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Melbourne’s Most Iconic Restaurants: The 21 Institutions That Define This City
Iconic spots every Melburnian has loved, argued over, worshipped.
In a city fuelled by food, Melbourne’s restaurant scene constantly shifts, but some places stand the test of time. These are the enduring institutions, the pioneers, the architectural knockouts, and the neighbourhood darlings that have earned their place in the city’s collective culinary consciousness. From century-old classics to contemporary heavyweights, these are Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants, chosen for their longevity, beauty, popularity, influence, and undeniable staying power.
The Classics: Established & Enduring Institutions
Flower Drum
For nearly 50 years, Flower Drum has reigned as Melbourne’s high priestess of Cantonese fine dining. In the hushed elegance of its Market Lane dining room, lacquered trolleys glide and silver platters shine — an ode to old-world service and enduring culinary craftsmanship. The Peking duck is legendary, the mud crab transcendent, and the sang choi bao alone is worth crossing the city for. Some things evolve, but icons — true icons — hold their ground.
Chinatown, 17 Market Lane, Melbourne
Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar
A Milanese daydream in the middle of Melbourne, Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar has been stirring hearts (and short blacks) since 1954. Inside, the linoleum never ages and neither do the memories — of lasagne served with theatrical flourish, of handwritten menus and steamy espresso sipped beneath fluorescent glow. The late Sisto Malaspina, its soul in human form, greeted all with the warmth of an old friend. Grief lingers, but so does love — poured daily, one perfect cup at a time.
66 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Grossi Florentino
Grossi Florentino stands as Melbourne’s enduring ode to Italian grandeur. Since 1928, its lavish Mural Room, graced by Napier Waller’s iconic frescos, has witnessed generations gather over impeccable service and classic cuisine. Under Guy Grossi’s stewardship since 1999, the restaurant melds tradition with contemporary elegance, its Cellar Bar a sanctuary of refined conviviality. Here, time slows, and each meal unfolds like a cherished ritual — an invitation to savour heritage, craft, and the art of genuine hospitality at the city’s very heart.
80 Bourke Street, Melbourne
The Waiters Restaurant
Since 1947, The Waiters Restaurant has quietly held its place as a treasured sanctuary of old-world Italian charm in Melbourne’s CBD. Behind its unassuming façade on Meyers Place, time seems to pause, replaced by the comforting aroma of slow-cooked ragù and fresh pasta. Originally a club for Italian waiters to gather after long shifts, this intimate spot now invites anyone seeking honest, soulful food — veal Marsala, osso buco, and perfectly al dente spaghetti — served with an unpretentious warmth that feels like family. It’s a rare slice of Melbourne’s cultural tapestry, where heritage and heart sit side by side on every plate.
20 Meyers Place, Melbourne
Stalactites
A Melbourne night wouldn’t be complete without Stalactites — a glowing constant since 1978. Beneath a canopy of twinkling lights and those signature limestone drips, this beloved Greek tavern pulses with warmth and late-night life. Plates piled high with charred, tender souvlaki and creamy tzatziki feel like a welcome embrace, drawing crowds from every corner of the city. Open ’til dawn, Stalactites is both a meal and a ritual, a shared story of community, flavour, and the unshakable spirit of Melbourne’s multicultural heart.
177/183 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Jim’s Greek Tavern
Jim’s Greek Tavern is a Collingwood treasure where tradition lives loud and proud. Since 1980, the Panagopoulos family has invited diners into a world without menus, where waiters craft your meal from a repertoire of Greek classics, fresh and generous by design. The buzz of conversation, the clatter of plates, the warmth of genuine hospitality — here, every visit feels like a joyful feast among family. It’s authentic, timeless, and utterly irresistible.
32 Johnston Street, Collingwood
Supper Inn
In the shadowed laneways of Chinatown, Supper Inn pulses as a nocturnal refuge, a sanctuary where the city’s hunger for authentic Cantonese fare finds its truest expression. Since the 1980s, its unvarnished charm and late-night rhythm have drawn chefs, artists, and night dwellers alike. Plates arrive steaming — crisp roast duck, briny XO pippies, and silky congee — each bite a quiet ode to tradition, wrapped in the comforting hum of a kitchen that never truly sleeps.
Chinatown, Level 1/15 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne
Modern Icons: New Classics Redefining the Scene
Attica
Attica in Ripponlea remains Melbourne’s definitive voice in modern dining, where Ben Shewry’s devotion to native ingredients and thoughtful sustainability transforms every dish into a story. Beyond mere meals, it’s an immersive, poetic journey — an intimate theatre where Australia’s landscape and culture unfold on your plate with quiet power and reverence. Each tasting menu feels like a whispered secret shared between earth and table, confirming Attica’s place as a luminous cornerstone of Australia’s culinary future.
74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea
Vue de Monde
Vue de Monde perches like a jewel above Melbourne, its windows framing the city’s endless pulse beneath. Since Shannon Bennett first opened its doors in 2000, it has redefined modern Australian dining with artful precision and reverence for local ingredients. Now housed on the 55th floor of the Rialto Towers, each plate is a journey — meticulous, inspired, and steeped in quiet elegance. Under Hugh Allen’s stewardship, Vue de Monde stands as a celebration of place, innovation, and a culinary poetry that echoes long after the last bite.
55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne
Embla
Embla ignites Melbourne’s wine scene with its unapologetic energy and laid-back cool. Since 2016, this cellar-door vibe in the heart of the city has championed natural wines and wood-fired dishes that sing with seasonal fire. The atmosphere crackles with a magnetic warmth — from punchy vongole to smoky, charred morsels — every visit feels like a celebration of bold flavours and unfiltered joy. Embla is where the city’s best nights come alive.
122 Russell Street, Melbourne
Gimlet at Cavendish House
Gimlet at Cavendish House is Melbourne’s cinematic whisper of 1920s allure, where old-world glamour and modern mastery entwine beneath soaring ceilings and a grand marble bar. This iconic haunt, wrapped in heritage and shadowed by noir charm, serves Andrew McConnell’s European-inspired dishes with unapologetic elegance — each plate a nod to classic indulgence, from caviar-kissed garfish to luscious calamarata. Here, cocktails are art and atmosphere a velvet cloak, inviting you into a timeless embrace where every visit feels like stepping onto the set of a silver screen dream.
Cavendish House, 33 Russell Street, Melbourne
Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu, opened in 2014 by chef and restaurateur Luke Nguyen, is a Melbourne dining institution. Located on Little Bourke Street in Chinatown, it has become synonymous with vibrant pan-Asian flavours and punchy street-food style. The bustling open kitchen hums with energy, serving crowd-pleasers like dumplings, bao, and fiery curries. A pioneer of Melbourne’s modern Asian dining scene, Lucy Liu balances authentic heritage with contemporary edge, making it a beloved haunt for locals and visitors craving spirited, soulful food in an iconic city setting.
23 Oliver Lane, Melbourne
Tipo 00
Tipo 00 is a quiet revolution in Melbourne’s Italian scene — a dimly lit cellar where pasta dreams unfold with effortless cool. Since 2013, it’s been the city’s whispered secret, where silky ribbons of housemade dough meet sauces that strike the perfect balance between rustic charm and refined precision. Hidden just off Little Bourke, it’s not about flash, but the kind of deep, slow pleasure that lingers: a craft honed to nonchalance, with every forkful whispering, “This is how it’s meant to be.”
Low-key, timeless, and endlessly seductive.
361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Cumulus Inc.
Cumulus Inc. pulses at the heart of Melbourne’s laneway renaissance, where industrial charm meets culinary precision. Since opening in 2008, this Flinders Lane stalwart from Andrew McConnell has quietly redefined casual elegance, its ever-evolving menu celebrating Victoria’s seasonal bounty. Sunlight floods the lofty space through tall windows, spotlighting plates like buttery slow-roasted lamb and zesty tuna tartare — each dish a deft balance of European flair and local authenticity. Equal parts neighbourhood haunt and destination dining, Cumulus Inc. thrives on its warm service and effortless style, a beacon for those who crave substance wrapped in sophistication.
45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Supernormal
You’ll soon see that Andrew McConnell is Melbourne’s modern-day culinary master — and Supernormal is his coolly confident opus. Since landing on Flinders Lane in 2014, this neon-lit pan-Asian diner has become a non-negotiable part of the city’s dining DNA. Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul swirl together in lobster rolls, duck bao, and that now-iconic peanut butter parfait. The open kitchen crackles with theatre, the energy is late-night and electric, and the vending machine? Pure playful genius.
180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Cult & Classic: Neighbourhood Hangouts
France-Soir
France-Soir doesn’t chase trends. It is the trend. Since 1986, this South Yarra institution has been plating steak frites and uncorking Burgundy with the unflappable confidence of a bistro that knows exactly who it is — and who you are, too. Tables are perpetually packed, elbows brush as glasses clink, and waiters in long white aprons move like clockwork. The specials board is gospel. The duck confit? Non-negotiable. It’s a Parisian fever dream served with swagger, and one of the few places where you could spot a media mogul, a chef on their night off, and your stylish grandmother — all at once.
11 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Scopri
Scopri doesn’t advertise itself — it simply exists, quietly impeccable on a sleepy Carlton North corner. A neighbourhood restaurant in theory, a northside institution in practice, it’s where serious eaters go for silky strands of tajarin with truffle, veal cotoletta fried to golden perfection, and a wine list that reads like a love letter to Piemonte. Linen-clothed tables. Gentle murmur of conversation. Service that remembers your name and your Barolo preference. There’s nothing performative here — just heart, heritage, and a deep respect for Italian cooking.
191 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Rumi
Rumi is Brunswick East’s enduring ode to the flavours of the Levant, a place where warmth is plated as generously as the food. Since 2006, Joseph Abboud’s cult dining room has been luring devotees with tender Persian-style lamb shoulder, roasted cauliflower strewn with barberries, and that endless parade of chewy housemade bread. The lighting is low, the hum is constant, and the service is unpretentious. It’s an iconic Melbourne restaurant that feeds both appetite and soul — a quietly legendary neighbourhood haunt that’s anything but ordinary.
2 Village Avenue, Brunswick East
Neighbourhood Wine
Neighbourhood Wine feels like stepping into your most charming friend’s living room — if your friend happened to have impeccable taste in natural wine and a kitchen that turns out perfect roast chicken. Housed in a former gambling den just off Brunswick Street, this Fitzroy North favourite wears its old-school soul proudly, all timber warmth, low lighting and soft jazz murmurs. The menu shifts with the seasons — housemade pasta, lush terrines, and produce-led plates that never try too hard. It’s a locals’ sanctuary that never forgets to seduce.
1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North
Old Palm Liquor
From the same clever crew behind Neighbourhood Wine, Old Palm Liquor is a northside sanctuary of wood-fired cooking, natural wine, and slouchy good times. There’s a timber-panelled glow to the room that softens even the iciest Melbourne night, with smoky skewers and charred seasonal veg tumbling out of the kitchen in waves. It’s convivial, cool, and impossible to categorise — part wine bar, part Euro tavern, all charm. Slide into a booth, order the flatbread (non-negotiable, sorry), and stay for one more bottle than planned.
133B Lygon Street, Brunswick East
Marion
Marion arrives like a breath of fresh air in Fitzroy’s culinary scene — a sunlit, polished space where Andrew McConnell’s deft hand guides every detail with quiet confidence. It’s a refined ode to seasonality and simplicity, where plates speak softly of land and sea alike. Fresh herbs, charred roots, and pristine seafood are elevated through clever technique and heartfelt warmth. Marion feels like a gathering of friends, where modern Australian dining unfolds with ease — intimate, inviting, and unmistakably McConnell.
53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Cutler & Co
Cutler & Co. unfolds like a quietly commanding presence in Melbourne’s fine dining landscape — where formality loosens into effortless elegance. The menu, a graceful echo of Cumulus Inc., begins with delicate oysters, anchovy and sage fritters, and a whisper of caviar tart — small bites that set the tone. Seasonal proteins and pristine fish follow, each paired with thoughtfully crafted sides, while shared monster steaks and suckling pig turn any table into a celebration.
The six-course degustation, matched with wines from a daring, expansive list, invites you to savour every moment. Here, polished service meets heartfelt warmth, creating a dining experience that’s timeless, intimate, and unmistakably Melbourne.
Level 1/55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Bar Liberty
Bar Liberty arrived in Fitzroy’s buzzing food scene in 2015 and quickly became a beloved refuge. Founded by Banjo Harris Plane and Michael Bascetta of Attica and Rockwell & Sons fame, it pairs a stellar natural wine list and inventive cocktails with a kitchen that dances to the seasons. The minimalist, timber-lined space glows with warm light, inviting you to linger over playful, unfussy dishes like pillowy pierogi and smoky cured meats — all bursting with character. Effortlessly cool yet warmly welcoming, Bar Liberty is a quietly electric jewel in Melbourne’s natural wine crown and Fitzroy’s culinary fabric.
234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Melbourne’s iconic restaurants pulse with stories that linger — timeless classics and daring new voices weaving the city’s rich culinary tapestry. For more journeys through taste and terroir, explore our handpicked foodie wine bars and regional Victorian darlings, each a chapter in Melbourne’s ever-evolving, utterly captivating food story.
