victoria Square — the hinge on the walk north
• Vietnamese near Morphett Street
• Vietnamese near Hutt Street — the eastern fringe
• Vietnamese in Adelaide Chinatown
• Vietnamese food across the Adelaide CBD
• Vietnamese near the Central Market
• Vietnamese near Unley — first suburb guide south of the park lands (Unley Road / Parkside edge)
• Vietnamese near Goodwood — second-ring southern suburb (Goodwood Road / tram).

The Short Version

From Gilbert Street, Bà Năm is an 8–18 minute flat walk north and west into Chinatown — head toward Victoria Square, turn onto Grote, look for 65. Order the Phở Thố Đá stone bowl or the red coin Phở Tái, know the broth took 18 hours, and use the app if you’re short on time. Open 7 days, 11am–9pm (later in summer).

Bà Năm — 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000. Open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included. Phone (08) 8151 0106. Order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order. Bookings via OpenTable; groups of 8+ please call.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Bà Năm from Gilbert Street?

It’s a flat walk of about 8–12 minutes from the western end of Gilbert Street, 10–15 minutes from mid-Gilbert, and 12–18 minutes from the eastern end. Head north toward Victoria Square, then west along Grote Street into Chinatown — Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street.

What is the “red coin” Phở Tái?

It’s paper-thin round slices of rare beef — the “red coins” — served over noodles and cooked right in the bowl by the boiling 18-hour bone broth. The beef finishes cooking in front of you in seconds. We use local beef, topped up with Sunday farm runs.

What is Phở Thố Đá?

Phở Thố Đá is Bà Năm’s signature stone bowl phở. The heavy stone bowl keeps the broth boiling when it reaches your table, so the rare beef cooks tableside and the soup stays piping hot to the last spoonful. Order the stone-bowl tái dine-in and you’re also in the running for the TÁI CLUB monthly lucky draw.

What are Bà Năm’s opening hours?

Bà Năm is open 7 days a week, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October through March. That includes public holidays. At peak times, expect an honest 15–30 minute wait, or order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au.

Is the broth really simmered for 18 hours?

Yes — the broth simmers for 18 hours on real bones, with no concentrates or powders. The recipe comes from Bà Năm Lời’s home kitchen in 1970s Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, and the beef is local, sourced on Sunday farm runs.