Fancy Fare: The Best Fine Dining in Melbourne

Melbourne’s dining scene is often fêted as one of the world’s best. Wildly creative, produce-driven and diverse, our fine dining restaurants make any occasion special, with breathtaking food, dreamy interiors and first-class service a guarantee.

From masterful sushi to mind-bending modern Australian, these restaurants are the pinnacle of hospitality, providing the best fine dining in Melbourne.

Grossi Florentino

When a dining experience begins with a ceremonial Champagne trolley, you know you’re in for a good night. In the opulent setting of the hatted Italian restaurant Grossi Florentino, they pull out all the stops.

A staple in Melbourne fine dining, crystal chandeliers hang elegantly from the ornate ceiling and ancient murals decoratively line the walls. This has Italian romance written all over it. The food is exquisite, serving traditional comfort plates with a touch of decadence.

80 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Gimlet at Cavendish House 

Something about Gimlet at Cavendish House makes you want to sit back and sip on cocktails (a Gimlet, of course) until the wee hours of the morning. Bringing an old-world charisma to this landmark 1920’s Chicago-style building could only be the brainchild of renowned restaurateur Andrew McConnell (Marion, Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, Supernormal) and Sydney firm Acme & Co.

Contrary to what the name suggests, the food is held in equal regard as their prized Gimlet, which can be paired with fresh rock oysters, premium wood-fired meats and seafood. To step things up, the caviar service is a luxurious treat.

33 Russell Street, Melbourne

Reine & La Rue

This restaurant isn't just a pretty face. Located in the original stock exchange in Melbourne, Reine & La Rue serves French-inspired eats that look too good to eat - but are so delicious, you won't be able to help but indulge.

Enjoy freshly shucked oysters, try perfect plates of woodfired meats, and end on a spectacular note with one of the impressive desserts. A pretty penny in exchange for a spectacular meal? We think that's more than a fair trade.

380 Collins Street, Melbourne

Kisume 

If sleek dining and tasty morsels are your vibe, chances are you've already heard of Kisume. But if you haven't, let us introduce you to the Japanese restaurant from Chris Lucas. With three floors to choose from: a hot kitchen below ground level, a sushi restaurant on the ground floor or a bougie private degustation area above, you're bound for a delicious meal filled with an array of hot and cold Japanese dishes. 

175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Philippe

Suitably in the Paris end of Collins Street, the latest venture from acclaimed chef Philippe Mouchel is a must-try for French-loving foodies. It might only be a few steps off the street, but this cosy basement eatery will have you feeling a thousand miles away.

With its open kitchen at the helm, Philippe’s refined menu might read traditional, but the final product is far from played out. Atop the crisp white tablecloths, perfectly manicured servers place exquisite plates of Wagyu beef tartare, duck rillettes and their classic herbed rôtisserie chicken. And for dessert, it's crème brûlée all the way!

115 Collins Street, Melbourne

Society Dining Room 

The Society Dining Room is a statement of modern Australian design and sophisticated dining. Slip inside to discover the chic supper-club environment, a ceiling of hand-cut crystal installations, and soaring windows that capture one of this city’s most spectacular settings amongst the iconic towers of the glamorous Collins Street precinct.

Allow your Society journey to begin with its formidable cellar, home to over 10,000 bottles, and an impressive support act to the visually beautiful food. The menu is heaving with plates of incredible seafood, counteracted with dishes like bouef en croute and Macedon duck. The art of à la carte is the real centrepiece here, allowing you to curate your experience to ensure that two visits need ever be the same. 

80 Collins Street, Melbourne

Rockpool Bar & Grill

Inspired by the best steakhouses in North America, Rockpool Bar & Grill executive chef Santiago Aristizabal was determined to bring his take onto Australian shores. Simple yet delectable dishes are created using only the best produce from Australian farmers. And while the mains are what Rockpool Bar & Grill is best known for, you'll want to stay for dessert.  

8 Whiteman Street, Southbank

Sunda

Sunda is a one-hat Modern Australian dream found in Melbourne's theatre district. The menu is intricate and ever-changing, progressive and provocative. It perfectly marries native Australian ingredients with South East Asian flavours to create a distinctive interpretation of modern Australian cuisine.

Combined with its unique interiors of steel, glass and mesh inspired by the glowing lanterns of Asia, Sunda is a destination that is as essential to Melbourne eating as it gets. 

18 Punch Lane, Melbourne

Aru

Aru is the crossroads between native Australian ingredients and Asian flavours, prepared using ancient smoking, curing and fermentation techniques. The experience here is unlike anything else in Melbourne, with generous plates of fire-licked meat and sides designed to be tasted, shared, mixed, matched and enjoyed. 

268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Grill Americano

Grand yet approachable, Chris Lucas's latest fine dining restaurant in Melbourne is the opposite of stuffy. Brimming with royal blue hues, marble, and terrazzo, Grill Americano is a vibrant setting for fun times and fine food.

Dress up, arrive hungry and splash out on North Italian-inspired steakhouse dishes of freshly shucked oysters, crudo di pesce, bistecca alla Fiorentina, and the visually spectacular wood-oven scampi roasted on a saffron pilaf. And for dessert? Well, it would be a crime to leave without trying the tiramisu. Fine dining feasting has never looked so good. 

112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Cutler & Co

A sleek yet industrial setting within an old factory, it’s easy to settle in for the evening at the elegant Cutler & Co. With a focus on top-quality produce and an immaculate dining experience, the menu is designed to share, championing simple and seasonal modern Australian dishes. Think sumptuous plates of pristine seafood, rare-breed heritage meats and seasonal produce to be enjoyed over three or four courses.

55/57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Atlas Dining

Atlas Dining isn’t your typical restaurant. Chef Charlie Carrington’s ambitious project changes its menu every four months, creating a new degustation to celebrate a different country’s cuisine. The result is a thoughtful, exciting experience that takes you international without leaving Melbourne.

Previous iterations have included Israel, India, China, Lebanon, Colombia and Portugal - where will this dining adventure take you?

133 Commercial Road, South Yarra

Vue de Monde 

Situated on the 55th storey of the Rialto building, modern Australian degustations at Vue de Monde are accompanied by views of the glittering cityscape. What’s on the plate is just as stunning, a progression of delicate, mind-bending bites that toe the line between food and art. Leather-clad tables and fur-lined chairs add to the drama of the experience, while an eye-watering wine list showcases some of the finest drops from around the world.
 
Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne

Matilda 159 Domain 

Of all the restaurants in Chef Scott Pickett’s portfolio, Matilda 159 Domain is lauded as his crowning glory. Woodfire, charcoal and smoke tease intense yet finely tuned flavours out of produce, with distinct native nods. Occupying the ground floor of a splashy boutique hotel, the fit-out is equally plush – think barrelled ochre ceilings, blackwood tables and soft leather banquettes.
 
159 Domain Road, South Yarra

Flower Drum

Flower Drum is synonymous with Melbourne hospitality – the 45-year-old Cantonese institution even has its own Wikipedia page. Around a sumptuous grand dining room weave experienced waiters who greet their regulars (including politicians, high-profile chefs and celebrities) like old friends. Signature dishes such as the deftly carved Peking duck, mud crab xiao long bao and quail sang choi bao are mainstays decade after decade, as is the wallet-busting premium live seafood cooked to world-class perfection.
 
17 Market Lane, Melbourne

Gaea 

Mo Zhou’s 16-seat, degustation-only restaurant is one of the most intriguing places to eat. Zhou is well-equipped in creative cooking, with time at Attica and Vue de Monde on his resume. At Gaea you’ll find a fridge packed with fermenting vegetables he’s foraged himself, an eclectic drinks list and a menu that changes frequently according to his whims. Those unafraid of the novel will be delighted by his imaginative flavour and textural combinations, with dishes guaranteed to have you deep in thought at the dinner table.
 
1/166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Attica 

Ben Shewry’s groundbreaking fine diner Attica regularly features in the world’s best lists. It is acclaimed for its wildly imaginative dishes, thoughtful use of native ingredients and impeccably warm service. Drawing on personal memories and a sense of place, every dish has a story – expressed in a meaningful but never pretentious way. The intimate restaurant is tucked away in quiet Ripponlea and is a bucket list dining destination for food lovers.
 
74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea

Amaru 

Run by another Vue de Monde alum, the two-hatted restaurant Amaru is the pinnacle of culinary creativity. Unbound by geography and genre, Clinton McIver and his kitchen chase exciting flavours and textures in their degustation-only menu. The sleek, intimate fit-out is thoughtful on multiple counts –elegant enough to befit its upmarket Armadale neighbourhood, but simple enough to let the sophisticated dishes sing for themselves.
 
1121 High Street, Armadale

Kazuki’s

After making a name for themselves as the place to dine in picturesque Daylesford, husband and wife team Saori and Kazuki Tsuya returned to Melbourne in late 2018, bringing the refined cooking that made them a destination in their original home with them. Euro-Japanese dishes combine flavours from ingredients such as ponzu, kombu and matcha with French techniques. Kazuki’s dining room invites with zen-filled comfort, a fitting backdrop for degustation dining paired with sakes and special occasion wines.
 
121 Lygon Street, Carlton

Di Stasio Citta

Some might balk at paying over $40 for a plate of pasta, but anyone who’s eaten at Di Stasio Citta knows you’re not paying for ordinary food, but an experience. Guests come for the slippery prawn linguine and pillowy semolina gnocchi but stay for the big-hitting wine list, personality-driven service and high art meets brutalist decor. Located on Spring Street, it’s become a fast favourite for long, boozy business lunches and after-work mischief.
 
45 Spring Street, Melbourne

Navi

Located in the trendy suburb of Yarraville, Navi is one of Melbourne’s most exciting and innovative restaurants. Serving a degustation menu to only 25 guests a night has given chef-owner Julian Hills space to flex his creative muscles. The results speak for themselves – weekends are usually booked out months in advance. Adventurous diners are bound to love the genre-bouncing playlist and novel drinks list (think Saltbush Negroni) before they even get to the food, which includes adventurous bites.

83b Gamon Street, Yarraville

Minamishima 

There’s nowhere in Australia offering a high-end sushi experience as refined as this luxe diner tucked away on a quiet Richmond street. At Minamishima they only serve omakase, a daily changing procession of deftly sliced, shaped, torched and brushed nigiri presented piece by piece. The knife skills of sushi master Koichi Minamishima have been honed for over 30 years, resulting in an ability to create tastes and textures in sushi you’re unlikely to forget.
 
4 Lord Street, Richmond

IDES

Run by a former Attica chef, this special occasion fine diner is known for its thrillingly original modern Australian food. Seating just 36, IDES's menu evolves constantly with the seasons and is full of novel ingredients and combinations. The risks pay off, with every dish perfectly marrying flavour, technique and artful plating.
 
92 Smith Street, Collingwood

Ishizuka

Acclaimed chef Tomotaka Ishizuka’s ultra-exclusive, hidden basement restaurant embodies the ultra-seasonal ‘kaiseki’ style of Japanese dining. Seating just 16 guests, everyone is served an 11-dish tasting menu displaying luxe ingredients, exceptional technique, and wow-inducing plating. Complex yet restrained Ishizuka's dishes are a masterclass in Japanese perfectionism, changing daily per the freshest produce.
 
139 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Maha

Powerhouse chef Shane Delia’s flagship venue is Melbourne’s premium destination for Middle Eastern fine dining. A set menu-only restaurant, Maha offers a nonstop procession (seriously, there’s anywhere from 12-17 courses) of finely tuned, contemporary takes on the region’s cuisine. 

21 Bond Street, Melbourne

Matteo’s

Arguably Fitzroy North’s fanciest eatery, Matteo’s serves up high-class modern Australian cuisine with a distinctly Asian flair. The tablecloths are always freshly starched, the chandeliers dripping with crystals and the service impeccable – this is the place to take someone you want to impress. Proof that Brunswick Street can indeed do glamorous.

533 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North

After splashing out on the best fine dining in Melbourne you might want to restore your budget with these Melbourne cheap eats that deliver stellar taste return for your dollar. Alternatively, set up an alfresco feast at one of these gorgeous picnic spots.