The 50 best restaurants in Melbourne right now
May 2025: If March is Mad and April is All Over the Place (what with two long weekends and hence two shorter weeks), then hopefully May is... well, hopefully Mellow? Mellow May: does that work? Nevertheless, while this time of year in town may dial down along with the temps, we've all still got to eat and it's always way more fun to eat out – especially in Melbourne, where excellent restaurants abound. If you're looking for somewhere bold, beautiful, knock-your-socks-off good or simply reliable enough to impress someone else over your next dinner, then this is the list you should choose from.
The continually evolving and expanding dining scene in Melbourne is both a blessing and a curse: how do you choose between so many incredible restaurants? Well, that's where we come in. Stop endlessly scrolling, and commit to making your way through Time Out’s list of the best restaurants in the state right now. Our always-hungry local experts, including Time Out Melbourne's Food and Drink Writer, Lauren Dinse, have curated 2025's most delicious and divine, innovative and imaginative, comforting and familiar, memorable and magical dining experiences right here at your fingertips.
From culinary institutions like Flower Drum and France-Soir, to emerging standouts and instant icons such as Serai, Gimlet and Kafeneion, we've got it all covered here. And as for the brand new restaurant and bar openings catching our eye? Check out this guide instead.
Get out, and get eating! You've got a lot