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Restaurants

Places to Dine ♦ Melbourne

Discover Melbourne and its culinary adventures through my travel diary of the places to eat, drink and socialise in Melbourne.  Also keep up-to-date with events and things to do in Melbourne

FINE DINING

~ Attica ~

74 Glen Eira Road Ripponlea, VIC 3185

Consistently regarded as one of the world’s best restaurants, it goes without saying that Attica in Ripponlea has set the benchmark for fine dining in Melbourne. Holding a plethora of awards to its name, Attica’s repute for innovation, purity of flavours and sustainability well deserves high praise, with famed chef Ben Shewry the brainchild behind the 5 and 8 course menus with matching wines.

Attica 

 

~ Vue De Monde ~

Level 55 Rialto, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000

Already at the height of Melbourne’s dining scene, Vue de Monde has raised itself even higher, to level 55 of the iconic Rialto. Rest assured, though, that Shannon Bennett’s distinctively imaginative cuisine remains a spectacle to rival his restaurant’s all-encompassing view. Pendant bulbs and neon art glow moodily over charcoal coloured tables and kangaroo hide chairs while polished service keeps things at a gentle but efficient hum.

 Vue De Monde

 

~ Cutler and Co ~

55–57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Akin to an art-space, Cutler & Co is housed in a converted Fitzroy metal factory, and is the latest venture by chef Andrew McConnell. The dining room features stripped-brick walls, timber floors and high ceilings with flounced lights that add a touch of whimsy to the space. The interior, like the menu layers old with new and results in a funky, fun and inspiring dining experience. The signature degustation menus are highly regarded and showcase simple food with deliciously juxtaposed elements.

Cutler and Co

 

~ Grossi Florentino ~

80 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Grossi Florentino is Melbourne’s quintessential Italian Restaurant. With a colourful history that spans more than a century in the exciting Bourke Hill Precinct; its iconic reputation has been built over time as it has consistently contributed to Australia’s cultural and food scene. Celebrities, scholars’, captains of business and the rest of us, continue to enjoy the enduring Italian Hospitality.

 Grossi Florentino

 

~ Ezard ~

Adelphi Hotel, 187 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

Ezard restaurant has been serving Teage Ezard’s acclaimed ‘Australian freestyle’ cuisine for fourteen years in a sleek subterranean dining room in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. Guests are invited to indulge in a variety of ways: from a weekday express lunch or pre-theatre dinner, to an eight-course tasting menu replete with fastidiously sourced wines to match. Quality seasonal produce is of the utmost importance; ezard fosters long-standing relationships with suppliers to ensure access to the very best of Australian ingredients.

Ezard

 

~ Rockpool Bar and Grill ~

Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006

Neil Perry elevates the steakhouse concept by uniquely combining an impressive dining room, complete with a dramatic open kitchen and wood fire grill, with a contemporary menu featuring the finest and freshest ingredients. Beef is the showcase with up to 18 different cuts available from grass fed, grain fed and David Blackmore's Pure Blood Wagyu, which is dry aged on premise. Seafood is also treated with as much reverence with a purpose built fish room housing live clams, lobster and abalone. The wine list features an impressive selection of over 1,200 wines from Australia and Europe, and the informed and professional service team can help guide you through the extensive selections, creating a unique dining experience.

 Rockpool Bar and Grill

 

~ Spice Temple ~

Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006

Based on the winning formula of its Sydney sister, Spice Temple is a modern Chinese restaurant that is driven by a philosophy that incorporates the traditional values of the best possible service with a deep respect for the highest quality produce. Seasoned with an unmistakable Chinese flavour, Spice Temple’s unique and truly special dishes are driven by a long fostered passion for Asian cuisine and delights the senses with its contrasting tastes and textures.

 Spice Temple

 

~ Rosetta ~

Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006

Rosetta is a sophisticated and elegant Italian ristorante with an impressive dining room with professional and authentic service, and a seasonally driven menu of Neil Perry’s favourite regional recipes from his extensive travels through Italy. With a distinctly sophisticated Italian aesthetic and vibe, Rosetta is the place where people will meet to be fed from the heart – just like Italians love to do for their family and friends – whether it be a special celebratory dinner or a leisurely Sunday lunch in the sun on the alfresco terrace.

Rosetta

 

~ Flower Drum ~

17 Market Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

A critic and people’s favourite, Flower Drum is widely regarded as one of Australia’s best Chinese restaurants. Executive Chef and co-owner Anthony Lui has a menu that reads like a greatest hits collection but remains current and relevant and is one of the best places to leave your choices in the hands of the waiters. The atmosphere and menu is full of energy and continues to re-invigorate itself year-on-year.

 Flower Drum

 

~ Nobu Melbourne ~

Crown Casino

Step into the contemporary, stylish surroundings of Nobu - one of Melbourne’s best restaurants, and experience it's creative flavours. Guests will enjoy the wide range of superb cocktails, sake and wine from the bar, overlooking stunning river views. Nobu restaurants continue with unprecedented praise and rave reviews from such notable publications as the New York Times, the Zagat Surveys, and the Michelin Guide. The restaurants' perennial popularity and devoted following are a tribute to the personal spin that Nobu has put on traditional Japanese cooking.

Nobu Melbourne

 

~ Koko Melbourne ~

Crown Casino

Koko offers authentic teppanyaki and à la carte menus for guests to choose from and is renowned for its impeccable sushi and sashimi, delicately prepared by our chefs. Koko also features an impressive sake bar, offering the city's best range of aged and exclusive sake from both Australia and Japan.

Koko Melbourne

 

~ Supernormal ~

Supernormal is an inspired interpretation of our favourite Asian eating experiences. Influenced by the cuisine and restaurants of Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, classic dishes are revisited and some new favourites born.

 Supernormal

 

~ Kisumé ~

Kisumé draws on the purity and integrity of Japanese cuisine while infusing it with an australian sensibility. discover dishes both familiar and unknown, all designed to highlight the freshest local produce.

Kisumé

 

~ Lûmé ~

226 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205

With a deep respect for produce and technique, Lume's team share an unrelenting desire to experiment.  They honour tradition, yet at the same time are hell-bent on building their own.  Artfully deceptive, Lûmé takes a thoughtful and considered approach to dining. It's a restaurant that doesn't just serve food, rather, it creates experiences best enjoyed by curious minds.

Lûmé 

 

~ Syracuse ~

23 Bank Place, Melbourne 3000

Tucked down an inner city Melbourne laneway, Syracuse Restaurant and Bar evokes a wholly other time and place. The ornate archways, soaring ceilings and curving chandeliers of a 19th century bank create a stunning impression of grandeur, though soft lighting and an assortment of tables and chairs keep the mood romantic and welcoming. Wine bottles displayed in various nooks and crannies hint at Syracuse’s vast and varied wine selection, which the food menu is designed to match.

 Syracuse

 

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TRENDY DINING

~ Sarti ~

6 Russell Place, Melbourne 3000

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, Sarti emerges as one of the city’s most exciting and inventive dining establishments. The main dining area oozes effortless Italian cool; dark wooden floors create a rich warm vibe that is appealing and inviting. A rich red feature wall ignites the room, creating a buzz akin to that of fine espresso – a perfectly prepared Italian creation for your pleasure.

 Sarti

 

~ Tonka ~

20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne 3000

For modern Indian you can’t go past Melbourne’s Tonka. Just off Flinders Lane, Tonka pairs vibrant Indian flavours with an award-winning wine list in an art installation-filled contemporary setting.

Tonka

 

~ Coda ~

141 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC

Located in one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways Coda exists in the heart of the city’s most dynamic culinary precinct. A stone’s throw away from the Yarra River, Flinders Street station and Federation Square, Coda opens its doors for lunch and dinner seven days a week. From frequenting locals who live and work nearby to guests from across the globe Coda hosts a diverse group of diners welcome for any occasion.

Coda

 

~ Sake Flinders Lane ~

121 Flinders Lane 3000

Treat yourself to a dynamic culinary experience straight from Saké’s top Executive Chefs who bring the dynamic and innovative Japanese culture to life through their mouthwatering creations. Saké serves you premium Japanese sake and shochu varieties, alongside innovative mouth-watering cocktails using the very best ingredients and house-made syrups and an extensive range of wine and boutique beers.

Sake Flinders Lane 

 

~ Papa Goose ~

91-93 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000

Modern British fare meets Melbourne laneway chic at Papa Goose. Popular with the city crowd, the Flinders Lane establishment offers an exciting spin on British classics in a sophisticated warehouse-style dining room decked with rustic wooden floors, leather seating and hanging light fixtures. Let Chef Neale White take you on a breathtaking journey using fresh local produce to create masterpieces

 Papa Goose

 

~ Lucy Liu ~

23 Oliver Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000 Spoil yourself at Lucy Liu Kitchen and Bar, a trendy Melbourne restaurant that offers not only a relaxed dining atmosphere but an Asian-inspired menu that will have you coming back for more. Peking duck dumplings, Korean fried ribs and BBQ lap cheong hot dogs are just some of the delicacies on offer at Lucy Liu’s, as well as amazing group dining options and a uber cool deck out of bamboo and polished-concrete floors.

 Lucy Liu

 

~ Il Bacaro ~

168-170 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000

Translated as ‘God of wine’, Il Bacaro Cucina e Bar is the epitome of Venetian style in the heart of Melbourne. First opened in 1995, Il Bacaro is certainly no stranger to acclaim and continues to impress diners and critics alike. A long, horseshoe-shaped bar and intimate, low-lit dining room exude timeless Italian inspired style; polished hardwood floors, rich leather banquette seating and a Venetian air of allure and are exquisitely inviting. Sophisticated but subtle service makes for longer lunches and decadent dinners.

 Il Bacaro

 

~ Izakaya Den ~

114 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Immerse yourself in the Tokyo-inspired den that is Izakaya next time you’re stuck in Melbourne with a rumbling stomach. Izakaya Den is a minimalists dream with moody lighting, concrete walls and floors, wooden tables and exposed beams. From addictive sweet corn balls to kingfish sashimi, Asahi and Kirin on tap, it’s Izakaya’s food and drink offering that has garnered the restaurant such a cult following.

Izakaya Den

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