Melbourne foodies loving fine dining at their fingertips with UberEats, Deliveroo, Foodora and Menulog

MELBURNIANS have been enjoying meals from local favourites and cheap and cheerful nosheries as well as high-end restaurants without parking, queuing or dressing up, all from the comfort of our own homes.

UberEats has changed the Melbourne dining scene. Picture: Mark Stewart

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BUMS on seats are always good for business in the restaurant game but increasingly, so are fingers on smartphones.

Meal-delivery service Uber­Eats turns one this week and, along with the likes of Deliveroo, Menulog and Foodora, has added another dimension to the Melbourne dining scene.

At the tap of a screen, we are enjoying meals from local favourites and cheap, cheerful nosheries as well as high-end restaurants without parking, queuing or dressing up, all from the comfort of our own homes. UberEats launched in Melbourne on April 18 last year with about 80 restaurants and free delivery. Today, it has more than 1000 eateries on board but now charges $5 for delivery.

Behind Toronto and Paris, Melbourne was the third city outside the US to get the brand, which in October expanded into Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

UberEats driver Gonzalo Mendoza and Entrecote chef Juan Carlos Giraldo Vega. Picture: Mark Stewart

Plans are afoot to extend Melbourne’s delivery zones. Picture: Mark Stewart

Plans are afoot to extend Melbourne’s delivery zones.

“Melbourne is one of the foodie capitals of the world, which is why we chose to come here first in Australia,” said Simon Rossi, UberEats general manager for Australia and New Zealand. “Melbourne has been one of our most popular launches globally.”

Mr Rossi said people’s perception of takeaway food had been broadened beyond Friday and Saturday night pizza as they see menu items such as coffee, cakes and salads on offer.

“We’re seeing a lot of breakfasts ordered in, particularly of a Sunday,” he said.

“People are trying to get back time in their day, and are now thinking, ‘if I push a button, I don’t have to go to the supermarket or cafe to get my breakfast, or cook it myself’.

“We’re also seeing offices catering for work meetings and morning and afternoon teas by ordering in coffees and cakes.”

Putting a new spin on fast food, a number of high-end eateries are a part of UberEats. Picture: Mark Stewart

In September, the team behind Richmond restaurant Botherambo launched Mahalo Poke — specialising in the trendy diced fish poke dish — on UberEats and had such a great response, they set up a permanent store a few doors up on Swan St in February.

After 17 years running a restaurant, Minh Chu sold up and opened the “virtual restaurant” Mister Minh, which runs out of a commercial kitchen in Richmond offering delivery-only meals via UberEats.

Top-end South Yarra steakhouse Entrecote has been with UberEats since day one. Its cheeseburger and frites is one of the app’s cult dishes.

“(UberEats) is only a small part of our business but has been a great way to introduce people to our food who may not have been here before,” events manager Sarah Potter said. “It’s allowed people who don’t want to go out for dinner to stay home and eat good takeaway in the comfort of their own homes.”

As close to a drive-through as you get with UberEats. Picture: Mark Stewart

UBEREATS IN MELBOURNE

More than 1000 restaurants on board offering 100-plus cuisines and 70,000 menu items

Average delivery time across the city is 30 minutes

Biggest order: $1570 from Entrecote in South Yarra

Smallest order: $4.95 serve of chips from Jerry’s Burgers & Fried Chicken in Brunswick

Most popular ordering time: 5pm-8pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Most popular choices:

Burgers: The Double B from Burger Love (St Kilda) and the Easey Cheesy from Easey’s (Collingwood)

Pizza: Margherita from Baby Pizza (Richmond)

Breakfast: Acai bowls at Ilya Health Bar (South Melbourne) and smoked salmon bagels from Mile End Bagels (Fitzroy)

Sushi: Tsuta Roll from Tsuta Sushi (city)

Dessert: Cupcakes from Merry Cupcakes (Fitzroy)

Most popular options:

Northern suburbs: Poke and burgers

Southern suburbs: Greek and Italian food

Source: UberEats

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