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Not sure what to order? Ask the waitstaff for a recommendation (but ask “why”).

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20 of Melbourne CBD’s best and most iconic restaurants

From the grandeur of Gimlet to a steaming bowl of noodles in a carpark basement at Soi 38, here are 20 of the best and most iconic dining experiences in the city.

20 stories
Not sure what to order? Ask the waitstaff for a recommendation (but ask “why”).

Gimlet is the grand city brasserie that deserves its place among the world’s best

  • Gemima Cody
Veal and mortadella tortellini in brodo.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Grossi Florentino is a love letter to the decades in which fine dining was king

  • Besha Rodell
Go-to dish: Peking duck.
Good Food hatGood Food hat17/20

Flower Drum is the city stalwart with an unwavering attention to detail

  • Besha Rodell
Dry-aged roast duck with quandong, black cabbage and bamboo.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Aru’s ode to South-East Asian cooking is a modern marvel

  • Gemima Cody
The signature kingfish pancetta.
Good Food hat15/20

Bar Lourinha is a gem of a tapas bar where every mouthful is meitculous

  • Gemima Cody
Gnocchi with olives and sage.

Caterina’s Cucina e Bar for classic cooking in a basement bunker

  • Gemima Cody
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Supernormal
Good Food hat15.5/20

Supernormal for creative Asian food made for sharing

Lechon-style pork belly is fruity, meaty, acidic and a tiny bit funky.
Good Food hat15/20

Serai serves big-hearted and big-flavoured dishes from an energetic open kitchen

  • Besha Rodell
Mortadella in tiny milk buns.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Di Stasio Citta is an epic salon for simple Italian food

  • Gemima Cody
Mountain trout in cream with dill, mountain pepper and trout roe.
Good Food hat15/20

Farmer's Daughters brings the food (and soul) of Gippsland to the city

  • Besha Rodell
Maha restaurant, Melbourne.
Good Food hat15.5/20

Maha for modern, high end Levantine dishes in a moody setting

Marron in native Australian curry broth.
Good Food hatGood Food hatGood Food hat18/20

Vue de Monde is the sky-high diner at the top of its game

  • Gemima Cody
Inside the bustling Grill Americano.

Grill Americano is a big, brassy and bustling Melbourne-meets-New York grill

  • Michael Harden
Zensai (a platter of tiny delicacies).

Ishizuka is a gateway to Japan in a hard-to-find Bourke Street basement

  • Dani Valent
Shallot tarte tatin.
Good Food hat15/20

Nomad for feisty, fire-licked flavours in a suave reborn basement

  • Gemima Cody
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Comfort food: Pappardelle with duck ragout and porcini mushrooms.
14/20

Tipo 00 is the small, swift-paced temple of pasta excellence

  • Gemima Cody
Embla Wine Bar, Melbourne CBD, Russell Street, Goodfood, Ros Grundy, Gemima Cody, Trout
Good Food hat15/20

Embla is a cosy wine bar for low-intervention drops and fire-fuelled cooking

  • Gemima Cody
Wagyu rib cap.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Society is a fancy special-occasion fine diner with global ambition

  • Gemima Cody
Go-to dish: Ultimate bowl with prawns, scallops, calamari, crispy pork, instant noodles and egg yolks.
14/20

Soi 38 for vibrant Thai flavours in a quirky carpark setting

  • Besha Rodell
Go-to dish: Smoked oysters.
14.5/20

Freyja for cool, precise Nordic cooking in a gothic setting

  • Besha Rodell
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