From the new The Age Good Food Guide 2011, our countdown of the 10 most iconic Melbourne dining experiences.

They’re the places you’d send an out of towner, the places you’re happy to go to again and again. Some have been around for decades, some are fresh new arrivals on the dining scene. But they’re all quintessentially Melbourne. On August 30, The Age Good Food Guide 2011 will be launched at a gala awards night at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria. In the lead up, we'll bring you a sneak preview, day by day, of ten top restaurants that the new guide considers “Essential Melbourne”. Chosen by the panel of five who decide the Guide’s annual awards, they’re the restaurants that help make Melbourne dining unique.

#2.
Cumulus Inc
45 Flinders Lane, City 9650 1445

Cumulus didn’t so much open in 2009, it exploded. Menu marvels like the crumbed pigs ear or tail, a spectacular list of oysters, and crisp school prawns seemed set to become fixtures that chef Andrew McConnell could not remove without the risk of a riot. Add to that the shoulder of lamb to share, the classic cracked wheat and freekah salad, the lemon curd Madeleines (the latter even available at breakfast). Each a modern classic. We’ve even been known to wax lyrical about the chef’s way with cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. The airy modern space is usually crammed due to the no bookings policy, and of course, because the food’s fabulous –  McConnell was the 2010 Good Food Guide Chef of the Year. Yes, it’s crowded, it’s noisy, and it’s the first place Kylie Kwong headed to eat when she landed in Melbourne this month. An yes, it’s just the kind of spot that’s guaranteed to make Sydneysiders covetous. But it’s all Melbourne’s. Enjoy.

Tomorrow, Essential Melbourne Eating #1

#3 Grossi Florentino

#4 Izakaya Den

#5 Gill's Diner

#6 Flower Drum

#7 Stokehouse

#8 Cookie

#9 Taxi Dining Room

#10 St Ali

Check out The Age Good Food Guide Awards finalists here.

Compiled from The Age Good Food Guide 2011, on sale at bookstores from 31 August. Available to pre-order New edition available soon online or as an App for the Blackberry or iPhone.

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