The Best Restaurants in the Eastern Suburbs in Melbourne

We all know and love Melbourne CBD's and inner suburbs for a Friday or Saturday night dinner, with their abundance of hatted restaurants, elegant dining options, and diverse cuisines. However, it's sometimes refreshing to stay closer to home and appreciate the local gems right in your own backyard. On the east side, you'll find plenty of hidden treasures that make for the perfect local dining experience.

Looking to expand your horizons for those nights where you can’t be bothered cooking, or want to enjoy a meal on a Friday night close to home? We’ve rounded up the best restaurants in the eastern suburbs in Melbourne to add to your foodie hit list.

Enoteca Boccaccio

For a touch of mystery, head to Enoteca Boccaccio, a charming wine bar discreetly nestled above an Italian bottle shop. Despite opening in 2023, its parent establishment, Boccaccio Cellars, lends 60 years of expertise to its exceptional wine list. The warm, inviting atmosphere has quickly earned accolades, including a Good Food Guide hat and a Star Wine List gold star for Best Newcomer.

The food is worth every mile to visit—authentic and delightfully simple. Enjoy a seasonally evolving menu featuring exceptional formaggi and salumi that's updated weekly. Highlights might include carciofi alla pesto Trapanese with stracciatella, a saucy, spicy rigatoni all'amatriciana, rich veal agnolotti in brodo, and beautifully cooked bistecca served up with potato pave, roasted carrots and a smoked celeriac. 

Level 1/1046 Burke Road, Balwyn

Franco & Co

Franco & Co is a gorgeous Italian restaurant in the leafy suburb of Eltham. In the warmer months, dine alfresco and enjoy the cottage-style vibes of the restaurant, or alternatively, make yourself right at home in their cosy interior. Frano & Co specialise in premium pastas and risottos, and their menu has an impressive range to choose from, including braised chicken risotto, linguine funghi and more. Not quite in the mood for pasta? Their pizzas and mains are equally as delicious.

720 Main Road, Eltham

Osteria 20

Classic Italian fare in the eastern suburbs doesn’t get much better than this gem hiding in plain sight. Osteria 20 delights with a menu brimming with traditional Italian and European dishes, from wood-fired pizzas to hearty pasta and succulent grill selections. Nestled on Glenferrie Road, this bustling spot draws locals eager for an exceptional meal close to home. At Osteria 20, you're not just dining—you’re immersing yourself in a vibrant, lively atmosphere that transports you straight to the heart of the Mediterranean with every bite.

3-6/818 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

Scusa Mi! Italiano

For a delicious steaming bowl of pasta in a casual and laid-back setting, you can’t go back Scusa Mi! Italiano in Glen Waverly. Scusa Mi! doesn’t discriminate—this vibrant, retro-inspired venue celebrates the full spectrum of Italian cuisine, from the north to the south of Italy. You’ll find pizza and pasta galore, along with delicious antipasto and secondi (if you can even make it that far in, the pasta is a whole meal in itself). Survived the carb-laden food coma and ready for a sweet treat? Their dessert menu is to die for, offering goodies including cannoli, gelati, tiramisu and more.

Corner Snedden Drive & O'Sullivan Road, Glen Waverley

Ocha

Ocha is a gorgeous Japanese restaurant in the Kew/Hawthorn area serving refined and elevated Japanese cuisine in a lowkey setting. Originally starting out as a small butcher shop, owners Yasu and Michelle have since grown their dream to serve traditional Japanese food to Melbournians in a bigger setting – although still with an intimate and welcoming feel.

The plates are perfect for sharing, with bite-sized treats like popcorn chicken, cauliflower panko bites and beef tataki. Their larger plates shine through delicious cuts of premium quality meat and fish, including crunchy and spicy calamari and Shiokoji chicken. 

3 Church Street, Hawthorn

The Dish Thai

Contemporary Thai dishes bursting with flavour await you at The Dish Thai is Heathmont. This local gem sure knows how to please even the fussiest of eaters, with all the favourites we know and love on their menu like TomYum soup, red curry, green curry, sweet and sour stir fry, amongst plenty of other incredible meals. When you come here to eat, you can’t go past their drunken noodles, thick and drowned in a rich, delicious sauce – they’re completely slurp-worthy.

157 Canterbury Road, Heathmont

Klae

Klae takes refined dining to the next level and is widely known as one of the best restaurants in the eastern suburbs in Melbourne. Here, you’ll experience contemporary dining, as well as Asian fusion with a focus on South Asia. Head Chef Oak Kunnalok is responsible for the modern dishes that grace the menu, from smoked pulled beef toast with gochujang stew, chilli mayo and pickles to oolong tea smoked duck breast, served with pancakes and a mandarin sauce.

Sitchu Tip: Don’t miss Klae’s exceptional Hiramasa Kingfish tartare, a standout dish that perfectly complements their eye-catching cocktails.

95 Swan Street, Richmond

Hunter & Barrel

If you’re craving meat, Hunter & Barrel will be able to satisfy your hankering—and then some! This popular Ringwood restaurant has an impressive range of dishes for the carnivorously inclined among us, spanning chicken to Riverine Premium beef and Wagyu. Make sure you come here hungry, because the menu will have you drooling and wanting to order everything in sight.

We suggest the eight-hour ribs, slow cooked and finished on a char-grill and served with crispy chips. It’s incredibly delicious. 

Shop R04/171/175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

Prohibition Food & Wine

Prohibition Food and Wine is one of the best restaurants in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. This Camberwell gem serves modern Australian cuisine to locals and travellers alike, with the goal of plating up delicious food in a relaxed environment for everyone to enjoy – and that’s exactly what they’re doing! With a menu of shareable small and large plates, Prohibition is ideal for gathering friends or family. Head over on a Friday night or weekend to end the week on a high note and enjoy a memorable dining experience.

1395 Toorak Road, Camberwell

The Peacock Den

Have a cause for celebration and need the perfect bottle of wine to pop open? The Peacock Den has you covered, with a selection of over 150 wines available by the bottle, ready to make your moment unforgettable.

This charming wine bar serves up a range of sharing menu options, from four to six dishes, so whether you’re after just a nibble or ready to dive into a smorgasbord, you’re covered. The Peacock Den captures the sophisticated vibe of the CBD's wine bars and brings it to the eastern suburbs, letting you sip on a glass (or three) of exquisite wine in style—no long trek required.

381 Forest Road, The Basin

Loved reading about the best restaurants in the eastern suburbs in Melbourne and want to know what else is on offer? Read through our pick of the best cafes in Camberwell. Or, if you're looking at things to do in Melbourne, take a peek at what's happening this month around the city.