Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Melbourne

OpenTable

Updated 05 January 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Melbourne? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit.

North Port Hotel

4.9

4.9 (248)

$40 and under

Australian

Port Melbourne

About the restaurant

The North Port Hotel is a place for locals and visitors alike, you may choose to head to the front bar for a cold beer or glass of wine and watch the footy, or take a seat in the dining area and order from our ever changing menu, with all the classics you know and love, as well as a great selection of bar snacks and starters, main meals using quality seasonal produce and desserts.

Top review

Matt

Dined on 16 Nov 2024

This place is the perfect venue. Staff amazing and food/booze is top notch. I only wish they had accommodation - you could easily live here!

Shelanous

5.0

5 (102)

$101 and over

Australian

Port Melbourne

About the restaurant

Born from a Melbourne sunset, our pop-up restaurant, Shelanous, evolved into a multi-sensory journey, blending Melbourne’s seasons into each dish. As we transitioned to “Shelanous”, we retained the essence of sharing, embodied in “nous,” meaning “our” or “us” in Hebrew and French.

Top review

Julie

Dined on 23 Dec 2024

I don’t know that you can describe the experience at Shelanous! It was like being Alice in Wonderland, the setting, the music , the staff and the food are like nothing you have ever experienced before. Rony and his team are exceptional and there is such a joy that comes with this whole dining experience that you have to see it to believe it. This has become our top restaurant ever! WOW. Thank you so very much.

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Experience

10 Course Degustation & Matching Beverages Sunday

Experience

10 Course Degustation & Matching Beverages Weekday

QT Kitchen

5.0

5 (20)

$40 and under

Vietnamese

Glen Iris

About the restaurant

National Awards for Excellence Vietnamese Restaurant 2024 & 2022 by Restaurant & Catering Association, A Gold & Silver medal for Restaurants Challenge 2024 & 2023 by Australian Culinary Federation.

Founded in 2017, QT' Kitchen has quickly become an institution in Glen Iris, Ashburton, Camberwell and surrounding suburbs of Melbourne.

The team hopes to please every customer with superb front of house service, a creative, delicious menu and a bustling ambience that is warm & welcoming. Functions are held regularly in the 90 seat space where family and friends come together to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, school friendships and much more.

Bookings are recommended although apart from our busiest times on Friday & Saturday night you can generally find a table in our spacious venue.

We can't wait to serve you.

Top review

EvaVIP

Dined 3 days ago

This is our only go-to Asian restaurant. Not only the ambient, amazing, and warmth. The food are superbly scrumptuous, fresh, and flavoursome!. The drinks are refreshingly fresh and crafted to perfection. The staff are knowledgeable, attentive, friendly, and efficient.

Holy Basil Thai

4.9

4.9 (725)

$41 to $100

Thai

Croydon

About the restaurant

Holy Basil in Croydon Victoria has a very simple vision, to bring wholesome, delicious and exciting food to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Our dream at Holy Basil was to create an exciting diner in the Eastern suburbs where people can relax, come together, have fun and enjoy proper homemade food in a very inclusive environment.
We are proud to deliver 100% vegan and Vegetarian options at Holy Basil, use free-range eggs and source only sustainably caught seafood as well as a range of other exciting meals with 95% of the menu being gluten free.
At Holy Basil we make our own curry pastes, sauces, desserts, chilli jam, and roti.
We happily use gluten free soy and 100% pure fish sauce.
We greatly appreciate your support in choosing to dine at Holy Basil.
Chefs Duncan Robertson and Julia Robertson look forward to seeing you.

Top review

GILL

Dined 2 days ago

Lovely food. Very tasty. Will definitely return now thatcI understand the menu better.

Vatutto Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (55)

$41 to $100

Italian

Ivanhoe

About the restaurant

Vatutto is a family run restaurant, Owners Paul and Myrto Recinella moved from their 16 year Institution at Zios East Melbourne to the Ivanhoe location in 2015. A full renovation was completed recently creating a modern yetelegant atmosphere. Vatutto translates from Italian to ‘Everything goes’ the menu here has a diverse flavour selection from all corners of the earth. Produce here is sourced from premium suppliers, and we use sustainable seafood from Australian or New Zealand waters, Wagyu beef from Gippsland, organic eggs, fruit and vegetables, and quality imported cheese, dairy products and flour. Bread is baked daily and all desserts, pastries and ice cream are all made on the premises using quality ingredients.

Top review

Janette

Dined on 24 Dec 2024

A fabulous dining experience for Christmas Eve lunch with the family. Such great food and service. Definitely will be going back.

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Experience

Mother's Day at Vatutto

10 Greek Plates

4.7

4.7 (12)

$41 to $100

Greek

Brighton

About the restaurant

As a family-owned and operated establishment, we take immense pride in serving you authentic Greek flavours that have been passed down through generations.

Our story began with a passion for preserving our cultural heritage and sharing the rich tapestry of Greek cuisine with our community with ten curated plates encompassing what we believe to be the perfect selection.

Every dish on our menu is a testament to our family's love and dedication to perfecting these recipes over the years.

Whether you indulge in our mouthwatering spanakopita, savor the delicate flavors of our souvlaki, or treat yourself to a piece of baklava crafted with care, you're experiencing a piece of our family's history. Every bite is a journey to the vibrant streets of Greece, where tradition and innovation come together to create an unforgettable dining experience.

Top review

grahame

Dined on 23 Dec 2024

We had a great meal for 6 people - the food was delicious and the service was excellent. Highly recommended

Borsch Vodka & Tears

4.8

4.8 (281)

$40 and under

Polish

Windsor

About the restaurant

Borsch, Vodka and Tears is a Melbourne institution currently celebrating 20 years at the colourful end of Chapel Street. Styled after a Kraków cellar bar, Borsch is a romantic Bohemian enclave, the home of the Green Faery, an ode to a hazy and debauched bygone world. We specialise in Polish vodka, vodka-centric interpretations of classic and modern cocktails, authentic wormwood absinthe, Eastern European beers, contemporary Polish dishes and late night fun times.

Top review

Frances

Dined on 27 Dec 2024

Great traditional polish food. Amazing cocktails. Soft ambiance. Definitely be back.

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Popular dish

Gołąbki Cabbage Rolls

Experience

WÓDKA TASTING TRAY

Bellota Wine Bar

4.9

4.9 (58)

$41 to $100

Wine Bar

South Melbourne

About the restaurant

Nestled next to Australia’s leading independent wine store, the Prince Wine Store, Bellota makes full use of the massive selection on offer from its sister business. The restaurant/wine bar brings to fruition a long-held desire to provide a venue that showcases the great wines of the world in a warm and friendly environment alongside beautifully executed food. Head chef Nicky Riemer champions the kitchen with her European cuisine which offers a sense of provenance and brings back flavours that often get lost in modern cooking techniques.

The casual, friendly atmosphere is at the heart of Bellota. Our knowledgeable staff’s aim is simple; try and help you love the wine as much as they do. Our list changes with the seasons and wines are all available by the taste, glass and carafe (half bottle), reflecting our belief that good and interesting wines are made all over the globe. We also offer a small selection of iconic wines, poured by the taste utilising the Coravin wine access system.

Top review

Jayson

Dined on 20 Dec 2024

Food was amazing and reasonably priced. Possibly the best beef carpaccio I’ve ever eaten. The blue swimmer crab spaghettini was also very nice

Vue de monde

4.9

4.9 (1855)

$101 and over

Modern Australian

Melbourne CBD

About the restaurant

Vue de monde is a testament to the belief that dining can be a wondrous and unforgettable experience. The ever-changing chef’s menu pays homage to classical fine dining in a modern context by exploring the beauty of native Australian ingredients. While in the past the menu looked to Europe for inspiration, Executive Chef Hugh Allen continues to celebrate the unparalleled quality of home-grown produce with thoughtfully considered dishes committed to seasonality and locality.

Vue de monde has been synonymous with Melbourne dining for almost 20 years, continuing to present an exciting and dynamic experience with a progression of flavours and sense of curiosity. The whimsical spirit at the heart of the Vue de monde menu has not been lost throughout the years, with the lighter-handed and more natural approach to cooking being no less infused with theatre.

Top review

AleksanderVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Dining for a special occasion was just perfect here - very highly recommended

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Experience

Valentine's Day at Vue de monde 2025

Mahjong Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (43)

$41 to $100

Chinese

St Kilda

About the restaurant

For nearly 15 years, Mahjong has been serving up authentic Cantonese Chinese flavours from the iconic tree-lined Fitzroy street St Kilda restaurant precinct.

Top review

Louise

Dined on 28 Nov 2024

Love Mahjong. Love the food and the staff are excellent.

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Experience

Bring it on

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