Foodies are more than spoilt for choice when it comes to dining in multicultural Melbourne. The city is home to more than 3500 restaurants serving up cuisines from 70 different countries.
The city’s Chinatown, founded by Chinese gold prospectors in 1851, is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world, with an enduring legacy of restaurants to match.
Flower Drum restaurant, in the heart of Chinatown on Little Bourke Street, has long been renowned for its exceptional Cantonese cuisine, which is so good it earned two Chef’s Hats in the Good Food Guide 2024.
Nearby, tucked away in one of Melbourne’s famous laneways, is the Supper Inn, reached by a creaky staircase, which is open into the wee hours most nights.
Famous for its congees, claypots and tried-and-true Chinese favourites, this no-frills diner is the go-to place for many of the city’s top chefs when they knock off work — which is about as good as recommendations get.
Among Melbourne’s myriad Chinese restaurants are those who specialise in yum cha.
Our family’s long-time favourite is the Red Emperor at Southgate, so much so that it’s usually the restaurant of choice for celebration luncheons.
At Red Emperor, trolleys piled high with bamboo steamers containing the most fabulous taste sensations are wheeled from the kitchen every few minutes, and we choose from offerings such as succulent scallop and prawn dumplings; duck and chive rolls; chilli tiger prawns; stuffed eggplant … the delicious list is endless.
Like many cities, Melbourne has been shaped by waves of immigrants. The 20th century saw many migrants from Europe, including Italy and Greece, arrive in Port Phillip Bay.
Italian immigrant Rinaldo Massoni purchased Cafe Denat on Bourke Street in 1928 and changed the name to Cafe Florentino.
Today Grossi Florentino, one of Melbourne’s oldest restaurants, is a split-level space housing a fine dining restaurant, a grill and a bar.
This classic Italian dining institution is well worth the splurge, particularly in the gracious, mural-bedecked, two Chef-Hatted Florentino Restaurant.
Brothers Leo and Vildo Pellegrini worked at Cafe Florentino before renovating a former tailor’s shop up the street and opening a cafe in 1954.
One of Melbourne’s well-known cultural haunts, Pellegrini’s remains virtually unchanged since the days it served Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire when they were in town filming the movie On The Beach in 1959.
There’s red vinyl stools and mirrored walls, spag bol, lasagne and ravioli on the menu, and hissing espresso machines at this corner of living history of Melbourne.
When it comes to Italian, there’s pizza and there’s pizza. At Docklands near Marvel Stadium is one of the best, 90 Secondi.
Here Neapolitan-style pizza staples are pulled from a wood-fired oven — the seafood pizza is very good indeed. Stand-out menu items also include arancini with wild mushroom and truffle; Moreton Bay bug risotto, and duck agnolotti, at prices that won’t break the bank.
Pondok Rempah, just near the Queen Victoria Market in Elizabeth Street, is an always-busy diner serving authentic Indonesian cuisine. And you soon know why — delicious chicken satay, nasi goreng, gado gado, noodle soups, authentic chicken dishes — at prices that leave plenty left to spend at the market next door.
The Queen Victoria Market opened in 1878, and has long been one of Melbourne’s favourite foodie destinations. Take a stroll around the Dairy Produce Hall, which dates from 1927 and is home to 35 eclectic shops.
There’s delis selling exotic produce from around the world; every sort of cheese imaginable; bakeries piled high with crusty loaves and fresh pastries; craft beer and Aussie wines; fine chocolates, the famous Borek Shop — you name it.
Yakimono is big, busy, fast-paced Japanese restaurant on prestigious 80 Collins Street, where diners can watch chefs prepare their meals in a huge open kitchen, where charcoals sizzle and sushi is rolled.
Victorian beers feature on tap at this glitzy restaurant, plus Japanese beers by the bottle, as well as sake, shochu and Japanese whiskies.
While an a la carte menu is available, the nine-course set menu, which includes kingfish sashimi, soy sesame pork, togarashi duck noodles and barbecue king salmon, is an ideal way to sample Yakimono’s popular signature dishes.
Chilli Everest On Collins, where Nepalese dishes are crafted using the freshest ingredients, is another favourite.
Authentic Indo-Chinese flavours are evident in dishes including chow mein, nasi goreng and spicy curries. The momos here are simply delicious.
Melbourne has Indian restaurants galore. But some stand out from the crowd, including Tonka, hidden behind Flinders Lane in the quaintly named Duckboard Place.
Tonka is Indian food fine dining style, served in a slick restaurant with a long open kitchen.
Aussie ingredients combine with traditional Indian flavours here, and Tonka’s set menu feast is a good way to taste some popular Indian dishes with a contemporary spin.
These may include pani puri; succulent kingfish butti; crispy Crystal Bay prawn betel leaf; tandoori ocean trout, and Tonka’s butter chicken. And like any Chef-Hatted restaurant, the service at Tonka is commendable.
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Flower Drum Restaurant, 17 Market Lane, Melbourne. A five-course Winter Tasting Banquet dinner is $150 per person. flowerdrum.melbourne
Supper Inn is situated at Level 1/15 Celestial Ave, Melbourne. Seven days, 5.30pm to either 1am or 2.30am. There’s often a queue at peak periods.
Red Emperor restaurants are located at mid-level, 3 Southgate Ave, Southbank, and at 131 Little Bourke Street. Both offer the same menus. Order from menu, or all-you-can-eat yum cha available for lunch seven days a week, $70 per person. redemperor.com.au
Grossi Florentino, 80 Bourke St, Melbourne. Monday to Saturday, 9am – 10pm. florentino.com.au
Pellegrini’s, 66 Bourke St, Melbourne. Monday to Thursday, 8am – 9pm, Friday and Saturday, 8am – 10pm.
90 Secondi is at 1/700 Bourke St, Docklands. Monday to Wednesday, 8am – 4pm, Thursday and Friday, 8am – 8pm, 90secondi.com.au
Pondok Rempah, 487 Elizabeth St, Melbourne. Seven days, 9am to 8.30pm. pondokrempah.com.au
Yakimono, 80 Collins St, Melbourne. Seven days, 12pm – late. Set menus from $88 per person. yakimono.com.au
Chilli Everest, 595 Collins St, Melbourne. Seven days, 11am – 10.30pm. chillieverest.com.au
Tonka, 20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne. An eight-course lunch or dinner menu is $80 per person. tonkarestaurant.com.au
