The brief: dine out for under $30 a head. Melbourne definitely has you covered.

As we dive headlong into a summer of eating out, we need some hotspots that are on the value end of a dining scale glittering with options.

Despite the pressure of rising food and staff costs, these guys offer up excellent eating, where diners can eat out for under $30 a head. Grab a mate and step this way.

NORTH

Adonai

The only Nigerian restaurant in Melbourne is boosting the African nation's profile one yam ball at a time. In a shop beneath a public housing block, owner Funmi Ewedairo conjures Little Lagos through the day's selection in the bain-marie, from tomato rice and chicken to chilli barbecued goat and the soft and spongy 50¢ fried doughnuts known as puff puff.

478 Drummond Street, Carlton, adonaifoods.com.au

Easey's

A burger and beer bar inside three vintage train carriages perched on an office block rooftop, Easey's is equal parts improbable and a Melbourne must-do. Ascend four storeys up to the Hitachis in the sky for all the American-style burger excellence you could dream of, along with dinky-di flourishes such as dim sims and potato cakes fried in Melbourne Bitter beer batter.

Level 3, 48 Easey Street, Collingwood, easeys.com.au

Good Times

Good times come in carb form at this cheery little spot in the Fitzroy North village. A buzzing pasta bar with flair to spare, it mixes a beguiling found-object aesthetic with a hip soundtrack, excellent negronis and $9 pastas that fit the cucina povera brief. From pesto to puttanesca, it's pure comfort on a plate.

214 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, goodtimesfitzroynorth.com

Hi Chong Qing

Specialising in Chongqing noodles from the Chinese city of the same name, this wallet-friendly spot has a short five-item menu. Thin wheat noodles in a bold pork broth, spring onions, greens and crunchy peanuts are the must-try signature, backed by three kinds of beef noodle soup and another with sweet pork mince and a splash of soup.

26 Orr Street, Carlton, hicq.business.site

Shop Ramen

A minimalist Smith Street canteen pumping out new wave ramen, this shop is a go-to for their rule-breaking vegan version (the tofu ramen starts with a white organic miso base and adds edamame, pickled shiitakes, kale and cashew milk – or is that mylk?). Their mainstream ramen rocks a chicken broth base (pictured), and the pork belly bao will harden your arteries in the most delightful way.

329 Smith Street, Fitzroy; also Preston, shopramen.com.au

The Happy Mexican

Margaritas and Pina Coladas fuel the party at this cheerful yellow-daubed Abbotsford cantina where sombreros mingle with Day of the Dead motifs. A whistle-stop tour of regional cuisine features herb-flecked green rice from the country's north, Jalisco-style slow-cooked beef and a Sinaloan-style prawn tostada (plus that old Tex-Mex interloper, nachos). Head along on Tuesdays for half-price tacos.

108 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford, thehappymexican.com.au

SOUTH

Bala Sanga

Carb crashing? Head behind Balaclava wine bar Pretty Little to their secret sandwich bar in a former garage. Get them fresh (the Cuzzy has curried egg, red onion and endive) or hot (the Reuben-esque Thomo uses barbecue beef cheeks and adds red kraut, smoked raclette and pickles on light rye, pictured) and grab a Code Black coffee.

Rear laneway, 296 Carlisle Street, Balaclava, balasanga.com

Gujju's

Rocking a self-referential slang term used by the people of Gujurat, this Indian restaurant specialises in the mostly vegetarian fare from the western Indian state. Expand your horizons with the sweet and sour yoghurt-like kadhi and the flatbread known as thepla. There are vibrant thali platters, too, each one a mandala of colourful brilliance, and chaat street food favourites.

Shop 1, 141-147 Waverley Road, Malvern East, gujjus.com.au

Mama Blu's

The signature jerk chicken is sweet, spicy and smoky in all the right places, the ackee and saltfish is the real deal and the rum flight to go with them is a very fine idea. Chef Stephanie Kamener plys the food of her Jamaican heritage with aplomb and you can take a taste of the Caribbean to-go with her chilli sauces and chutneys.

61 Glen Huntly Road, Elwood, mamablu.com.au

Mathara Bath Kade

Follow your nose to this spicy Sri Lankan kitchen where kola kanda – a vivid green curry leaf and herb porridge – is a breakfast vision of good health. The repertoire of baked goods, including kimbula, a croissant-like pastry, will expand your snack horizons, while the delectable cardamom-spiced coconut custard watalappan, Sri Lanka's answer to creme caramel, is worth the calories.

27 Webb Street, Narre Warren, marathabathkade.com.au

Panda MaMa Dumpling Els

This mother of pandas adds a cute fit-out and likeable Canto food to the Elsternwick village mix. Commandeer a booth with a group to make the most of a menu that finds its centre of gravity in a mighty dumpling selection (get your pork and prawn wontons in soup for a restorative kick) before heading off in the direction of Aussie-Chinese rice and noodle dishes.

289 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, pandamamaels.com.au

Saigon Street Eats

From green papaya salad gussied up into a main meal with shredded chicken and prawn (there's also a vegan version with salt-and-pepper tofu) to spring rolls putting on a star turn with vermicelli noodles, herbs and chilli, it's easy to get your Vietnamese fix at this family-run shop. The clan's aromatic pho recipe, alas, remains a secret.

249 Carlisle Street, St Kilda East; also Fitzroy, saigonstreeteats.com.au

Tokyo Tina

At Chapel Street's Windsor end, this happening joint freestyles its worship of Japan with Kirin-lubricated ease. A newly launched private room complete with complimentary karaoke requires an extra cash splash, but the party-starting Japanese menu is littered with budget excellence including gyoza and karaage chicken and a prawn and ramen egg tostada to put the thrill back in fusion.

66 Chapel Street, Windsor, tokyotina.com.au

EAST

Kalimera Souvlaki Art

Not all souvlaki is created equal, as proven by this temple of cult worship in Melbourne's suburban Hellenic epicentre, where the Greek owners are all about celebrating traditional pork gyros. They'll stoop to chicken, too, but not the more Aussie-fied lamb variety. The bread is spongy, the sauces are wild, the plates are just begging to be smashed.

43 Chester Street, Oakleigh, kalimerasouvlakiart.com.au

My Cambodia

A fragrant trip into the world of Khmer cuisine, you'll find favourites including five-spice noodle soup with beef cubes, tendon and tripe on a tangle of rice noodles, salted fish fried rice and vermicelli curry fish soup. Vietnamese and Thai dishes make the occasional appearance on the lengthy laminated picture menu as well.

28 Buckingham Avenue, Springvale

Pacific Seafood BBQ House

A steady crowd order takeaway containers of the crisp-skinned ducks hanging in the window of this steamy Victoria Street joint but grab a laminate table to enjoy in-house as excellent Peking duck. Forget the encyclopaedic menu – the real action is on the specials fluttering on coloured paper around the room, from pipis in XO sauce to pork mince-stuffed eggplant.

8/240 Victoria Street, Richmond

Show Time BBQ House

Increase your food vocabulary and exercise your vocal cords with chuan'r and karaoke – the former being the coal-fired barbecue skewers from northern China currently floating Melbourne's boat. Go Chinese kebab crazy over a lengthy list of produce including pork belly, lamb ribs, chicken hearts and veg, all dusted liberally in cumin and chilli.

348 Clayton Road, Clayton

Warkop

Indonesia-inspired sandwiches from former Navi chef Barry Susanto give this Richmond corner shop quirk and credibility in equal measure. The ginger and lemongrass-spiked chicken taliwang is the star of the show, but it's also well worth checking out the tofu and tempeh gado gado in sanga form, a beef pastrami with rendang sauce, and coconut-rich kaya toast for dessert.

12 Risley Street, Richmond, warkop.com.au

WEST

Banh Xeo Tay Do

A favourite of Sunda's Khanh Nguyen, the signature crisp rice crepes with dipping sauce are the big-ticket item at this portal to central Vietnam tucked down a Footscray shopping arcade, but you'll also be wowed by banh khot (button-cute savoury mini-pancakes with shrimp), mung bean-filled steamed rice cakes and savoury tapioca dumplings.

Shop 4, 62 Nicholson Street, Footscray

Dosa Corner

The dosa horizons are broad indeed at this bustling caf in the heart of West Footscray's Little India. The paper-thin pancakes from south India come ready to tear apart and dip into fiery sambal, wrapped around fillings from cottage cheese to beef, or in fusion form (yes, there's a lamb spring roll dosa). There's also the option to upsize to a mighty 70-centimetre dosa, if you dare.

587 Barkly Street, West Footscray, thedosacorneronline.com.au

Kazbah Falafel

Think you know your falafel? Taste the difference with a trip into the Egyptian take on the Middle Eastern staple, made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. Upsize the herby, fluffy balls of happiness into a fuul bowl (a warming fava bean stew) or try a cheese feteer, Egypt's answer to calzone.

174 Bellair Street, Kensington, mryum.com/kazbah

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Komur

An old-school fish and chip shop upcycled into a Turkish barbecue joint, Komur translates as "charcoal" and is testament to the heritage of owner Emir Uker, whose father opened the legendary Katik Turkish Take Away. Here it's all about the Adana kebab: spiced minced lamb impaled on a metal shish and grilled over charcoal. Addictive.

446 Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale

La Tortilleria

A festive cantina in an industrial strip, the factory shop for Melbourne's heroes of authentic lime-soaked corn tortillas serves a wickedly good line in street food. Chicken quesadillas off the plancha and tacos al pastor are the headliners, with the support acts of guacamole and a battalion of hot sauces to help whisk you south of the border.

72 Stubbs Street, Kensington, latortilleria.com.au

New Somali Kitchen

NSK, as it's known to its tribe of fans, showcases the Horn of Africa's multicultural influences on its cuisine, from Middle Eastern (a play on falafel with ground black-eyed beans), Indian (sambusa, a close cousin of samosas) and Italian (fun fact: basta is Somali for pasta). Grab a combo platter for a broad-ranging introduction, and don't miss the Somali affogato using cardamom and ginger-spiced Somali coffee.

284 Racecourse Road, Flemington, newsomalikitchen.com.au

CITY

Dodee Paidang

A favourite of Melbourne's Thai community, this bustling caff takes pity on newbies, serving its signature tom yum noodles with a "nursery" option (that's without chilli). Aficionados can order their customised bowl "lava" style (no explanation needed) or even take life into their own hands with "supernova" (the never-before-seen seven-chilli logo). Order at own risk.

Basement, 353 Little Collins Street, Melbourne; also 245 Swanston Street, Melbourne; dodeepaidang.com

Drums Cafe

It opened at the Queen Victoria Market food court in 1996 and has since expanded to five venues, showing Melbourne how Sri Lankan food ought to be done. The devilled chicken proves spice is nice, while the kotthu (shredded roti with meat, vegetables and eggs) is like an explosion in a flavour factory.

71 Victoria Street, Melbourne; also Preston and Dandenong markets, Brimbank and Grazeland, drumsstreetfood.com.au

Hakata Gensuke

The Japanese art of doing one thing well is realised here in the form of tonkotsu ramen, the pork bones cooked long and slow to create a milky, intense collagen-rich soup. From the tick-a-box menu you can choose everything from the type of noodles to the extra pork cha-shu, bamboo shoots and egg. Word to the wise: don't wear white.

168 Russell Street, Melbourne; also QV Centre, Hawthorn and Carlton; gensuke.com.au

Hanoi Mee Kitchen & Bar

Former Dandelion head chef Ennis Le is the tour guide you need around the food of his Vietnamese homeland. Top-value pho comes brimming with Sher wagyu beef or free-range chicken, spring rolls swing to a triple-seafood filling of calamari, crab and shrimp and dessert has a bet either way with lemongrass meringue and custard apple ice-cream.

140 Rouse Street, Port Melbourne, hanoimee.com.au

Lulu's Char Koay Teow

The smoky stir-fried rice noodles and their secret sauce deserve all the acclaim they get, which is plenty. Customise with duck egg, prawns, blood cockles or more. The recipe comes from the eponymous Lulu, the mother-in-law of owner Chee Wong, who cooked the iconic dish at a Penang hawker stall for decades before passing on her closely guarded recipe.

27-31 Hardware Lane, Melbourne

Tina's Noodle Kitchen

When the Tina in question is Dainty Sichuan founder Tina Li you know the rice noodle soups are likely to be spicy indeed, but it's not necessary to go the burn when deep diving into the food of Chongqing. A milder chicken-based broth is the calm amid the storm – but whichever way you jump, the long list of ingredients means you can pimp your ride just as you wish.

237 Swanston Street, Melbourne; also Box Hill & Preston

The Good Food Guide magazine will be published November 30 with presenting partners Citi and Vittoria, and free with The Age. Also on sale from December 7 in newsagents and supermarkets.