Having lived in Melbourne for three months, its safe to say that I did my fair share of eating. It’s hard not to go out and sample as many of the best places to eat in Melbourne as possible. Even if that means spending most of your hard-earned savings. Melbourne truly is a vibrant and multi-cultural city where all backgrounds are welcomed with open eyes. Over the years this has led to restaurants offering cuisines from pretty much all over the world. There’s Italian on Lygon Street, Greek on Lonsdale Street, plenty of Asian restaurants and everything else from French to Lebanese to African. Whatever food you fancy, you’re guaranteed to not only find it in Melbourne but to absolutely love it. Without further ado, here are my picks of the best places to eat in Melbourne.
Naked for Satan
Fitzroy is the hippest of Melbourne’s hipster suburbs and Naked for Satan is the best place to eat. You can opt for an a la carte menu upstairs on the roof (with perfect views of Melbourne’s skyline) or stay on the ground for pintxos. It’s self service here so grab a plate and pick as many little bites as you can. Keep the toothpicks as they’ll be added up when you pay. I was there in October when Naked for Satan was celebrating its birthday so all pintxos were 50c each. I’d also highly recommend picking up a copy of their cookbook so you can always create your own memories of Naked for Satan wherever you may be in the world.
Chin Chin
This is one of the few places I’ve found that deserves the hype. If you’re spending anytime in Melbourne, even if it’s just for 24 hours, you must eat here. You won’t regret it. Chin Chin is a modern Thai restaurant which requires a queue every single night just to get a table. The only way to do Chin Chin is to order the ‘Feed Me’ option and you’ll get eight of the chef’s favourite dishes. If I went again I couldn’t look past the Pad Thai and the wagyu beef rendang. Don’t worry, if there’s anything you don’t like the look of, just mention it to your waiter and they’ll accommodate your needs.
I apologise for the lack of photos from Chin Chin, it was one of those nights where I didn’t take my camera and just enjoyed my night!
Meat & Wine Co
This is the first place I ate after arriving in Melbourne feeling ‘fresh’ from the UK. Steak is the name of the game here and really good steak at that. Even if you order the cheapest rump steak, it will still be one of the best you’ve had. Maybe that’s to do with the slight African twist. If you’re into it, order the blue cheese sauce too.
Easey’s
It’s a tough call when you love burgers as much as I do but Easey’s comes out on top as my favourite in Melbourne. There are SO many burger joints in Melbourne but where else can you sit in an abandoned train on a rooftop. Couple that with perfect and customisable burgers, you’ve got yourself a winning restaurant. I can never stay away from adding jalapenos and a mac-n-cheese patty to any burger I order. For more of the best burgers in Melbourne, check out my post here.
Shanghai Village
Given its proximity to Asia, it’s no wonder that there’s such a massive Asian influence on Australia’s cuisine. Thanks to the Gold Rush, almost every city and town has at least one Chinese restaurant. If you’re after a cheap lunch, look no further than Shanghai Village for fried dumplings and wontons.
Welcome to Thornbury
Not so much a restaurant but a space for the hippest food trucks to converge and serve up their grub. There are different events on everyday so be sure to check the website to see which food trucks will be there. If you’re lucky, your trip might coincide with a food festival such as the Chicken Nugget Festival (yes, it’s a real thing and is incredible) or the Greek Street Food Festival. This is one hundred percent worth the short train ride into the suburbs.
Doughboys
These are the doughnuts you’ve been looking for. You’ll have to get in early mind as this popular café sells out by lunch time. I was tempted by all the flavours but eventually settled on two; lemon cheesecake and apple pie.
Lukumades
Sticking with the doughnut theme, Lukumades will get your taste buds tingling. More of a meal than simply a dessert, these little Greek doughnuts can be enjoyed plain or with heart-stopping toppings. Who can choose between vanilla ice-cream with warm Nutella and cookie dough ice cream with melted white chocolate?
Top Paddock
Last but by no means least, Top Paddock is one of my favourite places for brunch in Melbourne not just because it bears my name. Situated in the suburb of Richmond, you can order the Instagram-famous blueberry and ricotta hotcake to share. It’s huge and two of us couldn’t even finish it but it’s so worth the food coma.
Honourable Mentions
Two other places to eat in Melbourne that deserve a mention are Prahan Market (cheese toasties from Maker & Monger) and, when it’s on, the Night Noodle Market on Birrarung Marr.
Well they’re my tips on the best places to eat in Melbourne and honestly, if you could transport me across the world right this second, to devour beautiful food in Melbourne, I would without a second thought. Let me know if you manage to try any of my recommendations or have any tips on where I should visit on my next trip to Melbourne.
If you need any more tips for visiting Melbourne, drop me a message and I’ll help out where I can.
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