Food

With Easter around the corner, the sweet smell of hot cross buns is starting to waft out of bakeries across Melbourne. With so many on offer, it’s hard to know who makes the best hot cross buns in Melbourne. Is it the traditional take? Is it a chocolate-filled number? Or is it the undignified 'fruitless'? Luckily, you have Urban List doing the hard yards for you.

What is the best restaurant in Melbourne? Our fair city has hundreds of spots that could be considered the best. Good thing I've got my 20 favourite spots for you right here, with something for everyone.

The food news has been coming in thick and fast in Melbourne, and to make sure that you're across Melbourne's food and bev movements, we've wrapped up everything that you need to know in a handful of digestible servings.

The long weekend is just around the corner so it’s time to start planning your social movements for the mini-break. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, we can all agree it’s pretty nice to have a four-day weekend to catch up with friends and family while letting someone else do all the cooking and cleaning—surcharges are totally worth it. Here’s your list of what’s on over the Easter weekend in Melbourne. 

Like the precinct’s spruikers, the choice really is overwhelming when it comes to Lygon Street restaurants. One will tell you they have the freshest carbonara in the southern hemisphere while the other will stake claim to a 400 cheese pizza. Both worthy options, but dig deeper and you’ll find a diverse culinary offering ranging from fiery ramen at one end and modern Australian at the other.

The heart of Melbourne, the CBD. We've got heaps of good restaurants here in Melbourne and Victoria as a whole. Whether you're looking for Flinders Lane restaurants or you're just looking to tuck into some affordable fare, we've nailed down the best.

Want to relive that Japanese holiday, or get your eye in before you head overseas? You're in luck, because Melbourne is full of top-tier Japanese restaurants. Whether you’re craving freshly made sushi, bowls of steaming ramen, sizzling teppanyaki, melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, or flavourful donburi, there’s no shortage of authentic Japanese restaurants in Melbourne to dive into. 

Melbourne’s turning it on this weekend with more events than you can poke a stick at, we're telling ya, this endless summer is going to end sometime soon. But good thing there's heaps of killer eats, events and fun stuff on. 

Searching for the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne? From hidden trattorias to fine dining, here are Melbourne’s top 25 Italian spots for pasta, pizza and more in 2025.

Gone are the days when vegetarian dining in Melbourne meant cheerless salads and the same old pasta dishes. This city’s plant-based scene has exploded into a vibrant ecosystem of its own, where vegetables aren’t just an afterthought—they’re the headliners.

What's Melbourne's best new restaurant is something we're forever being asked here at Urban List. The thing is, what's best and what's new is always changing because the restaurant, bar and cafe scene is ever-evolving. Good thing we've made it easy for you, we've pulled together all Melbourne's newest openings right here.

Forget diamonds—Melbourne’s real luxury is a perfectly cooked steak. Whether you’re after a melt-in-your-mouth wagyu, a charred, smoky ribeye, or an old-school pub porterhouse with all the trimmings, this city delivers.

On the hunt for the best cafe in Melbourne? It's a tough one, simply due to the sheer volume of options. The standard the city has set has been replicated all over the world, and it's no surprise as the quality of our coffee is world-class and our brunch is unbeatable.

Swisse has unveiled its very own ice cream truck, the Swisse Whip, which will be handing out free ice creams around Melbourne.

The southern hemisphere’s largest shopping centre, Chadstone has just dropped the lineup for a massive 26,500sq m foodie precinct. The two areas, The Market Pavilion and Dining Laneway will host some of Melbourne’s tastiest food retailers. 

Melbourne’s bustling dining scene owes a very honest tip of the hat to France. Every suburb has its own cache of bakeries, bistros and patisseries reminiscent of the City of Lights, and if you're like us wondering why you're here rather than there, well, this list might just save you the trip.

There was a time when the best burgers in Melbourne came from your local fish and chip place, usually with a slice of beetroot and a couple of extra dim sims. Actually, now we think about it, those are still pretty bloody good, but we've pulled together our top picks so you can eat easy.

The Melbourne CBD is a labyrinth for hidden bars, whether they be upstairs, underground or tucked away at the end of a laneway. You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to suss them all out though—we’ve done the detective work for you. We’ve scoured all the nooks and crannies and come up with some of the best hidden bars Melbourne has to offer. All you need to do is turn up and find the door. 

The Melbourne edition of il Mercato Centrale, originally launched in Florence in 2014, offers a dynamic day-to-night dining experience, from light snacks to full restaurant meals. Located in the iconic McPherson building on Collins Street, this 2,500 sqm space has been transformed into a vibrant retail and culinary hub.

Although we may be stuck here for a Monday to Friday grind, don’t let that stop you from venturing back on the weekend for some of the best-kept brunch secrets that are right under our noses. Skip the south side/north side arguments this weekend, here are the best (neutral ground) spots for city brunchin'.

Melbourne is Australia's breakfast (or brunch, depending on how late you stay up) queen. The city basically invented modern cafe culture, with our easy-going, wake-up late for a bite culture emulated all over the world. But with so many options, where do you start? Don't worry, we gotchu with Melbourne's best cafes and breakfasts for 2025.

Melbourne has one of the most culturally diverse culinary scenes in the world, but you already know that and so do we. What you may not know though, is where to find the cream of the crop when it comes to Indian food—enter Urban List.

There’s a reason Jackalope on the Mornington Peninsula is on everyone’s bucket list: from its stunning grounds to unique architectural design, moody black colour palette or funky bar and restaurant, the hotel is the very definition of a luxury stay.

Geelong’s restaurant scene is thriving, offering a vibrant mix of culinary experiences that firmly establish it as a must-visit destination for food lovers. Once living in Melbourne’s shadow, this seaside gem has emerged with its own bold personality, leaning heavily into its love for fresh, local seafood.

It's the earmarked sports event of the summer, the Australian Open 2025 is the iconic stretch of January where Melbourne suddenly transforms into tennis-arm-chair experts. 

We wanted to really find out what constitutes a good burger, so we asked the masterminds behind some of our faves. It turns out that there’s a bit of a theme—a secret ingredient if you will—to all of the burgers we know and love.

Good things come in small packages, and so do great things, such as Xiao Long Bao. Our city is spoilt for choice when it comes to these often-steamed, sometimes-fried pockets of flavour, so much so that you’ll be left doing laps of Chinatown until everything shuts up shop for the night.

The heat is beaming down, the beach is calling, and you've got a thirst that only the iciest drink is going to quench. But there's something else calling your name, something that is going to instantly cool that core temp down, something that is totally worth forgoing the summer bod for—ice cream.

Melbourne. We’re a city of laneway cafes, late-night restaurants and bustling basement bars—and arguably the world’s best food scene. And behind the scenes are some very talented women. But it’s not always roses for them. They’ve breached an industry that has a shockingly low rate of participation from women—in some areas of hospitality under 15 percent of the workforce is female.

It’s hard to name a more iconic pub feed than the chicken parma. These slabs of perfection have found their way into the hearts of Melburnians, and it doesn’t look like the love affair is slowing down anytime soon. Here is Urban List's guide to the best parmas in Melbourne for 2024:

Following waves of immigration in the sixties and seventies, Greek food and culture has become a huge part of Melbourne’s culinary identity. We’ve got the largest Greek population outside of Athens, so it’s no surprise the city is brimming with Greek taverns and family-owned restaurants to suit all occasions and budgets. It’s a tough task, but we’ve pulled together the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne, with plenty of options for the souv-fans, seafood lovers, dairy queens and vegetarians out there. 

It's been a long, cold, winter, and not to mention a solid eight months or so since Melburnians were boozing around in some of Melbourne's best beer gardens. But like the sun will rise each morning, Melbourne's best beer gardens will be waiting for you as the warmer months return.

Finding the best oyster bar in Melbourne is no easy task, that’s why we're shelling out the details on the city’s best.

Is Melbourne having a cinnamon scroll redux right now? If we look at the facts, it might appear that the answer to that question is yes.

Have a bit of a sweet tooth after dinner? Or maybe you're just craving a sugary fix from one of Melbourne's many incredible dessert bars. Don't worry, we've got you covered with our top picks for dessert in the CBD and further afield. These are Melbourne's best dessert spots for 2025.

This one’s dedicated to all the gluten-intolerant bread and pastry lovers. Let’s be honest, the supermarket selection of gluten-free baked goods can be, well, uninspiring. Thankfully, we have a good handful of specialty gluten-free bakeries in Melbourne/Naarm that are reducing celiac’s FOMO when it comes to being able to get their hands on fresh bread, pastries and desserts. 

Navigating Melbourne’s vibrant dining scene while sticking to gluten-free options has never been easier. Think gluten-free pasta dishes, pizzas, and even indulgent desserts—all made with care and quality ingredients. If you’re seeking the best gluten-free restaurants in Melbourne, these spots have you covered.

Sandwiches are the new sexy. There are no two ways about it. Melbourne burgers had their time in the sun, but there’s only so much magic you can make with beef, cheese and brioche. Sandwiches are much more interesting. 

Ramen—a timeless pairing of noodles, broth and various accoutrements. Chewy noodles that have been cooked to the exact level of firmness, broths varying from a light and salty to one made by slow-cooking pork bones. Toppings that vary from pork that's been braised in soy sauce, sake and sugar, to soft-boiled eggs marinated in a mix of ingredients that are often a closely guarded secret. Better still, you can find some of the best ramen in Melbourne/Naarm. 

Charcoal chicken is a time-honoured practice, a craft that you'll find in almost every corner of the world. While flavours may vary from region to region, the smoky golden crisped exterior and succulent meat inside that results from spinning across the coals and flamed has established the roast chook as a pinnacle of dining. 

There’s nothing quite like the culinary offering of Mexican cuisine, its regional specialities and diverse dishes have captured the hearts and stomachs of us all. From the subtle addition of crisp and balanced pico de gallo in slow-cooked beef tacos, the romance of Mexican food is second to none.

One of the most important food groups to Melburnians, pizza, is held in a treasured category of its own. Boasting some of the finest pizzerias outside of Italy, the level of craft here is world-class from classic leopard spotted Neapolitan-style to thick-cut deep dish. 

If you're a hungry herbivore, look no further than our guide to Melbourne's best spots for vegan eats, from burgs to fine dining, it's all here.

This one's probably going to be controversial given we can't cover every single amazing example of dim sims around Melbourne. But, we've called upon the heavy dim sim hitters at Dim Sims 4 Lyf to help us out here.

Whether you're a self-proclaimed bread enthusiast or a total croissant fiend after a fix you'll find something that’ll have your tastebuds doing a happy dance at Melbourne's best bakeries for 2025.

It could be a quick refuel, a boozy business meeting, or perhaps sharing a meal to catch up—lunch is a sacred part of the day for many Melburnians. We love lunch here. We're starting to steer clear from the grab and go, a hangover from (we won't say it) the past few years, and taking the time to sit and dine now. These are some of our top picks for Melbourne's best lunch spots for 2025, that are sure to impress your mates, visitors or colleagues. 

Looking for the best cheap eats in Melbourne? We've got you covered with a curated list of delicious, budget-friendly spots around the city. Dive into our picks for the top cheap eats Melbourne has to offer and discover how to satisfy your cravings without splurging.

With so much to choose from it can be a task to pinpoint the best restaurants Collingwood—and the Fitzroy side of Smith Street—has to offer. From old faithfuls to flame-driven cult-favourites, read on for the best restaurants Collingwood has to offer in 2025.

Cost of living keeps creeping upwards and onwards, and most of us practically have the words “value for money” tattooed on wallets to stop unnecessary spending. Of course, that’s where the humble buffet comes in, with endless plates and infinite options to make you feel like life isn’t so bad.

Sushi no doubt holds a special spot in Melbourne’s heart, which is why eating via train makes it all the better. With plenty of spots that specialise in the much slower-paced ritual of 'Kaiten-sushi', sit back, relax and let the food come to you. 

Yum Cha, it's the culinary experience that's greater than the sum of its parts, and each part is already pretty delicious. You’ll find dim sum galore, from pan-fried to steamed to boiled, all designed to be washed down with piping-hot tea. Melbourne has got some amazing for all your yum cha needs. So needless to say, we’ve curated a list of the best yum cha in Melbourne for 2025. 

The pub, it does exactly what it says on the label. It's a place to get together with mates, sink a few pints, and of course, order up on a parma. But with so many options, it can be hard to narrow down a solid watering hole.

Some mornings are meant for sleep-ins and some are meant for indulging in the best bottomless brunch in Melbourne. Are you after endless mimosas, too many proseccos, more margaritas than you can poke a stick at? Well, if you've woken up on that side of the bed, get your Sunday (or Saturday) best on, and get ready to party. Check out our list of the best bottomless brunches in Melbourne in 2025.

In 2025, Melbourne’s high tea game is stronger than ever, bringing together the best of old-world charm and modern-day fun. Whether you're in the mood to channel some classic 19th-century vibes, complete with dainty finger sandwiches and scones stacked high, or you're looking for something a bit more daring—think themed high teas, live music, and a splash of burlesque—Melbourne’s got you covered.

Sunsets and pizza, or cocktails and catch-ups, Melbourne's rooftop bars are the perfect spot for both coming into the warmer months. From secret spots hidden down alleyways to iconic venues serving up the city's best views Urban List has done the hard yards and found the best rooftop bars in 2025.

The Lunar New Year is fast approaching and 2025 is the year of the Wood Snake, which symbolises wisdom, transformation, stability and creativity and we're here to learn and grow, and celebrate.

Finding the perfect venue for your Christmas soiree isn’t the easiest job (I mean, no one wants to have drinks at the office…) Luckily, we’re here to help speed you along your way and make sure you pick the perfect place.

Melbourne’s favourite floating bar, Afloat, is reminding you summer season is about to hit with the annual unveiling of its pool, and this year, it’s an absolute belter. 

The silly season brings with it many things: Kris Kringle pressies that’ll likely be regifted next year, boozed-up relatives and that awkward, annual decision of which side of the family you’ll be spending Christmas day with. It’s not all festive faux pas, though—one such thing that’s universally loved this time of the year is Christmas markets.

The quintessential summer tradition in Melbourne’s cultural calendar, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) is set to make a highly anticipated return in March 2025 for another round of one-off dinners, chef residencies, pop-ups and long lunches. Spanning across 10 days, from March 21 to 30, the MFWF program is jam-packed, featuring over 200 events across the city and surrounding suburbs. 

From snack-sized stocking fillers to show-stopping kitchen essentials, here's our list of gifts sure to please the discerning foodie in your life.

Balmy weather, 8pm sunsets, and iced lattes in hand are all telltale signs summer is almost here. But the real marker isn’t when Woolies decks the aisles in tinsel, it's when the Summer Night Market returns to Queen Vic Market.

Robots delivering dishes, lab-grown meat and 3D-printed veggies—imaginations run wild when thinking about the future of food.

Once upon a time, dinner was enough. You came, you saw, you ate, you drank. Now? Well, it’s an endless adventure with wild possibilities.

Winston’s is the very reason Baysiders can start reconsidering the hike into the city for an elevated dining experience, because primo dining with a Euro flair has officially landed in Black Rock.

So what is it about these little shops—some of which have been operating longer than most readers have been buying mortadella—that are so very captivating?

The team behind Terror Twilight and Hi Fi haven’t stopped, and their latest project is a day-to-late-arvo cafe and wine bar called Ophelia.

We love Melbourne, but you know ... living in one of the world's best cities comes with a price tag, good thing Urban List has you you covered with a stack of things to eat, drink, do and see all on a shoestring as part of our series Budget Ballin'. This time we've teed up 20 of the best cheap and free things to do in Melbourne to keep both you and your hip pocket happy.

Wesley Place is a happening little nook in Melbourne, best known as the home to Caretaker’s Cottage and Operator Diner. Now, it boasts a third drawcard, Reed House.

If you’re up the top end of the Sunshine Coast and looking for things to do in the bustling hub that is Noosa, we’ve got you covered.

Moving in next door to Hawker Hall, Tombo Den is Chris Lucas’ second Windsor haunt and third Japanese-inspired restaurant in the Lucas Restaurants empire. The restaurant and bar will open 7 September and we reckon Tombo Den will be the more approachable younger sibling to Yakimono and Kisumé with a bumpin’ Tokyo vibe.

Prahran’s specialty cheese shop Maker & Monger—which dispenses Melbourne’s best cheese toasties—is adding to its menu for September some seriously impressive sangas for its annual chef-led toastie series.

The annual holiday celebrating all things Dad is fast approaching with September 1 just around the corner

Situated right on Macaulay Road in North Melbourne, EziStreat is a 600sqm food hall residing inside a former industrial warehouse. 

From Melbourne’s bustling cafes to Sydney’s vibrant brunch spots, all the way to Brisbane’s innovative morning eats and Perth’s beachside beauties, we’ve curated the ultimate guide to breakfast across Australia.

From all-day casual dining and a coffee window on the ground floor, through to the hatted Restaurant offering a degustation menu on the first floor and finishing with a Rooftop oasis celebrating Gippsland wines, Farmer’s Daughters works collaboratively with artisans and food and wine producers from the region to bring Gippsland to the heart of the Melbourne CBD.

After a stint cheffing on luxe yachts in Europe, five years in the catering scene, and time in Melbourne’s San Telmo kitchen, Nicki Morrison has gone all-in on her own establishment, the flame-driven Flint. 

We've all experienced the inundation of Instagram content from Melburnians at Totti's when visiting Sydney, the table filled with plates of antipasti with negronis and spritz scattered throughout and of course, that show-stopping wood-fired flatbread front and center. 

After 70 years of pumping out piping hot Bombolini-style jam doughnuts at Queen Victoria Market, ADK (American Doughnut Kitchen) is setting up its first shop front at Prahran Market. This means southsiders can finally include ‘doughnut run’ on their weekend do-list

The banh mi roll has become a cornerstone of the modern diet, their cost friendly price point, return on investment for flavour, satiating hunger and the ability to be devoured on the move has kept workers, students, and general crusty bread enthusiasts on a continuous quest for the best. The ingredients may vary roll to roll but a banh mi roll should have a crisp crust, soft textured inside, some form of crispy or barbecued meat stacked with cucumber, carrot, coriander, and chilli if you’re living dangerously.

Baked goods are officially the flavour of 2024. But what if they were all pink? Baked Wonder in Burwood is the newcomer to Melbourne’s sweet scene is dousing their entire offering in a pastel pink, from buttery croissants loaded with creamy raspberry-strawberry filling to pink-kissed iced tea—and we’re here for it.

In all things good and sweet, the institution that brings authentic Roman Italian to Melbourne, Brunetti Classico, is taking on Coburg with its first cake boutique. The empire has been kicking around for almost four decades with six locations spread out around the city. It was only last year that we celebrated Brunetti Classico expanding to Moonee Ponds, and now we’ve back in your feed to say hip hip hooray to location number seven.

It may be a whole lot colder but the prospect of a three-day weekend is one mighty-fine way to warm the soul. This coming King’s Birthday in Melbourne for 2024, Monday 10 June, a selection of Melbourne’s venues will still be turning it on for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Here's what’s open on this King’s Birthday public holiday in Melbourne 2024 (so far):

It's not easy to land on a single choice for the best restaurants in Fitzroy, and that's because there are simply too many. The previously working-class inner-city suburb has blossomed through the renaissance of Melbourne’s cultural boom and is now home to some of the highest-rated diners in the entire city. So, read on, and tick off the best Fitzroy restaurants for 2024.

Everyone knows how the saying goes, dogs are a girl’s best friend. Another heartbeat in the house, a wagging tail that greets you every time you come home, and someone that will literally never judge you or your poor decisions. But our hearts just break when every day we have to pack up, go to work and we have to shut the door on those big puppy eyes that stare into our souls. 

Here are some Melbourne meal delivery services rising to the surface to save our stomachs and recipe ingenuity. 

We’ve all heard of the Broadway musical WICKED making its anticipated touchdown in the heart of our city. Over at The Westin Melbourne, they’ve gone and partnered up with the globally acclaimed show, bringing  WICKED-themed experiences to celebrate. Whether you’re a casual theatregoer or an avid WICKED fan, experience the enchanting world of Oz from now through to August.

With another long weekend just around the corner, it’s time to start making your brunch and dinner reservations. Whether you're waking up early Monday 25 April for the ANZAC Day dawn service or having a much-deserved sleep in, Melbourne’s hospitality industry is gearing up to make sure you spend the public holiday the right way. There are plenty of venues still trading and the surcharges are just a small trade-off for a great feed.

Experienced in both crypto and hospitality, it only made sense for Guy Bentley to combine the two, pioneering Nouns Deli, formerly Stan’s Deli, in Australia’s first NFT-funded venture. Situated in Melbourne’s southeast suburb of Malvern, the quick-service deli is backed by NFT and Ethereum project, Nouns DAO—a community-driven brand harnessing crypto in charitable projects. 

Easter is just around the way, and while we’re all for the influx of hot cross buns coming out of the ovens, there are plenty of collabs, one-off’s, and HCB variations worth tucking into ahead of the long weekend.