The 7 Best Restaurants In Melbourne

Melbourne is home to some of the world's finest dining establishments, and your search can end here. Based on factors such as meal quality, ambience, and overall customer happiness, we've selected the seven best restaurants in town and listed them below. These restaurants are perfect for any occasion, from a quick bite to a formal celebration. Here, without further ado, are some of the finest dining establishments in all of Melbourne.

1. Cutler & Co

When it comes to the restaurants owned by Andrew McConnell, the most refined of the bunch is Cutler & Co, followed by Cumulus Inc., Marion, and Supernormal. Even so, that's hardly a ringing endorsement. The atmosphere at this fine dining establishment is more relaxed than ever before.

Like Cumulus, the a la carte menu follows a similar structure. Oysters, duck hearts with parsley and horseradish, and buckwheat pikelets with caviar are just a few of the modest, elegant appetisers served at the start.

When it comes to the entrees and main courses, the focus shifts to proteins and seafood served with in-season vegetables and unique flavours like dandelion and sorrel. Huge steaks and suckling piglets are perfect for feeding a large group.

Although, the degustation menu is the way to go if you want to highlight the "fine dining" part of Cutler & Co (or just lengthen your dinner). The price is $150 per person for six courses, without including the matched wines (our personal preference) from the extensive wine selection that evolves over time. We charge $75 per person for our Sunday set lunch menu.

2. Flower Drum

This Canto staple is like an old dog with new tricks; it continues getting better with each mud crab claw. Despite 46 years, a pandemic, the internet age, two recessions, and a swarm of naysayers declaring the end of fine dining, it is still going strong.

Particularly in a city like Melbourne, where diners have a reputation for being fickle, ten years is an aeon in the restaurant business. What is it about this premium Cantonese restaurant that has allowed it to survive for 46 years, a pandemic, two recessions, the internet age, and a swarm of doomsayers?

Some of the waiters at Flower Drum have worked there for 20 years or more and have mastered the art of providing flawless service, which takes precedence over all else. The moment you step foot in the Market Lane foyer, you will be under close observation.

Frequent customers are greeted by name, seated in their prefered booths, and even offered dishes that have since been taken off the menu. Yet, that's fine by me. Anthony Lui, the head chef, can still conjure up some mean lemon chicken if he has the appropriate ingredients on hand.

These days, Anthony's son Jason coolly and effectively supervises the floor, recognising regulars and guiding the six to eight waiters at each table. Jason's leadership has ushered in a new era for Flower Drum.

According to common belief, one needs knowledge of long-forgotten, taboo specialities in order to carry it out properly. But this is authentic Cantonese and Sichuanese, complete with the vivacity that comes from chefs who embrace the seasons and new ingredients while staying faithful to their roots. It wouldn't be smart to write off the current menu options.

And Jason has helped improve that. He thinks that by modernising the restaurant's digital infrastructure and paring down the once-extensive menu, diners would learn to stop dwelling on the past and start appreciating the here and now.

A person's full focus should be given to their food. The best Xiao Long Bao are dumplings soaked in a rich seafood liquor and stuffed with freshly caught mud crab. Soup made with wallaby tail and lingonberries is a hearty, spicy broth that benefits from a long, low simmer in a clay pot immersed in boiling water.

Barramundi noodles with tangerine zest, onions, and sweet dry pig sausage are a popular dish. How about the Peking duck? Is it the greatest in town? That was the most professionally done presentation They saw.

The clear pancakes, warmed on a skillet, are wheeled out with the spring onions and flawlessly seared beef. In a trice they have changed into their riding clothes and are ready to go.

3. Attica

Attica, led by Chef Ben Shewry, is one more of Melbourne's excellent restaurants with a well-known chef at the helm. At Attica, a high-end Melbourne restaurant, you can feast on delicacies like lobster, caviar, and foie gras.

Attica, a fine dining establishment in Melbourne's Ripponlea neighbourhood, serves up dishes inspired by, and made using, a wide range of Australian cuisines using only locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. In Melbourne, this is one of the must-visit restaurants.

The term "restaurant" can seem limiting when describing Attica and its chef-owner Ben Shewry, who has branched out into baking and lasagne during lockdown(s), providing free meals for hospo workers, hosting a pop-up Attica Summer Camp in the Yarra Valley, collaborating on Instagram with celebrity chef Hamish Blake, and performing as a DJ. The restaurant's gloomy atmosphere is like a magnet, attracting people from all over.

It lies in Shewry's sense of humour, which combines lively Kiwi sarcasm with droll observation. Reko & Ben's Picnic Caviar is green ants with pancakes and sour cream. It's right up there with the "Croc Fat Caramel" served after dinner and the tableside BBQ of seafood with Indigenous spices.

A serious rigour, intelligence, and heart underpin the humorous, self-deprecating tone. In order to justify the high cost of his world-famous, 10-ish course meal, Shewry places special emphasis on paying tribute to Indigenous culture and ingredients. His achievement is flawless and total.

4. Poodle Bar & Bistro

Chef Josh Fry (Marion, Cumulus Inc) of Poodle, another art-deco influenced multi-level restaurant in our fine city, incorporates a distinctive Italian spin on absurd dishes. Yet this is more than simply another building with multiple floors.

Yet this is more than simply another building with multiple floors. The site's green, marbled, and dark timber veneered bones were designed by Melbourne's Bergman & Co to evoke an Italian palace, yet the friendly staff inside makes you feel right at home.

Owner Zo Rubino greets customers at the door, while his partner Emilio Scalzo hovers about, both wearing the same friendly smiles and helpful attitudes as any former member of the McConnell team. There are cosy booths downstairs, framed drawings from past diners, and a fully stocked bistro menu.

We get the Padrón peppers, which are wrinkled, somewhat burnt, and bathed with vinegar made with black garlic, which pairs well with the peppers' spiciness and smoky undertones with their acidity. Four ingredients marry together faster than a pair on Married at First Sight: chunks of spanner crab, garlicky taramosalata, and salty orbs of fish roe stuffed with flaky vol-au-vents from the year 2021.

Skewers of hearty duck meat will soon emerge from the figurative fire, bronzed and satisfied with their charred condition. The prawn cocktail is ready, are you eating? You are not reading a 1970s issue of an Australian cooking magazine, and you did hear me right.

Shrimp and diced celery float in a soft cocktail sauce flavoured with dill sprigs and whole, additional fresh prawns gently keeping one's balance on the rim of a Martini glass to create a nostalgic summer favourite that separates itself from its flashy forerunner.

A hint to surf and turf can be found in Fry's masterwork. A massive, 800-gram slab of O'Connor rib-eye steak, cooked over hardwood and served with prawn butter and deep-fried school prawns for added umami. It comes pre-cut so you don't have to worry about making an Eton mess, and it goes great with fries.

The sommelier, Alex, tailors his recommendations to our tastes as we listen to The Beatles' "Octopus's Garden" in the background. Classic cocktails are served here, but they are given new names.

The house speciality Wet Poodle is a Gibson; the smoked lemonade shandy is a lighthearted take on a classic country pub drink; and the White Ferrari is a modern take on a Negroni relative made with Cocchi Americano, gin, and Lillet Blanc.

Charcoal-grilled garfish with Champagne velouté and a Martini featuring moss vermouth steeped with orange and Szechuan peppercorns await you on the rooftop bar's menu. Soak in the sun outside if it's nice out, or cosy up by the fire if the temperature drops.

5. MoVida

Movida, owned by Frank Camorra, is the restaurant that ignited Melbourne's continued enthusiasm for contemporary Spain. What was once a laid-back tapas tavern is now a popular Comedor (dining room) that requires reservations, often weeks in advance. Movida Next Door, its sister establishment, fills the need for a less formal tapas bar.

It's easy to overindulge over dinner at MoVida, so be prepared to spend a pretty penny. The tapas and raciones on the menu are meant to be shared, but pace yourself so that you have room for dessert. If you're in the mood to try new things, you can let the chef decide what you'll eat so you can experience a variety of their signature meals and seasonal specialities.

Movida now operates a beachside café in Lorne, a taqueria in a shipping container, airport bars in Melbourne and Sydney, and a rapidly increasing off-site catering division.No of the reason, a trip to MoVida will be enough to show you why it's been hailed as one of the best in the city.

6. Cumulus Inc.

The quality of Cumulus Inc. can be assumed because it is yet another business owned by Andrew McConnell. One of Melbourne's most popular 24-hour dining spots, it's known for its well-balanced meals including Parmesan quiche, tuna tartare with goat cheese and crushed green peas with truffle and endives, and fish with braised leek and mussels. Moreover, we have a wine bar, which we failed to disclose.

Currently, Cumulus Inc. is offering a special occasion-sized version of their famous rum baba cake. You may order and take home a slice of the dense cake here; it's baked using a yeasted mix, flavoured with rum, and topped with a light chantilly cream. Other menu items are available for takeout during the lockdown.

The Melbourne eatery was conceptualised by Andrew McConnell, a culinary luminary in Melbourne. When lockdown is lifted, the kitchen is ready to serve lunch and dinner, and the menu features everything from house pickles to delicious smoky brisket platters to short rib, ancient grain salads.

Comes with a wine and cocktail list that will impress even connoisseurs. We think this is a great option for an afternoon or evening if you're looking for a memorable place to be in the city.

7. Sunda Dining

Sunda presents the cuisine of Southeast Asia through the prism of gourmet dining, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. Sunda was the first restaurant opened by Vietnamese-Australian chef Khanh Nguyen, who has since gone on to fame and fortune.

Nguyen has designed a menu featuring Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian flavours with the intention of displaying the fine dining features of Southeast Asian food. A few examples of regional specialities on the menu are the Fremantle octopus with bush tomato, lemongrass, and onion and the egg noodles with xo sauce, pepper berry, chicken crackling. You may expect your preconceived notions of this food to be completely blown.

What the heck is in the water down on Punch Lane? The area around the Central Business District's theatres is one of the city's most popular tourist destinations. In terms of eating districts, it is the Hansel. We got Juliet in 2017, Bar Saracen just last month, and now (just next door) we have Sunda, new digs from the men behind Hotel Windsor.

Sunda is your typical Central Business District (CBD) Asian fusion; a bit Malaysia, a little Vietnam, and a little Melbourne, all expertly prepared by Khanh Nguyen. The dishes on the menu are intended to be shared. Miniature dishes and a few hearty mains such as lamb rump with braised cashews, curry, and saltbush are included. This season's trendy herb is saltbush. We urge you to get on board the Saltbush Futures investment train if at all possible.

When faced with such a wide selection of dishes from around the world, it may be easier to just get the $75 set menu and let the wait staff decide. It's an additional $50 to add on matching beverages.

But if you're ordering from the menu, you shouldn't miss tThe crispy tempeh with ginger blossoms and tamarind or the Wagyu beef rendang buns which are both delicious with pickled radish. If we'd gotten 30 of these, we would have been satisfied.

The beer selection is limited to six hand-picked craft beers that will change with the seasons. Stick to the tried-and-true Coburg beer, or spice things up with a bottle of Braeside's Boatrocker 'Jungle Jive Sour' IPA. It's completely out of control.

Sunda, like other places on Punch Lane, has great energy. The fit-out was completed by the architects at Kerstin Thompson, and the result is an industrial space with a hint of irony. There is no covering up the exposed masonry from the ground up.

The kitchen is spacious and open. An abundance of charred wood and bare steel makes it feel like you may be on a date in a construction zone (but a high-end building site, the kind with nice lights and paired wines).

Conclusion

Melbourne has world-class eateries. Food quality, ambience, and customer satisfaction determined our top seven eateries. These restaurants handle any event. For example, flower Drum in Melbourne serves authentic Cantonese and Sichuanese food. Jason, the son of head chef Anthony Lui, supervises the floor.

Melbourne's Attica serves caviar and foie gras. Ben Shewry's famed 10-course feast honours the indigenous culture and employs indigenous foods. Darkness attracts tourists from far and wide. Poodle, another multi-level art-deco restaurant, serves absurd meals with an Italian twist. Finally, Frank Camorra's Movida restaurant ignited Melbourne's love of modern Spain.

The Comedor requires weeks-ahead reservations. The neighbourhood needed Movida Next Door, a more casual tapas bar. This 24-hour Melbourne restaurant's Parmesan quiche and tuna tartare are popular. Vietnamese-Australian chef Khanh Nguyen opened Sunda. Its wine and beverage offering will impress specialists.

Saltbush Futures has a worldwide fixed-price menu. Seasonal craft beers are limited to six. Burned wood and exposed metal evoke a building.

Content Summary

• Melbourne is home to some of the world's finest dining establishments, and your search can end here.
• Based on factors such as meal quality, ambience, and overall customer happiness, we've selected the seven best restaurants in town and listed them below.
• These restaurants are perfect for any occasion, from a quick bite to a formal celebration.
• Regarding the restaurants owned by Andrew McConnell, the most refined of the bunch is Cutler & Co, followed by Cumulus Inc., Marion, and Supernormal.
• Despite 46 years, a pandemic, the internet age, two recessions, and a swarm of naysayers declaring the end of fine dining, it is still going strong.
• Anthony Lui, the head chef, can still conjure up some mean lemon chicken if he has the right ingredients.
• But this is authentic Cantonese and Sichuanese, complete with the vivacity of chefs who embrace the seasons and new ingredients while staying faithful to their roots.
• Attica, led by Chef Ben Shewry, is one of Melbourne's excellent restaurants with a well-known chef at the helm.
• At Attica, a high-end Melbourne restaurant, you can feast on delicacies like lobster, caviar, and foie gras.
• The term "restaurant" can seem to limit when describing Attica and its chef-owner Ben Shewry, who has branched out into baking and lasagne during lockdown(s), providing free meals for hospo workers, hosting a pop-up Attica Summer Camp in the Yarra Valley, collaborating on Instagram with celebrity chef Hamish Blake, and performing as a DJ.
• The restaurant's gloomy atmosphere is like a magnet, attracting people from all over.
• It lies in Shewry's sense of humour, which combines playful Kiwi sarcasm with droll observation.
• Reko & Ben's Picnic Caviar is green ants with pancakes and sour cream.
• It's right with the "Croc Fat Caramel" served after dinner and the tableside BBQ of seafood with Indigenous spices.
• To justify his world-famous, 10-ish course meal's high cost, Shewry specialises in paying tribute to Indigenous culture and ingredients.
• Chef Josh Fry (Marion, Cumulus Inc) of Poodle, another art-deco-influenced multi-level restaurant in our fine city, incorporates a distinctive Italian spin on absurd dishes.
• A hint to surf and turf can be found in Fry's masterwork.
• The sommelier, Alex, tailors his recommendations to our tastes as we listen to The Beatles' "Octopus's Garden" in the background.
• Movida, owned by Frank Camorra, is the restaurant that ignited Melbourne's continued enthusiasm for contemporary Spain.
• Movida Next Door, its sister establishment, fills the need for a less traditional tapas bar.
• It's easy to overindulge over dinner at MoVida, so be prepared to spend a pretty penny.
• If you're in the mood to try new things, you can let the chef decide what you'll eat so you can experience a variety of their signature meals and seasonal specialities.
• Cumulus Inc. is offering a special occasion-sized version of their famous rum baba cake.
• Sunda presents the cuisine of Southeast Asia through the prism of gourmet dining, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.
• Sunda was the first restaurant opened by Vietnamese-Australian chef Khanh Nguyen, who has since gone on to fame and fortune.
• Nguyen has designed a menu featuring Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian flavours to display the fine dining features of Southeast Asian food.
• We got Juliet in 2017, Bar Saracen just last month, and now (just next door) we have Sunda, new digs from the men behind Hotel Windsor.
• Small dishes and a few hearty mains, such as lamb rump with braised cashews, curry, and saltbush, are included.
• When faced with such a wide selection of dishes from around the world, it may be easier to get the $75 set menu and let the wait staff decide.
• The beer selection is limited to six hand-picked craft beers that will change with the seasons.
• Sunda, like other places on Punch Lane, has great energy.
• The fit-out was completed by the architects at Kerstin Thompson, resulting in an industrial space with a hint of irony.
• The kitchen is spacious and open.
• An abundance of charred wood and bare steel makes it feel like you may be on a date in a construction zone (but a high-end building site, the kind with nice lights and paired wines).