Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.4
Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane is the CBD's best all-day operator: raw bar at the counter, whole roasted chicken for the table and a wine list worth exploring.
Order: Whole roasted chicken with seasonal sides
Green Man's Arms is a vegan middle eastern pub restaurant in Carlton, Melbourne.
Green Man's Arms on Lygon Street is Carlton's fully vegan pub: Middle Eastern small plates, house falafel and kombucha on tap in a corner hotel with live music.
Must order: House falafel with hummus and Yemeni lahuh bread
Address: 418 Lygon Street, Carlton VIC 3053, Melbourne
Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane is the CBD's best all-day operator: raw bar at the counter, whole roasted chicken for the table and a wine list worth exploring.
Order: Whole roasted chicken with seasonal sides
Maison Batard's ground-floor boulangerie feeds the CBD from 7am; by noon the bistro above opens for French classics and a wine list without a bad bottle.
Order: French onion soup with a gruyere crust
Daphne is a public house in spirit: seasonal menu, cocktails and a wine list for conversation in a Brunswick East room that became a local anchor fast.
Order: Fried cheese with honey and walnuts
France-Soir on Toorak Road has served classical French food since 1982: the menu barely changes, theatrical service and an honest wine list.
Order: Steak frites with French mustard and frisee salad
Tip: Book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings: it fills well before 8pm.
Good Days on Smith Street is Collingwood's Vietnamese pho anchor: aromatic broth, fresh noodles and regulars who know what they want before they sit down.
Order: Beef pho with tendon and fresh bean sprouts
Roma on Collins Street is Melbourne's most disciplined Roman trattoria: cacio e pepe tableside, proper tonnarelli and a small menu that refuses to overstep.
Order: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, tableside