Best new restaurant: Radio Mexico, St Kilda. Click for more photos

The best of Melbourne's bargain dining

Best new restaurant: Radio Mexico, St Kilda. Photo: Simon Schluter

Best Restaurant

Mamak, City

<i>Good Food Under $30</i> is the fresh, new version of <i>Cheap Eats</i>.
Good Food Under $30 is the fresh, new version of Cheap Eats.

Simple in its premise and simply outstanding in its delivery, Mamak is fast, rowdy, no-bookings and well worth a wait.

 

Best New Restaurant

Radio Mexico, St Kilda

Radio Mexico turns up the good times with a cute outdoor terrace, colourful interior, terrific tacos and pumping bar.

 

Country Champ

Dee's Kitchen, Dromana

Spicing up seaside Dromana, Dee's Middle-Eastern menu is regularly re-jigged and almost as reviving as a weekend away.

 

Breakfast Spot of the Year

Small Victories, Carlton North

Adding fine-dining finesse to all-day breakfasts, Small Victories does brilliant sides with eggs and uses top-notch ingredients.

 

Best Pizza

Non Solo Pasta, Docklands

The Bunga Bunga has a thin base and winning toppings of Berkshire pork sausage, fior di latte, porcini mushrooms, parmesan and parsley.

 

Biggest Bargain

Eastern Dumpling House, Carnegie

Less than a tenner buys 10 to 15 pan-fried pot-stickers, xiao long bao and steamed dumplings hand-made here daily.

 

Sustainable Practice Champ

Silo by Joost, City

Zero waste and amazing tastes are achieved with raw and processed on-site ingredients. There's also a pretty fancy composting machine at work.

 

Vegetarian of the Year

Monk Bodhi Dharma, Balaclava

A consistent go-to for interesting veg lunches and brunches, as well as speciality coffee and tea.

 

Hall of Fame

Ginger Garlic, Eltham

They've been in the business for 30 years and highly recommended in our books since 1999.

 

Burger of the Year

229 Dining Hall & Cafe, Post Office Hotel, Coburg

A clear winner, this baby's house-made brioche bun holds a seared wagyu patty, caramelised onions, mixed lettuce, gruyere, tomato, beetroot puree, garlic aioli and onion relish.

 

The Age Good Food Under $30 (formerly The Age Cheap Eats) will be sold for $5 with the paper this Saturday, March 16. It's also available in bookshops and at The Age online shop (theageshop.com.au) for $10.