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4.7
Editor's note
Level 55 Rialto degustation where Australian native ingredients and theatrical kitchen tours define Melbourne's pinnacle dining experience.
Melbourne dinner, sorted, from splurge to weeknight saviour
From Vue de monde degustations to DoDee Paidang's $15 Thai on Swanston, 20 dinner picks across every price point and cuisine.
Level 55 Rialto degustation where Australian native ingredients and theatrical kitchen tours define Melbourne's pinnacle dining experience.
Ben Shewry's three-hat Ripponlea institution turns native Australian ingredients into edible storytelling.
Andrew McConnell's Flinders Lane all-day institution — produce-driven plates and a walk-in bar policy.
Melbourne's benchmark Argentinian grill — charcoal steaks, provoleta and beef tartare in a laneway that buzzes every night.
Flinders Lane's buzzy Asian fusion institution — the lobster roll and open kitchen are Melbourne dining shorthand.
Melbourne's most celebrated Spanish tapas restaurant, anchored on the iconic Hosier Lane.
Melbourne's hatted Little Bourke pasta bar — handmade pasta, marble bar, obsessive technique.
Melbourne's fire-cooked wine bar institution — creative share plates and an eclectic cellar on Russell Street.
Collins Street's buzzy Mexican institution — dim-lit, chilli marg in hand, grilled corn that changes lives.
Melbourne's definitive Peruvian kitchen — pisco sours and charcoal skewers on AC/DC Lane.
Melbourne laneway fine-dining where modern Indian technique and date-night finesse share the same plate.
Swanston's Thai street-food institution — big portions, low prices, queue worth every minute.
Brunswick's beloved Lebanese institution — halal, generous portions, rock-solid value, and kafta that regulars have been returning for 30+ years.
Chapel St teppanyaki where chefs perform, wagyu sizzles, and polaroids mark the occasion.
Melbourne's definitive Cantonese fine dining institution — tableside Peking duck, live seafood, and decades of loyal regulars.
Footscray's warmest Ethiopian table — injera, stews, and a coffee ceremony done right.
Chef Thi Le's Vietnamese-Lao kitchen on Bridge Road — seasonal, fire-driven, quietly unmissable.
Hatted Brunswick East share-plate restaurant blending modern Australian creativity with Southeast Asian and Mediterranean flair.
Melbourne's most lauded kaiseki experience — a hidden basement stage for seasonal Japanese precision.
Southern Thai cooking so faithful to the source that Thai nationals call it home
The Curator is the voice behind the Lowdown, Curateria's read on where Melbourne is eating, drawn from every review we track.