Eating & Drinking

Victoria (Melbourne Region)

Eating & Drinking in Melbourne

Melbourne is Australia’s premier city for eating out. Sydney may be more stylish and Adelaide cheaper, but Melbourne has the best food and the widest choice of it, almost all exceptionally good value. In March each year, the city celebrates its pre-eminence with a Food and Wine Festival, in which the distinct ethnic areas host culinary street parties.

In the City Center, Greek cafés line Lonsdale Street between Swanston and Russell streets, while Little Bourke Street is the home of Chinatown. Lygon Street, in inner-city Carlton, is just one of many pockets across the city with a concentration of Italian restaurants. Johnston Street in Fitzroy is the Spanish strip, while nearby up-and-coming Smith Street and arty Brunswick Street both have a huge variety of international cuisines and smart cafés. Greek restaurants fill Swan Street in inner-city Richmond, and Vietnamese places dominate Victoria Street. Fitzroy and St Kilda, another gastronomically mixed bag, are the centres of café society; St Kilda also has great bakeries and delis, as does Jewish Balaclava.

Most of Melbourne’s restaurants are BYO, and even the licensed ones generally allow you to bring your own drink – though check first, and note that a corkage fee ($1–2 per person) often applies. If you’re going to be around for a while, The Age Cheap Eats in Melbourne and its more upmarket companion, The Age Good Food Guide, are worthwhile investments.

City Center

There are still plenty of old-fashioned coffee lounges in the city – the type of place where you can get a milky cappuccino and grilled cheese on toast, with a mini-jukebox at your table – but stylish cafés with a more thoughtful decor and much more diverse menus are edging in. In the department stores, both the Myer and David Jones food halls are excellent for upmarket picnic ingredients, while Melbourne Central has several good eating places – the Daimaru food department on the ground floor also sells Japanese food items.

Cafe All’Angelo, 387 Little Bourke St. Good value breakfasts and lunches; good people-watching, too. Licensed. Mon–Thurs 7am–5pm, Fri until 6.30pm, Sat until 2am.
Cafe La, 35th Floor, Sofitel Hotel, corner of Collins and Exhibition sts. Café with the best views in Melbourne, and much more affordable than the exclusive Le Restaurant on the same floor. Open daily from 6.30am until about midnight for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon teas.
Cafe Segovia, 33 Block Place, near Little Collins St. Very pleasant, Spanish-style café, serving good coffee and excellent food. Licensed. Mon–Fri 7.30am–9.30pm, Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 9am–5pm.
Caffe Cortile, 30 Block Place, near Little Collins St, opposite Cafe Segovia. Small, cheerful “hole in the wall” place. Good for breakfast, very busy at lunchtime. Licensed. Mon–Wed 7am–10pm, Thurs–Fri until 11pm, Sat & Sun 9am–6pm.
Campari, 25 Hardware St. Casual and characterful, this daytime spot pulls in lawyers from the nearby courts with excellent Southern Italian food. Pasta dishes for around $13 and steaks and fish around $18. Breakfast is also available. Mon–Tues 7am–5pm, Wed–Thurs until 8.30pm, Fri until 9.30pm.
Crossways Food for Life, 123 Swanston St. Dirt-cheap Indian-style vegetarian food prepared by Hare Krishnas. Mon–Sat noon–3pm.
Curry Bowl, 250 Elizabeth St. Sri Lankan fast food to eat in or take away. Closed Sun.
Florentino, 80 Bourke St (tel 03/9662 1811). A Melbourne institution, which divides loyalties between the cellar café-grill-retaurant (lunch Mon–Fri noon–3pm, dinner Mon–Sat 6–11.30pm), serving inexpensive, home-style pasta dishes, drinks and good coffee, and the very pricey and elegant Italian–French restaurant upstairs (closed Sat lunch and Sun). Licensed.
Gopals, 139 Swanston St. Crossways’ sister restaurant – another Hare Krishna-run, very cheap veggie place. Mon noon–3pm, Tues–Fri noon–8.30pm, Sat 5–8.30pm.
Grand Hyatt Foodcourt, 122 Collins St. Spacious, airy place where customers choose cakes, imaginative salads and other dishes from various stalls and bars; Friday night happy hour is popular with the office crowd.
Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Block Arcade, near Collins St. Tea, scones and delicious cakes have been served in these elegant surroundings for more than one hundred years, but new-fangled delicacies such as focaccia with pesto sauce have now wheedled their way onto the menu. Closed Sat afternoon and Sun.
India House, 443 Elizabeth St. Tandoori and north Indian food, including inexpensive vegetarian dishes, in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff. Licensed and BYO. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat.
Italian Waiters Restaurant, 20 Meyers Place, off Bourke St between Exhibition and Spring sts. Long-established Italian place on the first floor above a bar, once a waiters’ favourite for its late hours. No frills, simple food and low prices. Licensed and BYO. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat 6pm–midnight.
Kappo Okita, 17 Liverpool St (tel 03/9662 2206). Modest Japanese café with good, inexpensive food, especially sushi and sashimi. Best to reserve for weekend evenings. BYO. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat.
Kenzan, 45 Collins St (tel 03/9654 8933). Sushi bar renowned for the freshness of its sushi and sashimi; more upmarket than Kappo Okita, with slightly cheaper lunches. Licensed. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner daily.
Le Restaurant, 35th Floor, Sofitel Hotel, corner of Collins and Exhibition sts (tel 03/9653 0000). Luxurious restaurant with silver service and fantastic views over Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. Serves carefully prepared seasonal dishes, together with Australian produce such as barramundi and yabbies. Expect to pay in the region of $70 per person (not including drinks). Tues–Sat from 7pm.
Medallion Cafe & Cakes, 209 Lonsdale St. Popular Greek café, once shabby, now with an over-the-top, disco-style interior, but still serving authentic, cheap food. Daily until late (3am Fri & Sat).
Mekong, 241 Swanston Walk. Small Vietnamese café specializing in pho (beef or chicken noodle soup). Excellent-value food (dishes about $5), but packed at lunchtime. Mon–Thurs & Sun 8am–11pm, Fri & Sat 8am–2pm.
Meyer’s Place, 20 Meyers Place, off Bourke St between Exhibition and Spring sts. Small bar open until the wee hours – good for a quiet little drink. It’s a bit hard to find as there are no signs and no “official” name. Tues–Sat 4pm–4am.
Ong International Food Court, basement of the Welcome Hotel, 256 Little Bourke St. Authentic Asian food court with stalls selling Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian/Singaporean and Thai food. Licensed. Daily 10am–10pm.
Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, 66 Bourke St. Melbourne’s first espresso bar, and still an institution. Crowded after work with chat and clatter. Classic 1950s interior and great pasta. Open daily.
Pure and Natural Food Company, opposite Flinders Street Station. One of twenty outlets in a local chain whose motto is “fast food that’s good for you”. Inexpensive, health-conscious and mainly vegetarian. Mon–Fri 6am–5.30pm, Sat 8.30am–2.30pm.
Satay Inn, 250 Swanston Walk. Excellent, affordable Malaysian place, close to the big department stores. BYO. Daily lunch and dinner.
Southgate, across the river from Flinders Street Station. With fine views of the river and the city skyline, this centre has developed into a very popular place to dine and drink. The food court is packed during lunch hours and at weekends, and on Friday and Saturday nights advance booking is essential for the restaurants. Some of the best places are The Blue Train Café (tel 03/9696 0111), which attracts a young, hip crowd and serves drinks and tasty and very inexpensive light meals; E Gusto (tel 03/9690 9819), which does “Modern Australian” cuisine with an Italian slant; and the more upmarket Walter’s Wine Bar (tel 03/9690 9211) and Simply French (tel 03/9699 9804), the latter serving superb French food – leave some space for the brilliant desserts.
Swiss Rosti Bar, 87 Flinders Lane, between Exhibition and Spring sts, (tel 03/9654 0088). Tasty and well-presented Swiss–German fare which is quite a few notches above the stodge that passes for German food elsewhere, along with a few international dishes. Try kassler (pickled pork) with sauerkraut or bratwurst, fried onions and mushrooms, all served with rosti (fried grated potatoes), a Swiss specialty. Licensed and moderately priced. Mon lunch only, Tues–Fri noon–late, Sat 5pm–late.
Tsindos, 197 Lonsdale St. All the Greek classics from taramasalata to moussaka and souvlaki at reasonable prices, plus live bouzouki music every night except Sunday. Licensed and BYO. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner daily.
VIS, 245 Swanston St. Stylish café-restaurant underneath The Lounge with food to match – check the blackboard menu for unusual dishes such as prawn and basil ravioli and smoked rack of lamb harissa. Licensed. Mon–Sat 10am–late.
William Angliss College, Latrobe St (tel 03/9606 2111). Licensed restaurant with fine food and service. Incredibly cheap, but you’re at the mercy of the catering students. Booking essential.
Windsor Hotel, 103 Spring St (tel 03/9653 0653). Afternoon tea in this Victorian-era hotel is absolutely traditional. Plan to spend an hour or more luxuriating in the opulence.

Chinatown

Yum cha (elsewhere known as dim sum, a series of small delicacies served from trolleys) is available at lunchtime almost everywhere; on Sunday it’s a crowded ritual.

Camy Shanghai Dumpling and Noodle Restaurant, Tattersalls Lane (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale sts, close to Swanston St). An extremely cheap, partly self-service place, dishing up very simple but delicious dumplings and noodles. No alcohol. Daily 11am–9pm.
Empress of China, 120–122 Little Bourke St (tel 03/9663 1883). Expensive but good value, with lots of lesser-known dishes on offer. Licensed. Closed Sat lunchtime.
Flower Drum, 17 Market Lane, between Bourke and Little Bourke sts (tel 03/9662 3655). Among some very good Chinese restaurants, this is simply outstanding: sophisticated Cantonese cuisine, including exquisite seafood and fish, but also expensive – about $110 for two, plus drinks. Licensed. Closed Sun lunch.
Hills BBQ Noodle Shop, 178 Little Bourke St. Roast pork or roast duck on rice or in a bowl of steaming broth with noodles. Very inexpensive and a good late-night stop. Daily 10am–2am.
King of Kings, 209 Russell St. Simple, inexpensive Hong Kong-style food, including congee, and lots of dishes with pork and offal. BYO. Lunch and dinner daily; open until 2.30am.
Little Malaysia, 26 Liverpool St. Cheap and good Malaysian hawker fare. BYO. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Shark Fin House, 131 Little Bourke St. Converted warehouse with three storeys devoted to about fifty kinds of yum cha, all through the week, night and day. Very busy at lunchtime, especially at weekends. Licensed.

Carlton and North Melbourne

As well as an Italian strip of restaurants and cafés on Lygon Street, between Gratton and Elgin streets, Carlton is home to some great Asian restaurants. To the south of Carlton, North Melbourne harbours an excellent Balinese restaurant.

Brunetti, 198–204 Faraday St. A steady stream of customers walks past an array of display cases filled with a mouthwatering selection of chocolates, pastries, biscuits and cakes to get their daily espresso in the café section. Licensed restaurant next door. Cakes and café daily 7am–10pm; restaurant Mon–Fri noon–3pm, Sat from 12.30pm; dinner Mon–Sat 6–10pm.
Nyonya, 191 Lygon St. Authentic Nyonya cuisine, a blend of Malaysian and Chinese cooking, at moderate prices. BYO. Lunch and dinner daily.
Shakahari, 201–203 Faraday St (tel 03/9347 3848). Excellent, imaginative vegetarian food, influenced by various Asian cuisines, at moderate prices. Licensed and BYO. Mon–Thurs noon–10pm, Fri & Sat noon–10.30pm, Sun 6–10pm.
Tiamo, 303 Lygon St. One-time beatnik hangout and still popular with students, with layers of browning 1950s posters and a good-value blackboard menu. Mon–Sat 7.30am–11pm, Sun 9.30am–10pm.
Toofey’s, 162a Elgin St (tel 03/9347 9838). Considered to be Melbourne’s best seafood restaurant. Extremely fresh fish and seafood are prepared in a light, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern style. About $90 plus drinks for two for dinner; lunch (Mon–Fri only) slightly cheaper. Licensed.
Toto’s Pizza House, 101 Lygon St. Melbourne’s first pizzeria, dating from the 1950s – cheap, cheerful and noisy. Licensed. Daily 11am–11pm.
Warung Agus, 305 Victoria St (tel 03/9329 1737). Authentic Balinese restaurant with superb, affordable food. BYO. Lunch Fri, dinner Tues–Sat 6–10pm.

Elwood and Balaclava

Elwood’s easy-going haunts are similar to St Kilda’s, while Balaclava, to the east along Carlisle Street, specializes in inexpensive kosher food.

Beach House, 67A Ormond Esplanade, Elwood (tel 03/9531 7788). Friendly, if somewhat chaotic café next to the car park at Elwood beach. Very good for breakfast, and very crowded on weekends, so book ahead. Wed–Fri 9am–4pm, Sat & Sun 7.30am–6.30pm. In summer Fri–Sun until 10.30pm. Licensed and BYO.
Cafe Tarrango, 15 Ormond Rd, Elwood. Indian-run café, with delicious organic, biodynamic vegetarian food but not much atmosphere.
Glicks, 330A Carlisle St, Balaclava. Very friendly spot, renowned for bagels and traditional Jewish savouries: try kreplach, latkes or gefilte fish. Mon–Thurs & Sun 6am–9pm, Fri until sunset. Closed Sat.
Haymisha Kosher Bakery, 320 Carlisle St, Balaclava. Jewish bakery with good wholemeal and rye breads, bagels, onion rolls, cakes, doughnuts and a large variety of cookies. Closed Sat.
Hay’s Brasserie, 402 Barkly St (near Ormond Esplanade), Elwood. Not too far from the Beach House, this is another good place for breakfast. Lunch and dinner feature typical Melbourne “East meets West” cuisine, such as lamb curry and olive gnocchi. Licensed. Mon–Fri from 8am, Sat & Sun 7am until late.
Mussels Fish and Chippery, 37 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood. A takeaway with an emphasis on quality – you can even get marinated grilled baby octopus. Perfect place to stock up for lunch.
Turtle Cafe, 34 Ormond Rd, Elwood. Relaxed old corner café that attracts a faithful crowd.
Zartowa, 114 Ormond Rd, Elwood. More upmarket than the Turtle, this popular café-restaurant at the yuppie end of Ormond Rd features a varied à la carte menu of Australian and Mediterranean and Asian-inspired dishes. Lots of focaccias and salads for brunch, plus good coffee.

Fitzroy and Collingwood

Adjacent Fitzroy and Collingwood probably have the widest choice of cuisines in the city, and are good places to finish off your night on the town, as there’s always lots going on. There’s a smallish Spanish centre with a few tapas bars on Johnston Street, between Brunswick and Nicholson streets.

Brunswick Street

Afghan Gallery, 327 Brunswick St. Cheap and authentic food with a decor of Afghan hangings and rugs. Very popular with students. BYO. Dinner daily.
Babka’s Bakery Cafe, 384 Brunswick St. A deservedly popular place, as the bread and cakes, made on the premises, are divine, and dishes from the changing blackboard menu are equally enticing and satisfying. Try Russian blintzes for breakfast. Licensed & BYO. Tues–Sun 7am–7pm.
Black Cat Cafe, cnr of Brunswick and Greeves sts. The prototype of the groovy Brunswick Street café: Fifties theme, jazz music and an informative notice board. Try the bagels and a “Spider”, a speciality ice-cream soda. Daily 9am–1am.
Chinta Ria Restaurant, 182 Brunswick St (tel 03/9349 2599). Very popular restaurant serving authentic Malaysian dishes (curry laksa, beef rendang, blachan spinach). Branches elsewhere feature live music. Licensed. Lunch and dinner daily.
Mario’s, 303 Brunswick St. European-style café where you can eat breakfast (until midnight), lunch and dinner or just have a coffee or a drink. Dauntingly smart staff and decor, but not expensive or dressy. The clientele is an interesting mixture of posers, celebrities and scruffs.
Rhumbaralla’s, 342 Brunswick St. The neon sign in the window is one of the street’s landmarks, and the inside of this stylish café is just as vibrantly coloured. The place hums to the sound of the ceiling fan, jazz music and conversation. Breakfast until midday – eggs Benedict the favourite – then anything from focaccia to steak. Licensed and BYO. Daily 9am–1am.
Shanti, 285 Brunswick St (tel 03/9416 2170). Serves tandoori dishes as well as Southern Indian specialities cooked in coconut milk rather than cream and yoghurt. Lots of vegetarian options and seafood. Moderately priced, the masala dosa is especially good value. Licensed and BYO (wine only). Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner daily.
Thai Thani, 293 Brunswick St (tel 03/9419 6463). One of Melbourne’s best Thai restaurants, on two crowded levels, with moderate prices. BYO. Dinner daily.
The Vegie Bar, 378 Brunswick St. Simple, fresh food cooked to order. Cheap, popular and hip rather than hippie: jazzy soul sounds and poster-covered walls. Daily noon–10pm.

Johnston Street

Carmen Bar, 74 Johnston St. The best value tapas bar in the area, usually full of Spanish people. Live flamenco Thurs–Sat. Tues–Sun 6pm–1am.
Guru da Dhaba, 240 Johnston St (tel 03/9486 9155). Cheap Indian restaurant specializing in Punjabi cuisine that’s always packed – advance bookings are advised. BYO. Mon–Fri 6–11pm, weekends until 11.30pm.
Kahlo’s, 36 Johnston St. Smallish, cosy tapas bar. Wed–Sat 6pm–1am.

Smith Street

Cafe Bohemio, 354 Smith St, north of Johnston St. This laid-back place, reminiscent of a student café in the seventies, seems to be a meeting place of Melbourne’s small Hispanic expatriate community. Serves Latin American dishes (recipes from Argentina to Uruguay), often accompanied by live music (jazz, salsa, Brazilian guitar). Licensed & BYO (wine only). Tues–Fri 11.30–late, Sat & Sun 6pm–late.
Cafe Coco, 129 Smith St. Cosy spot, where the blackboard menu of inexpensive light meals, excellent cakes and good coffee changes regularly. Licensed.
Cafe Zahara, 293–295 Smith St (tel 03/9416 1640). Very moderately priced Malaysian–Indonesian dishes – curry laksa, curries, vegetarian and seafood dishes. Best to book ahead on Fri and Sat nights. BYO. Mon–Sat noon–late.
Gluttony, 278 Smith St. Good cakes, cooked breakfasts and light meals. Popular with locals. BYO. Daily 7am–11pm.
Soulfood Cafe, 273 Smith St. Comfortable cafeteria-style vegetarian café with wooden trestle tables, pine walls, and a good notice board at the back. Mon–Thurs 8am–9pm, Fri–Sun 9am–6pm.
Vatan Gida Foodstore, 131 Smith St. Excellent Turkish deli among a bevy of Turkish cafés.

Richmond

Swan Street, running from Church Street towards Wattle Park, is home to Melbourne’s best Greek restaurants. On the north side of Richmond, Victoria Street is lined with Vietnamese supermarkets, clothes shops and dozens of cheap, authentic restaurants.

Hellas Cake Shop, 324 Lennox St, off Swan St. Delicious Greek cakes and biscuits, which the friendly staff are happy to identify. Daily 9am–6pm.
Salona, 262a Swan St (tel 03/9429 1460). Long-established Greek restaurant – one of four in this block – serves good, plain and very reasonably priced dishes. Licensed and BYO. Daily noon–11.30pm.
Tho Tho’s Bar-Restaurant, 66 Victoria St. Much more upmarket than most of its neighbours, but usually packed and noisy. Inexpensive food, with the lunch specials offering especially good value. Licensed. Daily 11am–midnight.
Thy Thy 1, upstairs at 142 Victoria St (tel 03/9429 1104). The most sought-after Vietnamese restaurant on Victoria St, always with a queue to get in. The food is basic but great. BYO.
Thy Thy 2, 116 Victoria St. Slightly upmarket from Thy Thy 1, but similar and also very popular. BYO. Daily 9am–11pm.
Vao Doi, 120 Victoria St. Another much-frequented Vietnamese place, with set lunch menus for the uninitiated.
VV, 86 Victoria St, another upmarket bar and restaurant. This one attracts a mixed clientele of local Vietnamese & Australians and students from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Inexpensive food. Licensed. Daily 11am–midnight.

South Melbourne, Albert Park and Port Melbourne

There’s not much of a night-time scene in these suburbs, but cafés and delicatessens dish up a mouthwatering selection of food during the day.

Albert Park Deli, 129 Dundas Place, Albert Park. Superb delicatessen takeaway, specializing in delicious breads and arancini (Italian rice balls).
Arkibar, 27 Coventry St, South Melbourne. Modern café serving good Italian food. Licensed. Mon–Thurs 7.30am–5pm, Fri until 11pm.
Cafe Bombay, 396 Bay St (continuation of City Rd), Port Melbourne. Long-established Indian restaurant serving consistently good food, including plenty of vegetarian dishes. Licensed & BYO. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner daily.
Cafe Sweethearts, 263 Coventry St, South Melbourne. Good for breakfast – numerous (and some very exotic-sounding) varieties of sandwiches and eggs served here. Mon–Fri 7am–4pm, Sat & Sun 8am–4pm.
Coventry Blue, 313 Coventry St. Café with an alternative feel in a terrace house opposite the South Melbourne market. Cheap vegetarian dishes. Tues–Sat 7am–5pm, Sun 8am–5pm.
Montague Hotel, cnr of Park and Montague sts, South Melbourne. Renovated, atmospheric old pub and a good restaurant out the back serving hearty fare.
Montague Park Foodstore, 406 Park St. Delicious dishes and desserts to take away or eat in. Particularly pleasant in summer when the tables are out on the footpath.
Sushi Chef, 193 Clarendon St. Inexpensive sushi bar relies mainly on the take-away trade, but you can also eat in. Mon–Sat 11am–8pm.
Villagio Continental Delicatessen, Dundas Place, Albert Park. Gleaming shop full of all kinds of Italian food, with tables outside where you can eat your selections and drink coffee. Closed Sun.
Vista Bar & Bistro, cnr of Bridport and Montague sts, Albert Park (tel 03/9699 7757). An eclectic international mix of dishes and a good selection of wines by the glass. Tues–Sun noon–late.

South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor

Cafe Feedwell, 95 Greville St, Prahran. Melbourne’s oldest vegetarian café, but certainly not an “alternative” cheapie any more. Tofu-based dishes, healthy pies and the like make a hefty meal, and they do good sandwiches, made from excellent home-made bread. BYO.
Caffe e Cucina, 581 Chapel St, South Yarra (tel 03/9827 4139). Still one of Melbourne’s coolest eating spots, attracting a smart clientele and dishing up fantastic pasta. Licensed.
Chinta Ria Jazz, 176 Commercial Rd, Prahran (tel 03/9510 6520). One of Simon Goh’s string of Malaysian eateries – the owner is a dedicated jazz and blues fan who hosts his own radio programme (each week on 3PBS 106.7FM). Lunch and dinner daily. Very moderately priced. BYO.
Confucius, 272 Toorak Rd, South Yarra (tel 03/9827 6833). An elegant restaurant where the cuisine could be labelled “Modern Chinese” or “East meets West”. Lots of wines by the glass, plus a selection of imported Chinese teas. Licensed. Daily lunch and dinner.
The Continental Cafe, 132–134 Greville St, Prahran. Hugely popular restaurant and nightclub, with waistcoated waiters and an equally smart, arty clientele. Breakfast all day, very good pasta dishes, and a wide range of wines and liqueurs. Licensed. Daily 7am–midnight.
Falafel House, 196 Toorak Rd, South Yarra. Middle Eastern takeaway, perfect after pubbing or clubbing. Daily 9am–5am.
Giardino’s Trattoria, 341–345 Toorak Rd, South Yarra (tel 03/9824 1444). Italian restaurant with huge servings, casual service, and lots of families.
Helens Polish Restaurant, 134 Chapel St, Windsor. Simple, authentic Polish place, open from breakfast to dinner; great cakes (try the poppy-seed chocolate cake) and full meals. BYO. Mon–Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 1–10pm.
Samos Greek Taverna, 120 Chapel St, Windsor (tel 03/9510 4561). Plastic vines and fishing nets set the scene. Excellent, moderately priced Greek food with music on Friday and Saturday, when you’ll need to book.
Soul Sisters, Shop 10, 168 Commercial Rd, opposite Prahran Market (tel 03/9510 5760). Small, but very smartly designed café, though inconspicuous from the outside. Very tasty, reasonably priced Malaysian–Chinese food. BYO. Lunch and dinner daily; booking recommended on Friday and Saturday.
Tamani Bistro, 156 Toorak Rd, South Yarra (tel 03/9866 2575). Dimly lit, crowded Italian cheapie.

St Kilda

Although Acland Street is still very popular – especially for late breakfasts and pigging out on cakes – Fitzroy Street has taken over as St Kilda’s new cool area, especially the block from Grey Street to the waterfront. A new, stylish café or restaurant (with prices to match) opens almost every day, making it incredibly difficult to keep track of the latest developments. Walk past any of them on a warm summer evening and you’ll be eyed up and down by the crowds sitting at the outdoor tables. On most evenings it’s nearly impossible to find a parking space in the area, even though there’s a car park at either end of Fitzroy Street. It’s probably better to hail a cab, take public transport or otherwise be prepared for a long hike.

Bala’s, 1D Shakespeare Grove (just off Acland St near Luna Park). Excellent, cheap Asian take-away food – lots of things stir-fried in the wok, with ultrafresh ingredients, as well as samosas, curry puffs and lassis. There are a few tables if you want to eat in, but beware – the place is very busy at lunch and dinner time. Open daily noon–10.30pm.
The Benedykt Deli Cafe, 101 Acland St. One of many of its type on Acland St. A smallish, hole-in-the-wall deli-cum-café that serves great coffee and interesting food (takeaway or eat here): risottos, salads, polenta, antipasti, cakes and pastries. Breakfast is good, too – try the eggs Benedict.
Chinta Ria Blues, 6 Acland St (tel 03/9534 9233). There are two of Simon Goh’s string of Malaysian eateries in St Kilda – this one is just around the corner from Fitzroy St and has a breezy, airy feel to it. The other is a small place at 94 Acland St (bookings, tel 03/9525 4664). Both are open for lunch and dinner daily. Very moderately priced. BYO.
Cicciolina, 130 Acland St. Lots of tables crammed into a small space. Friendly staff and Italian food with an interesting twist must be the formula that keeps this restaurant going from strength to strength. Licensed. Daily 11am–11pm.
Delicatessen Espresso, 151 Fitzroy St. Ideal for breakfast (served until 3pm) and brunch. The menu is limited to a few, very tasty pasta dishes, risottos and salads.
The Espy Kitchen at the Esplanade Hotel, 11 Upper Esplanade. The veggie restaurant at the back is casual and slow, with slapdash decor to match, but the excellent food is worth the wait.
Galleon Cafe, 9 Carlisle St. Breakfast, served until 4pm, is the big attraction here, especially popular at weekends. There’s also a useful notice board. Mon–Fri 9am–midnight, Sat & Sun from 9.30am.
Greasy Joe’s, 68 Acland St. Good greasy breakfast until 6pm, and a range of burgers both meaty and veggie, which you can eat at pavement tables. Daily until 1am.
The Melbourne Wine Room, cnr of Fitzroy and Grey sts. Located in the formerly seedy George Hotel, this is now a swanky restaurant, bar and café where you can have a drink, dinner or a quick bite with some wine. More than 300 wines on the list. Open Tues–Sun.
Monarch Cake Shop, 103 Acland St. Mouthwatering continental patisserie – one of the better ones along the cake shop-strip of Acland St.
Ninety Seven, 97 Fitzroy St. Cosy little café. The back of the courtyard is framed by palm trees and the columned facade of the former French consulate (now a private house). Daily 10am–1pm.
One Fitzroy Street (tel 03/9593 8800). The latest example of Fitzroy St yuppification, in a hard-to-beat location at the corner of Fitzroy St and The Esplanade. There’s a café and bar (One’s Soup Kitchen) downstairs, and an ultramodern restaurant upstairs with a balcony that rewards the higher prices with stupendous views over Port Phillip Bay. Meals in the café cost about $40–50 for two; in the restaurant $90 (not including drinks). Licensed. Daily until about midnight.
Stokehouse, 30 Jacka Boulevard. Located by the beach and packed in warm weather. The restaurant has two sections: downstairs is affordable with lots of unusual pizzas and pastas, fantastic cakes, coffee and wines; upstairs has better views of the bay, but is beyond most budgets. Licensed. Downstairs open Mon–Fri noon–11pm, Sat noon–1am, Sun 10am–11pm.
Topolinos, 87 Fitzroy St. A dimly lit, noisy and smoky St Kilda institution, which pumps out pizzas, generous pasta dishes and good cocktails until dawn.
Wild Rice, 211 Barkly St. Vegan macrobiotic café with a lovely courtyard garden. Daily noon–10pm.

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