What Is Melbourne’s Favorite Food Place In Footscray?

Footscray, Melbourne's multicultural epicentre, is a thriving neighbourhood with dining options and prices to suit even the pickiest diner. We recommend these ten spots.

There are always hip new eateries popping up in Footscray, making it the place to be in Melbourne. Here are a few of our favourite spots in Footscray, including everything from American barbeque to Vietnamese cuisine, seafood and chips to gourmet dining.

Favorite Footscray Restaurant

Numerous reasonably cost restaurants, predominantly Asian and African in cuisine, can be found in Footscray. New cafes like West 48 off Essex St and Rudimentary off Leeds St are signs of the gentrification, as is T.Cavallaro & Sons, on Hopkins St, which serves the greatest cannoli in Melbourne.

open since 1956, back when Footscray still had a sizable Italian community.

Slice Shop Pizza

Just pizza, it says on the sign outside the pizza shop. It's obvious what's on sale inside, though.

Considering its central location in Footscray, Slice Shop Pizza features Western Bulldogs colours on their sign, neon window lettering, and interior tiling.

A marble slab houses a hot slice cabinet, and a repurposed butcher block serves as the cash register, both of which are nods to the proprietors' other business, the meat-centric Burn City Smokers.

Before opening Burn City, Steve Kimonides & Raphael Guthrie worked as sommeliers at Il Bacaro. The pizza parlour takes a little different approach than the reduced world but still has strong American roots.

Your piece will be substantial in size, but thin enough just to fold in your mouth. Seven pizzas as well as a rocket & balsamic salad can be found on the menu. The delicious bits of roast pepper go great with the Italian sausage here on Pork & Fennel, and the truffle oil just on Mushroom will worn down your forearm as you cram it in your mouth.

The New York Cheese has mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, and taleggio on it if you're feeling cheesy. The taleggio adds an earthy-fruit flavour that works well with the other cheeses.

The two friends who reside in the area decided to create Slice Shop because they noticed a surge in the number of bars in the area but no corresponding increase in the number of places serving late-night snacks. Being directly across the street from the well-liked Mr. West, you may take your pizza so over road on a flowered recyclable plastic dish, and the team would retrieve it from the bar afterwards.

8bit Footscray

One of the original owners of the this Footscray burger joint thought it would be "Awesome to have videogames in the establishment," and the concept caught on. The busy eatery is tiled in a pixelated mosaic pattern and decorated with bright primary colours; the menu offers items named after some of the proprietors' favourite retro video games.

These three men—chef Shayne McCallum, Alan Sam, and Sam's high school friend Long Tran—came up with the idea. 8bit is a throwback to the classic fish and chip shop, complete with arcade games and retro consoles crammed into the tight spaces. You can get beef, fried chicken, or crumbed mushroom burgers, as well as fries, drinks, dogs, tater tots, and soft serve, in the kitchen. In addition, there is a video arcade machine housing over 500 different titles.

8bit's front is a reflection of the times: the faded Vietnamese writing has been replaced by the restaurant's new emblem featuring a patterned burger. In a suburb that has plenty of options for fast, cheap eats, this is the first burger joint to open its doors. Additionally, canned beer and soft drinks from brands including Dr. Pepper, Mountain Goat, and American craft brewer Sierra Nevada are available, another tribute to fish 'n' chip cafes.

Up In Smoke

Up In Smoke is another American-style restaurant in Footscray. The aroma of smoke & slow-cooked pork drippings hits you as you walk up, and you almost forget that you're in the West of Melbourne and not the American South.

Slow-cooked rib, brisket, pulled pork, multiple varieties of tacos, and mac & cheese are just a few of the southern-inspired dishes available at Up In Smoke. Everything about this place is exciting: open, noisy, and expansive. Care is taken in preparing the meals, and the staff is knowledgeable and forthright about what's available.

Station Hotel

The chefs and proprietors at The Station Hotel has simplified the preparation of fine dining steakhouse fare while maintaining the same level of excellence. The hotel's pub offers a bar menu and a selection of beers, and the restaurant serves the full restaurant and a variety of high-quality steaks.

They get their beef from farms all throughout Australia. Grain-fed and grass-fed beef in a variety of cuts and ages are available. It's clear that The Station Hotel is the place to be if you want to impress a date or treat yourself to a delicious steak.

Co Thu Quan

Co Thu Quan may serve more familiar Vietnamese dishes like pho and rice paper rolls, but it specialises in northern dishes that are less visible in Melbourne Vietnamese restaurants.

Co Thu Quan is famous for her rice paper salads, which are made by simply moistening rice paper sheets and then mixing them with beef jerky, herbs, nuts, dried shrimp, cumquat, and a difficult quail egg. On the other hand, dishes that feature grilled meats, such as the pork ribs with wrapped rice sheets, which gains depth from charcoal grilling, are extremely popular.

Roti Road

Despite the somewhat mismatched decor, the food at this Malaysian-Chinese restaurant is everything but muddled. Additionally, there is the spectacle of seeing the Malay cooks and roti magicians stretch or spin seemingly limitless amounts of dough.

Use it to sop up your genuinely presented dahl, curry, or sambal when it comes at your table on a tin tray. The nasi lemak & chicken curry are authentic Kuala Lumpur street food, while the dumplings on the vacation yum cha menu are cooked with love by the head chef's mum, who also makes the chilli oil.

To cool off, try the classic Malaysian drink, the Milo Dinosaur, which is simply a glass of iced Milo.

Karlaylisi Restaurant

The modest shopfront of Karlaylisi serves up some of the best traditional Uyghur cuisine in Melbourne.

Noodles made by hand and stir-fried are a staple in the Uyghur area of Xinjiang, and you may find them here under the name läghmän. Dawut Sidik, the owner and head chef, makes fresh dough every day, which he then uses to make perfectly round, thick noodles.

Depending on your preference, you can eat Läghmän either dry or wet. Karlaylisi's top seller is the oy läghmän, a dry variation of the dish consisting of long noodles, lamb, veggies, and a touch of spice. However, aqqik korulgan läghmän is Sidik's prefered variant. Before adding the lean lamb, shallots, garlic chives, and chunks of bird's eye chillies, the shorter noodles are mixed with chilli, garlic, ginger, and soy.

Uyghurs utilise wheat as a base instead of rice like many other Asian cultures do. The most popular dishes in Xinjiang are gosh nan (a pan-fried thin, flaky pastry filled with mutton and cumin) and Samsa (a boiling dumpling filled with meat and vegetables) (baked parcels filled with lamb mince, onion and black pepper).

There are Uyghur, English, and Mandarin translations of the menu. Sidik's command of the latter language has aided his integration into Australian society while he continues to perfect his command of English.

Bad Love Club 

It's all about the five and dime bagels and jaffles (mac and cheese, bacon and egg, and meatball) during the day at this Footscray bakery. But after the sun goes down, out come the cocktail shakers for a round of lemon meringue pie drinks and mist Old Fashioneds. Banoffee and pecan pies both contain rum, and other baked foods may also contain hidden alcohol.

All of the ingredients, from bread and milk to butter and eggs to barbeque and tomato sauce, are supplied from within a 100-mile radius. You can also order a tray of brownies, a chess pie for a birthday, or eight of our huge marshmallow & pretzel cookies for a special someone.

Vegan pies and cream cheese spread for your bagels can be found in Melbourne because the city has a strong commitment to diversity and tolerance. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon

The quality of Vietnamese spoken here is consistently low. The pho is the main attraction. Three large, reasonably priced bowls of Pho Hung Vuong Saigon's delicious Vietnamese noodle soup are available. The menu features a variety of cuts of beef, poultry, and vegetarian options.

Located on Hopkins Street, just across from the popular Footscray Market, Pho Hung Vuong is used to serving big groups of people in a short amount of time due to its convenient location. Stay patient; the wait won't be too lengthy if anything happens at all. You may satisfy your appetite for Vietnamese food or a cold night here.

Cafe Lalibela

Small but traditional, Cafe Lalibela serves authentic Ethiopian cuisine. For the interest of cultural authenticity, it suggests forgoing silverware in favour of eating with your fingers, as is customary in Ethiopia. Sharing meals is highly encouraged, and the atmosphere quickly warms up and becomes natural with the home-cooked meals, even if they are first strange.

Spotted on a massive pale pancake are small mounds of sluggish meat soups (wats) and drupal vegetarian dishes. The traditional injera is a rice flour bread that is both spongy and sour, perfect for mopping up the delicious sauce from your favourite stew or curry. The presentation may seem puzzling at first, but the "tear and scoop" technique rapidly becomes second nature and works admirably in place of a fork or spoon.

Cafe Lalibela may not have white tablecloths or any flashy furnishings, but its walls are full of colourful artwork. The food, as is the case at less expensive restaurants, is the main attraction. This restaurant is owned by a friendly family, so don't be surprised if you get a heaping plate of spicy food.

Aangan Indian Restaurant

At Aangan, you may get both classic and contemporary takes on Indian fare prepared with care and precision. The atmosphere is relaxed and bustling, the service is lightning fast, and the cuisine is outstanding. Dishes are prepared fresh daily using both regional and international ingredients. As a result, each dish is bursting with the flavour of its careful preparation and its recent freshness.

The restaurant's staff is committed to giving each customer an authentic taste of India. But, Aangan is popular, so make a reservation in advance if you want to eat there. They provide event catering, party planning, and chat support services on their website.

Rudimentary

There’s a welcome back-to-basics attitude to Rudimentary: its really no principles let it focus on superb food in a nicely constructed venue. A vacant, rundown Footscray corner block has been transformed into an AstroTurf lawn and cafe using three shipping containers.

The owner intended to develop something sustainable & potentially moveable. Rudimentary is mobile thanks to its design. As an added bonus, the construction gives previously used materials a second chance at life.

A glass wall in this airy, open room looks out over a picturesque garden with herb and lavender plants.

The diminutive but adaptable chefs of the former Duchess of Spotswood. Examples of past menu items include smoked brisket sandwich wit kimchi and asiago and house-cured ocean fish with pickled cucumber, nashi, and crème Fraiche.

The chief barista uses Small Batch beans to make coffee on a La Marzocco (formerly Auction Rooms and Seven Seeds). Keep a watch out for her Vietnamese coffee, as well as single origins & filter coffee of varying durations.

Rudimentary

In previously rough-as-guts Footscray, a shipping container conversion known as Rudimentary has sprung up like a metallic mushroom. You won't find any trendy brunch eateries in Footscray because it's so well-known for its abundance of inexpensive Vietnamese street food. We envy the happy locals who get to call this place home and use their Macbooks & Small Batch Roasting lattes in peace and quiet.

Their resident chef, Shane Donelly (founder of the nearby Yellow Lily café and former Duchess of Spotswood), is available to them seven days a week. We'll give any man the benefit of the doubt if he presents us with a breakfast plate of braised pork belly, pig's ear crisps reminiscent of hog scratching, two nicely cooked eggs, red chilli shards, and a piece of bread dipped in sweet-sour tamarind sauce.

But we have a problem with Shane and his affinity for pig. What are we expected to do when faced with a choice between a rye toastie topped with Gypsy ham, mansion waffles topped with crunchy pancetta, and pork belly that is butter-soft in one bite and pork-toffee-caramel chewy in the next?

Victoria Hotel Footscray

When 2017 drew to a close, Harts Victoria Hotel officially changed its name to the Victoria Hotel. The once-dilapidated corner bar has been given a thorough makeover, replete with TAB & $10 counter meals. The owners, food, and decor have all changed. There is no longer a TAB. The inspiration for the shift came from his wife and their mutual acquaintance Nick Carter (who also co-owns the Builders Arms).

The old favourite is still on, but regulars are embracing change and Hop Nation is quickly becoming the pub's largest seller, so you can still find the regulars sitting at the bar, but they'll be drinking Hop, Nation pales instead of pots of Carlton Draught. It has a modern pub cuisine at a fair price. You can count on pizza parma, steak, fish in a beer batter, and bangers & mash. Anton van Klopper Wines, best known for the minimally-manipulated Lucy Margaux brand, has white, rosé, and red available. With a focus on minimal intervention, you can choose from among about 30 different bottles.

The concrete bar floors and bare wooden furniture give the bar a raw, industrial aesthetic that is at once modern and timelessly classic. The dining area's mix of woods carries over from the living space's minimal style. The tiny side beer garden lets in plenty of natural light. It has all the trappings of a traditional pub, only with a more refined atmosphere. The bar, which serves as the focal point of the room, has plenty of seating. On the weekend, you may watch the game while sipping on a complimentary cup of Either pale or golden coffee and discussing the game with other patrons.

Ovest

You can get delicious pizza and other Italian dishes at Ovest, a restaurant in West Footscray. Aside from pizza, they provide pasta dishes, other mains, kid-friendly options, and an assortment of appetisers. You won't find the same assortment of beers at your regular bottle shop, which makes their selection all the more intriguing.

Ovest is the place to go if you're craving a wood-fired pizza, as they offer both traditional Italian and gourmet options. If you're willing to venture a bit out of the way, you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal at Ovest, an Italian restaurant with a spacious, open layout and a focus on seasonal, locally sourced products.

Dong Ba

Although Dong Ba is not located in Hue, the city of origin for bun bo hue, it does offer some of the greatest bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup in all of Melbourne.

Over a bed of thick rice noodles, you can enjoy slices of rare or well-done beef, crimson jelly, pork loaf, and refreshing pieces of raw onion topped with a beef broth that is notably lemongrass (like genuine lemongrass) balanced by a faint chilli hum. It's easy to see why folks start their day in Dong Ba, seeking solace in a bowl of spicy soup.

Nhu Lan

Nhu Lan Vietnamese Bakery is a popular spot in Footscray, and their Bahn Mi sandwiches are legendary. These delectable sandwiches, which range between BBQ pork through salad rolls, only cost $3 to $6 each. As you'd expect from a quality Vietnamese bakery, the bread has a crisp exterior and a fluffy interior. Sometimes there are lineups, but as with many establishments in Footscray, it's because the cuisine is so wonderful.

Small Graces

Previously home to some of the best Vietnamese & Ethiopian eateries in the city, as well as an unbeatable burger joint, vibrant, multicultural Footscray has recently upgraded its culinary and drinking offerings. Two Andrew McConnell alums opened a pizza place in 2017–18, a swanky bar started serving craft beers while wine, and a café expanded its menu beyond just brunch.

Small Graces was founded in late 2017 by the husband and wife team of owner and Bec Howell. Brunch items prepared by Carreo use products obtained sustainably and responsibly from Victorian farmers, showcasing the chef's high dining background.

The café has the warm sense of community that is characteristic of the American West, with touches like a cushioned bench, potted plants, a bookshelf in case your restless tot needs some distraction, and a sizable patio where you can let your pet run free.

Everything from the sriracha to the peanut butter to the ferments and pickles is prepared in-house, and the menu is based on the seasons. As a result of the café's commitment to conserving resources, much of the menu is vegetarian or vegan, and the meat that is served comes from less conventional sources (bacon is replaced by pork neck in the Eggs Benedict-ish, for instance). While the restaurant's bread comes from the famous Sourdough Bakery in nearby Seddon, most of the dishes are naturally gluten-free or may be made gluten-free upon request.

Konjo Café

Konjo Café, located on Irving Street, is known for its generous portions of curry made with pulses and served with bowls of spongy, sour injera. For under $14, you may have a platter of traditional Ethiopian bread piled high with savoury stewed vegetables like dried legumes, red lentils, fettuccine noodles, cabbage, and beetroot.

To complement the hearty dinner, coffee is typically served in a terracotta pot and served at the table. Vegetarian and vegan feasts are held with ceremonial cups of spiced coffee and tea on a regular basis.

Conclusion

The cosmopolitan hub of Melbourne, Footscray is a bustling neighbourhood with a wide range of restaurants to suit any budget. Whether you're in the mood for seafood and chips, Vietnamese, or fine dining, you'll find it all at Footscray. We go to the places that we enjoy the most in the neighbourhood. At 8bit, you may relive your childhood at the arcade or on one of the vintage video game consoles. Another American eatery in Footscray, Up In Smoke specialises in southern-style fare.

In order to streamline the process without sacrificing quality, the Station Hotel's steakhouse has adopted a new approach to cooking. Co Thu Quan's rice paper salads are well-known. If you're looking for authentic Uyghur food in Melbourne, look no further than Karlaylisi. For a dry take on this dish, try the oy läghmän, which features long noodles, lamb, and vegetables. The ingredients for your bagels and jaffles at Bad Love Club come from within a hundred mile radius of the restaurant.

The standard of spoken Vietnamese in Melbourne is consistently poor. Traditional and modern Indian dishes, both traditional and innovative, are served at Aangan. The cafe and AstroTurf area at Rudimentary are housed in a repurposed shipping container. In 2017, the hotel formally changed its name from Harts Victoria to Victoria Hotel. There is no longer a TAB due to new management, menu, and design.

In place of Carlton Draught, Hop Nation pale ale is swiftly becoming the pub's best-seller. Ovest is an airy, modern Italian eatery that uses only seasonal, regionally-sourced ingredients. When in Melbourne, stop into Dong Ba for a taste of their excellent Vietnamese noodle soup. Nhu Lan Bakery is well-known for their delicious and reasonably priced sandwiches (ranging from $3 to $6). Curry cooked with pulses and served with bowls of spongy, sour injera have made Konjo Café famous. A typical Ethiopian bread tray with savoury stewed veggies including dried beans, red lentils, and fettuccine noodles can be yours for less than $14.

Content Summary

1. The cosmopolitan hub of Melbourne, Footscray is a bustling neighbourhood with a wide range of restaurants to suit any budget.
2. Footscray is the place to be in Melbourne due to the constant influx of trendy new restaurants.
3. Best Eatery in Footscray Footscray is home to a wide variety of budget-friendly eateries, specialising in Asian and African cuisines.
4. Retail Pizzeria Slices The pizza shop's window sign reads, "Just Pizza."
5. This Footscray burger shop has videogames because one of the original owners thought it would be "Awesome to have videogames in the institution," and he was right.
6. The restaurant's floor is covered in a pixelated mosaic pattern, and it's decorated with primary colours and references to classic video games.
7. Chef Shayne McCallum, Alan Sam, and Sam's high school classmate Long Tran are the brains behind the concept.
8. The arcade games and vintage consoles at 8bit are a nod to the traditional fish and chip shop.
9. This is the first burger restaurant to open in a suburb with many other options for quick, inexpensive dining.
10. Another option for an American meal in Footscray is Up in Smoke.
11. Airport Hotel The Station Hotel's chefs and owners have streamlined the preparation of fine dining steakhouse dishes without sacrificing quality.
12. While Co Thu Quan does provide standard Vietnamese fare like pho and rice paper rolls, it specialises on northern Vietnamese specialities that aren't as widely available at other Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne.
13. Co Thu Quan is well-known for her rice paper salads, which consist of moist rice paper sheets mixed with beef jerky, dried shrimp, herbs, cumquat, nuts, and a tough quail egg.
14. Road to Roti The food at this Malaysian-Chinese restaurant is anything but confusing, despite the somewhat mismatched atmosphere.
15. Cafe Karlaylisi Karlaylisi, located behind an unassuming storefront, is a great place to get authentic Uyghur food in Melbourne.
16. Traditional Uyghur läghmän noodles, created by hand and stir-fried, are a common dish in the Xinjiang region.
17. Oy läghmän, a dry version of the dish typically made with long noodles, lamb, vegetables, and a dash of spice, is the best-seller at Karlaylisi.
18. However, Sidik favours the form aqqik korulgan läghmän.
19. While Sidik continues to improve his English, his fluency in the latter language has helped him integrate more smoothly into Australian society.
20. League of Unrequited Love During the day, this Footscray cafe is packed with people eating their famous five and dime bagels and jaffles (mac and cheese, bacon and egg, and meatball).
21. Since Melbourne places a premium on diversity and tolerance, you can find vegan options for both food and drink around the city, including pie and cream cheese spread for your bagels.
22. Saigon's famed Pho Hung Vuong The standard of spoken Vietnamese in this region is consistently low.
23. Pho Hung Vuong Saigon's savoury noodle soup is available in three generously sized bowls for a very reasonable price.
24. If you're craving Vietnamese cuisine or a warm place to spend a chilly evening, you've come to the right place.
25. The Lalibela Coffee Shop Cafe Lalibela is a little but classic restaurant serving genuine Ethiopian fare.
26. Little mounds of slow meat soups (wats) and drupal vegetarian foods can be seen over a huge pale pancake.
27. There are no white tablecloths or fancy furniture at Cafe Lalibela, but the walls are covered in vibrant paintings.
28. Like in more affordable eateries, the food is the star of the show here.
29. Indian Cuisine at Aangan The chefs at Aangan take pride in serving both traditional and modern twists on Indian cuisine.
30. The food is excellent, the service is quick, and the ambience is lively and enjoyable.
31. Dishes are made from scratch every day, employing a wide variety of local and imported ingredients.
32. Make sure to plan ahead if you want to dine at Aangan because of its high demand.
33. Rudimentary Rudimentary's no-nonsense approach is refreshing, as it allows the restaurant to put all of its attention on the quality of its meals and the aesthetics of its space.
34. Three shipping containers were used to transform an empty, decrepit corner block in Footscray into an AstroTurf park and cafe.
35. The former Duchess of Spotswood's tiny yet flexible kitchen staff.
36. Rudimentary Rudimentary, a converted shipping container that has mushroomed like a metal fungus in the rough-and-tumble neighbourhood of Footscray, has recently emerged.
37. Shane Donelly (owner of the local Yellow Lily café and former Duchess of Spotswood) is their in-house chef, and she's available to them every day of the week.
38. Shane's love of swine, though, presents a difficulty for us.
39. Footscray Victoria Hotel Near the end of 2017, Harts Victoria Hotel became just the Victoria Hotel.
40. TAB and $10 counter meals have been added to the formerly rundown corner pub.
41. The dining room's eclectic woodsy decor is a continuation of the minimalist living room's.
42. Light floods into the modest beer garden located off to the side.
43. Ovest, located in West Footscray, is a restaurant serving great pizza and other Italian meals.
44. If you're in the mood for a wood-fired pizza, look no farther than Ovest, where you can choose between classic Italian and gourmet pies.
45. Donald Ba Dong Ba serves out some of the best bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup in Melbourne, despite the fact that it is not located in Hue, the place of origin for bun bo hue.
46. It's not hard to imagine why a bowl of hot soup would be the perfect way to start the day for someone living in Dong Ba.
47. The Bahn Mi sandwiches at the Nhu Lan Nhu Lan Vietnamese Bakery in Footscray are well-known.
48. Delicate Touches Formerly housing some of the city's finest Vietnamese and Ethiopian restaurants, as well as an exceptional burger business, the dynamic, multicultural neighbourhood of Footscray has recently enhanced its culinary and drinking offerings.
49. The husband-and-wife combination of owner and Bec Howell launched Small Graces in late 2017.
50. A large terrace where your dog can run around freely complements the café's cosy, community-oriented atmosphere, which includes a bookshelf in case your fussy child needs something to do while you enjoy a cup of coffee.
51. Everything on the menu is made in-house, from the sriracha to the peanut butter to the ferments and pickles, and it all changes with the seasons.
52. The café serves mostly vegetarian and vegan fare as part of its effort to reduce its carbon footprint, and any meat options come from nontraditional suppliers (bacon is replaced by pork neck in the Eggs Benedict-ish, for instance).
53. Bread at this restaurant is supplied by the well-known Sourdough Bakery in nearby Seddon, but otherwise, the vast majority of the menu is either naturally gluten-free or can be adapted to be so.
54. This is the Konjo Café. On Irving Street, at Konjo Café, customers can have bowls of spongy, sour injera to go with their heaping amounts of curry prepared with pulses.
55. In addition to the hefty meal, a pot of coffee brewed in a clay pot is often placed on each place setting.