Melbourne is known for its incredible dining scene, from budget eats to fine dining, Melbourne has plenty of drool-worthy restaurants. As one of the world’s premier culinary destinations, the Victorian capital has had a stranglehold on flavours for the better part of a century, with iconic precincts such as Lygon Street and Chapel Street helping stoke the foodie fire. In fact, as the dining scene has grown Down Under, the profiles of Melbourne’s top chefs have as well. From Guy Grossi’s institution, Florentino to the internationally awarded Gimlet, Melbourne is home to some incredible destinations. To help you be in the know about the food everyone is talking about, we’ve made a list of the best restaurants in Melbourne.
Best of Melbourne Restaurants
- Best for Selection: Aru
- Best for Atmosphere: Ides
- Best for Vegetarians: Transformer
- Best for Drinks: Chin Chin
- Best for Fine Dining: Gimlet
1. Gimlet
We loved: Whole dry-aged Muscovy duck crown, radicchio, pickled rhubarb
Gimlet is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Melbourne, settled in a landmark 1920s building on Russell Street in Melbourne CBD. Recently named Australia’s best restaurant in the World’s 50 Best awards, this Chicago-style cocktail bar and restaurant is the ideal place for a casual catch-up with mates or an elevated dining experience with your partner. The menu is extensive, featuring delicious wood-fired meats and seafood. There’s even a caviar service, if the mood strikes you. Using produce that has been reared, grown, caught or created with animal welfare and sustainability in mind, Gimlet truly has everything going for it.
Address: 33 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9277 9777
2. Vue de monde
We loved: Chocolate souffle with billy-tea ice-cream
With an 18/20 from Good Food, Vue de monde is synonymous with Melbourne fine dining. With a focus on exciting and dynamic experiences with the progression of flavours and a sense of curiosity, not only is the food exceptional but so is the customer service. Headed up by executive chef Hugh Allen – winner of the coveted 2015 Gault Millau Young Chef of the Year Award at just 18 years of age – Vue de monde and its delectable degustation menu is a quintessential Melbourne dining experience.
Address: 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9691 3888
3. Aru Restaurant
We loved: Barramundi, Buttermilk Dashi, Desert Lime, Lettuce
Aru Restaurant, named after the group of islands that sailors used to frequent on their Sino-Indonesian-Australian route, is a true feast of the senses, with a menu focused on fermentation, smoking, curing, preserving and fire-licked meat, vegetables and fish. With Asian-inspired fare designed for sharing, an incredible wine and cocktail list and an impressive 16m-long open kitchen for a peek into the action, there’s plenty to love at Aru.
Address: 268 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9939 8113
4. Attica
We loved: Emu liver toast
If you love innovative and creative dishes and aren’t afraid to try something new, you’ll absolutely fall heads-over-heels for Attica. Using rare and unique ingredients like bunya nuts, murnong or marron rather than foie gras, caviar or lobster, a lot of the menu is designed to be eaten with your fingers. With an eclectic soundtrack to dine to, Attica is a truly unique experience. The downside is it’s extremely popular and can be hard to get a booking, so booking ahead is a must!
Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea VIC 3185
Phone: (03) 9530 0111
5. Grill Americano
We loved: Linguine aglio e olio with abalone (& an Americano aperitivo)
One of the newer top restaurants in Melbourne, Grill Americano brings the heat and flame to Flinders Lane. Working with some of Australia’s best producers and growers and a select number of Italian artisans, you’ll find delicate handmade pastas, wagyu beef, exceptionally fresh seafood and classic Italian desserts. With a 2,000+ bottle cellar, there is no shortage of drinks, while Grill Americano’s cocktail menu highlights Italian spirits and ingredients, with the Americano a particular passion.
Address: 112 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 8616 8010
6. Chin Chin
We loved: House smoked brisket with sweet you glaze, chilli vinegar and crispy rice + a Kopi negroni (gin, campari, sweet vermouth, coffee and dark chocolate)
A stalwart in the Melbourne dining scene, Chin Chin has certainly earned its place as one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. With chaotic energy that greets you from the moment you step foot inside Chin Chin, this establishment certainly makes a statement with its food, music and art that decorates the walls. With an Asian-inspired menu, there’s plenty to choose from, with dietaries like gluten-free and dairy-free easily catered for. We particularly love Chin Chin’s signature cocktail list with killer drinks like passion fruit and chilli marg, and sugarcane champagne.
Address: 125 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 8663 2000
7. Ides
We loved: Smoked quail breast, crispy leg, cured egg yolk and radishes
Want the decision of what to eat taken out of your hands? As a set-menu-only fine dining restaurant in Melbourne, what really stands out at Ideas is both the incredible presentation of the food, and the fact you don’t know what you’ll be eating on any given night, with the menu changing frequently – variety is the spice of life! You can opt for a four course or six course meal, scattered with small bites in between. Elegant, punchy and bursting with flavour, every course at Ideas is one to remember.
Address: 92 Smith St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Phone: 0432 365 869
8. Florentino
We loved: Pappardelle, Rabbit Ragu, Marjoram, Green olive
An iconic Melbourne dining venue, Florentino’s heart and soul lie within its Tuscan menu, celebrating both Italian and Australian food and culture. Florentino’s food is based around wood fire cooking, simple Tuscan methods and premium ingredients sourced from local producers. With a beverage program deeply rooted in Italian tradition, you’ll find plenty of modern classics, yet with a distinct focus on smaller producers.
Address: 80 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9662 1811
9. Supernormal
We loved: New England lobster roll
Inspired by chef-restauranteur Andrew McConnell’s time spent living and working in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Supernormal is elite Asian fine dining in the Melbourne CBD. With a cool, edgy and understated venue, if you can’t nab a table, Supernormal offers plenty of its menu as a takeaway option. From dumplings to bao, Szechuan-peppered brisket, to pulled Korean BBQ pork shoulder and some seriously creative dessert offerings, Supernormal is a must-visit.
Address: 180 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 8688
10. Tipo 00
We loved: Squid ink tagliolini, squid & bottarga
For some incredible Italian dining in Melbourne, you can’t go past Tipo 00 on Little Bourke St. Named after the flour used to make pizza and pasta, this Italian institute is owned by chef Andreas Papadakis, who’s had an extensive career spanning 20 years working in fine dining restaurants. Everything on the Tipo 00 menu is made with flair, love and a home-cooked feel (yet with a distinctly elevated taste).
Address: 361 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9942 3946
11. Atlas
We loved: Grilled Scotch Fillet with Smoked Chilli Salsa
Atlas Dining opened its doors in 2016 under head chef and owner Charlie Carrington (ex-Firedoor in Sydney), who had a distinctly unique dining concept in mind: to change the cuisine every few months. The restaurant received its one hat in its first year of opening. Atlas Dining is steadfast in its idea of being a scholar of food from around the world, with Carrington being an avid traveller and having worked as a chef in over 14 countries across the globe. With each menu left up to the interpretation of Carrington and his team, traditional ingredients and cooking techniques from each country and cuisine remain an integral part of the process.
Address: 133 Commercial Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: (03) 9826 2621
12. Society
We loved: Margra lamb with eggplant, green onion and pine nut
Winner of RCA Awards for Excellence Restaurant of the Year 2022, Society is an eclectic dining destination like no other in Melbourne. Celebrating the beauty of à la carte dining, Society includes a grand dining room, the Lilian brasserie, and its signature lounge bar serving a range of elegant curated cocktails. With the promise that no two visits will ever be the same, as well as a cellar with over 10,000 bottles to complement the incredible menu, you’re bound to have a banging time at Society.
Address: 80 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 8618 8900
13. Transformer
We loved: Zucchini flower with pine nut risotto, currants, basil, piquillo peppers and agrodolce
For some of the best vegetarian fare in Fitzroy, Transformer is the place to go. Named after the building’s previous life as an electrical transformer warehouse, Transformer is an exceptionally buzzy space made cosy by the plethora of greenery dispersed around the joint. With a focus on plant-based Middle Eastern Mediterranean and Asian flavours, don’t forget to try a drink from the inspired cocktail list (like the Hirosake with roku gin, daiginjo sake, apple liqueur and sudachi).
Address: 99 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone: (03) 9419 2022
14. Nomad
We loved: Dry aged pork, golden raisin & caper salsa
As one of Sydney’s best restaurants, Nomad opened its doors in Melbourne in 2021. Recreating Nomad Sydney’s focus on open-fire cooking, you’ll also find plenty of classic dishes from the Sydney site featured on the Melbourne menu. However, it’s not all the same with most of the menu committed to new meals and blends of Nomad classics. With a wine list that has a focus on small Aussie growers and producers, most of the vino is sourced from Victorian wineries (with some classic French and Italian bottles too).
Address: 187 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 8419 2800
Things to Consider for Melbourne Restaurants
- Ambience: What’s your vibe? Do you like pulsing, buzzing restaurants? Or do you prefer something more intimate and quiet? You can get a good sense of a restaurant’s vibe by reading reviews and looking at pictures.
- BYO: Can you bring your own grog? And is there a corkage fee? Not every restaurant is BYO, so check online or call before you go.
- Vegetarian options: Check the website listing for vegetarian options or call before booking to avoid disappointment.
- Price: Melbourne restaurant prices can vary greatly, so to avoid bill shock at the end of your meal, check the average prices online before booking.
Alternatives to Food in Melbourne
Looking for something different for your dining out experience in Melbourne? Maybe some steak or Japanese, Italian or yum cha? We’ve got ya covered with these articles.
- Best Steakhouses in Melbourne for Your Next Big Feed
- Cool Restaurants in Melbourne
- Best Japanese Restaurants in Melbourne
- Spots For The Best Yum Cha in Melbourne
- Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne
How We Chose This List of Best Melbourne Restaurants
This list of best Melbourne restaurants was compiled through personal experience and online research, plus through commentary from food critics and expert restaurant reviews. We looked at Google Reviews and took into account the major gripes and positives from the public. We also took into account what prominent critics from publications like the Australian Good Food Guide said about these restaurants to create this list.
Best Restaurants in Melbourne FAQs
Aru restaurant in Melbourne CBD is a consistently top-rated fine dining restaurant and one that’s not to be missed.
As a city that’s known for its incredible fare, there are constantly new restaurants popping up in Melbourne. Freyja, Yugen Dining, Figlia, Fenton, Victoria and Maalu Maalu are some of the best new restaurants in Melbourne.