Vietnamese Near Pirie Street, Adelaide: Bà Năm Is a 12–18 Minute Walk West

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

Pirie Street sits in Adelaide’s eastern CBD — office towers, laneway coffee, and a lunch scene that leans quick and close. Bà Năm sits on the other side of town, at 65 Grote Street in Chinatown. We won’t pretend we’re around the corner. Depending on where along Pirie you start, you’re looking at roughly a 12–18 minute walk.

Here’s the case for making it anyway: an 18-hour bone broth started long before your morning meeting, paper-thin rounds of rare beef that cook in the bowl at your table, and a family recipe that’s been simmering since the 1970s in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh. Not a luxury venue, just very genuine — and genuinely worth crossing the city for.

How Far Is Bà Năm from Pirie Street?

Honest answer: about 12–18 minutes on foot. If you’re at the King William Street end of Pirie, you’re closer — head towards Victoria Square, then west onto Grote Street, and you’ll be through the door in a little over ten minutes at a decent clip. Starting nearer Pulteney Street or East Terrace, budget closer to the 18-minute mark.

The route is straightforward: track west or southwest through the middle of the city — Victoria Square is the natural waypoint — then follow Grote Street into Chinatown. Number 65 is near the Adelaide Central Market end of the strip. No shortcuts to invent, no tricks. It’s just a walk across town, and on a decent Adelaide day it’s a pleasant one.

Why This Kitchen Is Worth the Walk from the Eastern CBD

Bà Năm Lời started cooking phở from her home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, in the 1970s. Her grandson Huynh Nguyen brought that recipe to Adelaide in 2023, opening Bà Năm with owner Thi Gai Vo. The heart of it hasn’t changed: bones simmered for 18 hours, beef sourced locally — Huynh still does Sunday farm runs — and a broth that does the talking.

That approach earned Bà Năm a finalist spot in the Vietnamese category at the 2025 Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards, and a feature in Glam Adelaide. We mention it not to show off, but because when you’re deciding whether a mid-city walk is worth it, a bit of independent backing helps. This is Southern Vietnamese cooking in Chinatown done the slow, family way.

The Phở Tái arrives with “red coin” beef: paper-thin rounds of rare beef that cook in the bowl the moment the boiling broth hits them. It’s a small piece of theatre, but it’s really just how the dish is meant to work. Not a luxury venue — just very genuine.

What to Order After the Walk

You’ve earned a proper bowl. Here’s how eastern-CBD regulars tend to play it:

On a lunch break (you’ve got the walk both ways — order smart):

• Phở Tái — the classic. Red-coin rare beef cooked in the bowl by 18-hour broth. Fast to the table, warming, and you’re back at your desk on time.
• Cơm tấm — broken rice, a solid one-plate lunch if you’re not in a soup mood.
• Chả giò — crisp spring rolls if you’re splitting starters with a colleague.

After work (no clock, take your time):

• Phở Thố Đá — the signature stone-bowl phở. The stone bowl keeps everything hot from first spoonful to last; this is the one to sit with.
• Bún bò Huế — spicier, deeper, made for the end of a long day.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh and hoành thánh chiên — the beef salad and fried wontons round out a shared table when a few of you walk over together.

Groups of eight or more heading over after work should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 — smaller bookings run through OpenTable.

The Honest Bits

A few things worth knowing before you set off:

• It’s a 12–18 minute walk from Pirie Street. Longer than from the western office strip (Franklin / Currie). If your lunch hour is genuinely an hour, leave promptly or order ahead; with 75–90 minutes it’s comfortable.
• Peak waits run 15–30 minutes. Lunch rush and Friday evenings are real. The 18-hour broth doesn’t hurry and neither does the queue.
• It’s not a luxury venue. Family restaurant, wooden tables, herbs on the side. That’s the point.
• Ordering ahead helps. The app at order.phobanam.com.au takes pickup orders, and there’s a small credit on your first order through it.
• Open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included — so the walk works any day of the week.

Coming from Somewhere Else in the CBD?

Pirie Street is one starting point on the eastern CBD map. If your desk — or your afternoon — is elsewhere:

• One block south? Our Flinders Street guide.
• Shopping up north? See the walk from Rundle Mall.
• Working on Grenfell? See Vietnamese near Grenfell Street.
• On the eastern fringe? Our Hutt Street guide.
• Working the city’s spine: King William Street, or already at Victoria Square.
• Western office strip: Franklin, Currie, and Waymouth.
• Weighing the Gouger Street strip, the Central Market, or already in Chinatown? You’re practically here.
• For the full picture, start with Vietnamese food across the Adelaide CBD.

The Short Version

Pirie Street to Bà Năm: 12–18 minutes on foot, west via Victoria Square onto Grote Street. What’s waiting at the other end: an 18-hour broth, red-coin rare beef, a stone bowl that simmers at your table, and a family recipe that started in Trảng Bàng in the 1970s. Open seven days. Expect a wait at peak, or order ahead on the app. Not a luxury venue — just very genuine.

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.

Also useful if you're coming from the eastern CBD spine: Vietnamese near Pulteney Street or Vietnamese near Frome Street.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the walk from Pirie Street to Bà Năm?

Roughly 12–18 minutes, depending on where along Pirie you start. From the King William Street end it’s closer to 12; from Pulteney Street or East Terrace, budget the full 18. Head west via Victoria Square, then onto Grote Street.

Can I realistically do lunch at Bà Năm on a break from a Pirie Street office?

On a one-hour break it’s tight but possible if you leave promptly — the walk is 12–18 minutes each way, and at peak times there can be a 15–30 minute wait. With 75–90 minutes, it’s comfortable. Off-peak weekday lunches move faster. Ordering ahead for pickup via order.phobanam.com.au helps on a tight schedule.

What's the difference between Phở Tái and Phở Thố Đá?

Phở Tái is the classic bowl with “red coin” rare beef — paper-thin rounds cooked in the bowl by the boiling 18-hour broth. Phở Thố Đá is the signature stone-bowl version, where the heated stone bowl keeps everything piping hot throughout.

What are Bà Năm's opening hours?

Seven days a week, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October to March. The restaurant is open on public holidays too, so a Pirie Street walk works any day.

Can I book a table for a work group?

Yes — bookings run through OpenTable, and groups of 8 or more should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 so the kitchen and floor can be ready for you.