84 Best Restaurants in Victoria, Australia

Past the yoga rooms and juice bars, Acland Street's timeless drawcard is its old-school cake shops, and Monarch has been doling out its creamy glories since 1934. Fresh cakes and slices are displayed behind glass windows that lure the crowds, before being packed carefully in boxes to go, for an instant picnic treat. Most recipes give an indication of the founders' Eastern European origins: make the difficult choice from its array of Polish baked cheesecakes, chocolate kooglhoupf, strudels and the ubiquitous custard vanilla slice.

As the name suggests, this popular Spanish tapas restaurant is next door to something—in this case the grown-up parent restaurant called MoVida. This is the casual little sister for those wanting a quick refuelling of sherry and seafood. Dishes range from tapas (from A$4.80 to A$8.50), like crispy friend croquette with zucchini and manchego, to racion (bigger plates ranging from A$19 to A$34). Finish off with churros con chocolate (Spanish fried dough served with a hot, thick chocolate drink). Beloved by Melburnians, book ahead. For a bigger meal, book a table at MoVida next door. Both eateries are owned by Spanish chef Frank Camorra, an innovator in the Melbourne dining scene.

A real local's café, you'll find families and their pets mingling, with good coffee, an array of tasty brunch dishes including zucchini fritters with grilled haloumi, brekkie rolls (bacon and eggs), tacos, and steak sandwiches.

Enter this whitewashed stone hotel to find its café serving breakfast from 7 am, as well as lunch and dinner. The Oak & Anchor might have been around since 1857, but the food is fresh and light---try the quinoa porridge for breakfast or the Australian king prawns with sourdough for lunch. For a snack on the go, order a toastie stuffed with pesto and two cheeses, or a BLT. There are also six sunny little suites upstairs, if you can't drag yourself away.

Self-billed as Australia's Greatest Pie Shop, Parkers really are that good. Not just your average pie, here's your chance to try a kangaroo pie—with mushrooms and caramelized onion—or perhaps an emu or buffalo pie, when in stock. Otherwise, their classic steak pies all get top marks: try the Rutherglen Red, chunks of beef slowly cooked in a mushroom, bacon and red wine sauce. Vegetarians aren't forgotten, with a veg pie with sweet chili and cheese sauce.

With one of Melbourne's first espresso machines installed here in 1954, it was the beginning the city's love affair with both Italian coffee and Pellegrini's. Take a stool at the bar or the table in the kitchen and choose from such classics as lasagna or cannelloni—servings are fast and vast—then let the staff talk you into a slab of strudel to finish.

A Rutherglen favorite for over 20 years, expect robust, flavorsome Aus-European dishes that include pâtes, terrines, confit duck, and hearty vegetarian tagines. Each menu item is matched with a local wine---a handy way to taste your way around the region, without having to drive. The brunch menu has a lavish way about itself, with truffled scrambled eggs, Bloody Marys and locally produced sparkling wines alongside coffee roasted in the High Country. Afterward, shop its range of bottled relishes, pickles, and Gooramadda olives for a gourmet picnic. Pickled Sisters also runs well-regarded cooking classes.

All the baked goods in this popular café began from Victorian biodynamic wheat flour that's milled here in the bakery. Proserpina bakes its breads daily, including the popular pane di'casa wheat bread and the sprouted grain spelt and rye. Stock up on Parmesan quiches or croissants stuffed with smoked ham and Gruyere cheese, or sit down for a lunch of fresh or hot pressed sandwiches with such stuffings as grilled eggplant or prosciutto. Finish with an organic, fairtrade coffee, quality tea or a glass of local wine, beer or cider. Vegan and vegetarian options are available.

This popular café-restaurant, right in the heart of Olinda, buzzes all day and is the perfect place for a snack or meal after browsing the adjacent curio shops or gardens. It's open daily for breakfast, lunch, and morning and afternoon tea. Lunchtime fare includes an Asian-style salt and pepper calamari salad and a daily homemade savory pie.

A bright restaurant and café, the real reason to pop in is Reed & Co's artisanal gin, The Remedy—employing such Australian botanicals as eucalyptus and pine—for a quality afternoon G&T or gin cocktail at its bar. The craft gin, created by two former chefs, is complemented by Koji Bird, barbecue chicken served with kimchi, pickles, and smoked mayo.

Opened by iconic Australian cook Stephanie Alexander, this bright and buzzy café–cum–produce store is a local mainstay. The bistro fare brims with wonderful flavors, from house-made dips and charcuterie boards to seasonal salads, seafood, and burgers. Desserts are mouthwateringly simple and impossible to resist. It's so popular you might have to wait briefly if you haven't booked a table. After you've eaten, pick up some marvelous cheese and country-style bread from the adjoining cheese room and grocery.

This café’s Portuguese tarts, which are made in-house, have a dedicated following amongst Lorne’s café society. If you miss out, console yourself with a bag of loukoumades (Greek doughnuts), while those with a savory tooth will appreciate the fresh sourdough loaves by renowned Irrewarra bakery, and this modern Greek café's classic spanakopita.

This bar-restaurant occupies a heritage-listed four-story building that has housed an undergarment manufacturer, a 1900s sweatshop, a brothel, and even a Buddhist temple (but not at the same time). Tasty Asian dishes, in small, medium, and large portions, are designed to be shared. Everything is served in an atmospheric brick-walled first-floor dining area decorated with swaths of fabric and sewing machines; the wine selection is stored in battered metal luggage lockers.

Coffee aficionados make a beeline for here for house-roasted coffee and sensational pastries: the café caters to early birds, opening at 7 am.

Housed in an old weather-beaten barn that has been beautifully restored, Stones of the Yarra Valley is set amid vines and apple orchards and surrounded by century-old oak trees with views of the Yarra Ranges. The Barn is a great place for weekend lunches (Saturday serves two courses for A$60 or three for A$75, Sunday's La Famiglia share table costs $85), and the historic Stables restaurant also serves weekend lunch and chef's shared plates tasting dinner on Friday and Saturday (lunch A$70, dinner A$100). The café next door, Meletos, services lunch and dinner daily from 11 am until 7 pm and also has a 23-room Tuscan-inspired guesthouse in a former farm building (from A$340 per night).

Stones' latest venture is No. 7 Healesville, a new urban winery, restaurant, and cellar door in Healesville. Drop in for a tasting, coffee or snack, Thursday--Sunday. www.no7healesville.com

Chef Andrew McConnell’s dominance of the Melbourne food scene cannot be ignored: besides this playful Pan-Asian restaurant, his stable includes glossy late-night European restaurant Gimlet on nearby Russell Street, the formal Cutler & Co in Fitzroy, and Cumulus Inc., beloved by the breakfast crowd. Fight off the competition for a seat at Supernormal’s bar and eat your way through Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, and Hong Kong: share plates of bao, dumplings, and the raw kingfish; McConnell’s New England lobster rolls have a cult following.

Occupying an innovative steel-and-glass space above Federation Square, Taxi boasts both extraordinary food and spectacular views over Melbourne. East meets West on a Modern Australian menu that combines Japanese flavors—tempura prawn tails with yuzu and nori salt—with such European-inspired fare as slow-roasted lamb shoulder with root vegetables. There is also an impressive list of new- and old-world wines and a short cheese menu to stretch out the afternoon. To taste some of Australia's best craft beers, have an aperitif at the Transport Bar on the ground floor. Its four-course tasting menu costs A$65, six courses costs A$85, wine matching available.

This former industrial building now houses a pizzeria that serves top-notch wood-fired pizzas in a big dining room with long timber tables, wooden beams, and exposed brick walls. The pizzas are excellent, with light crusts and tasty toppings; try the Volcano (hot salami, chili pepper, Gorgonzola, feta, olives, and anchovies) for an entrée with a zing. An unusual appetizer is the Oliver Twist, a stack of baked pizza strips bearing olives, chili pepper, and Victorian goat's cheese.

There's a Gallic devil-may-care attitude to brunch in these former stables, with Bloody Marys and Mumm champagne listed beside the granola and eggs on sourdough. Or you could try matching its cocktails—espresso martinis or a Pimms with the French toast and croque fromage. Highlights include the lemonade scones with Chantilly cream and the Wagyu beef cheeseburger. Follow with a walk around the gardens of Como House, built in 1847. Picnic lovers note that The Stables also prepares picnics for lawn lounging.

Load the brunch table with French toast, waffles, breakfast wraps, and a big fry at this too-cute weatherboard café on Echuca's main street. The café serves all plant-based foods, from its milky coffees to its sweet smoothie bowls and refined sugar-free slices. Fresh, cold-pressed juices, coffee and superfood peanut-butter lattes round out the drinks side of the menu, which is guided by principles of sustainability and veganism.

“High Tea by the High Sea" is the reason to visit this luscious café, as well as its appetite-stimulating Southern Ocean view. Take a seat on a high-backed chair and indulge in three tiers of savory tarts, finger sandwiches, brownies, filled meringues, and more, including tea or coffee. The Grand High Tea (A$79 per person) includes a glass of sparkling rosé. Serving only on weekends from midday until 4 pm, it's a good idea to book ahead.

A relaxed main street eatery with a spacious sundeck and friendly staff, open for breakfast from 6 am, there are daily fish and soup specials, and Devonshire teas with fresh scones. Waves also has self-contained rooms including some with spa baths.

Another addition to the city's gastropubs, this fully renovated historic building is a pleasant walk from bustling Southbank. The menu concentrates on high-quality aged cuts of steak from rural Victoria and Tasmania (A$32–A$140), but the wood-fired pizza is also popular. There's an impressive local craft beer list, knowledgeable staff, and a comfortable beer garden that round out the awesome experience.