Best places to eat, drink Richmond

From bangin’ bahn mi, superior sushi and a neighbourhood pub watering hole — these are the best places to eat and drink in Richmond.

From bangin’ bahn mi, superior sushi and a neighbourhood pub to watch the footy — these are the best places to eat and drink in Richmond, according to MasterChef Australia: Fans and Favourites contestant Michael Weldon.

Minamishima nigiri calamari.

Minamishima

This is my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. Sitting at the bar and watching the chefs create perfect sushi is the ultimate dinner and a show. The meal is elegant, thoughtful, and most importantly delicious. The seafood is always of the highest quality and because the menu changes regularly, there are always exciting new additions. It’s hard to pick a favourite piece of nigiri but the edge of flounder is always a winner and when the sea urchin is available I always order extra.

4 Lord St

Ca Com banh mi bar

During lockdown a walk to Ca Com for banh mi became a regular Saturday outing for myself and my partner. Now lockdown is over, I think we go to Ca Com even more often. The jungle pork sausage banh mi is perfection. The bahn mi shop is run by Thi Le and Jia-Yen Lee, the pair behind Anchovy, which is one of my favourite restaurants.

336 Bridge Rd

Tarts Anon

Now that the Tarts Anon team has opened a permanent space, we have also added this to our Saturday morning walk. We often start with a slice or two of tart, then add the Ca Com banh mi — it’s the perfect combo. Gareth (the owner) makes the most amazing tart flavours and his commitment to perfection is second to none. I haven’t met a Tarts Anon tart I didn’t love but my favourites are chocolate and caramel and the new savoury egg and bacon option.

29a Gwynne St, Cremorne

Eazy Peazy

There is something so perfect about meat cooked on skewers over charcoal. At Eazy Peazy, the skewers are perfect and their modern take on the traditional yakitori is super exciting, making it a really fun place to eat. I love pairing the skewers and a few raw dishes, and a cocktail or three. The chicken meatball is always a favourite, as is the squid and chicken gizzards — for those who are game.

108 Swan St

Footy fans at the Spread Eagle Hotel. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Spread Eagle Hotel

Richmond has so many great watering holes, but Spread Eagle is my favourite. I love the pub classics, like the Parmi (I’m originally from SA). It has great cheese-to-sauce ratio and the crumb maintains its crunch. The pub does great Sunday trivia, the footy is always on the TV and the friendly staff serve perfect pints. There really isn’t much more I need from a pub — it’s perfection.

372 Bridge Rd

FYI: Michael Weldon is a contestant on MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites premiering Easter Monday on 10 and 10 Play on demand.