Game, set, hats: 10 ace places to eat just a short walk from the Australian Open
When it comes to quality dining mere minutes from centre court, Melbourne smashes it. Here are 10 of the best spots to eat out before or after the tennis.
No other grand slam tennis tournament in the world has a central location – or the dining options nearby – like the Australian Open in Melbourne. From fun and fiery Japanese grill Robata, a mere 17-minute stroll from centre court, to the fabulous restaurants lining Flinders Lane, our cup of Aperol spritz spilleth over.
Here are 10 hatted restaurants from the latest Good Food Guide. If you can’t score a booking, try lobbing up. And remember, there will be another ace option just metres away.
Coda (one hat, 15/20)
Why it’s ace: The dark but buzzy basement is a welcome respite from loud and glary Melbourne Park.
Time, please: A 21-minute walk down Batman Avenue via Flinders Lane.
What the Good Food Guide says: Nearly 15 years in, Coda still feels like a find thanks to its subterranean laneway setting. The fitout blends warehouse and whimsy; energy comes from a strong sense of identity underpinned by experienced staff. Dishes lean more towards Thai and Vietnamese in summer, northern Chinese in winter, but any time of year there’s the fried betel leaf, a bright chorus of prawn, lemongrass and green chilli, on the menu. Fried rice borrows savoury spine from Spain’s bacalao and crunch from nubbles of tempura batter.
Basement, 141 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, codarestaurant.com.au
Cumulus Inc. (one hat, 15/20)
Why it’s ace: Top notch all-day eating and drinking in warm, informal surrounds.
Time, please: A 21-minute walk from Flinders Lane to Melbourne Park.
What the Good Food Guide says: In a city spoiled for Andrew McConnell-owned restaurants, bars and even butchers, this Flinders Lane stayer still slays. Some details change but the important ones – a warm welcome, a seldom-matched lamb shoulder with punchy red pepper, and one of the best bars to dine at – are constant. It’s tempting to simply order that fall-apart lamb, some golden garlicky spuds and baked-to-order madeleines with silky lemon curd, then call it a (great) night. But that would mean missing specials such as crumbed fish sandwiches with iceberg lettuce and dill. Solo diners and those who like to try more dishes will be pleased that several items, including the lamb, are available in half serves.
45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, cumulusinc.com.au
Di Stasio Citta (two hats, 16/20)
Why it’s ace: Sophisticated Italian dining where it feels as if anything could happen at any moment.
Time, please: A 22-minute stroll from Spring Street to Melbourne Park.
What the Good Food Guide says: The soaring concrete and marble of Di Stasio’s city dominion makes an instant statement: big things are going to happen tonight. With sophisticated clientele, skilled waiters and art gallery-style video projections, it’s a place that promise to deliver. Mix and match between rich primi such as ricotta and spinach gnudi, lush pasta and a purist’s lasagne powered by mozzarella (not bechamel), and smart secondi that might include buttery veal topped with prosciutto and redolent with sage. Wines are smartly balanced across price and style, and ricotta-filled dough balls make for a luxurious ride all the way to the finish.
45 Spring Street, Melbourne, distasio.com.au/citta
Embla (one hat, 15.5/20)
Why it’s ace: That quintessentially cool city dining and wine spot you want to show off to visiting friends.
Time, please: A 25-minute downhill stroll along Batman Avenue.
What the Good Food Guide says: Simultaneously rustic, industrial and a little bit Wild West saloon, Embla’s high stools and banquettes are occupied by architects, gallerists, off-duty hospo types and anyone who loves a wine list that starts with “crisp or salty whites” and extends to low-intervention heroes, Burgundian classics and benchmark Aussie shiraz. Fire flickers in the kitchen, from which waitstaff collect elemental dishes: poussin with lemon and capers, swordfish alongside tender navy beans and luscious cipollini onion. Later, dip into the drinks list for something “allegedly medicinal” – such as an amaro – to pair with malty creme caramel and barley koji for a brilliantly bittersweet finale.
122 Russell Street, Melbourne, embla.com.au
Farmer’s Daughters (one hat, 15/20)
Why it’s ace: A lively and lovely spot that showcases Victorian produce, plus an almost hidden rooftop.
Time, please: Turn right and walk 22 minutes directly from Exhibition Street to the tennis.
What the Good Food Guide says: Farmer’s Daughters sources produce from the Gippsland region for its avidly seasonal five-course menus, which generally sing with inspiration and connection. Rabbit sausage is almost outshone by its sweet, earthy carrot accompaniments, but a nutty sliver of apple tart is deftly anchored by muscovado ice-cream. Butter-soft Baw Baw trout, a fan favourite, is served with mountain pepper cream in which to dunk craggy house-baked soda bread. The vegetable-loving menu might include a pretty medley of root vegetables in beetroot-and-apple broth, funked up with fermented garlic. The first-floor dining room is contemporary and quiet; there’s also a rooftop bar and ground-floor eatery. Both offer tastes of regional Victoria with less commitment required from the diner.
95 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, farmersdaughters.com.au
Gimlet at Cavendish House (two hats, 16/20)
What: The place for celebrations – or perhaps an after-match cheeseburger at the bar.
Time, please: A 22-minute walk from Flinders Lane.
What the Good Food Guide says: Gimlet has always been maximalist – a whoosh of energy that buoys you from the host stand, through the room and into its chandelier-adorned embrace. These days, it seems even more focused on making a big bang. But even at 10pm on a Wednesday night, lobster after lobster is dissected table side, massive steaks are presented like crown jewels, and caviar is gobbled. The ingredients do the work, and for the most part, the kitchen knows how to treat them: a roast dry-aged Muscovy duck crown is deeply meaty and juicy; a salad Lyonnaise is a study in composition and contrast. Go with a taste for extravagance and it’ll sweep you off your feet.
33 Russell Street, Melbourne, gimlet.melbourne
Grill Americano (one hat, 15/20)
What: Big meat, big money, big flavour, and big during the tennis.
Time, please: A 21-minute walk from Flinders Lane.
What the Good Food Guide says: The panorama is dazzling: a platoon of crisp uniformed waiters working a room accented with royal-blue velvet booths and a marble bar. The menu features no fewer than 14 side dishes. It’s as if France-Soir and Rockpool Bar & Grill had a baby, but Italian. Or Italian-ish. Thoroughly grilled prawns get a wallop of flavour from spicy ’nduja dressing: big! The rib-eye is richly salted: big! The details occasionally slip when the place gets slammed. But it’s nothing a dip into the cracking wine list or a creamy $24 dollop of tiramisu won’t solve.
112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, grillamericano.com
Robata (one hat, 15/20)
Why it’s ace: The closest hatted restaurant to the Australian Open is perfect for a memorable Japanese meal on a time limit.
Time, please: A mere 17-minute hop, skip and jump along Batman Avenue to the tennis.
What the Good Food Guide says: The stars of CBD dining need a chameleon-like ability to satisfy business lunchers, barflies and food-obsessed tennis fans alike. Robata, a fluorescent ode to Tokyo, hits every mark. Sake flights, joyous chicken katsu sandwiches and whisky highballs meet polished service and a menu with potent appeal that goes beyond the restaurant’s signature binchotan charcoal grill. But of course, you want skewers. Caramelised scallops aced with tobiko roe, balls of classic chicken tsukune and rich hunks of wagyu rib are all excellent. Black sesame and green tea parfait is a beautifully balanced close. Factor in worldly wines and a space that’s energetic without being obnoxious, and you have real star power.
2 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, robata.com.au
Supernormal
Why it’s ace: Whether it’s a lobster roll at the bar or a full feast, it’s a buzzy, fun spot for refreshments before and after the game.
Time, please: A 24-minute walk along Batman Avenue via Flinders Lane.
What the Good Food Guide says: How does Supernormal continue to exert a magnetic field over Flinders Lane with a single hand-held snack? That a lobster roll became the talisman of Andrew McConnell’s empire remains one of Melbourne’s great food stories. But Supernormal’s best work is done beyond the brioche. DIY duck bao, no less playful, sees a twice-cooked leg spiced to the heavens, ready to be laid down with plum sauce and Shanghai vinegar on the softest gua bao. Crystalline raw kingfish, arranged over Sichuan chilli oil, is a reminder of why it’s become the entree of the past decade. Burnt butter and shaved kombu push a handsome flounder to the edge of decadence. Talk it back with a judiciously dry white from Leanne Altmann’s list.
180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, supernormal.net.au
Taxi Kitchen (15/20 one hat)
Why it’s ace: Federation Square transforms into a tennis-watching hotspot for two weeks, and Taxi is at the heart of it.
Time, please: A scenic 20-minute walk along the river to the tennis.
What the Good Food Guide says: Transport Hotel looms sternly over Fed Square, but head to its 200-seat first-floor restaurant and the vibe is welcoming. Friendly staff deliver excellent dishes with Chinese and Japanese notes and classic foundations. Pink discs of tuna take a brief dip in sake for extra sweetness and rest on crunchy soybean pesto, while another signature dish, Sichuan spiced duck, is crisp-skinned and moist with a gentle heat. Buttery baked scallops sneak in a miso umami hit, and yuzu souffle’s citrus tang pairs well with the surprise burst of caramelised white chocolate inside. Huge louvre windows give a quintessentially Melbourne vista that takes in the MCG and Flinders Street Station.
Level 1, Transport Hotel, Federation Square, Melbourne transporthotel.com.au/taxi-kitchen
The Age Good Food Guide 2024 is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au. It features more than 450 Victorian venues.
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