The Best Filipino Restaurants in Melbourne Where Lechon, Sisig and Kare-Kare Shine

Melbourne’s Filipino dining scene has never felt more alive. Across the city, kitchens are simmering with adobo, crackling with sisig, and layering flavours shaped by migration, memory and the shared joy of eating well. Filipino food is many things at once — sweet, salty, tangy, rich, sharp with vinegar, warm with garlic — a cuisine built on comfort and contrast.

This guide brings together the spots that celebrate it best: from family staples to fire-led modern dining, seafood feasts, merienda favourites and street-side classics that taste like home.

Melbourne CBD, City Fringe & Inner-North

Askal

At Askal, chef John River (co-owner of Kariton Sorbetes) gives Filipino flavours room to shine in thoughtful, inventive ways. Oxtail kare-kare comes tucked inside warm, golden doughnuts; pork jowl and abalone sisig lands sizzling; and the lechon weave is a clever, wildly satisfying tribute to crackling. Dessert leans nostalgic — leche flan perfumed with Tanduay rum, or a canelé-style pan de coco that feels joyfully unexpected.

With its open, glowing room and confident menu, Askal is Filipino dining at its most assured.

167 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 

Inuman

Then head upstairs. Perched above Askal, Inuman turns the evening into a full Filipino night out, with a rooftop drinks list built on calamansi, pandan, tapuy and lambanog, and cocktails that carry real storytelling as well as bite (start with the Tito Ray). The food keeps pace: oysters with sawsawan mignonette, pan de Melbourne with latik butter, hot chips dusted in Askal seasoning, served with 7000 island sauce, and more clever pulutan made for sharing.

It’s city-glam, Filipino at heart, and dangerously easy to stay for one more round.

167 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

Serai 

Serai treats fire as its heartbeat, with an open kitchen that pulls you into the action. Seats at the Omakase table offer the best view: crispy kare-kare hash brown, spanner crab crowned with chicharron, and wood-roasted pig’s head folded into warm tacos with egg butter. Dishes arrive smoky, rich and layered; cooking that holds history and modern technique in the same breath.

Sitchu Tip: The cassava cake with smoked brown butter ice cream is a finale worth lingering over.

Racing Club Lane, Melbourne

Palay

Palay brings Filipino dining into Fitzroy with both serious range and plenty of personality. By day (weekends only), the blue-door bluestone runs on silogs, coffee and pastries; by night, it shifts into Filipino tapas with sizzling sisig, kinilaw and grilled adobo skewers moving across tightly packed tables. Sunday boodle nights and “Feed Me” feasts push the mood even further.

It’s warm, social and full of detail, with one foot in memory and the other in a modern, highly Melbourne format.

135 Greeves Street, Fitzroy

Inasal Express 

Inasal Express feels governed by the grill — the scent of lemongrass and garlic rising before you even order. Chicken inasal is the star: tender, smoky, lifted with spiced vinegar and paired with golden garlic rice. Lechon kawali splinters beneath your fork, all blistered skin and tender pork. Fast, flavour-forward, and deeply comforting, it brings Manila street-side energy to the CBD without losing any of its soul.

Melbourne Central, Ella Precinct

Halaya

Halaya brings a playful new Filipino cafe energy to Spring Street, with Laurice Fajardo and Elbert Estampador reopening the former Ceree site with a sharper, sweeter point of view. Ube halaya runs through the menu, from cinnamon scrolls and Basque cheesecake to cloud-like desserts, while savoury silog-inspired rice bowls and longganisa subs give brunch a distinctly Filipino accent. It’s confident, clever and deeply craveable.

285 Spring Street, Melbourne

Barkada Pinoy Streetfood

Barkada Pinoy captures the spirit of Filipino street eats with zero fuss and maximum flavour. Skewers land glossy from the grill, pork siomai dim sims come steaming and satisfyingly plump, and mango floats disappear faster than you plan. It feels like the sort of place you stumble on by chance and immediately text three friends about. Before you leave, grab Filipino snacks from the tiny in-house grocery — a sweet little treasure hunt on the way out.

 Level 1/6 Sutherland Street, Melbourne

Sisig Mix

Sisig Mix takes a much-loved breakfast staple and lifts it into playful, clever territory. Filipino flavours meet Persian influences in dishes like a pork sisig burrito with adobo rice and yoghurt garlic sauce, or loaded fries topped with a scatter of soy-lemon beef. It’s vibrant, fun, and deeply satisfying — especially on Sundays, when kids eat free and the whole thing becomes even easier for families.

362 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Western Suburbs

Busog 

Busog doesn’t ease you in — it barrels straight to the good stuff. The sisig snaps under its drizzle of house aioli, lumpia arrive blistered and packed with prawns and pork, and the kare-kare is unapologetically bold. Their pork hock is the sort of dish that turns a table quiet for a beat: golden surface, tender interior, deep peanut sauce. Portions are generous, flavours run loud, and yes — rice is essential.

Shop 1/553 Barkly Street, West Footscray

Mama Lor

Mama Lor’s carries the warmth of a family kitchen — a Cebuano legacy built on generosity, tradition and freshly baked sweets. Crispy water spinach chips start things strong; the pork hock is gloriously hefty; kare-kare arrives rich and fragrant. Their ube layer cake and halo-halo are local legends for a reason. Across the menu, everything feels rooted in memory, care and a pride in sharing Filipino flavours with Melbourne.

187 Watton Street, Werribee

Enelssie Cafe & Grill

Enelssie is a suburban favourite that earns loyal regulars fast. The menu swings between classic Filipino comfort and Western-leaning plates, but the heart lies in dishes like sizzling bulalo, grilled pork liempo and that excellent Mang Inasal chicken. Breakfast bilao is perfect for sharing — a bright, generous spread for late mornings. Add live music on Friday nights and warm service, and every visit feels like an easy win.

102 Tenterfield Drive, Burnside Heights

entrance via Godfrey, G Floor/673 Bourke Street, Melbourne 

Cebu Charcoal Lechon Belly

If your Filipino food order begins and ends with crackling, Cebu Charcoal Lechon Belly belongs on your list. This Sunshine North favourite specialises in Cebu-style charcoal-roasted lechon belly, where garlic-and-lemongrass-stuffed pork emerges with bronzed skin and juicy slices built for rice, vinegar and repeat bites. Go original or spicy, then add tortang talong or halo-halo if you have room. It’s casual, pork-forward and wildly satisfying when the craving calls for full commitment.

71 McIntyre Road, Sunshine North

Pinoy Diner

Pinoy Diner is the Werribee staple you call when the craving is specific and the table is hungry. Sizzling sisig, crispy pata, pork sinigang and pork BBQ sticks all make a strong case, while party trays and boodle fight feasts bring proper salu-salo energy for groups. It’s comforting, generous and built for repeat visits — the sort of place locals rely on for weeknight dinners.

5/49 Synnot Street, Werribee

Lutong Pinoy

Lutong Pinoy carries the flavour of a true karinderya, with the Deer Park shop building on owner Narcisa McLeavy’s long Footscray Market run. Expect the dishes Filipino diners return for on instinct: kare-kare with bagoong, lechon kawali with vinegar dip, sinigang, pancit and kaldereta, all served in generous portions that feel made to share. The room is small and often packed, which only adds to the appeal. Come hungry, and do not skip halo-halo if it’s on.

85 Station Road, Deer Park

Shop 250/18 Irving Street, Footscray

Kumbira Cafe & Grill

Kumbira brings a fresh all-day format to Altona, shifting from cafe stop to Filipino grill with ease. By day, there’s coffee and brunch; by night, the menu opens into share plates and bigger flavours, from pork sisig with salted egg sauce to lumpia Shanghai and chicken adobo rillette with pandesal. It’s the dinner side that makes it stand out, with rotating specials and a family-style approach that suits a table of very hungry friends.

51A Blyth Street, Altona

Joy’s BBQ & Grill

Joy’s BBQ & Grill is tiny, welcoming and instantly transportive, all glowing skewers, charred edges and vinegar dips that bring each bite alive. Pork belly glistens, chicken skewers carry proper smoke, and the Mary Chicken combo is a direct line to flavours familiar across Filipino homes. It’s simple, honest food done beautifully, served with the kind of hospitality that makes strangers feel like long-time regulars.

72 Hampstead Road, Maidstone

Migrant Coffee

Migrant Coffee celebrates the flavours two best friends grew up with — Filipino, Thai and New York all folded into soft, chewy bagels. Expect calamansi-marinated halloumi, Filipino chicken salad or sweet options like banana with salted caramel coconut jam. Add Thai iced tea or a fresh juice and you’ve got a breakfast or lunch with personality and heritage in every bite. The courtyard is pure sunshine.

3/576 Barkly Street, West Footscray

Kariton Sorbetes

Kariton Sorbetes may be an ice-cream shop, but it belongs here. As Melbourne’s first Filipino gelateria, every flavour channels a beloved dessert — from ube halaya gelato to leche flan with rum caramel. Made in small batches and often selling out fast, these scoops are nostalgic and wildly inventive, proof that Filipino sweet traditions translate beautifully into gelato form.

Footscray, Chinatown, Glen Waverley & Burwood

Bayside and Eastern Suburbs

Dandenong Market

For a Filipino food crawl with built-in chaos and charm, head straight to Dandenong Market. Start at Si-KAT Pinoy Eatscetera for pork BBQ skewers, chicken sisig and steaming arroz caldo that tastes like comfort with a kick, then finish at Taho Tayo for silky taho swirled with caramelised brown sugar, ube or buko pandan. It’s the dream market double: smoky, sweet, nostalgic and wildly satisfying, all within one stroll.

Clow Street & Cleeland Street, Dandenong 

Kalye Marinas 

Kalye Marinas is built for messy hands and unfiltered pleasure. Seafood lands straight onto the table — prawns, crab, mussels — drenched in butter, garlic and spice. You peel, crack, dip, repeat, pausing only to appreciate how the sauce clings. It’s noisy, joyful, intensely aromatic, and entirely true to the seafood boils beloved across the Philippines. Finish with dessert; their turon with ube ice cream is the sweet, violet-flecked victory lap.

502 Hampton Street, Hampton

376 Warrigal Road, Ashburton

Shop 4/112 Pakington Street, Geelong West 

If this guide to the best Filipino restaurants has stirred your appetite for more, Melbourne’s dining scene has plenty to explore. From refined French favourites to standout Japanese spots, let your next flavour detour start with our curated picks across the city.

Writer

Kelsey Harrington

1 March 2026

Kelsey Harrington is a Melbourne-based writer with a sharp eye for the city's ever-evolving food, wine, arts, and culture scene. Her journey into the creative industry took the scenic route—what started as a passion for capturing Melbourne’s energy through a camera lens led her to Sitchu, where she worked her way up to Melbourne Editor. With over four years in the industry, she’s all about uncovering the best places to eat, drink, and explore. Off the clock? You’ll find her diving into a platter of fresh oysters and crudo, gallery-hopping, or sipping an extra dirty martini while plotting her next adventure.