At a time when any restaurant that keeps the lights on for longer than five years deserves a standing ovation, longevity alone can attract tags like “icon” and “institution” willy-nilly. But in reality only a few restaurants of any age can claim definitive status.

Changing the game or getting lodged on people’s food radars is the preserve of businesses with a clearly defined sense of purpose, focus and style, alongside the necessary grit and commitment to running a hospitality business day in, day out.

It says something about the breadth and depth of Melbourne’s restaurant scene (and the affection that Melburnians have for it) that we have so many long-lived restaurants operating at consistently high standards.

Names that immediately spring to mind are often in the top branches of the restaurant tree – Flower Drum, Di Stasio, Grossi Florentino, Vue de Monde – but institution or icon status is not the sole purview of the top end of town, nor is it limited to any particular cuisine.

Melbourne’s multicultural makeup, accompanied by ever more adventurous palates, spark increasingly commonplace watercooler conversations (real and virtual) about where to bag the best pho, pizza, congee, croissant, injera, sausage roll, tom yum, baklava, empanada, chawanmushi, souvlaki or thali.

It says something about the breadth and depth of Melbourne’s dining scene that we have so many long-lived restaurants operating at consistently high standards.

It’s all built a solid foundation for a startling variety of exceptional places to eat. That’s further emphasised by the fact that, for every place on this list, a case can be made for the inclusion of several others.

Take this list as a starting point, then sally forth to construct your own version. A discussion like that never gets old.

Abla’s

Abla Amad is one of Australia’s greatest culinary treasures and a pioneer of Melbourne’s Lebanese dining scene. In the same modest location since 1979, she’s been steadily converting generations of diners into hardcore fans of her benchmark tabbouleh, lamb-stuffed ladyfingers and cashew-heavy baklava. It may appear humble and homey, but Amad is the type of artisan whose seemingly simple preparations reveal exquisite, elevated flavours.

109 Elgin Street, Carlton, ablas.com.au

The Abyssinian

Well into its second decade, The Abyssinian continues to celebrate the joy of East African spicing, with a focus on Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes. A visit will have you wondering how the kitchen coaxes this much flavour from chickpeas, and why we don’t eat more slow-cooked goat. Prepare, too, for a reminder (or discovery) of the delight that is eating with your hands, assisted by freshly baked, gorgeously fluffy injera.

277 Racecourse Road, Kensington, theabyssinian.com.au

Amiconi

Amiconi started life in 1960 as an espresso bar serving the occasional ossobuco to its hungry card-playing customers. Within the decade it had morphed into an Italian restaurant and its home-style menu remains mostly untouched, as are the cork-lined walls – a mini museum of ephemera which offer nostalgic pull. Chef and co-owner Joe Musso has been in the kitchen more than 30 years and his gnocchi is worth a visit in itself. Old school, not old hat.

359 Victoria Street, West Melbourne, amiconi.com.au

Builders Arms Hotel

This corner pub opened in 1853 and has spun through a dizzying variety of incarnations. The current custodian is restaurateur Andrew McConnell, who took over more than a decade ago and has made the old boozer exactly the right fit for now: steak nights and trivia nights, cheeseburgers and vegan burgers, Carlton Draught on tap and champagne by the glass. Old and new coexist in harmony, along with several signatures, including a fish pie with its very own fan base.

211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, buildersarmshotel.com.au

Chin Chin

The queue at this Aussie-Thai juggernaut is such a Flinders Lane fixture, it’s likely due for heritage listing. Chin Chin opened in 2011 with a no-bookings policy, the success of which turbo-charged the practice across the city, but its high-voltage, crowd-pleasing dishes, gluggable cocktails, hefty beats and neon-lit interiors ensure it endures. By splicing restaurant and nightclub, restaurateur Chris Lucas gifted Melbourne an addictively boisterous dinner spot and turned the restaurant queue into a new flirting hotspot.

125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, chinchin.melbourne

Cicciolina

The boom-and-bust rollercoaster that is St Kilda has seen the rise and demise of many legendary venues, yet Cicciolina has been doing its dark and handsome European thing for nearly three decades. Like the rock star who gets cooler with age, it has bohemian swagger in spades, plus personable floor staff, a raucous back bar and a menu geared to what the people want: crab souffle, impeccable steak and tarte tatin.

130 Acland Street, St Kilda, cicciolina.com.au

Co Thu Quan

This Richmond stalwart is a haven for anyone who returns from Vietnam with cravings for its incredible street food. With its shutter-clad roof, bench seating and open kitchen, the dining room gently nods to Hanoi’s streets. But it’s the vibrant flavours of charcoal-grilled pork, and the complexity of banh trang cuon – filled with beef jerky and quail egg – that really take you there.

Shop 6, 234 Victoria Street, Richmond, cothuquanrichmond.com

Dainty Sichuan

Tina Li’s house of fiery Sichuan brilliance opened in Collingwood 20 years ago and now has offspring scattered across the city. The sprawling South Yarra outpost, currently undergoing renovations, is set to be the most glamorous of the family, offering a kind of immersion therapy for the chilli-averse and a much-coveted fix for the fiends. Toe-in-the-water dishes include dry-fried green beans while the chicken laziji is exuberantly scorching.

176 Toorak Road, South Yarra

Epocha

It’s not surprising Epocha has settled into institution mode as it heads for its 14th birthday. The location – a grand Victorian terrace opposite Carlton Gardens – helps but it’s the generous Euro-centric dishes (including a legendary Sunday roast), an impressive wine list that’ll teach you a thing or two about Greek wine and hospitality helped along by co-owner and Melbourne hospitality legend Angie Giannakodakis that bring home the enduring status.

49 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, epocha.com.au

France-Soir

The tri-colour neon sign has glowed for close to 40 years, but France-Soir remains a benchmark for Melbourne-French restaurants. It takes planning to secure one of the closely spaced tables, partly because of the astounding wine list, the menu of greatest bistro hits and service that manages to offend and delight in equal measure. Above all, France-Soir is beloved because it intrinsically knows how to show its patrons a good time.

11-13 Toorak Road, South Yarra, france-soir.com.au

Gerald’s Bar

Melbourne’s envied bar scene became even more so in 2006 when Gerald’s Bar opened its doors in the quiet and somewhat unlikely, at the time, location of Carlton North. It immediately created the template for the neighbourhood bar and remains a standard setter with its all-vinyl soundtrack, sharply assembled wine list, eccentric decor of half-net curtains and tchotchkes arranged en-masse, and a daily changing menu always better than it needs to be.

386 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, geraldsbar.com.au

HuTong Dumpling Bar

For 15 years the raison d’etre of the original three-level, warehouse-style HuTong has been dumplings. Many Melburnians devoured their first well-made xiao long bao and chilli wonton after seeing them being created in the glass-walled kitchen on the ground floor. Excellent dumplings now abound across town, but it feels good to make a pilgrimage to the OG in the CBD.

14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne, hutong.com.au

Jim’s Greek Tavern

Decades before 3066 became Melbourne’s hippest postcode, Jim’s Greek Tavern attracted crowds to the once-seedy neighbourhood like moths to a blue-and-white flame. The taverna has a bustling, chaotic energy driven by floor staff who are efficient, brusque and hilarious in equal measure, keeping tables laden with dips and saganaki, marinated octopus and grilled meats and fabulous custard-filled galaktoboureko, all the while knocking the tops off punters’ BYO booze.

32 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Kenzan

Kenzan is one of Melbourne’s most understated yet influential restaurants. Its sushi bar, tatami rooms and table cooktops introduced 1980s Melbourne to sashimi and sukiyaki, wasabi and sake at a time when eating uncooked fish seemed unfathomable to many. Its minimalist design, charming service and dedication to quality seafood have remained a quiet constant in a town where Japanese food is now an obsession.

45 Collins Street, Melbourne, kenzan.com.au

Kirk’s Wine Bar

When Kirk’s rocked up on Hardware Lane a decade ago, securing a coveted corner spot and bringing impressive pedigree in the form of Ian Curley and Con Christopoulos, the calibre of the touristy lane received a noticeable boost. Its streetside tables channel the bars of Europe and provide brilliant people-watching opportunities. Meanwhile it skilfully nails the sweet spot between relaxed and focused with a smart wine list and well-executed comfort food.

46 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, kirkswinebar.com

Ling Nan

There was an outpouring of grief at the pandemic-induced closure of late-night Chinatown diner Ling Nan after nearly three decades, but its legendary XO pipis with Chinese doughnuts – nourishment for generations of over-refreshed night owls and shift workers – live to fight another day. Sure, it’s in a new location, but most of the excellent staff and the menu remain intact, and the kitchen is still doing its thing until the wee small.

207 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Marios

Opened by two hospitality workers (both called Mario) frustrated by the lack of places to eat between restaurant shifts, Marios pioneered the all-day breakfast. The consistent standard of food and coffee, the impeccable service by smartly uniformed waiters, retro-cool decor and white-clothed tables all go to show why it is still well and truly kicking 40 years later. By bringing tropes once associated only with restaurants to a cafe setting, Mario’s shifted Melbourne’s brunch culture into another realm.

303 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, marioscafe.com.au

Matteo’s

Matteo Pignatelli has been forging an idiosyncratic path at his eponymous restaurant since 1994. The name and decor might signal upmarket Italian (and Matteo’s has been there), but Pignatelli embraces reinvention and encourages his chefs to write menus using European and Asian influences. Defying easy categorisation has been key to Matteo’s longevity, alongside a democratic drinks list, and the team’s reputation for throwing an excellent party.

533 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North, matteos.com.au

O’Connell’s

This backstreet hotel was one of the original food-savvy pubs in Melbourne. With an alumni that includes Greg Malouf, Cath Kalka, Adrian Richardson and Andrew McConnell, O’Connell’s has always taken food as seriously as booze, but never at the expense of old-school, relaxed trad-pub hospitality, honed over 140 years of trade. The focus on meticulously sourced produce (check out the steaks) and precise cooking remains, as does the loveliness of the quiet, leafy setting.

407 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, oconnells.com.au

Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar

For many Melburnians, this is as important a landmark as Flinders Street Station or the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Open since 1954, Pellegrini’s has miraculously remained almost entirely intact, including its now heritage-listed red neon sign. The menu is largely untouched, too: a list of Italian favourites alongside reliably decent coffee. Some swear its lasagne is the ultimate hangover cure. Long may Pellegrini’s reign.

66 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Roast Duck Inn

Since opening in Box Hill more than a decade ago this well-loved eatery has remained unpretentious. Its service style leans towards the abrupt but its kitchen sends out Cantonese roast meats that are among the best in the eastern suburbs, where competition is fierce. The forever-full room is evidence of its high standards. If it’s not already on your radar, it’s probably time it should be.

29-31 Carrington Road, Box Hill, roastduckinnonline.com.au

Sapa Hills

Fourteen years young, Sapa Hills keeps packing punters in. The secret? Sticking closely to the formula that originally won hearts and minds: refined and precise cooking, a notable nod to the cuisine of north Vietnam (using less chilli and more pepper), gorgeously fresh ingredients, friendly service and cult-worthy dishes. Don’t miss the bo la lot, leaf-wrapped parcels of beef, or the Hanoi-style grilled pork served with vermicelli – it’ll haunt your dreams.

112 Hopkins Street, Footscray

ShanDong Mama

Apparently there are people who dine here without trying the mackerel dumplings. But, of course, aberrations can occur in any focus group. The superb gingery morsels come steamed or as potstickers, made using a family recipe from co-owner Meiyan Wang. But there are many other reasons it’s rare to find a spare seat at this no-frills restaurant, including squid ink dumplings and the definitive cucumber and garlic salad.

Shop 7, 200 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Stalactites

Operated by the same family since 1978, the mighty Stalactites has taught generations of Melburnians to appreciate the beauty of properly cooked and assembled souvlaki, gyros, moussaka and calamari. The famed plaster ceiling that gives this corner restaurant its name is as much an architectural gem as the Princess Theatre, while the action beneath it, particularly late at night, is its own kind of drama.

177-183 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, stalactites.com.au

Supper Inn

You cannot realistically call yourself a Melburnian if you haven’t, in any of the decades since Supper Inn opened in 1977, scaled the stairs to pick over a late-night feast of tasty Cantonese classics with a pack of famished friends. Dishes like roast suckling pig over-deliver, as does a particularly fortifying hot-and-sour soup, while the lively atmosphere and no-frills but ultra-efficient service make you glad to be a night owl.

15 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne

The Age Good Food Guide 2024 is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au. It features more than 450 Victorian venues, from three-hatted destinations to regional wine bars, lively noodle specialists and the icons featured above.