Five Melbourne restaurants that will keep you warm over winter

Don't let a bit of rain and freezing temperatures stop you from going out this winter, here's five places that will keep you warm, inside and out.

Arlechin

This cheeky little Grossi family bar is open late to satisfy culinary cravings and nocturnal thirsts. The key bite here is the midnight spaghetti, a tomatoey tangle studded with capers.

Mornane Place, Melbourne, no phone. Tues-Sat 5pm-3am

Saigon Pho

There's nothing like a fragrant, hot bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup to soothe and satisfy bodily hunger and soul cravings all at once. There's a decent vegetarian pho here too.

73a Nicholson Street, Footscray, (03) 9689 8806. Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trattoria Emilia

Gnocco fritto are fried dough puffs to be eaten with cured meats – the fat melts onto the hot dough and bliss ensues. At this tucked-away trattoria, the porky platter includes prosciutto and whipped mortadella.

360 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, (03) 9670 7214. Mon-Sat breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tuan Tuan

Congee (Chinese rice porridge) is as versatile as it is comforting. This flash Asian brasserie works all the angles: you can have your congee with various meats and preserved egg. Whichever way you go, it's the ultimate hug from the inside.

139 Queensberry Street, Carlton, (03) 9995 5407. Mon dinner, Tues-Sun lunch and dinner

Tulum
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Turkish food with context and heart, rendered with fine dining sensibility in a cosy and welcoming restaurant. Once a degustation-only venue, Tulum now works for drop-in snacks and raki, relaxed banquets, and anything in between.

217 Carlisle Street, Balaclava, (03) 9525 9127. Sat noon-3pm. Tues-Sat 5pm-late