Upscale in Melbourne

Supernormal ★ 4.8

cbd · 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

Zareh ★ 4.8

collingwood · 368 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066

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.

Zareh ★ 4.8

collingwood · 368 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066

Zareh on Smith Street brings Armenian and Lebanese cooking with a charcoal focus that makes it one of Melbourne's most exciting casual rooms.

Black Pearl ★ 4.8

fitzroy · 304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Black Pearl on Brunswick Street has been named among the world's best bars: serious craft cocktails in a Fitzroy corner pub built around technique above.

Tipo 00 ★ 4.7

cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

Roma ★ 4.7

cbd · 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

Bar Liberty ★ 4.7

fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Bar Liberty in Fitzroy North is the natural wine bar that launched a thousand imitators: ferments and pours that changed how Melbourne thinks about wine.

Embla ★ 4.7

cbd · 122 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Embla in the CBD pairs an extraordinary natural wine list with wood-oven cooking: snacks designed around whatever was poured, all day and into the evening.

Bar Liberty ★ 4.6

fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

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.

Lee Ho Fook ★ 4.6

cbd · 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Lee Ho Fook on Duckboard Place: Victor Liong reinterprets regional Chinese dishes with Australian produce across tasting menu and a la carte formats.

Tipo 00 ★ 4.6

cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street is Melbourne's pasta room of record: squid-ink tagliolini daily, short seasonal menu and a room that stays full every service.

Bar Americano ★ 4.6

cbd · 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Bar Americano fits 10 people in a CBD laneway and does not take bookings: the Negroni standard for Melbourne and a lesson in what a small bar.

Above Board ★ 4.6

collingwood · 1/306 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066

Above Board in Collingwood seats 8 at a U-shaped counter and serves rotating seasonal cocktails from a hidden room accessed via Chopper Lane.

Carlton Wine Room ★ 4.6

carlton · 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Carlton Wine Room on Faraday Street has the suburb's most serious wine list: old-world depth and a kitchen that holds its own beside the bottles.

Roma ★ 4.5

cbd · 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

Etta ★ 4.5

brunswick-east · 60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057

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.

Bar Liberty Bistro ★ 4.5

fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Bar Liberty in Fitzroy holds one Good Food Guide hat: Melbourne's best natural-wine bistro with seasonal small plates and a list that rewards exploration.

Seamstress ★ 4.5

cbd · Level 1, 113 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Seamstress on Lonsdale Street occupies a former garment factory with a cocktail bar on top: dim sum, Asian-influenced plates and a rooftop that fills by 9pm.

Siglo ★ 4.5

cbd · 161 Spring Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Siglo above Spring Street has rooftop views of Parliament House: aperitivo hours, a serious Campari selection and reliable late-night crowds on the terrace.

Dr Morse ★ 4.5

collingwood · 274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067

Dr Morse on Johnston Street in Abbotsford sits beneath Victoria Park station: a two-room bar with a serious whisky list from Scotland, Japan and Australia.

Neighbourhood Wine ★ 4.5

fitzroy · 1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068

Neighbourhood Wine in Fitzroy North fills a double-fronted terrace with Victorian producers and low-intervention pours from a thoughtful and well-priced list.

Blackhearts and Sparrows ★ 4.5

fitzroy · 14 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Blackhearts and Sparrows is Melbourne's best independent bottle shop for discovering something new: natural and biodynamic wines across six Melbourne stores.

Marion ★ 4.5

fitzroy · 53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Marion on Gertrude Street is the Fitzroy neighbourhood wine bar: an ever-changing natural wine list and snacks designed around what was opened.

Grossi Florentino ★ 4.4

cbd · 80 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

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

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.

Stokehouse ★ 4.4

st-kilda · 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda VIC 3182

Stokehouse sits on the St Kilda beachfront and holds one Good Food Guide hat for a seafood-forward modern Australian menu paired with panoramic bay views.

Harriot ★ 4.4

cbd · 555 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Harriot is the Tipo 00 team's French-leaning Collins Street bistro: classical technique, Victorian produce and serious wine from a confident kitchen.

Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.4

cbd · 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

France-Soir ★ 4.4

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

France-Soir on Toorak Road has served classical French food since 1982: the menu barely changes, theatrical service and an honest wine list.

Tip: Book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings: it fills well before 8pm.

Naked for Satan ★ 4.4

fitzroy · 285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Naked for Satan on Brunswick Street is the Fitzroy rooftop bar: pintxos, cheap vermut and a top-level terrace that draws weekend queues from midday onwards.

Stokehouse ★ 4.3

st-kilda · 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda VIC 3182

Stokehouse on the St Kilda foreshore is Melbourne's defining seaside lunch: a one-hat seafood room with bay views and a kitchen earning its reputation.

Cookie ★ 4.3

cbd · Level 1, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Cookie on Swanston Street runs Melbourne's longest craft beer list alongside a Thai kitchen: live music downstairs and a crowd that arrives after midnight.

Heartbreaker ★ 4.3

cbd · 234 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Heartbreaker on Russell Street is Melbourne's best near-dive bar: natural wine, punk records and a room that rejects any attempt at pretension from its crowd.

Builders Arms Hotel ★ 4.3

fitzroy · 211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

The Builders Arms on Gertrude Street does a double life as a local pub and a seriously chosen wine room: natural bottles, good food and a courtyard.

Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.2

cbd · 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

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.

Arbory Bar and Eatery ★ 4.2

cbd · 1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000

Arbory sits on a riverside platform beneath Flinders Street Station with Yarra views, an all-day menu and one of the city's best outdoor settings.