Melbourne

Originality and style are what you’ll find at Melbourne newcomer The Town Mouse, where intelligent, ingredient-focused food meets good-humoured hospitality, writes Michael Harden.

Grossi Florentino’s place in Melbourne’s cultural and culinary life has been reinscribed, writes Michael Harden, thanks to a sensitive overhaul.

The talented team from Coda is turning out serious Indian street food in a smart laneway dining room with a welcome mix of seriously good drinks and service to match, writes Michael Harden.

Rosa Mitchell’s honest take on Sicilian food has always packed an emotional punch, and now that she’s back cooking in the CBD, Michael Harden finds himself overcome.

For Andrew McConnell, the only way is up, judging by the fun food at his latest venture. Michael Harden ascends to the new wine bar above its famed sibling, Cumulus Inc.

There’s an intuitive understanding about the theatre of dining at Café Di Stasio that sets the tone for its elegant new bar, writes Michael Harden.

Much about Rosetta, Neil Perry’s first Italian foray, is writ large – lavish décor, prices – but it’s the attention to detail and authenticity that make it a winner, writes Michael Harden.

David’s, the comeback kid of Melbourne dining, has regained its mojo with a fresh focus on its Shanghainese roots, writes Michael Harden.

Melbourne, long perceived as both food destination and arts hub, now has a theatre restaurant worth an encore. Trocadero, take a bow.

Simon Denton and Con Christopoulos have long shaped the way Melbourne eats and drinks. In their latest ventures, things get personal.

REVIEW Melbourne has a thing for comfortable Italian, and this self-assured laneway trattoria knows how to deliver the staples. Butter comes in foil, pasta is handmade and the Collins Street suits soak it all up like a wedge of ciabatta in a pool of Nap sauce. Evenings draw a diverse crowd – it’s also the […]

REVIEW Overlooking the tree-lined Fawkner Park, Bistro Gitan occupies a particularly blessed quadrant of South Yarra where nothing, it seems, could go wrong. Here, little does. The pearls-and-polo set comfortably take to their bentwood chairs and glasses of Perrier-Jouët from the French-accented wine list before entrusting themselves to the Reymond family’s famed hospitality, albeit in […]

Old-school fine dining of the truffle-shaving-at-the-table variety may be making a comeback if Albert Park’s reinvigorated The Point is anything to go by, writes Michael Harden.

Restaurateur Paul Mathis is back, and his latest Japanese venture is the real deal, albeit one that’s as much Melbourne as it is Tokyo. Michael Harden visits Akachochin.

At the Estelle, two chefs with disparate talents defy expectations of boho Northcote to deliver a dégustation that’s skilful, generous and unpretentious, writes Michael Harden.

Forget the intercity rivalry, writes Michael Harden. In Pei Modern, Sydney chef Mark Best has brought something unique and original to Melbourne’s buzzing food scene.

From the robata grill to the do-it-yourself taco, Circa – the flagship restaurant of the Prince of Wales Hotel – has been reincarnated as a space that’s completely on-trend.

Joseph Vargetto has taken his Sicilian heritage and years of restaurant experience, added some modern inspiration and come up trumps at Mister Bianco, writes Michael Harden.

Philippa Sibley’s restrained, flavour-packed dishes run the gamut from breakfast to nightcap at her new digs, a former bank building rebranded as Albert St Food & Wine.

Bistro Gitan, a restaurant with the Reymond family name behind it, has a French-accented menu, a playful gypsy spirit and loads of charm, writes Michael Harden.

Buenos Aires has arrived in Melbourne: San Telmo is an authentic Argentine treat, writes Michael Harden.

Pat Nourse tries his luck at the tables of Momofuku, Black and Balla, the real high rollers of The Star.

Lupino, the new diner from a winning duo, is familiar in the best possible way, writes Michael Harden.

French remains the mother tongue at Vue de Monde, but with foraged beach herbs and kangaroo-hide tabletops, the accent’s now decidedly Australian, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW There’s a pleasurably unpretentious spirit to Union Dining, a reminder of that oft-forgotten word, hospitality. Nicky Riemer and Adam Cash’s restaurant road-trips across France, Italy and Spain, evoking bistro-trattoria memories. Start with a rooftop Negroni, before settling downstairs for Riemer’s rustic-leaning offerings, executed with urbane care. Crudo might take the form of kingfish enlivened […]

REVIEW Sicily is the clue to everything, wrote Goethe. It’s certainly the key to Rosa’s Kitchen, where the big-hearted cooking of Sicilian-born Rosa Mitchell showcases the island’s vibrant brand of cucina povera. A simple trattoria tucked down a laneway (newcomer Rosa’s Canteen dons more corporate livery for the legal district), it sets the dial to […]

REVIEW Climb the stairs – between downtown office towers and the Supreme Court – and suddenly you’re in an olive grove. The scent of bay leaves drifts across terrace tables, while inside, there’s a happy buzz throughout the big, open venue – proof it’s grown into one of the CBD’s most convivial spaces. From the […]

REVIEW The bastard child of Khao San Road and your favourite warehouse conversion, it’s a broad-scale takeover of historic Curtin House’s first floor: part sophisticated beer barn, part Thai cafeteria where the food matches the noise levels blow for blow and hardworking staff focus the  runaway circus atmosphere. Chef Karen Batson has been flying the […]

REVIEW Surprises are not on the menu at Bistro Guillaume. The unexpected is anathema to its raison d’être, which is to deliver straight-up French classics in smart surroundings that make the Yarra stand in situ for the Seine. In the wrong hands, it could be a disaster, but Guillaume Brahimi, who regularly visits his southern […]

REVIEW For a thumbnail sketch of high-rolling good living, Melbourne-style, swing into The Atlantic, an enormous space lined with floor-to-ceiling windows for prime riverside gazing. This temple of seafood includes a subterranean drinking den, a casual oyster bar and a huge dining room segmented to provide a little intimacy. Slick service doesn’t miss a beat […]

A sense of fun enlivens Geoff Lindsay’s Vietnamese cooking at Dandelion. Michael Harden recommends bringing a group, ordering big and rolling up your sleeves.

At the helm of big-time venture The Atlantic, Donovan Cooke’s boutique origins and characteristic attention to detail stand him in good stead, writes Michael Harden.

The dining rooms at the Town Hall Hotel might seem laid-back, but the interesting mixed- Mediterranean menu will have diners sitting up in their seats, writes Michael Harden.

The Newmarket is the latest in a family of pubs that have Paul Wilson’s full-flavoured stamp on the menu. Its funky retro fit-out and Cal-Mex food spell good fun, writes Michael Harden.

News of Philippe Mouchel’s return to the stoves at PM24 is a boon for food fans looking for authentic French cooking, writes Michael Harden.

Maurice Esposito’s skill with seafood at Saint Peter’s just happens to be one of the best arguments there is for sustainable eating, writes Michael Harden.

Spice Temple and The Waiting Room, Neil Perry’s latest forays into Melbourne, are turning up the heat at Crown, writes Michael Harden.

Melbourne’s landmark beachside restaurant has been given a sexy makeover, with good looks matching great food, writes Michael Harden.

With Riccardo Momesso’s contemporary cooking and Joe Mammone’s suave front-of-house style, Sarti is one of Melbourne’s most exciting restaurants, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW Bells and whistles? There aren’t any at this smart neighbourhood Italian restaurant, but that doesn’t stop it having the gravitational pull of a black hole. Rita Macali’s reputation spread citywide last decade with Ladro; now it’s a family affair with husband Giovanni Patane schmoozing the floor with Italian wines and Macali in the kitchen. […]

Two small, well-crafted restaurants have sprung up on either side of the Yarra: a boon for both neighbourhoods, writes Michael Harden.

After 35 years in the business, Australia’s pre-eminent Cantonese restaurant has a new menu and even more energy than ever, writes Michael Harden. Peking duck, anyone?

REVIEW Izakaya Den has all the hallmarks of an ideal Tinder venue: a tucked-away CBD location, flattering lighting, local wines and interesting cocktails. There are even barstools that fit two humans side by side with a seat at the bar primo, the tap-tap of knives a pleasant counterpoint to booming tunes. After eight years, the […]

REVIEW Sarti is at least three places in one: a favourite of the long-lunch and night-time crowd, thanks to its open-air rooftop terrace; a modern Italian restaurant serving everyone from quiet couples to family birthday groups; and a buzzy, popular cocktail bar. The décor is 1980s Italian nightclub meets nonna’s house: think glossy black and […]

MoVida Aqui, the latest rendering of Melbourne’s modern Spanish powerhouse, could challenge the loyalties of even the most diehard fan of the original, writes Michael Harden.

Hidden in a laneway at the city’s southern end, Berta is a thing of beauty, writes Pat Nourse. It’s about potent flavours and natural textures; about good ideas rather than showing off.

Balzari is putting Lygon Street back on the map with authentic regional cooking, a pared-back aesthetic and charming, hospitable service, writes Michael Harden.

The views at Melbourne’s Sofitel are legendary and now chef Stuart McVeigh is delivering food which gives the glittering vista the respect it deserves, writes Michael Harden.

Melbourne’s enjoying a gastropub revival as big-name chefs – Mangan, Lambie and Wilson – lend their talents at glammed-up watering holes. It’s pub food reborn.

Although it channels Tokyo, Izakaya Den – with its local wines, basement setting and superb design – seems quintessentially Melbourne, writes Michael Harden.

Chef Daniel Southern’s debut at Comme has brought new energy, focus and confidence to the restaurant, writes Michael Harden. Now the food is as sharp as its slick surrounds.

Koots has undergone something of a minor revolution: a new name to reflect its proud Gallic roots, more convivial dining spaces and a revamped wine list, writes Michael Harden.

The Deanery’s food is finally playing to the strength of its impressive wine list by tapping into the whimsical talents of former Interlude chef Robin Wickens, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW Rumi’s still got it. It helped introduce share plates to Melbourne in 2006, winning umpteen awards and locals’ hearts ever since. It’s that “where can we go with a group?” place when two mates are vego, one only eats lamb, one’s a pescatarian and one doesn’t drink (hello mocktails – try watermelon with rosewater, […]