The venue is led by brother-run duo Nick and Zac Beerens (Mammoth Café Armadale) whilst the kitchen is headed up by executive chef Kevin Middleton (Donovan’s, Naked for Satan). The chic diner just next door to the Classic Cinema has an easy allure, fancy enough to impress but without all the pretentious notions. The menu showcases diverse and quality local produce, a collection of dishes of uniquely Australian cuisine—all embued with a Euro-bistro flare. Go-to starters include the Japanese scallops with nduja dressing while larger plate options should be directed straight to the must-order spiced lamb shoulder with rose harissa—a real staple for the venue. Founded in 2007, Secret Kitchen brings to the city of Melbourne chinese dining experience the like of which you won’t find anywhere else in the state.
For long periods of no food…and eventually just gave up and left. The total cost for the tiny number of dishes we ended up with was an eye watering $253! There were 6 of us and honestly we get more each evening for skewers melbourne free at our hotel for afternoon tea. The manager was rude condescending and had the nerve to ask 3 times for tips from us. My advice to others is avoid going to this place, its a disgrace to the hospitality sector.

Here’s a list of our favourite Chinese restaurants, spanning from Sichuan and Guangzhou to Shandong and Xinjiang, among many more provinces. The fine diner on Collins Street from Scott Pickett hasn’t been around for a long time, but it has made some serious noise and has already started to establish itself as one of the best restaurants Melbourne coming into 2023. Self-described as a ‘classic bistro with an edge’ Chancery Lane oozes decadence with rich euro-centric dining. The dimly lit and dark-featured restaurant has shadowy marble benchtops with a mixture of table and booth dining centred around the bar.
The best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne CBD is Izakaya Den which is located on Russell Street, and Kisume which is located in Flinders Lane next to another top choice – Supernormal. Supernormal may be best known for the kitchen’s famous lobster roll, but this genius expression of Asian-fusion mastery is still a powerful force for anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne that’s always going to satisfy. Bincho Boss is an izakaya with food revolving around the binchōtan – a grill fuelled by premium, dense Japanese charcoal.
David Zhou’s casual eatery hits all the beats for flavour, atmosphere and service. But best of all, this is the kind of place that won’t hurt your wallet. Chinese is one of the most ancient and varied cuisines in the world, yet it often gets oversimplified in Australia. Cantonese and Sichuan may be the most prominently represented of China’s regional cuisines in Melbourne, but they're just two of “the eight great cuisines” . Adding to the hospitality clout is Maha Bar's head chef, Niko Pasieka, being named as one of Melbourne Food & Wine's 30 under 30 chefs—so you know you're in good hands.

Are even made to order by the gözleme masters who roll dough as you watch on. There are also sucuk sausage and egg pides or böreks for those looking for something else in dough form. Best part is, the most expensive of these floury treats are only $11, so you should be leaving with some serious change from your $20.
Featuring chandeliers, chandeliers, and chandeliers, this restaurant is a true highlight of the Melbourne food scene. This is an eclectic restaurant, full of art by local and emerging artists. Whether you’re looking for a place to start your evening or ending your night, Chin Chin is an excellent option. Chin Chin is a unique South East Asian restaurant that has become a Melbourne landmark. This is a classic Uyghur dish that is made up of marinated meat, onions, and peppers, rolled up on a bed of noodles. One of the most popular dishes at Dolan Uyghur Food heaven is their lamb skewers.
In Malaysia, ‘economy rice’ refers to rice – either steamed or fried – served with an array of Chinese-Malaysian dishes, with its name alone testament to how economical it is. Where it’s similar to food-court Chinese is in its use of bain-maries, but that’s where any likeness ends. At Sarawak Kitchen Express, you can get three dishes with rice for $13.90 – and what these three dishes are is where things get exciting.

Even if you don’t want that beautifully marinated octopus served straight from the grill, it’s worth parking up here for a drink or two to soak in a social scene that has now become inseparable for the idea of late nights in Melbourne CBD. The following are the best Japanese restaurants Melbourne has to offer, from high-end, special-occasion dining, to experimental sketches of traditional techniques showcasing just how adaptive they can be. Outside of the continent itself, is there any country with a stronger grasp on Asia’s culinary diversity than Australia? There’s plenty of evidence that the best Asian food outside of Asia can be found down under. Perhaps that’s most evident when looking at the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. The opening of a restaurant from Chris Lucas, the svengali behind Melbourne greats like Chin Chin, Hawker Hall, Kong and Baby, is generally accompanied by the kind of media hoopla reserved for retiring members of the Royal family.
4Fingers have you sorted with whatever type of deep-fried halal goodness you're after. Think chicken wings with Japanese rice and kimchi coleslaw and chicken burgers topped with fresh mushrooms. Maha is home to some of the city’s most incredible Middle Eastern flavours. Headed up by Shane Delia of SBS’s ‘Spice Journey’ fame, it’s best to check with the staff what is Halal on the day. If they’ve got the supply, go for the six-course tasting menu and arrive hungry.