Must-see restaurants in Melbourne

  • Woodland House

    Melbourne

    In a glorious Victorian villa, Woodland House is home turf for young-gun chefs Thomas Woods and Hayden McFarland, former sous chefs to lauded Melbourne…

  • St Ali

    Melbourne

    The coffee is guaranteed to be good at this hideaway warehouse-conversion cafe. If you can't decide between house blend, speciality, black or white, there…

  • Anchovy

    Melbourne

    A wonderful amalgamation of Southeast Asian and Australian cuisine, Anchovy is a gem on an otherwise underwhelming strip. The elegant space features…

  • Tipo 00

    Melbourne

    Melbourne's best pasta is served at this small Italian restaurant within a palette of muted teal and earthy shades against concrete and white-marble…

  • Lee Ho Fook

    Melbourne

    Occupying an old brick warehouse down a fabulously scungy laneway, Lee Ho Fook is the epitome of modern Chinese culinary wizardry. The kitchen packs an…

  • Pidapipo

    Melbourne

    Pidapipo is the perfect pre-cinema, pre-theatre, post-pizza treat when hanging out on Lygon St. Owner Lisa Valmorbida learned from the best at the…

  • Moroccan Soup Bar

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Prepare to queue before being seated by stalwart Hana, who goes through the vegetarian menu verbally while you sip mint tea (it's an alcohol-free zone)…

  • Spice Temple

    Melbourne

    When he's not at Rockpool or in one of his Sydney restaurants, chef Neil Perry pays homage to the spicy cuisines of China's central provinces on the…

  • Capitano

    Melbourne

    Capitano is a New York–style Italian restaurant in Melbourne's most Italian suburb. That means it's fun, busy and delicious. The plain 'tomato pie' is a…

  • CIBI

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    It's ironic that 'Cibi' translates to 'little one' in Japanese given this incredibly aesthetically pleasing and zen cafe has expanded into a massive, airy…

  • Industry Beans

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    With something for both coffee and food lovers, this warehouse cafe tucked down a side street offers a coffee guide that takes you through speciality…

  • Matcha Mylkbar

    St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick

    'Eating Here Was A Huge Missed Steak', says the neon sign. This small, contemporary cafe is known for its creative, 100%-plant-based menu, as seen on its…

  • Soi 38

    Melbourne

    This tiny shop inside a multi-level city car park is straight out of Bangkok. DIY condiments adorn blue and red fold-away tables, where customers order…

  • Tonka

    Melbourne

    Tonka's dining room is long and elegant with billowy white mesh 'clouds' overhead. The food, however, is gloriously technicolour. The punchy flavours of…

  • Penta

    St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick

    Penta might be all polished concrete and muted tones inside, but the food here is a rainbow of colours, textures and technique usually reserved for dinner…

  • Bibelot

    Melbourne

    Part patisserie, gelateria, coffee bar and chocolate shop – this one is for the sweet-toothed. It's hard to resist pressing your hands against the glass…

  • Auction Rooms

    Melbourne

    This industrial-chic former auction house turned North Melbourne success story serves some of Melbourne's best coffee, both espresso and filter, using…

  • Red Sparrow

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    This cool all-vegan pizzeria with matte black walls breaking into bare brick serves a range of tasty vegan-cheese pizzas ranging from a spicy Puttanesca…

  • Veneziano Coffee

    Melbourne

    Veneziano has been roasting coffee for nearly two decades, but the warehouse cafe opened in 2018, revealing one of the more impressive fit-outs we've seen…

  • Lanzhou Beef Noodle

    Melbourne

    Lanzhou has developed a cult following for its numbingly spicy, rich beef noodle soups. Pick up cold side dishes and interesting Chinese drinks from the…

  • Gelato Messina

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Messina is hyped as Melbourne's best ice creamery, and while purists might gawk at specials like peanut butter gelato with white-chocolate-covered potato…

  • Lau’s Family Kitchen

    St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick

    This polished spot with service to match offers beautiful, home-style Cantonese with a few Sichuan surprises. Start with delicate dumplings and spanner…

  • Rockpool Bar & Grill

    Melbourne

    The Melbourne outpost of Neil Perry’s empire offers his signature seafood raw bar complete with caviar, but the star is the dry-aged beef. The masculine…

  • Smith Street Alimentari

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Atmospheric Italian deli-cafe with a tempting tiled front cabinet, exposed brick and a lovely rear courtyard. Fresh salads are piled high beneath…

  • Colonel Tan's

    Melbourne

    In the back corner of pumping Revolver Upstairs, retro Colonel Tan's dishes out Thai-American fusion. Expect such creations as Wizz Fizz sherbet chicken…

  • Lazerpig

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    From the neon-pink pig sign out the front to the disco ball and red-gingham tablecloths, hip Lazerpig is where northsiders go to let their hair down. It's…

  • Candied Bakery

    Melbourne

    An Australian bakery with an American twist: anything is possible here. Sit at the communal table or order from the concrete counter to go. Try a…

  • Milk the Cow

    Melbourne

    When a cheese craving strikes, head to this licensed fromagerie for baked camembert with a crusty baguette or a farmer's board of country-style bites. The…

  • Pellegrini's Espresso Bar

    Melbourne

    The Italian equivalent of a diner, locally famed Pellegrini’s has remained unchanged since 1954. There's no menu; staff tell you what's available. Expect…

  • 400 Gradi

    Melbourne

    Named for the temperature of the wood-fired oven, 400 Gradi stretches some of Melbourne's best Neapolitan-style pizzas. It's headed by pizzaiolo Johnny Di…

  • Aka Siro

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Step off Cambridge St through noren curtains into this small, country-style izakaya. Homely dishes are simultaneously delicate and comforting, whether…

  • D.O.C. Espresso

    Melbourne

    Run by third-generation Italian Australians, D.O.C. is one of the best casual Italian options at the Carlton end of Lygon St. The espresso bar specialises…

  • Vegie Bar

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    An oldie but a goodie, this cavernous warehouse place has been feeding droves of Melbourne's veggie-loving residents for decades. Expect inventive fare…

  • Easey's

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Biting into burgers and gulping down beers in an old graffiti-covered train carriage perched on top of a backstreet rooftop – it doesn't get much more…

  • Epocha

    Melbourne

    Set within a grand Victorian double-storey terrace, elegant Epocha serves interesting European-inspired dishes. Customers pick two or three courses (three…

  • Smith & Deli

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    A stylish deli with a full-vegan twist, this spin-off from the popular Smith & Daughters restaurant creates the closest thing vegetarians will get to meat…

  • Small French Bar

    Melbourne

    A quaint, understated restaurant with exposed industrial piping, red brick and a mix of metal and timber tables, the greatest flourish here is the …

  • Dinner by Heston

    Melbourne

    Heston Blumenthal needs no introduction, and while he's not in the kitchen here, his head chef and team serve creative takes on historical recipes, with…

  • Bomba

    Melbourne

    Two venues in one, downstairs at Bomba is reminiscent of a buzzing Spanish bodega serving tasty tapas and raciones for the hungry, while upstairs,…

  • Horn

    Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

    Straight outta Addis Ababa, the flavours and feel of this Ethiopian restaurant are as authentic as its homemade injera (fermented, pancake-like bread;…