20 August 2024
47 mins Read
The best Melbourne restaurants demonstrate a keen understanding of one thing: all you need to satisfy customers is local produce, good technique and restraint. Letting Victoria’s best ingredients speak for themselves is what dining out in Melbourne is all about, which is why the city is leading the charge of the loosely drawn concept of modern Australian cuisine.
Below, you’ll find more than 50 of the best restaurants Melbourne has to offer, from fine-dining stalwarts like Vue de Monde and Donovans to some of the best new restaurants in Melbourne like hot 2023 openings Reine & La Rue, Alta Trattoria and Julie.
Consider this your ultimate dining to-do list. Embrace it from top to bottom or skip ahead to your preferred corner of Melbourne below.
Melbourne CBD and surrounds
Northern suburbs
Eastern suburbs
Southern suburbs
Western suburbs
Best for: Luxury dining 55 floors above Melbourne CBD.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Remarkable city views that stretch out to the Dandenong Ranges are a given when you’re 55 floors above Melbourne CBD. For many years, Vue de Monde, currently on the observation deck of Rialto Towers, has been the state’s signature fine dining experience and a reliable showstopper for those wealthy and ravenous in equal measure.
Backed by studious service, executive chef Hugh Allen has now moved away from the Euro-stylings of the restaurant’s formative years and pushed to redefine what “modern Australian” really means, using only the finest native ingredients and a confident splash of restraint across an impressive 18-course feast.
The result is a singular set menu that changes so often it’s impossible to keep up, whether it’s for a weekend lunch or weeknight dinner. That said, all roads inevitably lead to that legendary signature souffle – the only thing on the refreshed menu that remains.
Address: 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: Elegant grill classics in a stylish dining room.
Cuisine: European
The Parisian end of Collins Street is perfectly mirrored by Pascale Bar & Grill’s provocative design that’s as playful as it is classy. QT Melbourne’s signature restaurant fires on all cylinders from breakfast to dinner, reiterating the talents of Executive Chef Nic Wood who has built this into one of the city’s most valued European brasserie-style dining rooms.
An attractive open-plan space seats just 60, meaning a high staff-to-guest ratio and consistently excellent service, as well as a genuine sense of privacy not often associated with buzzy hotel restaurants.
Refined classics is the pitch, lifted with flair from the open kitchen paired with top-tier Victorian produce for classic dishes like the signature QT Black Angus Rib Eye 350g with Cafe de Paris, and the brilliant Berkshire pork cotoletta with an optional add-on of Venella burrata.
Enjoy elegant grill classics at Pascale. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: Level 1/133 Russell St, Melbourne
Best for: Upscale Italian food in a heritage dining space.
Cuisine: Italian
Classic hospitality defines Grossi Florentino, which opened in 1928. Decadent handmade pasta with expensive ingredients still dominates the menu, with signatures like hand-cut fettuccini peppered with rock lobster still shouldering acclaim for Guy Grossi’s flagship kitchen.
Gather at Grossi Florentino’s grand mural room. (Image: Kate Shanasy)
The lunch and dinner service has barely changed throughout the years, landing on a hard-won consistency that all restaurateurs dream of. Head along in the afternoon where a more affordable prix-fixie menu gives you the highlights without breaking the bank.
Dig into the special Agnello Arrotolato dish at Grossi Florentino. (Image: Kate Shanasy)
Address: 80 Bourke St, Melbourne
Best for: Thai street food hidden in an unassuming parking garage.
Cuisine: Thai
Shoot down a laneway off Bourke Street and you’ll find Soi 38 piggybacking off an above-ground concrete parking garage. It’s the kind of hard-to-find hidden gem that makes Melbourne’s dining scene so exciting.
Lunch service is all vats of simmering broth and hand-cut boat noodles, but come evening and the kitchen fires up gas burners for each table. The traditional Thai BBQ menu evokes the backstreets of Bangkok, lifting simple street food with local produce.
If you’re asking for the best Thai restaurants in Melbourne, don’t be surprised if Soi 38 is the first recommendation.
Address: 38 Mcilwraith Pl, Melbourne
Best for: A great balance of traditional and modern French food in a Melbourne laneway.
Cuisine: French
Following almost three years as a function space, Con Christopoulos’ crowd-pleasing French Saloon on Hardware Lane is back better than ever. Head chef Luke Fraser proves his worth on this corner of Little Bourke Street with a stellar menu unconcerned with very little but perfecting classic French and matching that with an extensive wine list.
Match classic French food with an extensive range of wines at French Saloon. (Image: Visit Victoria)
While weekends are still reserved for events, this loft-like space is the perfect mid-week date night with a cosy, romantic ambience that’s classy but completely unpretentious. Best French restaurant in Melbourne? Competition is fierce but this kitchen is certainly up there.
French Saloon gives off a cosy and romantic ambience. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 46 Hardware Ln, Melbourne
Best for: Refined Cantonese classics and gold-standard service.
Cuisine: Cantonese
Enter through the red door in Market Lane and take a short ride in the elevator to the first floor to find one of the most endearing culinary institutions in Australia – Flower Drum. Considered the best upscale Cantonese restaurant in the country since 1975, the formidable eatery is hinged on refined classics.
Victorian produce has given the kitchen simple ways to elevate standards like succulent Peking duck and mud crab. But it’s the entire experience that ensures the space is always flooded with regulars, from the gold-standard service and old-school hospitality to the simple, moody lighting that makes the space still feel like a hidden treasure all these decades later.
Address: 17 Market Ln, Melbourne
Best for: Old-world glamour with immaculate service and stiff drinks.
Cuisine: European-Australian
Few Melbourne restaurants have represented a seismic shift in the city’s dining scene as well as Gimlet at Cavendish House. Stalwart restaurateur Andrew McConnell is at the top of his game with this well-dressed restaurant and bar, which has turned a 1920s building in the CBD into a grand and glitzy powerhouse of hospitality.
Gimlet at Cavendish House is set within a grand 1920s building. (Image: Visit Victoria)
This Acme & Co-designed venue is popular for Martini-fuelled long lunches and swanky client dinners, but it’s just as viable to pull up a seat at the black-and-gold marble bar and dine alone. All types of people walk through those doors, impatiently waiting to clamp their teeth down on juicy southern rock lobsters, seafood salads and coal-roasted meats.
Long lunches and juicy burgers are the order of the day. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 33 Russell St, Melbourne
Best for: Grand dinners in a cathedral-esque space.
Cuisine: French
Nomad Group’s Jacqui Challinor and ex-Nomad chef Brendan Katich are the masterminds behind the transformation of the cathedral-esque Melbourne Stock Exchange building into Reine and La Rue.
The Reine and La Rue delivers delectable dishes. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Much like Andrew McConnell’s Gimlet, the grand 140-seat Reine makes a strong case for ambitious adaptive reuse projects being the way forward for Melbourne’s dining scene. A stunner like this could never be a new build, wearing its age proudly with vaulted ceilings, dual bars and solid granite columns.
Dine inside a cathedral-esque space at Reine & La Rue. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Food is expensive but generously plated with a focus on marrying old-world French flair with top-shelf Australian produce. Flirt through the 40-seat courtyard and you’ll find yourself at the exclusive eight-seat La Rue, a wine bar with the same menu and, unsurprisingly, faster service.
French flair marries top-shelf Australian produce. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 380 Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: Traditional Japanese perfected in an unassuming space.
Cuisine: Japanese
As one of the original Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, Kenzan is still a shining example of how simplicity, consistency and great service are sometimes all you need. Since 1981, this Collins Place fixture has been perfecting traditional Japanese food, betraying its rather drab location on the lower level of a food court with outstanding quality.
Co-owners Kazu Murayama, Yuki Munehiro and Boeing Cho haven’t splashed on any expensive interiors. Kenzan doesn’t look like it should be as good as it is, but between that melt-in-your-mouth tuna belly and grilled eel with sweet soy sauce, there’s no mistaking this for anything but one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city.
A local tip is to head along for lunch instead of dinner, where the same menu is offered but prices are slightly lower.
Address: Collins Place Lower ground floor, 45 Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: Excellent Tuscan feasts wrapped in vintage glamour.
Cuisine: Italian
Chris Lucas’ large-format Italian steakhouse, Grill Americano, is always a big night out. Warm, classic hospitality is all crisp white jackets and cinematic tableside cooking, relying as much on character as exceptional food and an impressive 2,000-bottle wine cellar.
Dine on exceptional Italian cuisine at Grill Americano. (Image: Visit Victoria)
The signature Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a whopping 1.2-kilogram T-bone, can usually be found on every table, flanked by essential sides like potato focaccia and mac ’n’ cheese with prosciutto.
And there’s something about the venue’s irrepressible energy that elevates the food. Sinking into those plush banquettes immediately evokes the vintage grills and brasseries that once defined Melbourne, reaffirming Lucas as one of Melbourne’s most alluring and creative hospo gurus.
The space delivers an irrepressible energy that elevates the food. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 112 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Best for: Classic refined Mexican food in the heart of Melbourne CBD.
Cuisine: Mexican
Widely considered the best Mexican restaurant in Melbourne, Mamasita. relies on much more than just tacos and tostadas (although they are a cut above average as well).
Chef Martin Zozaya changes the menu to reflect the seasonal shifts of Mexico; fresh dishes inspired by Mexico’s Pacific coast define the menu in the summer months while winter is all about meatier, heavier plates like slow-braised beef brisket with chimichurri, onion and hibiscus pickle. Seasons are distinctive here, which speaks highly of the diversity of Mexico’s historic cuisine.
Take the highlights alongside hand-press tacos and an extensive list of mezcals and tequilas. Cocktails are big business at Mamasita, so make sure at least two of those brilliant smoky margaritas end up on your table.
Address: 11 Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: Sky-high fine dining in Melbourne CBD.
Cuisine: Modern Australia
For 2023, one of the hottest new restaurants in Melbourne was Atria. Posh, dramatic and appropriately dressed, this polished fine diner is perfect for those looking for rooftop restaurants with city views in Melbourne. After all, it’s located on the 80th floor of the snazzy Ritz-Carlton Melbourne.
You just can’t beat these 80th floor views of the city. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Dramatic sky dining wouldn’t be nearly as appealing if the food wasn’t half as impressive as the view. Thankfully, executive chef Michael Greenlaw (ex-Vue De Monde) raises the bar with uncomplicated dishes leaning heavily on Victoria’s best produce seared by a powerhouse woodfired grill.
Indulge in carefully curated dishes at Atria. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Seafood, steak and fresh vegetables might sound rather standard for a modern Australian restaurant in Melbourne but Atria does simplicity so well. A distinct love of native ingredients is obvious, as is Greenlaw’s love of showcasing lesser-known seafood like longsnout boarfish and grass whiting.
Don’t forget to browse the globe-trotting wine list. The book of varietals is more like an encyclopedia, with both classic back vintages and modern drops sharing the spotlight.
Address: 650 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Best for: Australian ingredients expressed with Nordic techniques and light, healthy food.
Cuisine: Nordic, Australia
Freyja occupies two floors of the 1880s Olderfleet building on Collins Street, proudly showcasing its heritage guts with original details like a spiral staircase, restored brick and vintage blue leather banquettes.
The dining space at Freyja makes the most of its heritage building. (Image: Arianna Leggiero)
Named for a Norse goddess, this dramatic dining room expertly blends Scandinavia’s love of pickling, smoking and preserving ingredients with modern Australian cuisine. And the results are fantastic, from the lunch-only traditional Smorrebrod with rainbow trout, potato and seasonal herbs, to dinner service classics like duck served with daikon, mustard leaf, black currant and coriander seed.
Chef Jae Bang has Michelin hats under his belt and the pedigree shows in his delicate, open-minded dishes that are always serving up something new. For the best experience, fork out for the $159 Taste of Freyja menu which comes with an $85 add-on option of fresh, exciting and natural wines.
Indulge in the Taste of Freyja menu at least once. (Image: Arianna Leggiero)
Address: 477 Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: A relaxed meal out with friends.
Cuisine: Thai
Melbourne, like every other city in Australia, has so many Thai restaurants that sifting through them all would be exhausting. Thai Tide, however, easily stands out from the pack by focusing heavily on regionality.
Enjoy a relaxing dinner with friends at Thai Tide. (Image: Arianna Leggiero)
Split across two dining rooms, Merica Chaungvat’s energetic kitchen moves away from Issan staples like pad Thai towards dishes like osso buco khao soi, pad kee morat (basically a spicier pad Thai), and pad kee mao. Share-style plates and soups you’d usually find in places like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are also served here and matched with a list of Australian natural wines.
Come with friends to make the most of the share-style plates. (Image: Arianna Leggiero)
Beautifully attentive, unobtrusively quiet service helps the relaxed atmosphere resonate. A dinner at Thai Tide is a more low-key affair, designed for good conversation, great food, and very little else.
Address: 171 Bourke St, Melbourne
Best for: Inventive Japanese set menus in one of Melbourne’s best hotels.
Cuisine: Japanese
The 29-seat kappo experience at Warabi is the most premium experience you can have in Melbourne’s outrageously stylish W Hotel on Flinders Lane. For the uninitiated, kappo is very much like omakase, instead where the latter refers mostly to sushi and sashimi, the former has a wider palate and can include other dishes as well.
Priced at $285 per person, the set is usually around nine courses and is completely unexpected, leaving the direction up to the chef and the kitchen’s produce of the day. Sitting at the wraparound bar, watching chefs tinker in an open-plan kitchen, just adds to the theatre of it all.
Unlike many omakase experiences in Melbourne, the style at Warabi is as social as it is intimate, offering a more energetic evening than your usual whisper-quiet sushi session.
Address: 408 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Best for: A focused regional dining experience transporting guests from Melbourne to Gippsland.
Cuisine: Modern Australia
When it comes to countries like Thailand and China, Australian restaurants nod to regionality and authenticity. Rarely would you find a modern Australian kitchen with a laser focus on just one region of the country, which is why Farmer’s Daughters is such an interesting pitch.
Experience farm-to-table dining at Farmer’s Daughters.
Peruvian chef Alejandro Saravia Pastuso has conjured a triple-stacked ode to Gippsland, inspired by a produce tour he took that championed the region’s natural beauty and its storied produce.
As such, each level of Farmer’s Daughters has been designed after the bucolic wonder of Gippsland, from the ground floor deli to the restaurant in the middle and the gorgeous triangular rooftop bar. All three extoll the joys of country dining, backed by excellent service and a consistency most restaurateurs can only dream of.
Lunch or dinner at Farmer’s Daughters offers one of the best farm-to-table dining experiences in Melbourne.
Step into the dimly lit Farmer’s Daughters’ classic dining interior.
Address: 95 Exhibition Street, 80 Collins Precinct, Melbourne
Best for: Epic Middle Eastern feasts for lunch or dinner.
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Shane Delia’s pride and joy is still one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Melbourne. The generous, indulgent feasts of roasted chicken breast or slow-roasted lamb shoulder surrounded by several mezze plates at Maha will never get old.
Book ahead to secure a reservation at Maha.
As one of Melbourne’s favourite restaurants, it’s equally difficult to score a reservation for lunch or dinner. Effort is rewarded by a gregarious, highly sociable atmosphere.
Note that the set Soufra menu is exactly the same for lunch service and it’s slightly more affordable ($95 versus $110) so head along in the afternoon if you’re on a budget.
Indulge in a Middle-Eastern feast.
Address: 21 Bond St, Melbourne
Best for: Traditional Kaiseki dining in a relaxed basement dining room.
Cuisine: Japanese
You don’t often find authentic Kaiseki cuisine outside of Japan. This historic, degustation-style way of eating is similar to an omakase, but it’s much broader than just sushi and sashimi.
Ishizuka, located in a basement on Bourke Street, celebrates the art of Kaiseki with a set of around 12 delicate courses. There are only 16 diners at a time, so the intimate atmosphere and attentive service help block out distractions to keep the focus on flavour.
It’s expensive. At $315 per person, this set is more of a special treat than a monthly visit. But what you’ll get for that price is immaculate Japanese flavours, following the typical course of a Kaiseki menu. Wine matches are available for an additional $150 per person, and there’s a non-alcoholic option for $80 per person.
Experience traditional Kaiseki dining at Ishizuka.
Address: 139 Bourke St, Melbourne
Best for: A sophisticated Modern Asian feast with unique cocktails and a classy atmosphere.
Cuisine: Modern Asian
Bouncing off the heavy acclaim they built with Sunda, the Windsor Melbourne hospitality group has turned sister restaurant Aru into one of the city’s finest hubs of modern Asian flavours.
Settle into the elegant fine dining space at Aru Restaurant.
Graceful service, a busy open kitchen with chefs crowding around a woodfire hearth, and warm design mean lunch or dinner at Aru is a classy affair. A delicious one too, with elevated dishes like king green prawn rice noodles with pork crackling, coconut and garlic chives, Moreton Bay bug fried rice with spiced crayfish and bottarga, and a brilliant 14-day dry-aged duck with rhubarb, black cabbage and bamboo.
Where Sunda is a more typical fine dining experience, Aru turns more towards generous plating and stomach-filling feasts. Not only that, but the cocktail menu is one of the city’s most unique with modern concoctions you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
Dine on modern Asian cuisine with a twist.
Address: 268 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Best for: Inventive modern Asian sliced with fine Australian produce in a fun setting.
Cuisine: Modern Asian
Andrew McConnell’s iron-clad grip on Melbourne’s dining scene just wouldn’t have been possible if he didn’t venture into modern Asian with the brilliant Supernormal. As one of Melbourne’s favourite restaurants, the slick, colourful dining room always gives off the right vibe for a big night out, and the food is just as energetic.
You’ll spot Japanese flavours spliced with Chinese and Korean when looking through the ever-changing menu. You’ll need at least one of those New England lobster rolls on the table, best taken with pork ribs, Spencer Gulf prawns, those brilliant prawn and chicken dumplings, and maybe that Milawa chicken with green harissa and miso butter. Flavour combinations at Supernormal are clever, satisfying and creative.
Dine on inventive modern Asian cuisine at Supernormal. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 180 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Best for: A refined Cantonese feast with some of the best dumplings in town.
Cuisine: Cantonese
After moving from Collingwood to the CBD in 2015, Victor Liong swapped the industrial Melbourne look of his popular Chinese restaurant for something a bit more airy and seductive. The Duckboard Place iteration of Lee Ho Fook is dim, sexy and elegant.
But just because the aesthetic has changed, doesn’t mean the award-winning food has. Liong’s parade of chefs still dishes up some of the best Peking duck you can find in Melbourne. Here, a 10-day dry-aged duck is imported from Macedon and slow-roasted before being dished up with steamed pancakes, quince hoisin sauce and several side dishes.
But just about everything at Lee Ho Fook will hit the mark, from the Glacier 51 toothfish to prawn toast with salted egg yolk butter. The best approach is to dig deep for the $160 per person banquet menu with a Chinese tea pairing for an additional $50.
Address: 11-15 Duckboard Pl, Melbourne
Best for: A special occasion dinner before a show at the Regent Theatre.
Cuisine: European, Middle Eastern
Nomad Group is making some power moves in this city. While the dramatic Reine and La Rue has quickly become one of the coolest restaurants in Melbourne, let’s not forget that its Victorian debut was the local iteration of the group’s signature Sydney restaurant, Nomad. This version is just as clever, with a beautiful 100-seat space beneath the Adelphi Hotel.
Sink into the comfortable brown banquettes at Nomad. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Once your eyes gaze over the open kitchen and epic charcuterie display, sink into those angled brown banquettes and dive into Brendan Katich’s sturdy open-flame cooking. Some of Nomad Sydney’s best dishes, like the kingfish ceviche, have been imported but a vast majority of the food here is exclusive to Melbourne. The charcuterie selection is a must, of course, followed by fast favourites like a sugarloaf cabbage and ricotta pie, dry-aged pork cutlet with golden raisins, and BBQ wagyu tongue with vine leaf salsa verde and labneh.
Note that lunch and dinner are available seven days a week. But the best way to experience Nomad Melbourne might be the $85 pre-theatre menu followed by a show at Regent Theatre.
Order something special for dinner at Nomad. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 187 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Best for: Rich handmade pasta in the heart of Melbourne CBD.
Cuisine: Italian
Many consider Tipo 00 to be the best Italian restaurant in Melbourne. Some would say Australia. And it’s hard to argue against what this petite CBD dining room has got going for it – beautiful handmade pasta, excellent wine, and efficient service.
Tipo 00 is set in the heart of Melbourne. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You’ll have to contend with the after-work crowd if you want dinner, so the best time to pop into Tipo 00 is in the afternoon. Lunch here is a veritable smorgasbord of Italian flavours, from the Moreton Bay bug spaghetti and wagyu mafaldine, to charred octopus and what we feel is the best tiramisu in Melbourne.
The authentic Italian dishes never disappoint. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 361 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Best for: An easy reminder of how adaptable and delicious Italian cuisine can be.
Cuisine: Italian
Osteria Ilaria comes from the same team behind Tipo 00. And the endearing focus on high-quality, handmade pasta and modern Italian dishes is just as effective in this modern kitchen.
A simple chef’s menu for $105 per person is usually the way to go if you want to experience the kitchen’s greatest hits. But the a la carte menu is full of exciting twists, pulling on other European countries to show how adaptable Italian cuisine is.
You might start with a potato tart served with smoked eel and either salmon roe or oscietra caviar, then you’ll move on to fresh starters like Abrolhos Island scallops with sage and artichoke before rich, hearty pasta like paccheri with pork and rabbit ragu. Or you could ditch pasta altogether and go for something like the lamb backstrap with mountain pepper polenta.
The menu is so wide-ranging and creative that just one visit won’t quite cut it for this Little Bourke Street favourite.
Address: 367 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Best for: Excellent pizza and pasta in a simple space on Hardware Lane.
Cuisine: Italian
Located on the first floor of the heritage-listed Hardware House on Hardware Lane, this 65-seater is serving up some of the best pizza in Melbourne. Co-owner Nicola Dusi commands the most out of that small woodfire oven behind the bar, offering simple, delicious pizza and house-baked bread along with a menu of pasta and mostly coastal dishes.
Expect speedy service and consistently good food at Hardware Club.
The approach at Hardware Club is very much aligned with classic Italian recipes but there are also a few surprises like roasted bone marrow toast with salsa verde and fried capers, burrata with spicy nduja jam and gremolata, and a hearty pork and fennel sausage wheel with silverbeet and shallots.
The simple design and speedy service further Hardware Lane’s convivial charm, pushing Hardware Lane as an any-day-of-the-week option for visitors looking to have a fun, relaxed night out.
The 65-seater restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere.
Address: 43 Hardware Lane Upstairs, Melbourne
Best for: Inventive Indian food in an exclusive setting.
Cuisine: Indian
After starting as a 10-person degustation concept run out of chef Helly Raichura’s Box Hill home, Enter Via Laundry spent some time popping up in various locations before landing on a permanent location in Carlton North. Now, this cosy kitchen is placed as one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne.
The wildly popular dining room serves 20 guests at a time, maintaining a very homely vibe as Raichura highlights historic Indian dishes from regions not often discussed in the food world. Her sense of creativity is unmatched, often digging up centuries-old recipes and translating them for a comprehensive essay on Indian food.
Due to the intimacy, service is always whisper-quiet and very attentive. The feeling of exclusivity is key, so you won’t even be given the exact address until you book.
Indulge in Indian dishes at the intimate dining in Enter Via Laundry.
Address: Nicholson St, Carlton North
Best for: A comforting bistro vibe where the food is chosen to complement the wine – not the other way around.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
The best wine bar in Melbourne? You’ll be hard-pressed to find a neighbourhood wine bar with as many recommendations as this beauty on the leafy corner of Drummond and Faraday Streets in Carlton.
Sample signature vinos at The Carlton Wine Room. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Carlton Wine Room occupies a gorgeous 19th-century building, working those heritage bones with a sharp sense of style. A marble bar looks over a communal table for the main show, although there are five levels in total including a bluestone cellar that can be booked for private dining.
The wine list of around 100 bottles gives the expert team a nice scope for regulars looking for some new favourites, while the food leans towards modern Australian with ideas borrowed from across Europe.
Not only has it become one of the best places to eat in Carlton, but the classic bistro comfort more than justifies the trek from just about anywhere in Melbourne.
The food at The Carlton Wine Room complements the wine. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 172-174 Faraday St, Carlton
Best for: Elegant Euro-Japanese food on Lygon Street in a very calming dining room.
Cuisine: European, Japanese
Saori and Kazuki Tsuya moved their popular fine diner from Daylesford to Carlton in 2018. And the increased visibility has paid off, positioning Kazuki’s as one of the most popular restaurants on Lygon Street right now.
Step into the calming dining room at Kazuki’s.
Moreton Bay bugs, ocean trout, lamb, snapper. This is a masterclass in fine Australian produce flicked through the wide-ranging filter of a European-meets-Japanese hybrid cuisine. The results are endlessly satisfying, usually delivered with a seven-course set menu and either a “classic wine” or “fancy wine” pairing.
Treat yourself to lavishly-designed dishes at Kazuki’s.
The soft, zen-like interior reflects the minimalism of the food. Each dish demonstrates incredible restraint, favouring simplicity like all the best restaurants in Melbourne do.
Kazuki’s champions minimalist dishes.
Address: 121 Lygon St, Carlton
Best for: Good quality, affordable Italian food in the heart of Carlton.
Cuisine: Italian
What grew from an Italian delivery service during the pandemic is now one of the best restaurants in Carlton. Andrea Vignali and Davide Bonadiman pitch Al Dente Enoteca as a casual wine bar and shop with a stylish restaurant attached.
Valued for its approachable fine dining, the kitchen is classic Italian with beautiful handmade pasta and simple, uncomplicated dishes like Victorian-aged duck breast served with Jerusalem artichoke. Although most would come here for pasta dishes like saffron spaghetti with Moreton Bay bugs and paccheri with tuna toro and nduja.
Local winemakers are showcased extensively with the wine menu while the bartenders whip on subtle twists on negronis and do a surprisingly noteworthy highball.
Address: 161 Nicholson St, Carlton
Best for: Smoky flavours and rustic cooking using top-shelf Victorian produce.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
There are only a small handful of restaurants in Australia that are run almost entirely on fire, smoke and charcoal. Nicki Morrison’s beautiful Flint is one of them, inspired by a traditional Argentinian steakhouse, swapping ovens for natural heat.
The popular Smith Street restaurant is intimate, stylish and relaxed while the kitchen pumps out incredible steaks and roasted vegetables that’ll challenge the way you think about humble carrots and potatoes.
Fan favourites, like smokey venison tartare with fermented beet, buckwheat and pickle, ensure a sizable list of regular clientele, so be sure to book ahead of dinner service. Flint is one of the most popular restaurants in Melbourne for lovers of superb grilled meats and cooked seafood.
Address: 199 Smith St, Fitzroy
Best for: Classic Melbourne fine dining with an unpretentious menu and friendly service.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Andrew McConnell’s handsome fine dining institution is still as sharp as ever. As one of the best restaurants in Fitzroy, this kitchen is classic Melbourne. And if you’ve been paying attention to this list of Melbourne’s best restaurants, you’ll know that this instantly means two things: simplicity and great produce.
Meat, fish and vegetables rule the very uncomplicated menu, best taken either as part of the $180 per person five-course set menu or the high-value Sunday lunch set that’s very light on the wallet at $95.
Either way, what you can expect from Cutler & Co. is classic friendly service, and share-style dishes like the signature hay-baked chicken with herb butter and bread. Timeless, refined and oh-so-satisfying.
Address: 55/57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Best for: Exciting Eastern European food refined for Melbourne’s high standards.
Cuisine: Polish
Head chef Zackary Furst highlights his Polish heritage via the food at Fitzroy’s irresistible Bar Liberty. Pierogies, which are potato and cheese dumplings, are served with sour cream and caramelised onions alongside various flatbreads and more substantial dishes like pork collar steak.
An approachable wine list helps drive it all home for the popular hipster hangout, displaying a very of-the-moment collection that favours young winemakers and low-intervention wines but still has more than enough room for the recognisable classics.
The food and wine at Bar Liberty are consistently good. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Service is as casual and laid-back as the decor, fitting seamlessly into Fitzroy’s reputation as one of the most welcoming and diverse suburbs in Melbourne.
Address: 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Best for: A hyper-focused Italian dining experience nodding to the Piedmont region.
Cuisine: Italian
Modelled after the intimate, wine-centric trattorias you’d find scattered around Piedmont, Alta Trattoria is easily one of Fitzroy’s best Italian restaurants. And one of its most attractive, favouring a bucolic look with forest green hues and interior olive trees.
A passion project for Carlo Grossi (of Grossi Florentino) and sommelier James Tait, the venue only opened in 2023 and already has a large and loyal following.
Alta Trattoria is always a full house.
The straightforward menu tracks regional classics like tajarin with rabbit ragu, spaghetti alla chitarra, and whole roasted lamb rump served with lentils and pancetta.
Given wine is such a strong focus, it’s pretty much mandatory to have some Barolo sitting on the table. Tait also showcases some of his favourite French and Australian growers, but for the most part, the wine list is glued to the Piedmont region.
Dine at this wine-centric trattoria for a meal to remember.
Address: 274 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Best for: Interesting Asian flavours and a massive wine list.
Cuisine: Modern Asian, Middle Eastern
This smart, handsome wine bar is as low-key as they come, preferring the humble neighbourhood approach over anything flashy. But Etta is still a big deal, presenting an intelligent range of Asian and Middle Eastern flavours helmed by head chef Rosheen Kaul.
Catch up with your mates over a bottle of wine or two at Etta. (Image: Annika Kafcaloudis)
Kaul, who penned a James Beard-winning book on the Chinese-Australian culinary identity a few years ago, gifts Brunswick a homely spot to sip natural wines and browse a seriously flavourful menu. Here she puts up interesting plates like red curry rice salad with grilled octopus, and rainbow trout with grilled pippies, Korean chilli, and flowering garlic.
A 250-bottle wine list holds the other end of the experience, representing some of the world’s finest growing regions with a preference towards textural, distinctive wines. You’ll be leaving with a new favourite or two, especially if you’ve left it up to the knowledgeable staff to choose.
Expect a homely spot with a seriously flavourful menu.
Address: 60 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Best for: A subversive dining experience where set menus change frequently.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ex-Attica sous chef Peter Gunn found a permanent venue for his high-concept IDES back in 2016, setting up in Collingwood with just 36 seats and an arrestingly casual space. He learned well from Ben Shewry’s masterful kitchen, building beautiful set menus with only the best local produce and wiping the slate clean frequently.
A frequent change in approach is anchored by Gunn’s heady creativity, testing boundaries with four to six-course menus and always keeping things interesting. Locals have become so enamoured with the chef’s spontaneity that IDES is often one of the first answers you’d get when asking after the best fine dining restaurants in Melbourne.
Address: 92 Smith St, Collingwood
Best for: Whimsical design and classic French food.
Cuisine: French
Scott Pickett’s sense of style has become more sophisticated as the years pass. Smith St Bistrot has to be one of the most attractive dining rooms in Melbourne right now, with its romantic old-world Parisian interior, cobbled with antique mirrors, plush burgundy banquettes and lavish chandeliers.
Much like Hubert in Sydney, stepping into Smith St Bistrot is like entering a time capsule set for the glitzy 1920s. Such a swanky setting is filled with dirty Martinis, caviar service and Daniel Southern’s fun twists on timeless French classics.
Braised snails in puff pastry are an easy fan favourite, but the real showstoppers are the signature mains. Think dry-aged wagyu with mushroom duxelles and green peppercorn sauce and an excellent Humpty Doo barramundi served with sauce bouillabaisse and confit fennel. It’s all-class for what is now one of Pickett’s best restaurants.
Address: 300 Smith St, Collingwood
Best for: Creative vegetarian food with top-shelf Victorian produce.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
If you’re looking for good vegetarian food in Melbourne, the top suggestion is likely Smith and Daughters. This dinner-only destination is leading the charge for the meat-free movement in Melbourne, with most items on the menu completely vegan and absolutely delicious.
With its high-energy atmosphere and quick service, chef Shannon Martinez has very little to worry about as her team shop around plates of BBQ sugarloaf with mustard cafe de Paris sauce, shiitake and crimson pearl croquettes, and hashbrowns with smoked mushroom XO.
There are a few menu items that should satisfy those with a love of meat and seafood, but for the most part, consider this Cambridge Street favourite the best of all the many vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne.
For locals wanting vegan-friendly restaurants with gluten-free options in Melbourne, it’s almost become second nature to make a beeline straight for this Cambridge Street favourite.
Address: 107 Cambridge St, Collingwood
Best for: Fun, social dining with top-shelf ingredients and simple flavours.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Melbourne has many notable chefs constantly spiking the city with culinary magic. Yet few are as prolific as Scott Pickett, who has been leading the state’s food conversation for decades via restaurants like Matilda and Saint Crispin.
The simple approach of exacting technique married with the state’s finest produce always works. Pickett understands this incredibly well, which is why this head-turning venue, split between a wine bar, a main dining room, and a courtyard, is always going to impress.
Whether it’s firing up the pit for a Sunday spit in spring or forcing couples to square off over the last bite of hot honeyed BBQ quail, dining at Estelle is consistently fun, social and deeply satisfying. A bold, traditional wine list, with mostly big names from Australia and beyond, certainly helps.
Dining at Estelle is consistently fun, social and deeply satisfying.
Address: 243-245 High St, Northcote
Best for: Several versions of lasagne baked perfectly and paired with Italian wines.
Cuisine: Italian
There will be no prizes for guessing what kind of food 1800 Lasagne serves. It’s all about the comfort food classic here, with several different versions of lasagne available to mix and match with classic spritzes, rosé on tape or super reliable Italian prosecco.
Founder Joey Kellock started 1800 Lasagne as one of Melbourne’s best delivery services. Now, the restaurant in Thornbury has expanded the product and has proven one of the suburb’s most valuable venues.
The 50-seat restaurant is split between a front bar, dining room, a small laneway area, and a breezy courtyard out back. Wherever you sit, you’re guaranteed some of the best lasagne you’ve had in your life, from the hearty bolognese version with minced beef and pork to a spectacular vegetarian lasagne with eggplant. Huge salads are available to balance the piles of fromage.
Quirky and unique themed restaurants in Melbourne miss more than they hit, but Kellock has found a niche well worth the price of admission. It’s not quite a fit for anyone looking for romantic candlelit dinner spots for couples in Melbourne, but the fun atmosphere does make for the perfect date night.
Address: 653 High St, Thornbury
Best for: A romantic setting and subversive, seasonal menus.
Cuisine: European
This quaint 50-seater, simply named Julie, continues the city’s love affair with small, homely eateries that tourists always, regrettably, seem to brush over.
The rotating menu centres around Julie Blum’s kitchen garden, not only defining the venue’s idyllic, dream-like quality but providing the lion’s share of produce which Blum then whips into home-style classics. European influences are paramount, but Blum’s worldly approach to seasonal cooking always manages some pleasant surprises.
Julie delivers homely classics with a European influence. (Image: Michael Gardenia)
Address: 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Best for: Affordable Vietnamese food with subtle Chinese influences.
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Box Hill is a smorgasbord of high-quality, affordable Asian restaurants that dance around favourites like Thai and Vietnamese. But it’s the latter that’s best represented in the multicultural suburb, particularly at Tien Dat on Carrington Road.
There’s nothing particularly alluring about the space itself. It’s as plain as they come, largely unchanged since the Pham family first opened doors in 1983. The large menu means plenty of choices and several dishes that skirt the interesting blend of Chinese and Vietnamese flavours like spicy salt and pepper squid and duck handrolls.
Yet, it’s the traditional recipes that hit the hardest. Bowls of exceptional pho and delicious rice paper rolls are a must, as are signatures like banh cuon, which is a fermented rice batter filled with seasoned ground pork, mushrooms and shallots.
Address: 3 Carrington Rd, Box Hill
Best for: High-end sushi with dazzling private dining rooms and a true sense of occasion.
Cuisine: Japanese
Sushi master Koichi Minamishima dominates the hearts and minds of anyone who has a deep love of fine Japanese cuisine. Reservations are exceedingly difficult to come across for this acclaimed 40-seat restaurant, which is the sushi chef’s first solo outing and is generally considered the benchmark for Japanese food in Australia.
The peak offering, a 15-course sushi omakase, takes place at the long bar but bigger groups would want to splash out for one of the private dining rooms with their own sushi bar and sushi chef.
As expected, the experience at Minamishima changes daily and is strictly driven by the availability of certain delicacies and fresh local seafood. Any path you choose is going to lead straight to unadulterated sushi bliss, but make sure you’re taking advantage of the tightly curated selection of sake as well.
All food prepared by Sushi master Koichi Minamishima demands respect. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 4 Lord St, Richmond
Best for: A relaxed mid-week dinner or impressive Saturday lunch.
Cuisine: European
Opened as a sister venue to nearby cocktail lounge Ugly Duckling, Untitled is a slick 100-seater from co-owners Andrew Ryan, Daniel Vid and David Abela.
Rich walnut, textured oak and a gorgeous art collection help build a mature, classy atmosphere that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Just stepping inside feels like you’ve swapped the grit of Swan Street for the arresting calm of an art gallery. After all, both Ryan and Abela are passionate art collectors.
Pull up a chair at the slick Untitled restaurant. (Image: Visit Victoria)
The unfussy European food is perfect for any day of the week, opting for casual charmers like chilli crab linguine with confit garlic and salmon roe, and pork cotoletta with celeriac remoulade and a caper and sage butter.
Mostly Australian growers feature on the tight wine list although there is a great deal of classic French and Italian producers as well. Don’t be afraid to chat with the team about exploring new varietals; the service here is notably relaxed and welcomes you like an old friend.
The European menu at Untitled is notably good.
Address: 236 Swan St, Cremorne
Best for: Moody design, creative Japanese food and herbal teas.
Cuisine: Japanese
Who knew you could mash a Chinese doughnut with classic prawn toast and make it work?
Creativity is key at Yugen Dining, which has quickly become one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. And much like Amaru out in Annandale, an ex-Vue de Monde star is leading the charge.
Yugen’s creativity shines through in every dish served. (Image: Visit Victoria)
That is, Stephen Nairn, a former tea sommelier who has built two stunning venues stacked on top of one another. The first, Yugen Tea Bar, gets by with its award-winning angular design and unique offering, while the underground Yugen Dining frames mostly Japanese-adjacent flavours with stone walls and a mesmerising amber glow.
The best way to play is by reserving a spot at the six-seat omakase bar, where chef Alex Yu’s exacting experiments with Japanese and Australian produce are anchored by pure decadence and immaculate service.
The elegant dining space is a real showstopper. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 605 Chapel St, South Yarra
Best for: A buzzy Asian smokehouse with bold flavours and unique dishes.
Cuisine: Chinese and Japanese
Narada Kudinar is obsessed with smoky flavours, so consider Yan an easy pick if you’re looking to dial in the distinct flavours of smoked king prawns, grilled corn with teriyaki butter, and beef short ribs with sansho pepper.
Embrace the buzzy atmosphere at Yan.
The brief here is wide-reaching but mostly favours the delicacy of Cantonese cuisine, pairing that with East Asian-inspired cocktails in a high-energy atmosphere that’s best for bigger groups.
Kudinar has designed most of the menu to pair well with smoke, although there are just as many star items that aren’t imbued with the distinctive flavour. Although even the signature Hong Kong milk tea layer cake can’t escape the chef’s obsession, making use of both black tea and milk tea powder as well as punchy smoked rum.
Dine on bold Asian flavours at Yan. (Image: Arianna Leggiero)
Address: 22 Toorak Rd, South Yarra
Best for: Perfectly cooked steak and schmoozy dinners in the heart of South Yarra.
Cuisine: French
Considered the best steakhouse in Melbourne, France-Soir is the city’s stately gentleman, a scene of important client dinners, general schmoozing and expensive bottles of wine. Cited as the best restaurant in South Yarra, the doors of this dazzling French steakhouse first flung open in 1986.
Celebrity spotting is a common sport for those seated at the bar, but anyone seated at their tables has their eyes on one thing and one thing only, the food. Expect beautiful, classic, understated French food like classic steak frites, snails in garlic butter, and pork sausage with mustard.
It isn’t common knowledge amongst visitors, but you can BYO for lunch between Monday and Thursday. And there’s no corkage charge. Those heading for dinner, however, will need to contend with the extensive wine list – a compendium of French varietals with over 1,000 bottles listed from the approximately 6,000 bottles in France-Soir’s tightly packed cellar.
Address: 11 Toorak Rd, South Yarra
Best for: Perfect views of St Kilda beach and upscale seafood dishes.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Wide-ranging views of Port Phillip Bay pull on one of Melbourne’s best perspectives while diners sit under an award-winning installation made of 2,000 glass tubes glowing in bright pink.
Take in beachfront views at Stokehouse. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Stokehouse, which opened in 1989 and has persevered through tragedy (a kitchen fire destroyed the venue in 2014), still presents as one of the most attractive dining rooms in the state. And it’s best experienced at lunchtime, on clear days when those floor-to-ceiling windows prove their worth and St Kilda springs to life.
Stokehouse overlooks St Kilda Beach. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Reliably fresh seafood is why most walk through the doors, but the kitchen is just as nifty when it comes to land produce. Yet it’s hard to look past signatures like spaghetti with local rock flathead and fish collar nduja.
Stick to sand-level for the more approachable Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, keeping things casual but still matching those lofty standards. You’ll get a sense of why Stokehouse is considered one of the top-rated seafood restaurants near the Melbourne waterfront.
Don’t go past the seafood at Stokehouse. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Address: 30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda
Best for: Homely fine dining on St Kilda Beach.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Kevin and Gail Donovan have gifted Melbourne something wholly unique with Donovans. This St Kilda classic is a homely fine diner right next to the golden sands of the historic suburb’s iconic beach. And it’s just as relaxed, brimming with personable service and a home-away-from-home ambience.
Family photos and mismatched furniture sit around this little “house on the beach”, stripping away any air of pretension and welcoming guests to a fine home-cooked meal. Australian and New Zealand produce crawl across the broad menu, which favours simple dishes like spanner crab ravioli and slow-cooked lamb shoulder.
The vibe at Donovans is cosy and homey.
Address: 40 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda
Best for: Classic fine dining Italian not far from St Kilda Beach.
Cuisine: Italian
Cafe Di Stasio is another one of St Kilda’s best restaurants and a great pick for lunch or dinner. It’s not far from the sands of St Kilda Beach, is consistently regarded as one of the top Italian restaurants in Melbourne, and has been serving locals since 1988 under the steady hand of owner Ronnie Di Stasio.
Cafe Di Stasio delivers classic Italian fine dining.
On entry, it’s hard to tell that this restaurant has been around for decades. The dining room looks decidedly modern with its glowing masks and textured walls, full of well-dressed locals stabbing at the popular seasonal set lunch menu, and suits entertaining clients at night.
It’s all tied together by exceptional, straightforward pasta dishes like spaghetti vongole veraci and hearty mains like cotoletta alla bolognese, paired with a wine list that keeps it the old-world classics as a nod to Cafe Di Stasio’s cashed-up regulars.
Cafe Di Stasio’s interior looks minimalist and modern.
Address: 31 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
Best for: A masterclass in global cuisines married with Australian ingredients.|
Cuisine: Modern Australia
Clinton McIver’s worldly 34-seat fine diner trumpets the sterling reputation he built as the former sous chef at Vue du Monde. His experience has given him the culinary know-how to pull on so many cuisines and somehow execute it all flawlessly.
Amaru is a 34-seat fine diner in Armadale.
There aren’t many restaurants in the country, let alone the world, that can maintain a wide scope while still coming across as composed and balanced. The fact that Amaru can do it so well is a testament to McIver’s instinct.
The kitchen is thoughtful, endlessly creative, and well-versed in many different regions, pushing an ever-changing menu that in the past has included crowd-pleasers like roasted Flinders Island wallaby tail dumplings with saltbush butter.
Taste your way around the creative menu.
Address: 1121 High St, Armadale
Best for: Family-style Greek feasts with a social atmosphere.
Cuisine: Greek
Located on the first floor of The Hellenic House Projects on Highett Road, The Good Room is the latest project from ex-MasterChef Australia judge George Calombaris. While The Press Club and Gazi are no more, Calombaris looks to restore Melbourne’s love of family-style Greek cooking with the help of head chef Anthony Thalassinos and an arrestingly casual dining room.
Feast on Greek classics at The Good Room in Highett.
The casual Kitchen downstairs focuses mostly on souvlaki and potato cakes loaded with taramasalata, as well as George’s reliable feta chips, while the upstairs dining room is geared towards epic Greek feasts. Unsurprisingly, the signature slide-off-the-bone lamb shoulder has proven a faultless fan favourite.
Do note that you can only grab lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, while The Good Room only opens from 4pm every other day.
Address: 515 Highett Rd, Highett
Best for: Creative set menus that tell stories and use only the finest local ingredients.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ben Shewry has created something remarkable and wholly unique at the world-renowned Attica.
Often cited as one of the best restaurants in Australia, Attica is largely responsible for changing the national conversation on what “modern Australia” means, leaning heavily on native ingredients, as well as both local and personal stories to build a homely, dinner-only dining room that’s as sophisticated as it is dynamic.
Attica uses only the finest local ingredients.
Imaginative set menus feel like culinary novels, helped by an equally exploratory wine list and classic, easy-going hospitality. All elements work to posture Attica on the global stage as one of the city’s most captivating and important kitchens.
Savour sophisticated dishes at Attica.
Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea
Best for: Elegant French food in one of Melbourne’s most stylish dining rooms.
Cuisine: French
Would you believe that one of the best French restaurants in Melbourne began life as a pop-up? Entrecote was never meant to be a permanent fixture when it opened in South Yarra in 2014, yet popularity was so immediate that the brasserie’s swift exit would likely lead to a riot.
Entrecote is one of the most elegant French restaurants in Melbourne. (Image: Lillie Thompson)
Instead, Entrecote remained the signature restaurant of South Yarra before it moved to a new location on Prahran’s Greville Street in 2021. Now with enough space for 200 diners, a jazzy Parisian design, and a raw seafood bar, this hub of fine French food is firing on all cylinders.
Expect to feel transported to Paris. (Image: Lillie Thompson)
Pick up some lobster frites if it’s a special occasion and make sure to stop the caviar trolley as it darts between the tables. Of course, you could just go straight for the kitchen’s signature steak frites served simply with herb sauce and browse the long wine list or ask for one of the bar’s astutely balanced, French-inspired cocktails.
Nab a spot inside the French-inspired Entrecote restaurant. (Image: Lillie Thompson)
Address: 142 Greville St, Prahran
Best for: Affordable degustation menus and intelligent, simple cooking.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Opt for the $95 per person Saturday lunch set menu at Navi if you’re on a budget. This high-quality degustation offers incredible value and perfectly showcases chef Julian Hill’s grasp of farm-to-table dining.
The 33-seat dining room pulses with Hill’s calm, clever cooking and rests largely on the intimate atmosphere and quiet, unobtrusive service. You’ll find that the menu changes frequently, but a strict dedication to technique guarantees you’ll be walking away satisfied.
Most dishes have only one or two other ingredients, with Hill preferring to fully showcase the star ingredient. The chef is somewhat of an auteur, with Navi showcasing his love of ceramics as well – Hill made every plate in the restaurant, matching well with those textured charcoal walls.
Address: 83b Gamon St, Yarraville
Best for: A premium omakase experience exclusive to four diners at a time.
Cuisine: Japanese
There are only four seats at Matsu, all facing chef-owner Hansol Lee as he presents a high-end Japanese dining experience out in Footscray. Yes, one of Melbourne’s most multicultural western suburbs is an odd choice for such a premium offering. However, Lee would have always been operating in the shadow of Minamishima’s supremacy if he had stuck to the CBD.
Prepare for an adventurous multi-course meal at Matsu. (Image: Harvard Wang)
Whether it’s crayfish with nori, or oysters with caviar and ponzu, Matsu’s $210 multi-course omakase menu represents outstanding value and is executed with flawless precision. What’s on offer will change frequently, as per the nature of an omakase menu, but Lee has already done well to establish Matsu as easily one of Melbourne’s best Japanese restaurants.
Try Matsu’s premium omakase experience. (Image: Harvard Wang)
Address: 157A Barkly St, Footscray
Best for: One of Melbourne’s most exclusive dining experiences, surrounded by the Dandenong Ranges.
Cuisine: Korean
Set in the scenic town of Cockatoo, just about an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD, Chae is one of the most hard-won reservations in the country. This small Korean restaurant, nestled by the Dandenong Ranges, can only seat six lucky diners at a time. But the experience goes far beyond a sense of intimacy and exclusivity.
Chef Jung Eun Chae pours her heart and soul into every dish she makes.
Owners Yoora Yoon and chef Jung Eun Chae have turned a section of their home into this incredibly popular restaurant, hinged on Chae’s healthy obsession with homemade ferments and garden produce.
Treat yourself to a warm and hearty Korean stew.
There are only four sittings a week, totalling just 24 diners per week. It’s more like a dinner party hosted by your very astute and creative friend. One who recognises the need for simplicity to truly express those bold Korean ferments. The menu changes frequently but previous crowd-pleasers have included dishes as plain-on-paper as tofu stewed with grilled fish and steamed rice, and cold noodle soup with soy milk.
Address: 33 Mountain Rd, Cockatoo
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