Supernormal ★ 4.5
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
The restaurants worth the trip in Melbourne. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Our picks in Melbourne
Zareh ★ 4.6
Zareh on Smith Street applies Armenian and Lebanese heritage to a wood-fired menu that was one of Melbourne's most talked-about openings of 2025.
Order: Wood-roasted lamb with spiced rice and labneh
Tipo 00 ★ 4.5
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 ★ 4.2
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 ★ 4.3
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 ★ 4.5
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 ★ 4.5
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 ★ 4.2
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 ★ 4.4
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 ★ 4.5
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 ★ 4.3
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 ★ 4.3
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 ★ 4.4
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, hand-cut tonnarelli and an uncompromising approach the CBD rarely holds.
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. ★ 4.4
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