Quincy Malesovas

Here's your ultimate guide to the city's most exciting recent restaurant and bar openings, updated regularly for your reading (and tasting) pleasure. With this list on hand, you'll be the first to know where to find the hottest brunch spot, vino bar or fine diner – all sussed out by our fastidious team of writers and critics. Note: we generally include venues that are only twelve months (give or take) young in this list.  Ready to make a booking somewhere spesh? Read on. Still hungry? These are the 50 best restaurants in Melbourne right now. Fancy a tipple? Check out the 50 best bars in Melbourne. Lauren Dinse is Time Out Melbourne’s Food and Drink Writer. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

May 2025: If the looming winter ahead is having you hankering for that mid-year holiday (Euro summer, anyone?), you're probably keeping an eye on your bank account. Sun-chasers, savers and those simply on a tight budget right now, we know the spots around town where you can eat well without breaking the bank.  The late and great respected chef Anthony Bourdain once famously said: “I'd rather eat in Melbourne than Paris." It goes without saying that Melbourne has long been revered as one of Asia Pacific's most exciting food cities, but that status isn't just attributed to our fancy restaurants – special as many of those upper crust institutions may be. Our laneways and hidden alcoves are brimming with cheap street eats, smashable pub deals and dinner options you can enjoy for $20, $15 or even under $10, so you can stop counting your hard-earned pennies and start eating instead. Lauren Dinse is Time Out Melbourne’s Food and Drink Writer, and has spent an impressive time scouting for the city's tastiest cheap eats – from her early student days spent wandering around Carlton and the CBD in search of a pocket change lunch, to the present day covering fun new openings for Time Out.  For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. Don't want to spend a cent? We've got you covered with our guide to the best things to do for free in Melbourne.

It's cold. You're hungry. Need a pick-me-up? Nothing hits the spot quite like a saucy, smoky, red-hot Korean feast. Pair the bright zing of housemade kimchi with bibimbap cooked in a steaming stone dish; hit up authentic vendors for golden-fried chicken or flavour-packed army stew; get fired up with a coal-fuelled Korean barbecue gathering; or treat that sweet tooth to fruit and mochi-topped bingsu (drool) after midnight. Melbourne's Korean food scene is so much more diverse, generous and delicious than it's ever been before – and we can't get enough! Our top picks below offer an abundance of hot soups, hearty proteins and noodle dishes to warm your cockles on chilly city nights, plus every type of banchan imaginable. What are you waiting for? Time to plan your next feast. Looking only for Korean barbecue? We've got a whole guide dedicated to Melbourne's best. After something sweeter? Here are the city's best dessert bars.

Melbourne doesn't have a large South American food scene but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Thanks largely to expats looking to recreate a taste of home in Australia, you can eat your way through Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Brazil within 10km of the CBD. We've rounded up the city's best for when you want to go on a dining chair tour of the continent. From arepas to ceviche and even Brazilian sushi, you can find it all here. Prefer a Euro getaway? Try Melbourne's best Greek restaurants. Or for something spicier, these are the city's best Indian diners. 

Since the 1960s, Lygon Street has been known and loved as Melbourne's Little Italy precinct. Locals and tourists alike flock to the leafy strip – abuzz on weekends with the roaring of fancy cars and roaming of uni students, teens and families – for proper espresso, pasta and cake, and a true taste of Italian-style al fresco action.  Sure, you might get a bit of hassle from the sales-y footpath waiters trying to lure you in, but true Melburnians know that's a part of the street's charm. And though much has changed in the last decade, there's no doubt that if you want to sit out on a terrace with a pizza bigger than your head or sip Spritzes on a rooftop, Lygon Street is still the place to be.  In 2024, there's a much larger and more diverse culinary offering in this area than ever before. Particularly on the southern end of the Carlton stretch, you'll discover incredible eateries for Egyptian, Japanese, Indian, Thai, plus a variety of other cuisines. No longer just the domain of spaghetti and salumi, Lygon Street is now also worth heading to for a bangin' biryani or world-class Asian fusion. And that's not all. Take a stroll up towards Brunswick East and you'll discover trendy wine bars, pubs with live music, American barbecue, Polish dumplings, Sicilian food and one of the best taco joints in town. Hungry yet? Let's go for a wander! We've listed Lygon Street's best restaurants in Google Maps-checked order so you'll know where to find them. Looking for the cream of the crop?

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

May 2025: Some of our beloved bars and brewpubs are closing their doors fast in these trying times, while others seem to be enjoying a roaring trade every night of the week. What gives? It's a bittersweet period in Melbourne's bar scene right now, with some venues thriving and others just surviving. Our advice is to rally together, drink out when you can and support your fave locals more ardently than ever. While sharing space with strangers might seem like more of an effort in the colder months, it sure beats drinking cheap wine at home in your sweatpants. Melbourne has some of the greatest bars in the world, whether you're looking for the laser-like focus of 16-seater Above Board or the rock‘n’roll ‘she’ll be right’ spirit of Lulie Tavern. You can find temples heroing whisky and palaces dedicated to gin, hole-in-the-wall nooks for sipping natural wines or classy spots for suited-and-booted cocktails. How about a prawn club sanga and a bottle of Champers from tiny charmer Apollo Inn? Or crocodile bites and ice-cold Martinis from Black Kite Commune?  If it's sky-high action you're after, then take a squiz at our guide to Melboune's best rooftop bars instead. For tipples a bit more out-of-the-box, we've got the scoop on some of Melbourne's weirdest drinking experiences. Yep, your options in this town are truly endless – even if you don't drink booze, since most bars in Melbourne have seriously upped their mocktail game in recent years. We've rounded up the top 50 bars that we

Someone somewhere once said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While recent studies suggest that this may be a load of poppycock, a notion first popularised by cereal marketers (or some poor hungover bloke having a religious experience with an egg and bacon sanga), we tend to agree. In any case, there’s no reason why breakfast can’t at least be the most exciting meal of the day. And in a city like Melbourne, that’s not hard to achieve. We Melburnians take the ritual of breakfast very seriously, with the café scene developing an almost cult-like following over the years. While many of us only have time for coffee or vegemite on toast during the week, the weekend is when we cut loose in the wild and take part in that sacred collective mission: the hunt for Melbourne’s most extraordinary breakfast. It’s too hard to crown just one as top dog, but we reckon all of the cafés in this list are well worth making time for. Give 'em a shot! Like your breakfast with a boozy boost? Check out our favourite bottomless brunches in Melbourne. And if you're a sweet tooth, you've also gotta check out the best pancakes in Melbourne.

A traditional bánh mì has bread with crunch, but not so much that it scrapes the roof of your mouth. It’s fluffy and light, but not so flaky it completely disintegrates into your lap. It’s the perfect vessel for liberal amounts of pâté, a Vietnamese condiment called egg mayo butter, fresh cucumber, pickled carrot (and daikon if you’re lucky), generous sprigs of coriander and chilli, plus the protein of your choice. On the sauce front, some shops will opt for a dash of Maggi seasoning and soy, others go the hoisin route or even a combination of more than one. Word of warning: you may encounter a holier-than-thou type on your bánh mì travels who insists your choice of sanga is "not the authentic way". But the truth is that 'bánh mì' literally translates to the short baguette itself. You can enjoy this freshly baked delight stuffed with any filling you like – crispy pork belly, nem nuong (grilled pork sausage), chicken, mixed ham, tofu, beef or just plain salad! We love the braised pork and duck confit options at Banh Mi Stand, but we're equally partial to the no-nonsense cold cuts at Phuoc Thanh. There are plenty of regional variances all across Vietnam, and some Vietnamese even like to enjoy theirs filled with ice cream. So how did we come up with this list? Well, we ate a lot of bánh mì. We kept a rolling document that helped us to compare each one. We considered the balance of condiments, the quality of the bread and the freshness of the meat and salad. And we washed it all

A cuisine that lends itself to long, leisurely meals shared with others, Italian usually doesn't stop at just one course. So, do as the Romans do: start with an aperitivo – and an antipasto spread – before a primo course (cue the pasta), secondo (a meat dish), contorno (a side, or three) and of course, something dolce (sweet). The Time Out team have spent years scouring the city for Melbourne's best Italian food, and while restaurants (and writers) may come and go – there are a few spots that consistently deliver. So if you're looking for an Italian feast that'll knock your socks off, look no further – we've rounded up Melbourne's best Italian restaurants for you to try in 2025. Buon appetito! If you're after more Italian cuisine, visit our guides to Melbourne's best pizza and gelato.

Solo dining doesn’t need to be intimidating. While eating out is often a social activity, there's a lot to be said for diving into a new book, striking up a conversation at the bar or soaking in the ambience as you enjoy a meal on your own.  While most restaurants welcome solo diners, some make the experience easier by offering the right mix of menus, atmosphere and service. If you’re ready to take yourself on a dinner date, here are a few of the best solo dining spots in Melbourne. Just need something cheap to gobble down in a hurry? Here are Melbourne's 50 best cheap eats right now.

Observed by Muslims across the globe, the holy month of Ramadan is a chance for participants to reflect on what they’re grateful for. And in the name of reflection, it also involves abstaining from all food and drinks from sunrise to sunset. Each day of Ramadan ends with Iftar, where families and friends come together to break their fast. Naturally, it’s a significant occasion that always involves good food – and lots of it. Here are some of Melbourne’s best spots to break your fast. On the hunt for Melbourne's best Middle Eastern restaurants? Check out our round-up of the city's best purveyors of hummus, falafel and charcoal meats.

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. Melbourne's pub landscape is now awash with elevated offerings, harking back to the kitsch of old-school iterations – with cleaner plating and higher price tags. While there's certainly a time and place for ironic white tablecloths and fancy parmas, the Rochey is your spot if you're after a solid, no-frills pub experience. Since opening in the '70s, the venue has undergone several transformations – it’s now operated by Castle Group, the team behind Arcadia, Green Man’s Arms, Añada, and Brewsmith – yet it’s always stayed true to its roots as a reliable spot for drinks and live music. Not much has changed, and that’s the point. You’ll still find music upstairs, trivia on Wednesdays and a daily selection of specials. The $22 steaks and $25 Sunday roasts were tempting, but I went for the Monday night parma deal – $25 for a parma and a pot of house beer – because a) it’s great value and b) who else is open on a Monday? “Had one parma, had ‘em all,” I usually think, but this one stood out with its thick, buttermilk-brined, panko-crusted chicken; high-quality ham; and the unexpected salty bits of what I think was pancetta mixed into the sauce. The new owners pride themselves on their meat-free options, so the veggie burger was another natural choice. The smoky grilled mock meat patty won’t fool you for beef, but it’s a

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. I first visited Taiwan about ten years ago, and ever since, it’s maintained its standing as “my favourite place I’ve ever visited.” I love it for the history, the charm, the nature, the approachably sized cities – and most of all, the food. Taiwan is best known for its street food, which dominates the late-night markets across the country. While a growing number of Taiwanese restaurants have opened in Melbourne in recent years, the cuisine still hasn’t broken into the mainstream here beyond bubble tea. But Ahma (the Taiwanese term for grandma) might just change that. The small, fast-casual eatery is tucked inside the 206 Bourke Street arcade, with a light timber fitout that’s clean and welcoming. Tables are cluttered with dishes that aren’t cleared throughout our visit, but otherwise the service is attentive and the space is nothing short of charming. Ordering via QR code at your table makes for a far more relaxed experience than jostling your way through a market in Taipei – but the food is much the same. Take the sausage with sticky rice, for instance, which eats like a deconstructed fantuan – the sticky rice rolls beloved in Taiwan and southern China. In Taiwan, this rendition has been dubbed “Taiwanese hot dog” or “small sausage in large sausage” – a sweet

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. Latin American dining in Melbourne still feels insubstantial, which only underscores the ambition and significance of Alejandro Saravia’s latest project. The chef and restaurateur, who helped introduce modern Peruvian cooking to Australian audiences more than a decade ago, first debuted Morena in Sydney in 2011. Now, the pan-Latin fine diner has arrived in Melbourne, taking up residence in a sleek new build at 80 Collins – the same precinct as its sibling venue, Farmer’s Daughters. The split-level space is carefully orchestrated. Downstairs, a gleaming, charcoal-toned chef’s table wraps around the open kitchen – a setting built for narrative, in line with Saravia’s storytelling ethos. Upstairs, whitewashed walls, sparse furnishings and a second kitchen set the tone for a quieter, more intimate dining room complete with an outdoor terrace. Local artworks, ceramics and foliage soften the clean lines and lend a sense of place. The drinks list gestures across Latin America, particularly through its wine selection, but the cocktails are worth a detour. Pisco, the grape-based brandy central to Peruvian drinking culture, appears in several expressions. A standout is the guanabana sour, which layers the spirit with chartreuse, apricot brandy and soursop, a custardy tr

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. It feels ironic, almost cruel, that it’s a blistering 40-degrees when we visit Tzaki, which translates to “fireplace” in Greek. The Yarraville newcomer is named for the blazing hearth at its centre – the tool chef-owner Alex Xinis uses to prepare nearly every dish on the menu, roasting octopus and smoking saganaki as 15 diners sit around him and watch. Despite the heat, the restaurant is packed. Perhaps it’s the warmth radiating from within that attracts people. When the hostess hesitated over whether there was space for two walk-ins, Xinis stepped in to personally usher us in with front-row spots at the counter.  The menu is concise with a balanced mix of vegetable and meat-forward dishes. No matter where your preferences lie, the psomi (flatbread) is an excellent starting point. We weren’t asked if we wanted the optional $5 red pepper and feta butter, but it arrived anyway – a small faux pas that turned out to be a blessing. The bread alone is exceptional with its chewy, doughy interior and blistered, herb and oil-slicked crust. But the butter is a revelation with the sharp tang of feta and sweet acidity of roasted capsicum spun into a perfectly spreadable accompaniment. Another standout is the revithia, inspired by a dish from Athens institution Diporto. It

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. At a time when Brunswick’s Levantine dining scene was largely defined by traditional, family-style eateries along Sydney Road, Joseph Abboud broke new ground with Rumi, his modern interpretation of the region’s cuisine on Lygon Street. Drawing deeply from his Lebanese heritage, Abboud’s concept reimagined the Levantine dining experience for a contemporary audience. Nearly two decades, a cookbook, and a loyal local following later, Abboud has relocated Rumi to its new home at the East Brunswick Village development on Nicholson Street. The high ceilings, dark, untarnished timber, and sleek gold-accented bar mark a departure from the more rustic charm of its former space. Yet with Abboud still in the kitchen preparing many of the dishes that made Rumi an institution, its heart and soul remain.  What’s striking about Rumi is that, while food and service receive maximum attention, it’s far from serious or stuffy. Staff are all dressed in matching Adidas tees reminiscent of '70s-era Lebanese soccer uniforms. And water is poured from decanters that our server stretched their arm up high to pour like the Arabic ritual of aerating coffee or tea. Like most venues that stand the test of time, Rumi has retained several signature dishes that have become integral to its identity – too iconic and painstakingly refined to remov

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. In ancient Greece, Olympia was considered the valley of the gods. While Melbourne’s version – a wine and cocktail bar perched above the suburban bustle of Oakleigh’s main street – might not reach such divine heights, there’s something undeniably celestial about it that makes the name feel apt. The venue is split between an indoor wine bar on the first level and a rooftop space that’s the real showstopper. Set atop a section of the carpark above Oakleigh Market, the open-air bar leans heavily into the area’s Greek heritage and the owners’ roots. Whitewashed walls, olive trees, and rustic accents evoke a classic Santorini taverna – though instead of ocean views and whitewashed cliffside homes, the outlook of power lines and palm trees are decidedly Melbourne. We arrive outside of peak hours, but Olympia’s flexible setup lends itself to all occasions: casual lunches, afternoon drinks, or aperitivo, which began in Greece despite being popularised by Italy. As is common in Greek cuisine, dishes are designed to share, though Olympia opts for a small-plate format rather than the supersized portions typical of Oakleigh’s other Greek eateries. Don’t expect towering platters of grilled meats or hefty slices of moussaka. With the exception of the lobster and prawn rolls, most offerings fall squarely into the snack category

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. January 2025 update: The below review was originally written in December 2023. Please note that beloved chef Rosheen Kaul (whom this review references) departed the restaurant in April 2024, with new head chef Lorcan Kan now steering the ship. We have since re-visited the restaurant and believe the quality of its offering continues to warrant a five-star rating. Etta has been hot on everyone’s lips since it entered the Brunswick East dining scene –particularly since head chef Rosheen Kaul joined the kitchen in 2020. In the culinary world, countless awards and glowing reviews often breed scepticism but a recent Tuesday evening dinner proved the praise is just as warranted as ever. We were seated in a cosy corner nook decked out with decorative pillows, ideal for soaking up the scene (to the left, the bar and open kitchen; the right, Lygon street passersby; and to the front, a solo diner in for an early drink and snacks followed by a couple on date night – both common finds at this venue).  Though Etta is a restaurant, strictly speaking, it's frequently mistaken as a wine bar. Perhaps because it has a list to stand up among the best of Melbourne's wine bars. Bottles range in price, region and style with a largely Victorian focus. Whether you want old-world or new-age, there’s something for everyone. But it pays t

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. It’s 6 kilometres from the nearest beach. Yet Chinatown boasts not one, not two but three dedicated oyster bars within a two block radius. Pearl Diver was first to enter the scene in 2021, specialising in oysters and cocktails of all varieties. The similarly named Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar was next, offering an impressive raw bar and French wine. Then finally came Muli Express, the smaller and more casual outpost of Rathdowne Street live seafood restaurant, Muli. Overkill it is not. Muli Express offers a unique offering to its predecessors with a brisk but friendly, standing-only service style that sets it apart from the crowd. We visit late on a Tuesday afternoon yet we’re put on standby as the place is completely full. And at roughly 18 square feet, it’s easy to see why. The pint-sized venue does not have a liquor license – there’s just a small fridge full of soft drinks and Heaps Normal – so we duck around the corner for a beer. By the time we circle back, we’re able to snag a spot “at the bar”, peering over dozens of live oysters with owner Van Tran as our guide. Her eagerness to offer assistance is much appreciated. There are roughly twenty oysters on offer at any given time with nicknames like “Rock Hard”, “Angel’s Happy Tears” and “Tarzan”. While they’re labelled by provenance and sorted by price, it’s

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. We all know the meaning of hidden gem, an arguably overused phrase in the Melbourne culinary zeitgeist. But what’s the term for a venue that’s exposed but not widely known, existing right beneath your nose without due recognition? Perhaps we can dub it Wasshoi. For eight years, the sumibiyaki (chargrilled meat) bar has existed right in the centre of Prahran Market, led by Ikeui Arakane (otherwise known as Kinsan) and his son. For years, it flew under our radar, the draw of bratwurst and gozleme a greater sell. Perhaps it's because market goers are time-poor and overstimulated. The beauty of Wasshoi is not glaringly apparent at first glance, but it deserves some time set aside to truly appreciate it. That’s what we do when we settle into a spot at the bench on a bustling Saturday afternoon. After ordering at the counter and receiving the yuzu-shaped table number, it’s a gamble whether you’ll be able to snag a seat but the casual nature of the eatery makes turnover pretty quick.  We're lucky to snag a spot right in front of the kitchen, if you can call it that. It’s primarily a charcoal grill that gets used to torch thinly sliced beef kalbi, twice-cooked beef brisket, hefty chunks of pork belly and slow-cooked chicken fillet. Yes, you can take your order away if there’s a queue to sit but watching the chefs expert

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. Something about Melbourne’s dining scene is that, whether self-inflicted or forced upon by customers, most tend to eventually become pigeonholed by cuisine or concept. But Vex has withstood that pressure. Vex is elusive. Is it a wine bar? Sort of. Is it a farm-to-table restaurant? It’s close. But the talented crew have also been hosting game meat lunches on Saturdays and barbecue pop-ups on the footpath. And the menu straddles the line between Aussie comfort foods and Scandi-Med minimalism, with a touch of Austrian influence from chef Florian Ribul. In other words, the venue can’t be boxed. The jury is out on whether that works in its favour but from our perspective, it’s (mostly) a plus. To play devil’s advocate – the menu, at first glance, is a little confusing. We love dietary inclusivity and an emphasis on produce but when roughly 40% of the globe doesn’t eat pork and likely just as many don’t love seafood, pork chop and flathead as the only two main proteins feels a tad limiting. The rest of the offering is mostly vegetable-based. That said, the idea that menus should follow the tired format of chicken, fish, beef and sides is outdated and it's refreshing that Vex is flipping the formula on its head.  The chargrilled leeks, cooked in chicken fat and sprinkled with sunflower and caraway seed crumb, packs a s

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. If you’re unfamiliar with Chino Latino or 'chifa' cuisine, Casa Chino may seem like just another fusion restaurant. But it’s rooted in history, drawing inspiration from the large Chinese diaspora who live in Peru and around Latin America. It’s a daring concept for Melbourne, which hasn't historically shown a strong reception to or understanding of Latin cuisine. But it’s also a smart one, using far more familiar Chinese dishes as a Trojan horse of sorts. Most dishes will look pretty familiar to anyone with a grasp of Cantonese food – siu mai and dumplings, bao, fried rice – but there are Latin American influences sprinkled throughout. And for the most part, the two pair wonderfully. The best way to order, it seems, is from across the entire breadth of the menu. We start with something from the Barra Crudo (or Raw Bar) section, an obvious choice as ceviche is Peru’s biggest culinary claim to fame. Our tuna rendition is not lightly cured like we expect but instead loaded up with avocado cream and chilli oil and roasted Incan corn, a nod to the classic Peruvian ceviche garnish. Traditional it's not, but it's loaded with flavour and texture that leaves a lasting impression. The sambal chicken and leek siu mai are equally maximalist, dressed in a garlic soy sauce inspired by pollo a la brasa (Peruvian-style roast chi

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. As (typically) hours-long affairs, omakases tend to be an evening activity but Uminono is only open by day. That’s not the only way this chirashi bar deviates from convention. The restaurant exclusively serves raw seafood plus accouterments – no other protein in sight. And the chef doesn't even have a Japanese background; he’s French with classical training. But despite the odds, Uminono is a star. When we visit on a Saturday the 12-seat chef’s table is fully booked, naturally. After settling in, we seek the guidance of the sake sommelier who provides tailored and well-informed suggestions based on how many total glasses we’re after and our preferred flavour profiles. As soon as the Abe Green genshu hits the table, floral and fruity with hints of melon and peach, the dishes start to roll out. A beautiful dashi, rich and savoury thanks to an aged snapper bone jus, to sip between courses. Then the box of fish we’ll be eating is presented – salmon aged for ten days; kingfish aged for seven; alfonsino, a deep sea snapper only available a few weeks a year. It’s given its due respect with a light torch and a hint of wasabi to complement its sweetness. The prawn is a very pleasant surprise with the delightful nuttiness of sesame miso. And the Ora King salmon, rich and soft, is counterbalanced with rice topped with cris

Pubs typically bring to mind multi-storey buildings, sprawling beer gardens and maybe even a pool table or two. Nixie Nox in Richmond flips that idea on its head, billing itself as “Richmond’s smallest pub.” Co-owned by Chris Dore, Marilla Gair and Stu Bellis, the new spot distils the spirit of a local into an 80-person venue that blurs the line between cocktail bar and public bar. “A pub is a community hub where the publicans are in the building, pouring beers and ready for a chat,” say the owners. That ethos is front and centre in this compact space that trades scale for intimacy. Photograph: Supplied / Nixie Nox The food menu plays fast and loose with pub classics. There’s a chicken parma and a pasta ragu, sure, but also scallops crumbed and served with parsnip puree and chorizo, or slow-roasted beef brisket burnt ends. Finished with a Wolf of the Willows Hazy Pale Ale glaze, the dish takes an Americana favourite and brings it back home. A similar ethos extends to the drinks. There are just two beers on tap – CBCo's Goldy Lager and Wolf of the Willows PUP Hazy Pale – rounded out by a broader range of tins and bottles. You’ll also find Australian and international wines, plus fuss-free classic cocktails. And if you time your visit right, happy hour runs Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 6pm. There’s also a Sunday supper club featuring a main, side and house wine for $30. Nixie Nox is open at 141 Swan Street, Richmond, every Wednesday and Thursday from 4pm until late, and Frid

Hector’s Deli owner Dom Wilton knows a sandwich is only as good as its bread. So he’s made it an inside job. While the team previously dabbled with in-house baking out of their South Melbourne store, they quickly outgrew the space and outsourced the effort. But now, at their new Richmond flagship Hector’s Bakery, they’re bringing it back home. Within the sizeable open kitchen, they’re producing sourdough Turkish bread, dark rye loaves and pillowy potato buns for all four deli locations – and soon, customers will be able to purchase them too. “The whole reason we did this in such a transparent way was to show people what we're about,” says Wilton. “It’s always a fear of mine that people will lump us in with other food businesses that scale too fast. We’re doing everything we can to make sure our product is up there with the best one-off bakeries in the world.” With the baking setup in place and a team of skilled pastry chefs behind them, Wilton figured they might as well expand the range. Head of pastry Aram Yun, formerly of Bloomwood, has assisted in developing a sharp menu that keeps it classic with a nod to old-school Aussie bakes. Since opening their doors last week, the cinnamon rolls have been an instant hit – thick, rustic, and slathered with icing, they’ve been selling out in just hours each day. Other highlights include cinnamon sugar and maple-glazed doughnuts, pain au chocolat and twice-baked almond croissants shaped into pressed spirals reminiscent of a kouign aman

Since opening in 2023, Onigiri Kitchen has earned a loyal following for its compact, housemade rice balls – a fast, affordable lunch staple in the CBD. The concept quickly took off, spawning another takeaway store a few doors down and a larger outpost on Degraves Street. Now, the team is branching out with something a little more elevated: an intimate temaki omakase experience served out of their original shopfront.  Temaki Sushi, as it’s called, invites guests to build their own temaki (cone-shaped hand rolls) from a changing lineup of seasonal ingredients. Chef Hiroshi Uchiyama says the idea was to give diners more agency; showcase the fresh, organic produce that underpins the restaurants; and offer an interactive spin on more traditional hand roll concepts. “I thought it was time for the guests to play a little bit more,” he says. “I want the customers to have fun.” The $145 set menu includes eleven dishes featuring fresh seafood, meat and produce from owner Allan Greenfield’s century-old Ferndale Organics farm. They’re served at once on housemade ceramic platters along with unlimited rice and nori so guests can customise their rolls as they please. Photograph: Hugh Davison Fillings range from classic Japanese pairings like unagi tamagoyaki (soy-glazed eel and egg omelette) to more unexpected dishes – think salmon with ricotta and sweet white miso; seared wagyu with mashed potato and Japanese barbecue sauce; or ginger-soy eggplant with kiwi and bonito. Each set also come