Sunday Dinner in Melbourne

Supernormal ★ 4.5

cbd · 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Daily 11:30am until late

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.

Pho Hung Vuong 2 ★ 4.5

richmond · 108 Victoria Street, Richmond VIC 3121

Hours: Daily 9am-9:30pm

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.

Bar Liberty ★ 4.5

fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Hours: Tue-Sat 5:30pm until late, Sun 12pm-5pm

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.

Rita's Abbotsford ★ 4.5

collingwood · 239 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067

Hours: Wed-Fri 4pm-9pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-9:30pm

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.

Grossi Florentino ★ 4.4

cbd · 80 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Mon-Fri lunch 12pm, dinner from 5:30pm daily

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.

France-Soir ★ 4.4

south-yarra · 11 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141

Hours: Daily 12pm-12am

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.

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

Aegli ★ 4.4

south-yarra · 226 Coventry Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205

Hours: Tue-Sun 5pm-10:30pm

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

Ho Jiak ★ 4.4

cbd · 1 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Tue-Sun 11:30am-9:30pm

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.

Carlton Wine Room ★ 4.4

carlton · 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Hours: Tue-Thu 4pm-11pm, Fri-Mon 12pm-11pm

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.

Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.4

cbd · 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat-Sun 8am-11pm

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.

Suupaa ★ 4.3

collingwood · 65 Dover Street, Cremorne VIC 3121

Hours: Daily 11am-3pm

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

Good Days ★ 4.3

collingwood · 86 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066

Hours: Daily 11am-9pm

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.

Chin Chin ★ 4.2

cbd · 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Daily 11am-11pm

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.

Maison Batard ★ 4.2

cbd · 19-23 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-late, Sat-Sun 8am-late

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