The Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne for a Frugal Food Fix

If your penchant for fine dining has taken a toll on your bank account, never fear. Savvy Melburnians know that some of the best eats in this city are also some of the cheapest (and most cheerful). From juicy handmade dumplings to flavourful falafel pitas, we’re here to walk you through the best cheap eats in Melbourne today.

Silk Spoon

Silk Spoon is no ordinary canteen — it’s a flavour-charged journey down the Silk Road, right in the heart of Melbourne. From juicy pan-fried dumplings to spiced duck, cumin lamb, and that chicken curry pot pie with its golden roti lid (we drool every time it hits our feed), dishes kick off from just $16. By day, it’s all about fresh, seasonal veg bowls and vibrant salads; by night (Wednesday to Friday), cocktails and dumplings take centre stage.

Shop 6/500 Bourke Street, Melbourne 

Tawooq

You’ll find affordable eats to suit any level of hunger at this Lygon Street joint, including individual wraps, plates, or larger meals. Everything on the menu is priced under $25, including the large meals, so you’re able to indulge in a big feast for a small price point.

109 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

HotLob

Lobster rolls for $7? Heaven is a place on earth! HotLob is serving mini lobster rolls for a sweet price, packing a generous filling of lobster between soft, squishy milk buns.

There’s a wide range of lobster and seafood rolls to choose from, from dill to truffle, spicy chipotle to soft shell crab. The perfect snack!

28 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

The Heart of Carlton

A cafe serving $5 meals? That’s practically unheard of in this economy! Except that’s exactly what The Heart of Carlton is doing. This cosy Carlton cafe is serving up pastas, curries, soups and more for a mere $5, with coffees, juices and teas going for even less.

It’s a gorgeous community cafe wherein you’ll often find people playing the piano (or various other instruments they bring in), bonding over a bowl of pasta or grabbing something to go. The best part? Most of its desserts, including cakes and slices, are only $2!

189 Elgin Street, Carlton

Pasta Prego

Calling all pasta lovers! Pasta Prego is one of the few places where you can get a big, delicious (takeaway) bowl of steaming hot pasta for under $20. This takeaway pasta bar went viral on TikTok when it first opened mid-2023, and it’s safe to say that the pasta certainly lives up to the hype.

Pick your size, choose a sauce (our personal favourites are the Chicken Alla Vodka and Pesto Alla Genovese), and the type of pasta you want to munch on. It’s a customisable experience that results in a mouthwatering meal. The only question left is to savour or devour?

361 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar 

A Melbourne institution serving up old-school friendly service, strong coffee, and honest Italian food at a super affordable price? Count us in! Pellegrini’s is a cheap eats staple in Melbourne. Especially considering it’s one of the few places in the city where pasta costs less than $20.

You’ve got to get the lasagne with a glass of Chinotto or watermelon juice, best paired with the traditional bread and butter served free of charge. Finish with an espresso and call it a day.

66 Bourke Street, Melbourne 

Ras Dashen

Acquaint yourself with the rich, spicy and colourful cuisine of Ethiopia at Ras Dashen, a beloved cheap and cheerful Footscray restaurant that’s been delighting locals for over a decade.

Cover your table in earthenware bearing slow-cooked beef stews, saucy lamb tibs (addictively seasoned diced lamb) and a range of vegetarian and vegan stews that will renew your belief in the tasty potential of lentils and fava beans.

It’s all scooped up with paddles of injera, the staple flatbread of Ethiopia that’s pillowy, chewy, nutty and gently sour from fermentation.

247 Barkly Street, Footscray 

Hi Chong Qing

Super delicious, quick and affordable bowls of noodles await at Hi Chong Qing, a favourite cheap eats destination for RMIT students in Carlton. The signature noodles are great — chewy, bouncy and plentiful, with a flavoured, rich broth that soaks up into your choice of protein (we recommend the tofu or beef brisket). The Chinese snow cabbage hiding underneath adds an extra dimension of texture and fun — and the chilli pepper gives the whole bowl a soulful burst. A must-try cheap eats in Melbourne, these tasty noods are an absolute steal at $16.

UniLodge, D2/26 Orr Street, Carlton

Pho Thin

There’s nothing as soul-nourishing as pho…and Pho Thin is serving up some of the tastiest (and cheapest) in the city. Step inside and be comforted by the aromas that waft around its sweet little set-up. 

The trick to delicious pho here? Stir-fry beef in garlic before adding it to the broth. Aside from this OG bowl, you can choose from beef brisket, poached chicken, or even a red wine pho. Each bowl comes with flat rice noodles, plus heaped servings of coriander and chopped spring onion.

399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Rocco’s Delicatessen 

Rocco’s Deli is a westside institution. This beloved Italian delicatessen has been shaving prosciutto and slicing parmesan since 1977, and it’s going as strong as ever.

Choose from soft white rolls or crusty ciabatta, then go crazy with salami, mortadella, sopressa, grilled eggplant, artichokes and much, much more. A prosciutto and hot salumi roll clocks in at around $12, depending on what extras you add to it, of course. A steal! 

122 Roberts Street, Yarraville 

Bowltiful

Big bowls of chewy hand-pulled noodles are beautiful — and boy do Bowltiful know it! One of the CBD’s highly-frequented hot spots, these noodles are typically found inside a bowl of rich broth with chunks of halal tender beef, topped with zingy chilli oil and a bunch of fresh herbs. The best part? For a Melbourne CBD venue, these noodles are a steal, with all bowls sitting around the $20 mark.

The menu boasts multiple tempting dishes alongside its popular brisket noodle soup, including dry noodles with stir-fried tomato, egg and soybean paste sauce, and the super cheap Lanzhou-style lamb burger. At $11.80, it’s stuffed with a spicy braised beef brisket and sits pretty as the perfect side dish. Other excellent sides include the shredded potato salad and spicy chicken.

Multiple locations across Melbourne, see website for details

Half Moon Cafe

Pumping out delicious Egyptian-style falafel since 2003, Half Moon Cafe is a hot spot in Melbourne’s north for people looking for a low-fuss and budget-friendly lunch option. Vegetarians rejoice — the options are endless, and with so many made-to-order falafel pita combinations on offer, you’ll find yourself coming back time and time again.

For around the $10 mark, you’re almost certain to be left feeling full and satisfied. But if not, be sure to grab some homemade baklava for the road.

13 Victoria Street, Coburg

N. Lee Bakery 

Let the queues of people simultaneously snaking down Smith Street and Collins Street at around 12pm every day of the week speak for themselves… but don’t worry, they move fast!

It’s hard to beat a good banh mi when you’re looking for a quick work lunch option, and with N. Lee, you’re in very capable hands. For $14, the freshly baked crunchy bread rolls, luscious pate and crisp veg (plus all the usual trimmings), will leave you feeling smug (and covered in crumbs) on your walk back to the office.

Collingwood & Melbourne CBD

Good Times

$9 pasta, need we say more? Throw in friendly staff, a vibey courtyard and a great drinks selection (hello $9 Negronis and $9 carafes) and you have yourself the perfect spot to pull up for dinner Thursday through Saturday, 4pm til late.

You’ll find the old classics like bolognese and puttanesca, along with a vibrant, seasonal specials menu that will have you calling yourself a regular in no time. Low fuss, high value = guaranteed Good Times.

214 St George’s Road, Fitzroy North

Shanghai Village

A cheap and cheerful Melbourne institution, Shanghai Village has hungry hordes queuing up outside its iconic red lacquered doors at all hours. The chief domain of dumpling fans, here you’ll happily leave with change from your $20 after indulging in what’s sure to be a boisterous meal. While it might be low on frills, Shanghai Village more than makes up for it in both taste and atmosphere.

112 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Laksa King

The original Laksa King in Flemington is adored by Melburnians, and it’s the recommendation that many share when asked where to find the city’s best laksa. The same recipe is used in the shiny outpost in Glen Waverley, where day and night, you’ll see an endless rotation of hungry diners dropping in for bowls of their spice-rich, coconut-creamy noodle soup. However, there’s more to this diner than just the namesake dish, with plenty of other Malaysian and Singaporean favourites on offer. You’d be remiss to not stay and try a couple of extras, such as fragrant Hainanese chicken rice to punchy sambal seafood stir-fries.

Flemington & Glen Waverley

Delhi Streets

This bright CBD eatery dishes up a serving of nostalgia with vintage Bollywood posters on the walls and addictive street food snacks that’ll transport you straight to a bustling Delhi market. Start with their signature pani puri — crispy lentil balls stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas and tamarind chutney — into which you pour spiced water before popping in your mouth for a burst of freshness. From there, load up on fusion naan pizzas or steer traditional with dosas, biryani and tandoor-cooked meats.

22 Katherine Place, Melbourne

A1 Bakery

A local institution, crowds have been flocking to Brunswick’s A1 for over 25 years to pick up fresh out-of-the-oven Lebanese baked goods. Open seven days a week from 7am, you can get your hands on the house-made flatbread scattered with za’atar, pillowy halloumi-filled pies and juicy chicken tawouk wraps overflowing with crunchy pickles and garlic sauce pretty much whenever you want. Best of all, A1’s famously creamy dips also come in take-home packs.

Locations across Melbourne

Mr Ramen San

This cult Melbourne cheap-eat spot is hidden inside a Bourke Street arcade and serves up some of the best soup this side of Tokyo — all for under $20. With noodles made onsite daily and the eatery’s signature meat stewed for hours to achieve that melt-in-your-mouth sweetness, you’ll be chuffed with your bargain bites from Mr Ramen San.

Shop 12A/200 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Looking for more of the best cheap eats in Melbourne? From pizza to burgers, there are so many cheap eats in Melbourne to try!