Melbourne Restaurants I Would Happily Go Back To

I’ve tried hundreds of Melbourne restaurants and enjoyed them, but only a handful make it onto my repeat list. I am a chronic “let’s try somewhere new” person, so when I book a place twice (or five times), it means something. These are the Melbourne restaurants that have earned a permanent spot in my rotation.

Melbourne Restaurants Worth Repeating

1. Hopper Joint
Sri Lankan food in Prahran that is loud, colourful and generous. Order a set and you get unlimited hoppers, fluffy coconut sambal, and your choice of curries. They also have string hoppers, soft discs made from thin strands of batter, and the team will tell you it all tastes better eaten with your hands. Every table has an antique brass bell, a nod to Sri Lankan custom, but ring it for no reason, and you may cop a fine.

2. Matilda
Matilda is my pick for a special occasion that still feels relaxed. Everything is cooked over fire, so the whole room smells like a very fancy barbecue. Book ahead, because it is popular for a reason.

3. Thai Tide
Do not come here looking for tom yum or pad thai. The menu is all regional dishes rarely seen outside Thailand, served across two moody, neon-lit dining rooms with a strong list of Australian natural wines. It is the place I go when I want Thai food that actually punches.

4. Rice Paper Scissors
Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Singaporean flavours on one menu, built for eating with your hands. Think mini banh mi, betel leaves, sticky pork belly and a duck salad with banana blossom. It is fun, fast and never feels heavy, which is exactly what I want on a weeknight in the city.

5. Atlas Dining
Atlas is the restaurant that never bores me. The menu travels to a different country every few months, so every visit feels like a new trip without the airport. It is the best excuse to keep going back.

6. Ronin
Ronin is the only omakase in Melbourne I would happily repeat. It is a ten-seat counter on Little Collins Street that started life as a pop-up in Docklands, and it is the opposite of the hushed, serious omakase format. It feels more like a lively house party than a fine dining affair. I will be upfront, though. Nothing beats omakase in Japan. Ronin just gets close enough to make me book again.

7. Bornga
Bornga is my go-to for Korean barbecue, tucked upstairs on Little Bourke St in Chinatown. You choose your meat and settle in, and the beef bulgogi is particularly tasty. My test for any Korean restaurant is the kimchi, and theirs passes with flying colours. The banchan keeps coming, too, with generous side-dish refills. Go early or book ahead, because it gets very busy around 7 pm.

8. Pochana
A Thai spot in the CBD with nostalgic red brick decor and carefully made food. It is my easy, reliable pick when I want Thai without any fuss, and it has never let me down.

9. Dainty Sichuan
Dainty is my benchmark for Sichuan in Melbourne, so much so that it beat a Sichuan restaurant in Amsterdam in my books. Come hungry, bring friends who can handle chilli and order more than you think you need.

10. Nori Maki
If omakase prices make you wince, Nori Maki is the answer. This handroll bar bridges the gap between omakase and everyday sushi, with intimate counter seats and a bill that will not ruin your week. Chef Keisuke Kita was the Head Sushi Chef at Nobu in Melbourne, and he builds his rolls with a higher nori-to-rice ratio to really drive that umami home. Order the torotaku, tuna belly with pickled daikon, and watch the chefs make each roll in front of you. Find it in the newly redeveloped Tivoli Arcade on Bourke Street.

A repeat restaurant is the highest compliment I can give. Trying somewhere new is fun, but going back somewhere you love is comfort, and Melbourne does comfort very well. If you only have time for a few Melbourne restaurants, start here, and tell me which ones made it onto your own repeat list.

Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more updates.