Melbourne

Come for the stunning location, stay for the menu highlights – Sebastian brings seaside Basque charm to bayside Williamstown.

From beloved trattorias serving traditional fare to first-rate kitchens buzzing with creativity and experimentation.

A one-time Daylesford favourite, Kazuki’s is bringing small-town charm to Carlton with clever cooking and no shortage of technical prowess.

With Spritzes on tap, wood-fired pizza and a prime spot on the Yarra, Arbory Afloat is an Italo party not to be missed.

Scott Pickett’s wood-fired foray south of the Yarra delivers casual elegance in spades.

REVIEW When restaurateur Chris Lucas puts his stamp on a cuisine, you can expect his take to be bold. And much like its raucous siblings Chin Chin and Hawker Hall, Kisumé is a Japanese restaurant with the volume turned up. Here, though, that energy doesn’t come via music ricocheting off concrete, but rather three levels […]

REVIEW No need to beware the Ides of March 2018, when the restaurant whipped back the curtains on the makeover it deserved. A sign of commitment to the fine-dining-with-a-difference cause, the formerly austere shopfront was anointed with sleek timber-slatted cladding and artworks injecting a hint of a retro sensibility. The more relaxed approach is another […]

REVIEW Lûmé has put its provocative adolescent past behind it, maturing into one of Melbourne’s most interesting dining experiences. Innovation remains integral to its DNA, starting with cocktails at the superbly tended bar where distilling, dehydration and carbonation come into play. It’s there in the flatteringly lit dining room that silky olive oil and mandarin […]

REVIEW The city’s best ’80s playlist and fluent floor staff lend an undeniable sense of fun to this 40-seater, where supple leather booths and sculptured copper bring a sense of occasion. Ponder the premium wine list then opt for a five- or eight-course dégustation or go à la carte at lunch and weekday dinners. Chef […]

REVIEW Spice Temple is the glam Chinese diner for all occasions, from yum cha to gala banquets or zodiac-themed cocktails in the bar. An upbeat playlist sets the scene in a Sino-accented space split between a refined dining room overlooking Southbank and a basement with ample mood. Menus are typically expansive but the wine card […]

REVIEW Marion is the kind of place where a casual night out requires a week’s planning. Securing a table is the only pain you’ll have, however. There’ll be no head-scratching over the love for Andrew McConnell’s little wine bar that rose to the top of his Gertrude Street pops. Take a space with a patina […]

REVIEW Clinton McIver’s four- and eight-course dégustations are ready for their close-ups. Arriving on hand-shaped crockery, combinations like smoked duck ham curled along a length of crisp fermented carrot or slivers of shiitake and chawanmushi drifting in a sparkling broth are as good-looking as they are well balanced. Sourdough bread is a course in itself, […]

REVIEW Woodland House is a quiet champion of finer Melbourne dining. The service is witty and warm, and its two chefs have made a restaurant they took over from their mentor, Jacques Reymond, their own. The grey-walled dining rooms of the Victorian mansion are cosseting and contemporary. Shelves heave with decanters for a wine list […]

REVIEW Rockpool is the go-to for serious steakhouse action. There’s a reliable sense of occasion from the vast room’s leather-and-timber musculature and the kitchen’s wood grill that echoes the casino’s riverside fireball show in miniature. The 15-cut steak list is similarly impressive, name-dropping some of the best in beef – Blackmore, Cape Grim, Gunner – […]

Rosetta Melbourne is a restaurant in the same way that Ferrari is a car.

From the city's reliable stalwarts to the contemporary takes on Chinese cuisine from up-and-coming chefs, there's a Chinese restaurant just right for you in Melbourne. Let us show you the way.

Whether city or suburbs, late-night or lunchtime, Melbourne's pizza offering covers all bases. These are the best spots to find Neapolitan-style, Italo-American or something in-between.

With retro style and riffs on classics, Capitano, from the team behind Bar Liberty, isn’t your typical red-sauce joint.

A talented chef makes a convincing case that native Australian ingredients have a place within Southeast Asian tradition.

The boys from Embla have levelled up their offering. The wine bar’s first-floor sister restaurant, Lesa, is gathering fans fast – and for good reason.

A Carlton local gets a winning revamp with the right team in the right place at the right time.

Restaurant Shik - Peter Jo's first permanent restaurant - fills a gap in Melbourne for smart, switched-on Korean.

From sleek cocktail bars to spots for the whisky-lover, Melbourne has it all. These are the best of Melbourne's bars, as seen in Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide, published in August 2017.

It's out with the French, in with the fish as Bistro Vue reopens as Iki-Jime.

Smart operators and chart-topping eats (including more than just pizza) make Harley & Rose good news for West Footscray.

With classical technique balancing contemporary flair, Melbourne’s Ryne shows that savoir-faire never goes out of fashion.

Paul Wilson returns to the cooking that made Melbourne love him with Prahran's Wilson & Market.

REVIEW Freshly shucked, peak-condition Bateman’s Bay oysters? Sliced to order Spanish, Italian and locally made charcuterie? Or how about gnochetti tossed with slow-cooked lamb, anchovies, green olives and ricotta salata? Wine might get top billing at Bellota, given it’s a wine bar attached and with direct access to the Prince Wine Store and its 3000-plus […]

Melbourne's best addresses for coffee, snacks and all-day fare, as featured in the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide, published in August 2017.

REVIEW Michael Bacash is Melbourne’s fish whisperer, the man who sets the local seafood standard. He and Fiona Perkins have been serving top-notch dishes in their charcoal-toned restaurant for 15 years and at Toofey’s before that. It’s a grown-up place (chaps, get out that collared shirt),  but easy and casual, too, with spot-on service. Oysters? […]

It's double the fun with the opening of Tipo 00's sibling, Osteria Ilaria, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW Three guys with fine-dining experience walk into a North Fitzroy pub. The punchline? A local with all its hospitality fundamentals in place, a cracker of a wine list and a menu that includes name-brand steak (Hopkins River, O’Connor) with chips and snags with barbecued onions alongside more complex dishes like superb blood pudding and […]

REVIEW Andrew McConnell strikes again at Ricky & Pinky, a Hong Kong-style diner inside the Builders Arms Hotel. Exposed gold pipes, pastel banquettes, and paper napkins project casual glam, and there’s a snacky, shareable menu to match. Using high-end ingredients, such as free-range meat from McConnell’s nearby Meatsmith butchery, his head chef ArChan Chan puts […]