Despite spending only two days in Melbourne, it’s very quickly making its way to the top of my favorite cities list! Want to know why? Check out my Melbourne sightseeing blogs below. But honestly, it’s really because of the food – so you’re definitely on the right blog post!

• What to see and do in Melbourne
• Day trips from Melbourne (Great Ocean Road, Brighton Houses, St Kilda)
• Great Ocean Road Tour experience

Ohlala, the food scene in Melbourne is incredible (perhaps even better than Sydney!!!) Unfortunately, I only had 2 days in Melbourne – hence the relatively short list below. But you’ll see I made the most of it – and let me tell you, the food was AMAZE-BALLS!!!! So without further ado, let’s go!

Table of Contents

MELBOURNE-SPECIFIC

• Supernormal
• The Meatball and Wine Bar
• Fancy Hanks
• Captain Melville
• Operator 25

CHEAP EATS

• Shan Dong Mama
• Don Don

COFFEE

• Cento Mani Café
• Degraves Street

MELBOURNE-SPECIFIC EATS

Supernormal

Location: 180 Flinders Lane

Supernormal offers an eclectic mix of Asian inspired dishes and drinks, all with a story to tell – and boy are the servers happy to share! I absolutely enjoyed my meal here, and it served as the perfect welcome to the city!

Food of the day: Mushroom, yuzokosho & silken tofu; Prawn and chicken dumpling; New England lobster roll

The Meatball and Wine Bar

Location: 135 Flinders Lane

Who knew you could make meatballs interesting? Check this place out, and find out just how interesting meatballs can be 😉

Food of the day: Game of Thrones themed meatballs (wild boar feed and pork balls on winter mash, in veal jus + lamb rib on top)

Fancy Hanks

Location: Level 1, 79 Bourke Street

Touted for its amazing American-style BBQ, I didn’t really get how the food was American-style – certainly didn’t taste like the American BBQ I’m used to during my trips to the States. Regardless, Fancy Hanks is a must-try, as the meats here are just so ridiculously good!

Food of the day: Maple Glazed Pork Belly

Captain Melville

Location: 34 Franklin Street

Captain Melville’s said to be the oldest restaurant in the city (or at least, the oldest public house). Overall, the ambiance is nice – very rustic and pub-like. The food’s pretty decent also given the price, but it’s their beer selection that REALLY stands out

Food for the day: Captain Melville burger, BEER BEER BEER (choose your poison of choise!)

Operator 25

Location: 25 Wills Street

To be honest, Operator 25 would definitely NOT make it to my top 10 list of restaurants to check out in Melbourne. Why is it here then? Well it’s one of the up and coming quintessential brunch cafes Melbourne (and Sydney in general) are famous for! They serve very beautiful brunch food and specialty coffee that’s crazy Instagrammable, and have amazing ambiance! Perfect place to chillax with friends 😉

Food of the day: Teriyaki salmon (surprisingly good – salmon was cooked really well, and I loved the poached egg), Ube waffles (get this for the IG, less for the taste – which was interesting but not necessarily in a good way)

CHEAP EATS

Shan Dong MaMa

Location: Mid City Arcade, Shop 7; 200 Bourke Street

Tucked away in an alley arcade in Chinatown is this hidden gem. Brought here by my dumpling cravings (I know I know, why dumplings in Melbourne??), the Shandong style mackerel dumplings you can enjoy here are different from what I’m used to but oh so delicious! Note that the restaurant serves traditional recipes from the fishing town of Yantai on the Chinese Shandong Peninsula (it never fails to amaze me how big China is…)

Food of the day: Shandong style mackerel dumplings (fresh mackerel fillet mixed by hand with coriander, ginger and chives into a mousse-textured filling, wrapped in homemade dumpling skin)

Don Don

Location: 5 Bank Street

I would argue that Don Don is probably the best value for money meal I had in Melbourne! Most dishes cost <$10 and serving size is huge! This is a go-to dining place for both students and office workers alike, and I can definitely see why!

You know what’s even more impressive? Despite the fact that Don Don’s pretty busy, the waiting time is ridiculously short! You order, and within the next ~2 minutes, the food is in your hands! In fact, the food came out BEFORE I paid, because I was struggling to find the right change LOL.

NOTE: Don Don only accepts cash, so be prepared

Food of the day: Chicken katsu curry; everything else

COFFEE

Cento Mani Cafe

Location: 2/140 Flinders Street

I’m not a coffee fan, but Cento Mani’s flat white might convert me into one! Don’t take my word for it – check it out and let me know if it’s as good as I think it is!

Drink for the day: Flat white

Degraves Street

Another area that you should definitely check out is Degraves Street – which I feel is the best place to really understand what makes Melbourne Melbourne – bask in the sun, sip some coffee, laugh with friends, all while you listen to amazingly talented buskers

Tip: Check out Organic Food and Wine Deli while there!

And that completes my Melbourne food round-up! Let me know if you enjoy the food as much as I did! 😉

MELBOURNE BLOGS

• What to see and do when in Melbourne
• Eating my way through Melbourne – top picks!
• Day trips from Melbourne (Great Ocean Road, Brighton Houses, St Kilda)
• Great Ocean Road tour experience

DETAILED SYDNEY 6-DAY ITINERARY

• Tips and tricks to enjoy a family trip to Sydney
• Day 1: Airport + Hotel and supermarket + The Rocks Tour
• Day 2: Taronga Zoo + Manly Beach + Golden Century dinner
• Day 3: City Tour + Fish Market + Paddy’s Market + Darling Harbor
• Day 4: Blue Mountain + Leura Village
• Day 5: Opera House + Rocks Market + Australian Heritage Hotel
• Day 6: Bronte to Bondi Coastal Walk + Watson’s Bay + Harbor Bridge + Luna Park

OTHER SYDNEY BLOGS

• Eating my way through Sydney – top picks!
• Best nature trails and areas in Sydney – my top picks!
• Events to catch in Sydney – my top picks!
• My experience skydiving with Sydney Skydivers