Melbourne, Australia, is a thriving hub for art, sporting events, captivating architecture, and vibrant alleyways brimming with eclectic restaurants and cozy cafes. In this southern city, we’re serious about our coffee scene but also have a knack for thinking outside the box and providing Melburnians and visitors with unique experiences that will be etched in their memories for years. This list of must-visit restaurants and bars in Melbourne will be just the start of your delicious adventures.
Australia is a proudly multicultural nation, reflected in the following restaurants and bars that will make you want to come back and revisit us because you need to experience more than just one or two of these.
1. StoryVille
Who says adults need to stop believing in fairytales? This cocktail bar and event venue features a Mushroom Bar on level one that will make you feel you’ve stepped through Alice’s looking glass and an Enchanted Forest bar on level two that will make you believe all your childhood fantasies were real. Located in Melbourne’s central business district, Storyville describes it as “the ultimate Theatrical Cocktail experience.” You’ll find plenty of events here, including StoryTime Wednesday, the equivalent of Happy Hour with $10 teapot cocktails, and painting classes once per month.
2. Easey’s
Featuring repurposed train carriages situated on top of a five-story building in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, Easey’s offers amazing burgers, beers, and wine. This is one of the coolest venues in town, and co-owner Jimmy Hurlston made it his mission to travel the world in search of the best burgers and bring those influences back to Australia with him. It paid off in 2021 when he won the title of Australia’s Best Burger with a creation that featured a dim sim and a slice of battered fried potato better known to Aussies as a ‘potato cake.’
3. Madame Brussels
Named after a famous 19th-century brothel owner, Madame Brussels is a whimsical cocktail bar inspired by a Victorian-era garden party. White archways are adorned with floral decorations, and staff dressed in tennis attire serve various creative cocktails in the rooftop venue.
A signature cocktail containing homemade sangria and spiced Bacardi rum is known as The Parliamentary Mace. It’s named after a legendary mace that went missing from government buildings in 1892. Rumour has it the valuable item ended up in one of Madame’s establishments after a particularly rowdy party involving Madame’s employees and government officials. The mace’s whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
4. Puffing Billy Railway
Every Melburnian has memories of this iconic steam train. Constructed in the early 1900s, it is now a tourist attraction that travels through beautiful rainforest landscapes of Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges.
Puffling Billy Railway is about an hour’s drive from the city center and offers two dining experiences. The first provides a grazing platter with wine, beer, or soda as you take in the picturesque landscape and listen to the sound of this historic train. The second is for those who want to get into the spirit of the era and don some Roarings 20s style as you embark on a murder mystery evening featuring a three-course meal and theatrical entertainment.
5. Eau De Vie
Does the idea of the Roaring 20s and all the underground fun of the prohibition era sound like something you’d love to experience? Well, you can at this cocktail bar in the city. Not only will you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, but you can enter the secretive Whisky Room through a hidden door behind a bookcase.
The drinks menu is 13 pages long, so you can expect to find something you like, including those who prefer a non-alcoholic experience. In addition to an extensive selection of cocktails, they offer a degustation menu including shared plates and charcuterie. The degustation menu is a French term for a tasting menu.
6. Berlin Bar
When you’re tired of Melbourne, you can experience another city and another era entirely. As their website says, “Welcome to the Cold War.” This bar is literally split into two sections — one is reminiscent of the Soviet East, and the other is Capitalist West Berlin. The latter contains three areas representing the opulence that Berlin was known for during the Cold War; it’s a speakeasy in 1950 and 60s style. Then you can cross the wall and experience Communist propaganda of the same era with a dark, no-nonsense aesthetic.
Cocktails at Berlin Bar are all inspired by key figures from this era, including John F. Kennedy, Space Monkeys, and Vladimir Komarov.
7. Mjølner
Vikings! Imagine dark wood, animal skins, and exposed brick. This place will transport you to another time and place. Inspired by historic Viking style and modern-day Scandinavian features, their limited menu is reminiscent of a simpler time; however, it’s filled with items that will pique your palate.
Dishes include a carvery section featuring items such as the “pasture-fed short rib, celeriac remoulade, and radish” or the “pan-seared barramundi fillet, cauliflower puree, golden raisins with burnt butter sauce.” They also offer a 3-course feast they say is “worthy of Thor.”
8. Panda Hot Pot
This is a hot pot experience like no other. Imagine being transported back to Ancient China because that’s what this restaurant aims to do. The interior is graced with Chinese style, wooden motifs, and symbols, all watched over by a larger-than-life dragon living above the central staircase.
The venue is home to a popular Melbourne theatre restaurant, which gives Panda Hot Pot the perfect place to entertain its guests with traditional Chinese dance, music, and Face Changing “Bian Lian” shows. They also have a family-friendly Panda Show.
9. Attica
So far, this list has contained a lot of multicultural delights, so if you’re wondering where the Australian food is at, this is it. However, when I say Australian food, it’s a list of unique ingredients native to Australia. This differs from the food you would find in Aussie homes. The multi-course $242 per person tasting menu features items such as BBQ Saltwater Crocodile Ribs and Emu Liver Toast. The menu changes often at this award-winning restaurant, and bookings are a must.
10. The Tearooms 1892, aka Hopetoun
The fantastic Block Arcade is worth a visit just for the 19th-century architecture but also hosts one of the city’s oldest cafes. It was originally called the Hopetoun Tearooms and is still known to most by that name.
The tearooms will make you believe you’ve stepped into another time. It features a photo-worthy cake display window and is the perfect morning or afternoon tea spot. You can also indulge in a high tea with three tiers of tempting delights, including mini quiche, lemon tart, chicken and walnut sandwiches, and scones served with jam and cream.
If you’re not fond of waiting in line, the best time to visit is a weekday morning.
