What Are Australian Restaurants And Cafes In Melbourne?

As a newcomer to Melbourne, you may be curious in the restaurant and cafe scene. Let me tell you, it's fantastic! There are numerous restaurants to choose from, each with its own distinct ambience and menu. In this post, I'll introduce you to some of Melbourne's top Australian eateries and cafes.

There are a plethora of Australian restaurants and cafés in Melbourne to select from. However, with so many alternatives available, determining which ones are the best can be difficult. Not to worry, we've got your back.

In this blog post, we'll go through some of Melbourne's greatest Australian eateries and cafés. So, whether you want something old or something new, we've got you covered. Enjoy your meal!

The Best Australian Restaurants And Cafes in Melbourne, VIC

There are several restaurants and cafes in Melbourne, but which ones are the best? Here's a list of some of Melbourne's most popular Australian eateries and cafés.

You'll find something to adore here whether you're searching for a casual brunch location or a fancy supper venue!

Nomad Melbourne

The now-defunct CBD landmark Ezard was replaced by the primary Melbourne location of Sydney's beloved Mediterranean eatery Nomad. The Adelphi Hotel's owners, Rebecca and Al Yazbek, have converted the lower floor area into Nomad's new 100-seater capacity southern incarnation, keeping the concept of the classic while promoting a brand-new cuisine bursting with fresh local ingredients.

With the help of renowned executive chef Jacqui Challinor, Nomad Melbourne's new head chef Brendan Katich (Gingerboy, Ezard) has created the restaurant's signature menu, which is focused on house-made cheese and charcuterie (think, duck mortadella and trout basturma) as well as the kitchen's prized wood-fired oven. Enthusiasts will only find a small number of menu staples, backed up by a variety of exciting new dishes, and plenty of locally sourced meat and vegetables that have been grilled over flames.

Plates feature dishes like barbecued spatchcock with harissa and toum a garlic sauce from Lebanese, baked jersey milk ricotta with Ortiz anchovies and fire-roasted peppers, and dry-aged pork cutlet with a golden raisins and capers salsa.

Wood-roasted pineapple cake with yoghurt sorbet and rose el hanout may be served for dessert. The $95 feasting menu, on the other hand, offers a fantastic selection of nine meals to share.

Victorian vineyards and smaller manufacturers are given special attention on a lengthy wine list that focuses on domestic selections. Regular changes to a large only those Australian pouring list will give patrons the chance to sample new wines with each tour, as well as high-end blends served by Coravin.

Industry Beans Fitzroy

The existing Industry Beans site at 3/62 Rose Street, Fitzroy, will close on Sunday, May 30. The new location is set to open in July, but in the meantime, you can satisfy your coffee demands at the pop-up stall out front at 70-76 Westgarth Street, Fitzroy.

Trevor and Steve Simmons opened their first Industry Beans coffee roastery and cafe in Fitzroy's backstreets eight years ago. It immediately became a cornerstone of Australia's coffee scene, expanding to six locations spanning Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. In 2021, the brand will make one of its most significant changes yet, moving from its original northside digs to a grander space just around the street, accessible through Westgarth Street.

The new location, which is set to open in July, will have more space to hold an expanded offering, including a larger dining space, an onsite coffee roastery, and a dedicated shop section. The cafe's final plans have yet to be unveiled, but diners can expect a design that combines old Industry Beans themes with some new, modern twists.

Similarly, the menu will be updated once this location and all of its siblings enter the winter season. The constantly evolving lineup will include a mix of signature favourites and new seasonal concoctions to savour alongside the roaster's top-tier rotation of caffeinated treats.

Kickin'Inn Port Melbourne

The newest restaurant in Port Melbourne may alter your perception if you previously believed that seafood was only appropriate for hot summer days. Eight locations in NSW currently make up the Australian-born chain Kickin' Inn, and it is currently incorporating first ever Melbourne location to the mix.

With a speciality menu of seafood prepared in fiery house-made "Kajun" sauces, Kickin' Inn, which has moved into the former Rose Hotel space, promises to banish any lingering seasonal depression.

If you've never been, Kickin' Inn offers an all-inclusive experience where guests forgo knives and forks and get their hands nasty with bags filled of shrimps, mud crab, pipis, and shellfish using only the tools that Lord has given you.

The restaurant boasts five flavor-packed secret formulas for its Cajun-inspired house sauces, which it refers to as "Kajun." These sauces are more than just filler.

There are battered squid tentacles ($19), jalapeo cheese nibbles ($19), freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters ($18-28), and wings ($29) if you want to get your meal off to a fast start. After that, you'll need to decide on a few important things.

A selection of ocean-fresh main courses are available, including whole crayfish ($48), pounds of peeled prawns ($29–39), a heap of young octopus ($29), blue swimmer pieces ($32), and mussels and pipis ($94). Select a contrasting sauce, add some extras like corn or chorizo, and then turn the heat as high as you were to while not forgetting that the "inferno" setting is only half an inch the scale.

More solo-friendly lunch options are available on a different menu, including prawn spaghetti ($24) and a small seafood mixed bag served with rice ($24).

Marko

The indisputable heroes at the southside's newest informal cafe, positioned just on the border of the South Melbourne Market, are vegetables. Marko is taking it carefully, embracing an old-school cooking philosophy and serving customers a lively plant-based menu.

From the classic Marko cheeseburger stacked with coconut cheese and a plant-based patty to the spicy cauliflower number with jalapenos and chipotle mayo, diners may choose from a menu of burgers ranging from $12 to $15, all with gluten-free alternatives.

Pitas ($13-14) from Brunswick's Alaska Bakery are also available, packed with green pea falafel or roasted mushrooms with quinoa tabbouleh and tahini sauce.

Marko also offers a variety of colourful veggie bowls ($13-15), as well as sides like as chilli-topped corn ribs ($8) and crispy chips finished with your choice of house flavour. You may even make a meal out of it by selecting one of three 'feed me' options, which include a burger or pita with chips, dip, and a Capi cola ($23-26).

Expect a rotating selection of craft beers, natural wines, and cocktails, both boozy and non-alcoholic, as well as caffeinated alternatives shuttled down from local coffee shop Clement.

As an added plus, there is an environmental consciousness that extends beyond the meat-free menu. Marko employs only recyclable packaging, has a one-of-a-kind system for recycling food waste, and partially powers its kitchen with renewable energy.

Pasta Poetry

As Melbourne's winter temperatures drop, so do people's cravings for pleasant foods. Large bowls of freshly made, saucy pasta prepared to Nonna's preferences. Fairfield's recently released Pasta Poetry is a new culinary saviour if you don't have the skills (or time) to perfect your own at-home pasta creation game.

Egg tagliatelle, tortelloni tondo filled with spinach and regional ricotta, and cappelletti stuffed with extremely long slow cooked ox cheek are a few of the expertly prepared dishes.

There are numerous gluten-free and vegan options available, such as saffron pumpkin ravioli and chickpea and tapioca gnocchi. A buttery white wine sauce, a creamy parmesan zabaglione, and a classic ragu cooked slowly in the Bologna fashion are among the sauces available.

The helpful staff will help you mix and match your way to fresh pasta evening altitudes if you become daunted by the options. Additionally offered in-store are a few varieties of primed lasagne, homemade garlic bread, and a conventional duo tiramisu. Additionally, there is a nice selection of pasta toppings, including cheeses, herbs, and wine.

For the summer 2021–2022 season, Pasta Poetry also unveiled its brand-new outdoor courtyard, where customers can unwind with antipasto platters, fresh baked pasta dishes, and summer-themed drinks. Additionally, there is a bocce court in the middle for some sociable competition. Throughout the summer, the courtyard is accessible from Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m.

Repeat Offender

Elwood's new all-day tapas bar provides the answer to all your winter desires, with a hearty dose of South American influence, plenty of robust Latin flavours, and a dash of modern Aussie flair. Repeat Offender, a breezy bayside restaurant with a bonus up its sleeve – the entire food menu is gluten-free, has opened in a dynamic indoor-outdoor venue on Ormond Road.

Small snacks and coffees are served on the terrace seating overlooking Elsternwick Park during the day. And for supper, you're in for a feast of vibrant dishes, beginning with tapas-style barramundi tacos ($8), yellowfin tuna ceviche tostadas ($15), and crisp patatas bravas paired with soy aioli and a chilli salsa ($12). Queensland king prawns ($26) are topped with garlic, guajillo chilli, and micro herbs, while Sydney rock oysters ($4) are served with a vivid coriander foam.

Heartier appetites might expect platters like a wild-caught kangaroo with pasilla chilli salsa ($26) or free-range chicken coupled with cardamom sweet potato purée and a Peruvian spicy adobo sauce ($24). And, yes, none of it contains gluten.

Repeat Offender's drinks offering is every bit as energetic, pouring a solid array of wines from Australia, France and Spain, plus an expanded selection of agave spirits and other Latin American drops.

You'll find an Aussie-led handful of crisp beers and a powerful array of drinks heroing rum and tequila. Treat yourself to a South American vacation with a tequila, Rinquinquin peach aperitif, Campari and dried peach Negroni ($22) or a frozen margarita with optional chilli ($16).

Vesper

Have you been itching to take a trip to a different part of the globe in search of the sun for a year now? At South Yarra bar and cafe Vesper, you can have a surprisingly convincing pretend session even though you may not be able to yet enjoy the real thing.

Since it opened its doors in late January 2021, this restaurant has been escorting patrons to the dazzling islands of the Mediterranean thanks to a seafood-Harvey menu laced with a variety of regional flavours.

At Vesper, Melburnians will be welcomed by a warm and lively front dining area with rich brown wooden benches, reflected accents, and lovely floral walls. The hidden dining and bar room, complete with an adjoining lush garden, invites pre- and post-dinner cocktails, but it is hidden beyond.

With a few discreet sips from the small, quintessential cocktail menu that includes a few quick glugs and a tribute to the vesper martini created with Four Pillars olive leaf liqueur, you can get away from the crowds in the venue's back area. Along with a variety of regional and Mediterranean beers, the refrigerator also contains a selection of upmarket wines from Australia and Europe.

Le Bajo Milkbar

The founder and owner of Le Bajo developed a love of Australian tradition over years of frequent trips between Melbourne and Jakarta. Before the epidemic hit, he was about to start his next endeavour after effectively co-running Bali's renowned Potato Head Beach Club.

Gunawan asked Kantaro Okada, the owner of 279, to open Le Bajo with him while enlisting the help of northside fellow peers in the hospitality. He  "I had no choice but to collaborate with Kan, a veteran of the business for many years, since I was compelled to stay in Melbourne. Due to our shared appreciation for Japanese cuisine and culture, we talked about our options and decided to construct a sand bar, as Gunawan said.

The team started acquiring vintage homestead and super market furniture in Melbourne's stage-four lockdown of 2020 after coming up with an idea. Repurposed items included glass cabinets, cupboards, chairs, and countertops made of wood. Gunawan envisioned Le Bajo as a place to commemorate Australiana and was inspired by the country's vanishing milk bars.

Bio by DOC

The DOC Group, which operates a network of well-known Italian restaurants, mozzarella bars, and delis, has a solid reputation for a number of things. This includes DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar in Carlton and Sydney as well as DOC Espresso in Carlton.

This includes its renowned pizzas and premium salumi selection, however in the team's most latest change, which is a new vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free restaurant—those classics are taking a place with respect.

The Town Mouse's former Carlton location has been begun taking over by Bio by DOC, and longtime partners Studio Strom have updated it. Take into account the handcrafted furniture made in the area, the fresh green bar, the verdant back patio, and the vibrant neon splashes.

A $15 vegan-friendly tartare of grilled vegetables is topped with capers, mustard, and truffle sauce. Mini eggplant parmigiana ($12) is served with burrata and a black cabbage pesto.

Your cravings for pasta will be satisfied by dishes like the charcoal spaghetti ($26), a beetroot casarecce with mushrooms and truffle sauce ($31), and a vegan lasagne made with spinach pasta sheets, lentil ragu, and bechamel ($27).

The dessert menu offers even more plant-based excitement with items like sweet potato pancakes with popcorn ice cream ($16) and a traditional tiramisu reimagined with cashew cream ($14).

Three Blue Ducks Melbourne

With five perpetual locations in Brisbane, Byron Bay, Snowy Mountains, and Sydney and a reputation for agricultural cuisine, Three Blue Ducks is getting ready to introduce its healthily meals to Australia's first water sports playground.

In a 350-seat indoor-outdoor space with a view of Urbnsurf's sparkling lagoon, the team is serving a whole menu made up of straightforward dishes and top-notch regional ingredients. The breakfast menu is sure to please, regardless of wether you are there for the meals or have just finished a morning shift.

A bacon and chilli jam breakfast roll costs $16 and comes with slaw and mayo. A harissa-glazed pumpkin costs $20 and comes with sauerkraut and turmeric cashew cream. A spanner crab scramble costs $25 and comes with bean shoot salad and house-made Sriracha.

In the evening, you could enjoy shareable appetisers like kingfish ceviche ($24) and crumbed pulled pork ($21) with pickled onion purée, as well as colourful pizzas ($22–26), a daily-changing vegetarian pasta ($25), and main dishes like Portuguese-style rotisserie chicken ($33) and a bone-in porterhouse ($55) with bagna cauda (an Italian garlic and anchovy sauce).

Carrots with burnt honey and ricotta saladta are examples of sides that cost between $11 and $13, and a flourless chocolate cake with thick whisky cream is a possible dessert that costs between $15 and $16. Furthermore, vegetarian and gluten-free diners will always have plenty of options.

The Commons at Ormond Collective

Newly arrived aspirant The Belgian Beer Cafe Bluestone's former St. Kilda Road location has indeed been conquered by The Commons at Ormond Collective.

This versatile, primarily outdoor venue was most recently launched by The Big Group, which also manages a number of banquet halls, such as the Glasshouse in Olympic Park and the Myer Mural Hall. The Conservatory, The Kitchen Garden, The Garden Cafe, and The Beer Garden are just a few of the numerous outdoor areas at The Commons that feature a variety of themes designed to appeal to a wide audience.

Gingham and flower prints, vivid streaks, flower arrangements, and wicker are all expected, and there will be plenty of European-style cafe chairs and picnic areas to set the scene. There are also lily pad chairs that are 1.5 metres apart and various hand sanitizer stations to keep up with the times.

The culinary options will vary slightly depending on the various venues. The menu, however, focuses on traditional flavours, regional fruit, and a range of freshly harvested goods from the on-site kitchen garden. A spring salad with seared salmon costs $24, a crisp flatbread with slow cooked artichokes, greens, mozzarella, and edible flowers costs $22, and a traditional chicken sandwich with lemon mayo and shredded broccoli costs $15.

Conclusion

There are a plethora of Australian restaurants and cafés in Melbourne. Nomad Melbourne is the new location of Sydney's beloved Mediterranean eatery Nomad. The Adelphi Hotel's owners, Rebecca and Al Yazbek, have converted the lower floor into Nomad's new 100-seater southern incarnation. Best Australian Restaurants And Cafes is a list of Melbourne's most popular eateries and cafes. Industry Beans coffee roastery and cafe will close on Sunday, May 30.

A new location is set to open in July at 70-76 Westgarth Street, Fitzroy. Kickin'Inn Port Melbourne It immediately became a cornerstone of Australia's coffee scene, expanding to six locations spanning Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. Marko is Melbourne's newest informal cafe, located just on the border of the South Melbourne Market. As Melbourne's winter temperatures drop, so do people's cravings for pleasant foods. At Repeat Offender, you'll find an Aussie-led handful of crisp beers and a powerful array of drinks heroing rum and tequila.

Le Bajo Milkbar has been escorting patrons to the dazzling islands of the Mediterranean thanks to a seafood-Harvey menu laced with a variety of regional flavours. The founder and owner of Le Bajo developed a love of Australian tradition over years of frequent trips between Melbourne and Jakarta. Three Blue Ducks Melbourne is getting ready to introduce its healthily meals to Australia's first water sports playground.

Content Summary

• The restaurant boasts five flavor-packed secret formulas for its Cajun-inspired house sauces, which it refers to as "Kajun."
• For the summer 2021–2022 season, Pasta Poetry also unveiled its brand-new outdoor courtyard, where customers can unwind with antipasto platters, fresh baked pasta dishes, and summer-themed drinks.
• The Commons at Ormond CollectiveNewly arrived aspirant The Belgian Beer Cafe Bluestone's former St. Kilda Road location has indeed been conquered by The Commons at Ormond Collective.
• The Conservatory, The Kitchen Garden, The Garden Cafe, and The Beer Garden are just a few of the numerous outdoor areas at The Commons that feature a variety of themes designed to appeal to a wide audience.
• This directory is intended to assist you in locating the top Australian eateries and cafés in Melbourne.