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Best Comfort Food Restaurants in Essendon

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19 restaurants available nearby

A photo of Regale restaurant
1. Regale
4.7
Exceptional(20)
Price: Expensive
• Comfort Food • Carlton
Booked 8 times today
Hello, Carlton! Your new favorite Restaurant and Basement Bar is about to light up the neighborhood, just steps away from Melbourne CBD.With a focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, Regale's menu showcases a curated selection of innovative dishes, from indulgent small plates to signature mains that celebrate Asian flavors with a modern Australian flair.Downstairs, Bar Galer offers an inviting blend of contemporary elegance and casual sophistication, perfect for unwinding with friends or catching up over a few drinks.
A photo of Lulu's Social Space restaurant
2. Lulu's Social Space
4.8
Exceptional(17)
Price: Moderate
• Comfort Food • Ascot Vale
Booked 3 times today
A great range of cocktails, beer, wine & mocktails.Delicious simple food with a fresh approach.Shared plates.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great family options.🔥Cosy courtyard. 🍸 Cocktails🍔 Comfort Food🌱 Cosy undercover Courtyard🙌 Private functions🥂 Great Wine List🍺 Beer on Tap🐶 Dog friendly dining🍖 Onsite smoker cooking ribs and tacos🪑 High Top dining in Parklet🚃 57 Tram stop within 50m🍻 Beer Garden🕵️ Private Events🚗 Streetside Footpath Dining👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fresh & tasty Share plates❌ Gluten Friendly options🙌 Run by Ascot Vale locals for Ascot Vale locals
A photo of Barklys kitchen Brunswick restaurant
3. Barklys kitchen Brunswick
4.4
Awesome(199)
Price: Moderate
• Italian • Brunswick
Booked 24 times today
Barklys Kitchen is an modern Italian restaurant dedicated to bringing to you the best of Italian delicacies right here . Located at 63 Sydney Road, Brunswick, we bring to you the best pizzas and pasta in Brunswick made from local and fresh ingredients, crafted with love and passion. Italian cuisine is one of the most loved and tasty cuisines in the world with a host of mind-blowing dishes and preparations.At Barkly's Kitchen, we bring a little piece of Italy right onto your plates or even your doorstep if you require that. A serene ambiance to have some great food and drinks, we invite you to indulge in a hearty Italian feast that you will remember for quite some time to come. We offer takeaway and deliveries as well and you can book tables to avoid waiting in queues on our website or by calling.
A photo of Donnini's restaurant
4. Donnini's
4.6
Exceptional(646)
Price: Expensive
• Italian • Carlton
Booked 11 times today
Donnini's is a generational Italian eatery with a sincere focus on handmade pasta, real food, generous hospitality & well sourced wines.Family owned and operated DONNINI'S relaxed atmosphere and honest approach to traditional cooking provides the perfect environment for family get-togethers, intimate dinners and business lunches alike.
A photo of Sleepy's cafe and wine bar restaurant
5. Sleepy's cafe and wine bar
4.7
Exceptional(14)
Price: Expensive
• Chinese • Carlton North
Booked 6 times today
Good FoodGood CoffeeGood WineGood PeopleCafe by day, wine bar by night. Sleepys is your local caffeine dealer, funky wine sommelier, comfort food hotspot and third place. Come say hi at 787 Nicholson St, Carlton North.
A photo of Cugini's Fitzroy restaurant
6. Cugini's Fitzroy
4.7
Exceptional(4)
Price: Expensive
• Italian • Fitzroy
At Cugini’s, we bring you an authentic taste of Italian comfort food, influenced by the rich culinary traditions of Aeolian and Venetian regions. Our menu features signature dishes like Pasta Alla Norma and Pasta Pescatore, crafted with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. We pride ourselves on our wood-fired pizzas, including the classic Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes and creamy fior di latte, as well as hearty dishes like ossobucco and handmade agnolotti.Cugini’s offers a welcoming atmosphere for all, whether you’re enjoying a casual meal with family or an evening with friends. Our cocktail menu, including refreshing spritzes, complements our dishes perfectly. Located in Fitzroy, Cugini’s is your go-to spot for traditional Italian meals, just like Nonna used to make.
A photo of Carwyn Cellars restaurant
7. Carwyn Cellars
4.7
Exceptional(1)
Price: Moderate
• Pub • Thornbury
Booked 4 times today
Carwyn Cellars is an independent bar and bottleshop proudly supporting small producers of wine, spirits and craft beer across 32 taps since 2007. Make a day of it with our newly added kitchen 'CARWYN TUCK SHOP', serving your favourite hot and tasty classics from the beer garden every Wednesday - Saturday. Bookings are allowed outside of food service hours, so please pay attention to Tuck Shop hours if you are looking for a feed!Tuck Shop Hours:Wed & Thurs: 4pm-8pmFri/Sat: 12-9pmSunday: 12pm-6pm Walk-ins only for groups smaller than 3. Please contact bookings@carwyncellars.com.au for groups larger than 12, special requests or function enquiries.
A photo of Fieste European Dining restaurant
8. Fieste European Dining
5.0
Exceptional(1)
Price: Moderate
• European • Tullamarine
Since opening in 2000 Fieste has been serving European cuisine with a family touch, 3rd generation European restaurateur, 364 days a year. We believe in the hands on approach; so much so that you can find owner Roberto Giuseppe Panuccio Hernandez spinning dough in the kitchen or front of house every day of the week. Not only is there a wide ranging menu and friendly staff but both locations also have private function spaces available to book. Fieste has something for everyone. If you are looking for simple comfort food our gnocchi with Napoli sauce is hard to beat, but if you want to crank it up a notch then try our Rib Eye steak with a selection of seasonal sauces.
A photo of French Saloon restaurant
9. French Saloon
4.8
Exceptional(363)
Price: Expensive
• French • Melbourne CBD
Booked 7 times today
Climb the narrow flight of stairs up from the red brick lane to enter the saloon. A table in the bustling dining room? Or a seat at the fluted zinc bar? Whether it’s a lunch, dinner or well crafted cocktails with a snack, bookings are essential.
A photo of Kafeneion at the Melbourne Supper Club restaurant
10. Kafeneion at the Melbourne Supper Club
4.5
Awesome(145)
Price: Expensive
• Greek • Melbourne CBD
Booked 26 times today
Melbourne's favourite spot is joining forces with the city's hottest Greek restaurant! Brace yourself for a culinary love affair that merges the best of Melbourne's charm with the rich flavours of traditional Greek cuisine.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you
From verified diners like you
  • Neil
    Melbourne •1 review
    5.0
    Dined today
    Booked a table for two with my wife to have a quiet dinner and drink. Cal and his team did not disappoint. A nice little snack for dinner a couple of ice-cold bevvies on a Thursday evening was perfect. We have enjoyed this local gem since opening and it never lets us down, good, honest food, cold drinks, great atmosphere and exceptional service. Lulu's has very easily become our local and regular for an easy dinner out. If you have not had the good fortune to experience the hospitality of Cal and his team, do yourself a favor and make a booking. BTW, try the Mango Sour (as recommended last night by Cal) it certainly hit the spot :)
    More info
    Lulu's Social SpacePrice: Moderate• Comfort Food• Ascot Vale
    •
    4.8
  • OpenTable Diner
    Sydney •1 review
    5.0
    Dined on 28 Feb 2025
    This is the best Italian in Melbourne, heck, Australia! Non pretentious , Service is Group 1 The food is nothing short of of biblical. Epic foccacia Best Arancini I’ve ever had Spinach & ricotta tortelli is the stuff of gods. Panna cotta for dessert was nothing short of silk. Just do yourself a favour and go here.
    More info
    Donnini'sPrice: Expensive• Italian• Carlton
    •
    4.6
  • Mbūgua
    Melbourne •2 reviews
    5.0
    Dined on 22 Feb 2025
    One of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne, Sleepys effortlessly balances all the best parts of your casual local and the fine dining place you book months in advance. The food, the ambience, and the service; Sleepys is a packaged culinary experience, a venue that’ll have you leave with both your heart and your stomach full.
    More info
    Sleepy's cafe and wine barPrice: Expensive• Chinese• Carlton North
    •
    4.7
  • Kayla
    Melbourne •1 review
    5.0
    Dined on 21 Feb 2025
    The BBQ pork rib and matcha tiramisu are must-try!
    More info
    RegalePrice: Expensive• Comfort Food• Carlton
    •
    4.7
  • Shantelle
    Melbourne •1 review
    5.0
    Dined on 13 Dec 2024
    It was well worth the trip meal was big couldn't finish it all everything was amazing
    More info
    Barklys kitchen BrunswickPrice: Moderate• Italian• Brunswick
    •
    4.4

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