Best Restaurants in Melbourne

Supernormal ★ 4.8

Supernormal on Flinders Lane runs an Asian-influenced menu drawing on Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul. One Good Food Guide hat and perpetually full since 2014.

Order: New England lobster roll and slow-cooked lamb shoulder

Zareh ★ 4.8

Zareh on Smith Street in Collingwood applies Armenian and Lebanese heritage to a wood-fired menu of roasted lamb, spiced rice and labneh; opened in 2025.

Order: Wood-roasted lamb with spiced rice and labneh

Tipo 00 ★ 4.7

Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street serves house-rolled pasta in a tight CBD room. The squid-ink tagliolini and wagyu mafaldine have been selling out for years.

Order: Tagliolini al nero with squid and bottarga

Grossi Florentino ★ 4.4

Grossi Florentino holds two Good Food Guide hats. The upstairs room is the classical Italian benchmark; the Cellar Bar serves the same food more casually.

Order: Hand-rolled pasta of the day from the cellar bar menu

Chin Chin ★ 4.0

Chin Chin on Flinders Lane is Melbourne's reference for Southeast Asian cooking: loud, no-bookings, consistently packed since 2011 and the food holds up.

Order: Stir-fried green beans with holy basil and pork crackling

Daphne ★ 4.2

Daphne in Brunswick East is the Etta team's public house: seasonal European cooking, a natural wine list and a room that genuinely takes the food seriously.

Order: Pork chop with mustard and pickles on the daily specials board

France-Soir ★ 4.4

France-Soir has been Melbourne's Parisian bistro since 1982: the menu barely changes, the wine list is legendary and the room feels uncannily right.

Order: Steak au poivre with pommes frites and a glass of Burgundy

Tip: Book by phone. This is still a phone-booking-only restaurant and they mean it.

Pho Hung Vuong 2 ★ 4.7

Pho Hung Vuong 2 on Victoria Street is Melbourne's pho standard-bearer: long-simmered broth with charred onion and ginger, piled with fresh herbs.

Order: Rare beef and brisket pho with bean sprouts and fresh herbs

Aegli ★ 4.4

Aegli on Coventry Street leads Melbourne's new Greek wave: regional Hellenic flavours, smoked saganaki and lamb shoulder in a South Melbourne room.

Order: Wood-roasted lamb with orzo and feta

Bar Liberty ★ 4.6

Bar Liberty in Fitzroy holds one Good Food Guide hat: Melbourne's natural-wine bistro of record, with small plates, biodynamic pours and a polished kitchen.

Order: Seasonal raw bar plate and house bread with cultured butter

Maison Batard ★ 4.0

Maison Batard on Bourke Street combines boulangerie, bistro, cocktail bar and terrace: Melbourne's closest equivalent to a full-service Parisian house.

Order: French onion soup and the daily rotisserie plate

Ho Jiak ★ 4.3

Ho Jiak in Rainbow Alley is Melbourne's best Malaysian kitchen: noodle dishes referencing Penang and KL regional traditions with roti made in the open.

Order: Curry mee noodles with coconut milk broth

Rita's Abbotsford ★ 4.6

Rita's in Abbotsford makes what many locals rate as the city's best pizza: semolina-crusted bases with charred edges from wood and discipline, not theatre.

Order: Semolina-crusted margherita or the anchovy and olive

Suupaa ★ 4.1

Suupaa in Cremorne takes the Japanese konbini concept seriously: udon bolognese and tamago sandwiches with precise daily specials and excellent canned sake.

Order: Udon bolognese and the daily onigiri

Good Days ★ 4.1

Good Days on Smith Street serves Vietnamese pho rivalling Victoria Street: clear aromatic broth, noodles cooked to order and a room full of loyal locals.

Order: Chicken pho with fresh herbs and chilli vinegar on the side

Carlton Wine Room ★ 4.3

Carlton Wine Room on Faraday Street is the bistro Melbourne dining culture is built on: seasonal cooking, natural wine and a room that always feels right.

Order: Pan-fried fish with seasonal vegetables and grains

Roma ★ 4.5

Roma on Collins Street is Melbourne's Roman trattoria, cacio e pepe tableside. Located in Cbd. Order the cacio e pepe made tableside with tonnarelli pasta.

Order: Cacio e pepe made tableside with tonnarelli pasta

Etta ★ 4.5

Etta in Brunswick East is Daphne's senior sibling: a considered tasting menu format, produce-led cooking and a wine list that matches the kitchen's drive.

Order: Seasonal tasting menu with matched wines

Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.2

Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane is Andrew McConnell's all-day room: raw bar to open, share plates to follow and a wine list that earns a return visit.

Order: Whole roasted chicken for the table with grains and seasonal leaves