Melbourne's Best Restaurants
Was one of the first tortillerias in Melbourne to use whole corn, and you can taste the difference. The crowds go wild for the tacos al pastor, which go for just $6.50 each. Free-range Otway pork is marinated in achiote, ancho and guajillo chillies and – wait for it – cola to help tenderise the meat.
Start your evening at the bar with the namesake Gimlet cocktail, a sweet burst of gin and botanicals. The menu heroes seasonal, Australian produce and the wood fire oven is the centrepiece of the kitchen. With beautifully executed takes on classic Asian food, Supernormal is a favourite along Flinders Lane. From pot sticker dumplings asian fusion melbourne to slow-cooked Xinjiang lamb with sesame seed flatbread. Don’t leave without trying their famous New England lobster roll. Kisume has multiple dining experiences in the one venue, all tied together with the kind of classy, muted minimalism that perfectly communicates the no-fuss approach to fine food and even finer wine.
The eatery at Heide Museum of Modern Art has been reborn as a produce-driven diner celebrating organic ingredients grown onsite. This modern Australian diner is housed within a 159-year-old heritage-listed castle, overlooking All Saints Estate's lush vineyards. With chic eateries dotting the length of the CBD grid, Flinders Lane has grown into one of our city’s most famous dining strips.
Combining traditional flavours with innovative techniques, an extensive variety of menu items and an incomparable atmosphere, Secret Kitchen offers its guests an inimitable feasting experience. Jojo Little Kitchen is a noodle franchise from Malaysia, and the quality and respect for tradition make this a franchise to be reckoned with. Jojo specialises in pan mee noodles torn to your desired thickness, served dry or in soup and adorned with your choice of toppings. Our pick for spice fiends is the lat jiu pan mee, where minced pork, dried chilli, ikan billis , fried onions and a poached egg are interspersed with housemade al-dente noodles for a flavour explosion.
Ellie's Table, the menu is brimming with her penchant for handmade pasta, local produce and seasonal dishes. Sample fresh Pappardelle with rabbit and nettle or Antipasti of focaccia with whipped garlic and thyme butter alongside a list of wines from local and international makers. Situated in the newly-minted Collingwood Yards, this restaurant is a beacon of culinary culture for the co-op establishment and is more than deserving of a spot on 'Melbourne's best restaurants' list. Florentino venue has been bringing classic fine dining to Melbourne since 1928 and into 2023. This mainstay on Melbourne’s foodie scene under the guidance of Guy Grossi still pays attention to those small details from the white tablecloths to the shiny cutlery. And that's why it's considered one of the best restaurants in Melbourne.
It’s threaded onto a vertical spit with a chunk of pineapple on top. The tortillas then get loaded with carved meat, a few pineapple chunks, onion and coriander. We think you should always order at least three tacos to be full, and at La Tortilleria ordering three of most of the tacos on the menu will keep you just within your $20.
This 160-seater used to be a hotpot spot, but now it's a grill-yourself Sichuan restaurant. Come for sizzling skewers, whole grilled cod and dozens of side dishes. It’s actually uncommon to group the food of the country’s regions together. Despite Australia’s long history of Chinese immigration (which started in the mid-19th century), it’s only in the past few years that we’ve seen dishes from some of China’s lesser-known cuisines make appearances in Melbourne. And they’re still mostly bound to Chinese-community enclaves such as Springvale or Box Hill. Tucked away in Little Bourke Street, Tipo 000 is one of the best restaurants in Melbourne—they’ve truly turned homemade pasta into an art form.
Those craving succulent Cantonese chicken head to Hawker Chan on Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's city centre. Bringing the world's cheapest Michelin-star meal Down Under, Chef Chan has been perfecti... Flower drum has a well known history amongst foodies and Melbournians alike. An unlikely building is the venue for this Cantonese culinary delight, which is accessed predominantly by a lift, or sta... Fans of Japanese cuisine, crafty cocktails and Instagram worthy desserts flock to Melbourne's Sake.
Melbourne has Australia’s only Nobu to date, fitted into the basement of the Crown with a loud, seductive atmosphere and a relentless kitchen regularly serving out high-quality sushi, ceviche-style seafood dishes, and 9+ Wagyu. The menu is more varied in its tastes than the usual premium Japanese eatery, scanning international flavours to satisfy an endless rotation of high-rolling regulars. It may be ubiquitous and showy, compared to the other spots in this list, but there’s no mistaking that Nobu is amongst the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne.
Expect läghmän (stir-fried hand-pulled noodles), manti and cumin lamb skewers, one of Karlaylisi’s bestsellers. The fact that Biang Biang is perennially packed speaks to its appeal. The namesake noodles are the must-order, but if you’re feeling like something different or can’t process gluten, there are rice noodles served cold as well as vermicelli. Shanghainese food from eastern China, where dishes are small and designed for sharing.