We’ve rounded up the best local haunts and neighbourhood gems where you can still get a lunch or dinner for two (not including drinks and dessert) for $50 or less. Every venue on this list allows you to dine in, and some even encourage you to bring a bottle.

These are the Italian traits where you can still find nonna out back, the colourful Indian diners where you can drop by at all hours, and the unassuming Vietnamese eateries that are always worth the queues.

They may not all have fancy fit-outs or glittering harbourside views, but they will welcome you like a member of the family, and serve you food so heartwarming and generous, you’ll want to come back for more. At these prices, you can afford to.

1800 Lasagne

653 High St, Thornbury | 1800 527 2463 | 1800lasagne.com.au

Music industry player Joey Kellock’s humble lasagne went from being dinner party leftovers and lockdown side hustle to nowwhat’s arguably one of Melbourne’s best tray bakes. 1800 Lasagne (yes, that’s the phone number) started as a delivery service among mates long before Covid, then quickly evolved into a thriving business during lockdown. Kellock has since opened a bustling bricks-and-mortar site in Thornbury, doing much more than just lasagne. There’s spaghetti jostling with Goolwa pipis, garlic and chilli; pesto tagliatelle; and a showstopping cos lettuce drowned in anchovy cream and grana. Don’t forget the garlic bread, or the tiramisu.

Cuisine Italian

BYO No

Open D Wed-Sun

A1 Bakery

643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick | 9386 0440 | a1bakery.com.au

This Lebanese bakery has been a go-to for Middle Eastern pastries and pantry staples since 1992. Chafic Choueiri, his brother-in-law Elias Farah, and their wives Nadia and Noha established A1 Bakery three decades ago, evolving it from a humble grocer to a booming business. Today A1 Bakery has its own manufacturing plant pumping out flatbread and khobz, a food truck and outposts in three suburbs. Sons Haikal, Daniel and Anthony manage the original Brunswick store, keeping classics like za’atar pizza and haloumi pie on the menu. Prices have remained low and portions generous.

Cuisine Lebanese

BYO No

Open B & L daily

Bak Kut Teh King

966 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill | 0449 599 917 | bktking.com.au

This restaurant’s titular dish of bak kut teh (“meat bone tea” – otherwise known as pork ribs in a restorative herbal broth) would no doubt win the approval of the Malaysian dock workers who are credited with its energy-packed invention. But, just saying, they might also want to take a seat in this sleek space to explore its variations – whether chicken, vegetarian or dry-cooked pork belly – and customise it with

add-ons, including pork intestines or shank. Other chi-balancing dishes include ginger-spiked vinegar pork, while the simple fried pleasures of Chinese doughnuts are essential to mop up the sauce.

Cuisine Malaysian/Chinese

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Mon

Bar Thyme

227 Barkly St, Footscray | 9687 8644 | instagram.com/barthyme

Less is best these days. That’s exactly what you’ll get at Howard Stamp’s charming Footscray wine bar – without skimping on quality. Perhaps try the anchovy toast, one salty sucker adorning a crunchy sourdough soldier spread thick with fluffy ricotta.Or retro devilled eggs, blasting into this decade with lively curry powder, chives and shavings of salty bottagra. Larger plates include rainbow trout in creamy gribiche sauce layered with mussels, sweet leek and a dribble of dill oil. The seasons change, and so do restaurants. Bar Thyme is evolving, and the “less is more” approach is working in its favour.

Cuisine Contemporary

BYO No

Open L Sat & Sun D Thu-Sun

Benyue Kitchen

365 Buckley St, Aberfeldie | 9337 1991 | benyuekitchen.com.au

Housemade siu mai kicks things off, all plump prawn and pork meat snug in yellow wonton wrappers. Next is Peking duck, dry-aged for days and roasted until the skin is perfectly crisp and flesh tender, before being wrapped in a silky pancake with crisp cucumber and sticky hoisin. Larger plates include land, veg and sea proteins, but the most impressive, and perhaps easily overlooked, dish is the char kway teow in which fat rice noodles are covered in a bounty of veg and meaty textures. Benyue Kitchen’s brilliance lies in its simplicity – fresh ingredients, cooked moments before they hit your lips.

Cuisine Cantonese

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Mon

Bia Hoi

The Glen Shopping Centre 235 Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley | 8813 0729 | biahoibar.com.au

Chef Jerry Mai looks to Vietnam’s beer halls for her suburban eatery, Bia Hoi. The name is Vietnamese for “fresh beer”, so trust those drinks will be crisp and frothy, the bun bo huế burn-your-face-off hot and everything else authentically delicious.Most dishes originate from either the Mai family or Mai’s travels to Vietnam. It’s easygoing, feel-good eating that’ll see you dunking gnarly bits of JFC (Jerry’s fried chicken) into caramel fish sauce, slurping noodles from a steaming bowl of pho,or sizzling sirloin on your DIY tableside barbie. There’s Korean soju, soft drinks and cocktails if beer ain’t your thing.

Cuisine Vietnamese

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Butchers Diner

10 Bourke St, Melbourne | 9639 7324 | butchersdiner.com

Covid may have killed Melbourne’s answer to round-the-clock burgers, steaks and sangers, but Butchers Diner is holding firm as a CBD favourite for all things meat. Hospo-heavyweights Joshua Brisbane, Con Christopoulos and chef Steve Lichter are still slinging everything from steak and eggs, fried chicken, pork tongue skewers and dimmies alongside salads, sweets and fresh and filtered coffee from noon, five days a week. Until the CBD returns to regular programming, visit this tiny American-style diner in all its old-school glory, complete with a long communal counter and meals landing thick and fast. And the best part?All are deliciously affordable.

Cuisine Burgers, American BBQ

BYO No

Open L & D Tue-Sat

Cambodia’s Kitchen

175 Russell St, Melbourne | 7003 4349 | facebook.com/cambodiaskitchen

Brother and sister team Ivanra and Linna Hun are behind this Cambodian CBD newcomer, responsible for hug-in-a-bowl soul food and cheap eats like no other. Slurp traditional breakfast favourite khor KO; a rich beef broth filled out with homemade beef meatballs, tripe, vegetables and a noodle of your choosing. The classic coconut fish curry (amok) with rice is another winner.Golden-fried snacks include spring rolls, fried wontons and crisp chive rice cakes. Cambodian cuisine may not be as spicyas its Thai, Indonesian or Laotian cousins, but brings a delicious dimension to Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene.

Cuisine Cambodian

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Chibog

553 Barkly St, West Footscray | 9078 4472 | chibog.com.au

Filipino restaurants in Melbourne are few and far between, and Chibog in West Footscray is one of the newer players on the scene. This lively eatery has been spreading the boodle fight love since 2020, thanks to husband and wife Janine Barican Le and Thuan Le and business partner/head chef Alex Yin. Yin puts his cheffy spin on Filipino faves like kare kare (stewed oxtail) in an indulgent peanut rice gravy, the vibrant whack of kingfish kinilaw or sizzling crispy pork sisig tumbled in a rich liver sauce. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newbie to the cuisine, you’ll be back for more.

Cuisine Filipino

BYO No

Open L Sat & Sun D Tue-Sun

CIBI

33-39 Keele Street, Collingwood | 048 139 8686 | cibi.com.au

It’s no surprise that Meg and Zenta Tanaka operate a CIBI sibling in Tokyo; this transportive Collingwood warehouse is as close to Japan as you can get without jumping on a plane. Wholesome, artfully arranged breakfasts will set you up for the day (look no further than the “traditional” plate of grilled salmon with tamagoyaki omelette, seasonal greens, rice, potato salad and a soulful miso soup), while Melbourne’s favourite brunch staple of avo smash gets a rev-up with red peppercorns.There’s also a stunning array of artisan ceramics, cooking utensils and hard-to-source groceries to tempt your wallet into deeper waters.

Cuisine Japanese

BYO No

Open B & L daily

Co Thu Quan

12/10 Droop St, Footscray | 9191 6469 | (no website)

What started as a small shop in the Footscray Market has flourished into one of Footscray’s best kept secrets for authentic Vietnamese food. Annie Vu and her chef husband Nam Nguyen have been running Co Thu Quan for about eight years, serving streetfood snacks such as Vietnamese crepes, fried fish balls, rice paper rolls and larger bowls like chicken pho and stir-fried chilli lemongrass and tofu. The space jams up to 40 people inside its bare-bones dining room, with 20-odd seats spilling onto Droop St when the weather calls for a few ice-cold cans of Vietnam’s finest from the fridge.

Cuisine Vietnamese

BYO Yes

Open L & D daily

Deep End

412A Brunswick St, Fitzroy | 8589 2983 | deepend.pizza

This is not just any old pizza place, but a purveyor of regional US specialties. These include thin-crust NY-style with toppings like hazelnut pesto and goat’s cheese, or whole clams with chilli and bacon. There’s Detroit pan pizza with its focaccia-like base and flavours of nduja with confit garlic, or piney brussels sprouts, pine mushrooms, three cheeses and garlic sauce. There’s also Chicago deep-dish, which takes half an hour to prepare. When it arrives, you’ll see why. It’s so deeply layered with ingredients – mozzarella, tomato sugo, pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and capsicum – that it needs all that time to cook.

Cuisine Italo-American

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Sun

El Jannah

600 High St, Preston | 1800 491 838 | eljannah.com.au

Sydney’s Lebanese charcoal chicken chain El Jannah has flown the coop, roosting in Preston and Campbellfield in Melbourne’s north this year. Victorians will be less familiar with the harbour city-famous chook shop, which was opened by Andre and Carole Estephan more than 20 years ago. The family-run business champions both bronzed birds cooked over coals and in golden-fried glory teamed with chips and all the Lebanese trimmings, such as hummus, toum, flatbreads, tabouli and fattoush. Eat in, takeaway, jam it between two buns, bring the kids or get it on the fly via drive-through. There’s nothing dirty about this bird.

Cuisine Chicken

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Fancy Hanks

1/79 Bourke St, Melbourne | 9453 2882 | fancyhanks.com

Barbecued meats, cooked low and slow with a whole lotta

soul. One of Melbourne’s stalwart American barbecue joints, Fancy Hanks is your

ticket to the Deep South via Bourke St. Think sticky glazed pork ribs, crunchy golden

fried buffalo wings and fall-apart brisket that’s spent 22 hours in Hanks’ custom-built two tonne smoker. But save room for the southern trimmings like chicken schmaltz cornbread with jalapeño cheddar cream or blooming onion with alabama sauce and roasted onion salt.

The meat’s from Gippsland, sauces are house-made (Hanks has its own grocery line), beers are local and good times a welcome by-product. Fancy that.

Cuisine American barbecue

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Sun

Gami Chicken and Beer

Various locations | gamichicken.com.au

Like all great ideas, Gami Chicken and Beer was conceived over a few coldies at the pub. Jun Lee and his university buds decided to go into business together, bringing Korean fried chicken Down Under. After opening their first store in Carnegie in 2006,the fried chook has taken flight, with 30+ franchises nationwide. Like another finger lickin’ brand, Gami’s birds are made using 17 secret herbs and spices. Team it with a burger, kimchi pancake, dumplings or fried rice, but always wash it down with a pint of Gun Bae, brewed by Brunswick’s Thunder Road especially for Gami.

Cuisine Korean

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Gogyo

413 Brunswick St, Fitzroy | 9417 7474 | ippudo.com.au/gogyo

Restaurant founder Shigemi Kawahara made kogashi (burned miso) ramen soup big in Japan, before opening Gogyo restaurants in Sydney and Brunswick St. Kogashi ramen has a distinctive deep-brown broth with sand-like char specks throughout, packs strong umami flavours and comes with fall-apart pork belly, chewy noodles and crunchy wombok. There’s also izakaya-style small plates, unique to Gogyo Fitzroy – tender wagyu beef tiles with blushing red centres in a zingy yuzu ponzu dressing and irresistibly crisp tofu nuggets in the bitter kale salad. Gogyo also does sushi, like sweet prawn and scampi nigiri, and golden karaage chicken, also exclusive to the venue.

Cuisine Japanese

BYO No

Open L Fri-Sun, D Tue-Sun

Good Times

214 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North | 0493 126 430 | goodtimesfitzroynorth.com

This word-of-mouth, no-frills pasta bar has been spinning $9 pastas, negronis, craft beer and wine carafes since 2019. As the name and thumbs-up logo suggest, owners Bryce Ritchie, Sean McMeekin, Jeremy Hines and Colin Mala are big on fun, with little interest in overcomplicating your spag bol. There’s a menu weekly of seven pasta dishes that may include firm spaghetti in a zingy pesto with pine nuts and parmesan, or a classic red sauce number perfumed with fresh herbs. Open three days a week until the wee hours, it’s the place you go to let the good times roll.

Cuisine Italian

BYO No

Open D Thu-Sat

Göz City

502 Little Collins St & 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne | 9041 5667 | gozcity.com.au

After starting life as a simple gozleme stand at the South Melbourne Market, Göz City has grown to two bricks-and-mortar CBD shops, celebrating the carb-tactic Turkish street food gozleme. Get your paper-thin flatbread filled with herbed chicken,cheese and spinach, mushroom and vegetables or minced meat before a turn on the hotplate turns it into an equal parts oozy and crispy delight; you can also get your fix of classic pides, bored (stuffed pastry fingers) or zesty meal-in-themselves salads, while regulars know to chase their grilled goodness with a Turkish beer.

Cuisine Turkish

BYO No

Open B & L Mon-Fri

Greca Street

66 Portman St, Oakleigh | 9118 7668 | grecastreet.com.au

At Greca Street, everything is larger than life. Even the menu. There are 100 individual items, including at least 30 types of mezze, meat and seafood platters, dips and bread, gyros and souvas. Double down with helpings of lamb and chicken in the mixed gyros, shaved from the spit after being slathered in olive oil, oregano, lemon and a “secret” spice. Or opt for the lamb kleftiko, with lamb shoulder, fat spuds and tomatoes slow-cooked in parchment until the meat falls off the bone and the potatoes get drunk on lemon, garlic and lamb juice, with salty kefalograviera (Greek cheese) hammering it home.

Cuisine Greek

BYO No

Open L Wed-Sun, D Tue-Sun

Hanoi Hannah Vol II

306 Glen Huntly Rd, Elsternwick | 9939 3528 | vol2.hanoihannah.com.au

The OG restaurant in Simon Blacher’s Commune Group knows how to feed (and please) a crowd. His crew of modern Asian eateries (Tokyo Tina, Saigon Sally, Firebird, New Quarter) have been dishing up delicious takes on Vietnamese and Japanese cooking since 2012. At Hanoi Hannah, it’s all about bulging banh mi and piping hot pho in uber-slick venues while a soundtrack of hip hop pulses overhead. While Hanoi’s original High St locale has been converted into a takeaway space, you can still get your bun, dumpling and rice paper roll fixes at the Elsternwick flagship without breaking the bank.

Cuisine Vietnamese

BYO No

Open L Tue-Sun, D daily

The Happy Mexican

108 Hoddle St, Abbotsford | 9416 4596 | thehappymexican.com.au

The Happy Mexican food truck is also now a bricks-and-mortar taqueria. The menu

of nachos, tacos and burritos isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s messy fun with fail-safe favourites. For the more adventurous diners, try the oxtongue tacoor chicharon de queso – like a pulled pork quesadilla but with cheese instead of a tortilla. The kitchen runs at a fast pace,with taco platters and margaritas delivered to tables in quick succession. The platters let you pick from seven varieties,and the hefty serves include a giant nacho bowl, which could easily feed a family of four, while thick-rolled burritos will be hard to finish solo.

Cuisine Mexican

BYO No

Open L Tue & Fri-Sun,

D Tue-Sun

Hawker Chan

157 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne | 9650 8808 | hawkerchanaustralia.com

Singapore by way of Lonsdale St, this hawker franchise replicates the Michelin-starred original with an authentically functional fit-out and the Hong Kong-style soya chicken rice that put it on the global food map. The crisp-skinned chicken in its secret marinade is a juicy, complex delight; customise with noodles, if rice isn’t your thing, or grab a half or whole chook to go. The simple Canto-style menu offers the same mini-smorgasbord of choice with roast duck, wonton soups and a few tofu and vegetable dishes, while the crackle-hatted roast pork is guaranteed to give the chicken a run for its money.

Cuisine Chinese

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Hella Good

113 St David St, Fitzroy | 9415 1775 | hellagood.com.au

The first family of late-night Greek food, Stalactites, has gifted us new-age souva bar Hella Good. Nicole Papasavas openedthe first Elizabeth St outpost in 2017 before relocating to Emporium and opening another two at Chadstone and Fitzroy. Hella Good is Stalactites’ Mini-Me, with less load-up-the-table feasting and more swift souvas and snacks. Chicken and lamb is sliced from the spit and jammed into classic souvas, or loaded into a Hella Big Box with chips, salad, pita and tzatziki. Herbivores aren’t forgotten; vegetarian and vegan fritters can be subbed in. Hella also slings Australia’s only gluten-free souvlaki.

Cuisine Greek

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Horn Please

167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North | 9497 8101 | hornplease.com.au

Honk if hungry. Fans of Jessi Singh’s unauthentic Indian eats have been frequenting this riot-of-colour Fitzroy North restaurant for more than a decade. Now offsider chef Amar Singh is calling the shots, spinning modern motherland faves from the tandoor such as butter chicken, garlic naan and an incredible black lentil dahl with a depth of flavour that just won’t quit. Curries and street food snacks don’t edge over $25, and those small bites will cost you no more than a tenner. Wash things down with a Kingfisher beer or a cheeky cocktail.

Cuisine Indian

BYO No

Open D daily

Just Falafs

207 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North | 9415 1775 | hellagood.com.au

It’s a punny name, but the seriously good falafel and its bandmates – fresh harissa, velvety hummus and zesty sumac pickles – is no joke. Rocking the same shade of green as the falafel, the little shopfront is a sit-in or takeaway affair, the former embracing a hip-hop soundtrack, the latter involving a short walk to nearby Edinburgh Gardens. Falafel is the main game here,but it’s also worth paying lip-service to the sabich – pita-wrapped crisp-fried eggplant slivers and sliced egg with hummus and tahini, the richness cut by Israeli salad and pickled cabbage. Add some Ottolenghi-esque salads and call it a win.

Cuisine Middle Eastern

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Kalimera Souvlaki Art

43 Chester St, Oakleigh | 9939 3912 | kalimerasouvlakiart.com.au

It’s the wrap star that took the world by storm. On a recent visit to Melbourne, New York Times food editor Sam Sifton wasso moved by the pork gyro here, he penned an ode to it on his return to Manhattan. But given Melburnians come from near and far for a fix, we didn’t need him to tell us that the combination of gloriously tender, smoky pork, tomato, red onion and crunchy chips, the lot dusted with paprika and wrapped in a char-warmed pita, is worth travelling for. For just $8.50, it’s small change for a life-changing experience.

Cuisine Greek

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Kata Kita

266 La Trobe St, Melbourne | 7064 5389 | katakita.com.au

Lie Sanusi and sons Michael and Dion opened their second restaurant last November, opposite Melbourne Central. It’s more formal than Yoi, their first hawker-style restaurant, with more traditional cooking that’s a step up from Balinese street food. Hereyou can smash satay, nasi goreng and babi guling, but also try left-of-field food and drink that’ll make your head spin. Start with sweet fluffy bao, move on to Ikan Bakar – a whole pomfret that’s been slathered in turmeric, a spicy-sweet glaze, sambal of crisp shallots, shrimp paste and chilli and torched over flame – but save room for the knockout rum and raisin dessert.

Cuisine Indonesian

BYO No

Open L & D Tue-Sun

La Pinta

791 High St, Reservoir | 0492 818 032 | lapintareservoir.com.au

La Pinta is a no-frills affair. All food is designed to share, with no more than 20 items on the tapas-style menu. But owner/executive chef Adam Racina’s careful execution is out of this world. Vegetables take a front seat – such as woodfire-scorched carrots and almonds drenched in smoky maple syrup – but you can still order meat and seafood, depending on what’s available. La Pinta’s lockdown-hit tortilla is still a strong favourite, made simply with potatoes, onion, eggs and plenty of salt. There are no bells and whistles here – just simple, honest cooking that’ll fill you up without breaking the bank.

Cuisine Contemporary Spanish

BYO No

Open L Sat, D Tue-Sat

Laksa King

791 High St, Reservoir | 0492 818 032 | lapintareservoir.com.au

If anyone should be responsible for Melbourne’s laksa love affair, it’s Esmond Wong. The Malaysian-born chef first introduced the city to Southeast Asia’s spicy soup in a Flemington arcade in 1998. Almost 25 years later, he’s grown the Laksa King empire to three stores, including a larger suburban Glen Waverley outpost that’s perfect for groups and communal dining. Small snacks like pork dumplings and curry puffs will get you started, before slurping the noodley signature laksas that won’t cost you more than $20. Other Asian soups like har mee and larger shares such as Hainanese chicken round out the offering.

Cuisine Malaysian

BYO Yes

Open L & D daily

Leonard’s House of Love

3 Wilson Street, South Yarra | 0428 066 778 | leonardshouseoflove.com.au

The 1970s are always in style – along with pine furniture and decor worthy of the Brady Bunch – at this faux log cabin celebrating the good ol’ American bar. A no-fuss menu

of loaded fries (including poutine), mac ‘n cheese, fried chicken and mighty burgers (made the way nature intended, with American cheese, pickles and sloshes of sauce) is a true portal to happiness, especially with an equally easy going drinks list of lagers and fruity cocktails. Head along on Friday and Saturday nights for the double-fun whammy of live DJsand a 3am close, and you’ll be feeling the love indeed.

Cuisine American

BYO No

Open L Fri-Sun,

D daily

Little Ramen Bar

369 Little Collins St, Melbourne | 9670 5558 | littleramenbar.com.au

Little is the operative word at this slip of a noodle bar, but don’t be deceived by the size. This CBD hole in the wall serves ramen in a trademark tonkotsu broth that’s mighty on both the flavour and the richness. Join the boisterous crowds of salary men and women and customise your bowl with the likes of garlic, black fungus and chashu pork or Hokkaido-style corn and butter.Opt for the lighter shio ramen or vegetarian base, and don’t neglect the rest of the menu that serves pure comfort in the form of gyoza, edamame, wok-fried rice and seaweed crackers.

Cuisine Japanese

BYO No

Open L & D Mon-Sat

Lulu’s Char Koay Teow

27-31 Hardware Ln, Melbourne | 0401 263 939 | no website

Chee Wong’s mother-in-law Lulu makes a mean char koay teow. Her wok-fried flat noodles are so popular in Penang, Wong decided to bring them to Melbourne. City slickers scored their first taste of Lulu’s char koay teow at the CBD’s now defunct HWKR food court, before Wong built a loyal following at a permanent Hardware Lane site. Take the traditional route with seafood, Chinese pork sausage and a light or dark sauce, or eat outside your comfort zone by adding blood cockles or duck eggs to the mix. Just know Lulu’s secret signature sauce is behind those long lunchtime queues.

Cuisine Malaysian

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Master Lanzhou

Various locations | masterlanzhou.com.au

Student Lu Gan opened Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar near her university campus when she was just 20. The decision was strategic,but also a little selfish: the young entrepreneur couldn’t find the beef broth noodles she grew up with in Lanzhou’s Gansu province, so she decided to make them herself. After a swift rebrand, Master Lanzhou now has 11 Melbourne stores. Unlike other fast food joints, Master Lanzhou makes all its food from scratch; soup noodles are house-made and stretched to order, as is the bubbling broth with 18 spices and the signature chilli oil made from sesame oil-steeped, dried chillies.

Cuisine Chinese

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Moroccan Soup Bar

47-51 Boundary Road, North Melbourne | 0403 315 559 | moroccansoupbar.com.au

Melbourne was plunged into mourning when Hana Assafiri closed her Fitzroy North institution after 24 years, depriving a devoted public of her all-vegetarian menu, including the legendary delicious chickpea bake. Which makes it good news indeed that it has transformed into a takeaway and dining pop-up in North Melbourne, where you can expect the same spoken word menu of North African-spiced goodness, including rice-stuffed cabbage leaves, quince and cardamom stew and a creamy citrus, rose and vanilla pudding with toasted pistachios. And yes, the chickpea bake makes an appearance too. Get in quick: this version of MSB runs until December 17.

Cuisine Middle Eastern

BYO No

Open Dine-in D Thu-Sat,

T/A D Tue-Sat

Orexi Souvlaki Bar

33 Chester Street, Oakleigh | 9569 1151 | orexisouvlaki.com

Follow your nose to the smoke and sizzle of this authentic souvlaki shop in Oakleigh’s Little Athens heartland. The blazing charcoal grill is king, lending its char and flavour to lamb, pork and chicken, destined to be wrapped in warm, fluffy pita with a host of add-ons. For those longing for the Hellenic homeland, house specialities also include moussaka, baked lemon potatoes and the lasagne-adjacent dish known as pasticcio, while vegetarians rise beyond the chip souva with a zesty pita party of zucchini, capsicum and eggplant. The Greek coffee is reliably strong, and the walnut cake a honeyed delight.

Cuisine Greek

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Mon

Panda BBQ

2/202 Bourke St, Melbourne | 9639 8881 | pandabbqmel.com

A riot of colour, flowers and pandas, this vast spot a floor above Bourke St goes straight for the jugular of its youthful market with Instagram lures such as swing seats and a wall of love locks. The skewer-heavy menu is equally likeable, the charcoal grill lending its smoky goodness to everything from whole king prawns to squid and fatty swatches of pork belly. Made in-house,elastic noodles ballast everything from crayfish to beef, while the Aussie-Canto classic lemon chicken kicks goals with a tangy, glossy sauce. In even better news for night owls, this eatery-slash-karaoke bar is open until 3am daily.

Cuisine Asian

BYO No

Open D daily

Parcs

198 Little Collins St, Melbourne | 9972 7015 | parcs.com.au

A penchant for fermenting and rescuing “ugly” produce saw chef Dennis Yong develop the concept for Parts (an anadrome for “scrap”), a 25-seater wine and ferment bar. While the venue may champion a minimal-waste approach, the menu is far from minimal when it comes to flavour – Chinese doughnuts with moromi za’atar and smoked sunflower marrow, buffalo-style mushrooms with a preserved fruit tofu cream and pickled broccolini, kangaroo with treacle sauce and fermented natives. Meanwhile, Yong’s umami e pepe has become a signature. Ingredients aren’t only given a second chance in dishes, but also in creative cocktails dreamt up by Darren Leaney.

Cuisine Contemporary

BYO No

Open D Tue-Sat

Pinto

231 Exhibition Street, Melbourne | 0451 986 017 | facebook.com/pintomelbourne

An authentic Thai cafeteria rocking a close approximation to a Bangkok back alleyway, Pinto channels a comfort-heavy take on Isaan food. The salty, sour, sweet, spicy and bitter pillars of Thai food are all accounted for on a menu making a specialty of real-deal boat noodles: just choose your noodle and level of beef or pork adventure, from fillet to liver and tripe. Chicken noodles in bitter melon soup

will cure whatever ails you, while the changing roster of specials, like southern-style yellow curry with shrimp and snapper,keep nearby expat uni students on a perennial taste trip back to the homeland.

Cuisine Thai

BYO Yes

Open L Mon-Fri, D daily

ShanDong MaMa

Shop 7-8 Mid City Arcade, 200 Bourke St, Melbourne | 9650 3818 | facebook.com/shandongmama

It seems Mama really does know best, especially when it comes to dumplings. This family-run Melbourne favourite is tucked inside an arcade in Chinatown and serves up traditional recipes from Yantai on China’s Shandong Peninsula. Seafood may bea specialty of this cheap eats haven, but for a more parochial dish, locals may want to opt for the seafood and chicken-filledMelbourne or Aussie Lamb pot stickers. Or think outside the dumpling wrapper and go for ShanDong specialties such as pork-stuffed fried lotus roots or extra-large bao. Eat in, or take away dumplings, pot stickers and buns to make at home.

Cuisine Chinese

BYO Yes

Open L & D daily

Soi 38

38 Mcilwraith Place, Melbourne | 0403 547 144 | soi38.com

Soi 38, the bare-bones Thai eatery by Andy Buchan and chef Vherachid “Top” Kijthavee, brings wok-tossing fun to the bottom of a multistorey car park. Think street food snacks and lesser-known Thai delicacies like boat noodles. Go traditional with a noodle soup made from a blood-based broth, or indulge in bites of fried chicken, papaya salad and kingfish ceviche. Soi 38 recently took over an adjacent garage to pack in more hungry mouths, and installed a bottle shop nearby specialising in natural wines that you can take for dinner with no corkage. Now that’s something we can raise a glass to.

Cuisine Thai

BYO Yes

Open L Mon-Sat, D daily

Smith + Deli

107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood | 9123 1711 | smithanddaughters.com/smith-deli

Vegan queen Shannon Martinez makes cafeteria cuisine cool again at her new Collingwood digs. Smith + Deli opened last year as a casual offshoot of her stalwart plant-based fine-diner Smith + Daughters. It honours the same “don’t eat food with faces” ethos and encourages you to grab a tray, follow the L-shaped counter, get some food and scoot along. Martinez’s ever-changing plant-based menu includes four to five mains daily, with a deli plate of one main and two sides the big attraction. Come for breakfast on weekends, swing by for an easy mid-week lunch or dinner, or stock up on vegan goodies.

Cuisine Vegan

BYO No

Open B Fri-Sun, L Tue-Sun,

D Wed-Thu

Sunnyside Sliced

34 Como Pde West, Mentone | 9583 4389 | sunnysidesliced.com.au

Ali Ali never saw any dough in pizza-making. Instead, he chased a career in finance after growing up in his dad’s Cranbourne West pizza shop. But after signing a lease on a Mentone shop in 2019, Ali found himself back in the pizza game, looking to his roots to inspire what’s now Bayside’s favourite New York-style pizzeria, Sunnyside Sliced. Since last March, Ali has built a thriving business. On busy nights, he sells up to 200 pizzas, the recipes developed from scratch. Forget run-of-the-mill pie that’s light on toppings but hefty on price; Sunnyside Sliced has made pizza fun again.

Cuisine Italo-American

BYO No

Open L & D Wed-Sun

Teddy Picker

5/116 Watton St, Werribee | 7064 5416 | teddypickerwerribee.com

Did Teddy Picker bring Neapolitan-style pizzas out west? Chef John Ford reckons so. He’s been slinging woodfired slices on the banks of Werribee River since early 2021, taking a modern approach with his cooking while having fun with traditional Italian flavours. That’s why you’ll see a margarita bubbling with pecorino and red sauce alongside the Thaiger King loaded with satay prawns, Thai basil and peanuts. But it’s not just pizza: there’s pappardelle bolognese, lasagne toasties and chicken parma. Teddy Picker speaks to all ages and tastes, whether you’re knocking back cheeky pornstar martinis, sipping wine on tap or sticking with sparkling water.

Cuisine Modern Australian/Italian

BYO No

Open L & D

Wed-Sun

Terror Twilight

11-13 Johnston St, Collingwood | 9417 0129 | terrortwilight.com.au

There’s nothing to be scared of at this Collingwood haunt doing its bit for the wellbeing of its customers, one quinoa bowl at a time. Rocking a retro diner vibe with burgundy booths and a pink espresso machine, its build-your-own bowls and broths are a drawcard for anyone wanting to restore their balance. The yin to the yang comes in the form of ham toasties oozing two types of cheese (Gruyere and mozzarella, since you asked) as well as bechamel and jalapeño mustard. And as you’d expect of a place named after a Pavement album, the vinyl-led soundtrack is indie heaven.

Cuisine Contemporary

BYO No

Open L daily

Teta Mona

100A Lygon St, Brunswick East | 9380 6680 |obee.com.au/tetamona

The vibes are high at this pumping Lebanese restaurant, which feels more like eating at the house of a good friend who just happens to be an excellent Levantine cook. Run by brothers Antoine and Bechara Taouk and named in honour of their grandmother (“teta”) Mona, it’s a family feast scenario in which no one is going home hungry. Za’atar-dusted fried cauliflower, fluffy falafel in pita and filo-wrapped lamb cigars segue to herby beef kofte and spiced chicken with wild rice and buttered almonds. It’s a world of choice, but the keenly valued $45 banquet will help the decision-making process.

Cuisine Lebanese

BYO Yes

Open D daily

Tim Ho Wan

206 Bourke Street, Melbourne | 9663 9691 | timhowanaustralia.com

The shattery-crisp crust on the barbecued pork rolls remains a revelation at the Melbourne home of the Hong Kong-based Michelin-starred mothership, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit this buzzing joint. Like the translucent spinach dumplings – an edible work of art – to the big flavoured pig’s liver cheung fan and the slippery vermicelli roll filled with shrimp in a sweet-edged sauce. From noodles to the deep-fried section, everything on the tick-a-box menu comes in at under $10, making it the perfect place for a quick office lunch or a proper feast on a shoestring.

Cuisine Chinese

BYO No

Open L & D daily

Tochi Deli

655-661 Sydney Rd, Brunswick | 0428 318 905 | tochi-deli.business.site

Improbably hidden in the retro depths of Brunswick Market lurks this gem of a Japanese deli serving some of the best nigiri and sushi in town. The knife skills of Shingo Tochimoto, who earned his stripes working in his grandfather’s Tokyo sushi restaurant, ensures the counter of this simple stall is a dazzling display of jewel-coloured fish laid over vinegared rice, from the usual suspects of tuna belly and salmon to King George whiting, scallops and uni. You’ll also find the rice balls known as onigiri, sushi rolls, filling donburi bowls and a luscious green tea panna cotta for dessert.

Cuisine Japanese

BYO No

Open L Wed-Sun

Tres a Cino

3-5 Hosier Ln, Melbourne | 9663 3038 | tresacinco.com.au

This tiny taco house lives next door to owner Frank Camorra’s Movida, and is named after the two street numbers it occupies. Mexican chef Sarai Castillo’s taco menu values quality over quantity, with four fillings available. The battered rockling and jalapeño cream taco cradles a fillet almost too big for the tortilla; the juicy pulled pork shoulder, braised in orange juice and spices, is finger-lickin’ good. Castillo’s kingfish ceviche is zest at its best, cured in aguachile and topped with cucumbers, whipped avocado and red onion. For something larger, there’s roasted pumpkin with almond chocolate sauce or beef stew quesadillas.

Cuisine Mexican

BYO No

Open L Thu-Sat, D Wed-Sat

Yuni’s Kitchen

251 High St, Northcote | 0455 337 666 | yuniskitchen.com.au

A surprise package hiding behind the bluestone Northcote Uniting Church, Yuni’s Kitchen is synonymous with soulful Indonesian food conjured up by Yuni Kenwrick and her quiver of family recipes. The colourful cafe is perfumed by spices from the open kitchen, the olfactory calling cards of universal favourites such as beef rendang and gado gado, nasi goreng and a host of laksas. It’s also worth expanding your horizons with the bakwan – corn and coriander fritters – and the fried tofu and vegetable snack known as tahu isi sayur. If the weather’s fine, the tables in front become Northcote’s most hotly contested real estate.

Cuisine Indonesian

BYO Yes

Open L Sat, D Tue-Sat

Zymurgy

561 Barkly St, West Footscray | 0413 955 478 | zymurgywest.com.au

The love child of Navi’s Julian Hills and Hop Nation Brewery’s Duncan Gibson and Sam Hambour took a pause between drinks thanks to countless Covid curveballs, but the team is now back, serving local craft brews and next-level barbecue in this light and bright beer garden. Fermentation is Zymurgy’s game, but has recently made way for Brunswick East’s Bluebonnet Barbecue to pop-up over summer, slinging all your fave smoked meats and vegetarian eats such as beef brisket, smoked chicken with alabama white sauce, cauliflower, hummus and dukkah and charred broccoli with tamari almonds.

Cuisine Contemporary

BYO No

Open L Sat-Sun, D Fri-Sun