2 Best Restaurants in Melbourne, Victoria

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Melbourne has fabulous food, and is known in some circles as Australia's food capital. The restaurants themselves are often exceptionally stylish and elegant—or totally edgy and funky in their own individual way. Some are even deliberately grungy. The dining scene is a vast array of cuisines and experiences that's constantly evolving. The swankiest (and most expensive) restaurants all have five- to eight-course degustation menus (with the opportunity to wine-match each course), but newer restaurants are opting for tapas-style or grazing plates. Flexibility is the new word in dining—restaurants are often also funky bars and vice versa.

Florentino

$$$$ | City Center Fodor's Choice

Since 1928, dining at Florentino has meant experiencing the pinnacle of Melbourne hospitality. After taking a seat in the famous mural room, with its huge chandeliers, wooden panels, and Florentine murals, you can sample dishes like suckling pig, and duck and porcini tortellini from the à la carte menu. The seven-course tasting menu costs A$210. Downstairs, the Grill focuses on wood-fired dishes including pici (pasta) with wild boar ragu or grass-fed steaks, while in the Cellar Bar, you can start your day with Italian pastries and espresso on the outside tables from 9 am, or finish the night with a glass of wine and pasta of the day.

Rockpool Bar & Grill

$$$$ | City Center Fodor's Choice

Taking inspiration from the steak houses of North America, Rockpool is one of Australia's premier grill restaurants. Start with the whole king prawns hot from the wood-fire grill, and move onto a range of beef cuts that have been aged and butchered in-house, then cooked over fire. Expect deeply knowledgeable staff who can answer your questions on dry aging, Wagyu grades, or why they serve antibiotic-free beef. One of the city's best-kept secrets is the spectacular Wagyu burger on the bar menu. Pair it with one of Rockpool's excellent wines by the glass.