Melbourne's best new restaurants you might have missed. - What's On Melbourne

Under-the-radar gems

Booth Japanese dining with low lighting and youthful customers.

Yamamoto Udon Izakaya

Enjoy traditional handmade udon, affordable sharing plates and drinks at this lively izakaya.

A Japanese dish with layers of green and pink garnished with lime and roe, on a blue patterned plate.

Mannaka Izakaya

Where Osaka meets Kyoto and Tokyo, all in one.

Diners using chopticks to choose food from an array of dishes in a neon-lit Chinese restaurant.

YX Hot Pot

Enjoy this Sichuan hot pot restaurant on Melbourne’s iconic Bourke Street.

The interior of the Italian-style wine bar with round tables, wooden chairs and booth seating, wine shelves on the left.

Rodd & Gunn Cellar & Wine Bar

A little darker, a little louder, a lot more fun – Rodd & Gunn’s Cellar and Wine Bar.

Hands holding chopsticks taking rice and items from bowls and large sushi platter.

Temaki Sushi Melbourne

An intimate dining experience that offers a fresh take on traditional hand-rolled sushi.

Chopsticks holding up a slice of Korean beef, other dishes visible in the background.

Seven Star Grill & Pocha

Serving Melbourne’s only matcha makgeolli and authentic Korean modus jeon.

A table filled with different sized plates and bowls of Japanese food, with a small hot plate in the corner.

Dokutoku

A casual dining spot serving Japanese comfort food in Docklands.

A family party happening at a Latin/Asian fusion restaurant with a colourful mural and balloons.

Mikasa Fusion

Mikasa Fusion blends Asian and Latin flavors into a unique dining experience.

A plate of Hong Kong-style food, with white rice, sliced barbecued meats and Chinese broccoli.

Peninsula HK Cafe

Welcome to Peninsula HK Cafe where you can find the taste of Hong Kong with Australian ingredients.

Interior of Kakilang Char Koay Teow with lanterns and Malaysian styled deorations.

Kakilang Char Koay Teow

Authentic Malaysian street food in the heart of the CBD.

Two bowls of udon noodles on a tray with chopsticks.

Yamamoto Udon

Australia's first restaurant dedicated to authentic Edo-period udon recipes.

Cafe interior with dining tables and chairs next to a wall of drinks fridges under grey ceiling with lights.

Hoppy Dumpling

Authentic northern Chinese dumplings using the best quality ingredients, freshly made to order.

Dining table filled with trays of fresh meats and vegetables, waiting to be cooked in the hot pots at the centre of each table.

Ten BBQ & Hotpot

Dine on all-you-can-eat hotpot and Korean BBQ.

Japanese noodle dishes displayed on a wooden table, seen from above, with a hand picking up a piece of fried chicken with chopsticks.

Kajiken

Kajiken offers a modern twist on traditional Japanese noodles.

An authentic Korean hot pot in a green ceramic dish, with rice on the side and three small white bowls with garnishes to add, on a wooden serving board with fork and chopsticks.

Misty Pot Korean Grill Cafe and Bar

Authentic casual Korean dining and takeaway with an all-day cafe and bar.

A delicious-looking spread of Asian dishes presented on a wooden table.

Cay Cay Asian Fusion

A relaxed and cosy Asian restaurant with a mouthwatering menu from Malaysia, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

New pubs

The external facade of the Waterside Hotel, with a vertical garden on the building behind it, seen from the corner.

The Waterside Hotel

A Melbourne CBD destination for a pub, Southeast Asian dining and a rooftop experience.

A young man with a moustache, drinking a red cocktail with a straw.

Hickens Hotel

Your multi-level home for good times in the heart of Melbourne, with a story behind its walls.

Rooftop bar and outdoor park area at The Quarterhouse, with Melbourne city buildings in the background.

Quarterhouse

A contemporary, three level pub conveniently located next to Southern Cross Station.

The outdoor seating area at Good Nature Hotel, showing table and chairs under large umbrellas.

Good Nature

Your place to gather in the heart of the city.

The corner of a red brick building with arched windows with tartan on the lower half of the window.

Invergordon Bar

A welcoming hub for Scots, Irish, English and Welsh locals missing the warmth of a local back home.

A classic English pub decor with a wooden bar and green bar stools.

The Black Prince British Indian Pub & Restaurant

Experience the vibrancy of Indian culture with the charm of a British pub.

Patrons enjoying the atmosphere at a city pub at night.

Springrock Public Bar

Offering up classic counter meals, great beers and sweeping views of Melbourne.

Exterior of Brick Lane Market showing a corner site of a red brick building, passersby on street level, and an outdoor balcony.

Brick Lane Market

Brick Lane Market is a celebration of great beer and the freshest local ingredients.

High-profile openings

The exterior glass facade of an industrial-style restaurant, with patrons seated alongside a dimly lit bar inside.

Saadi

Saadi draws from the rich cuisine of the Indian subcontinent while celebrating peak local produce.

Restaurant interior with industrial styled concrete walls, visible pipes, red seating.

Frenchie

A fun and casual approach to Parisian dining where the lights are low and the energy is high.

A French bistro-style restaurant with seated patrons and an open kitchen.

Maison Bâtard

Chris Lucas' Maison Bâtard heralds a grand new legacy for a heritage Bourke Street site.

Hands reaching for food from a plate with bar menu.

JUNI

A Southeast Asian bar and restaurant offering lunch, dinner, pre-theatre or late night options.

Restaurant interior with wooden floors, tables and chairs, windows looking onto greenery and moody lighting.

Hacienda Cocina Mexicana

Brash, loud, bold and fun, delivering honest Mexican food and great cocktails.

A restaurant table with plates of Indian food arranged on it, two glasses of wine, cutlery, cloth napkins, and a person seated on a banquette behind the table.

Kolkata Cricket Club

A modern Indian restaurant inspired by the vibrant flavours of Kolkata and fine Bengali cuisine.

The view into a restaurant from the Yarra Riverwalk, showing a large central bar with staff, the words Marmont in cursive font displayed high on an external glass wall.

Marmont

Californian-inspired but uniquely Melbourne with good food, great music, and unbeatable views.

The double height interior of a restaurant with tables and chairs set for service in front of a large window.

Marmelo

Coastal Iberian dining inspired by Portugal and Spain, centred on seafood and fire.

Vintage wood-panelled bar with shelves for bottles and signage.

Disuko

A day-to-night Japanese rooftop, restaurant and vinyl-backed cocktail bar, inspired by 1980s Tokyo.

Plates showing a crumpet, scotch egg and olives, with a martini.

Reed House

Offering relaxed but focused dining in a heritage-listing building.

A person walking into an open doorway of a cafe in an Edwardian-style sandstone building.

Elio's Place

Melbourne's all-day European bistro and bar located in the iconic Flinders House on Flinders Lane.

A clay pot filled with rice, topped with sliced glazed pork belly, bone marrow, a lime wheel, and fresh green garnish.

Askal

A modern Filipino restaurant and bar, moments from Her Majesty's Theatre.

Restaurant dining tables and long bar with soft lighting.

Past / Port Dining Room & Rooftop Bar

From express lunch to late nights, enjoy South-East Asian dining upstairs at the Waterside Hotel.

The outdoor rooftop of Cleo, with terrace style round tables and chairs, large sofas, low coffee tables and city skyline views.

Cleo

Cleo brings old-world cooking techniques and bold flavours from the Eastern Mediterranean.

Customers dining outside under an awning at a pizzeria.

Garfield Pizzeria

Serving simple, ingredient-led pizzas with seasonal toppings.

A waiter holding a white plate of steak frites, a classic French meal consisting of beefsteak paired with french fries.

Common Cuts

A craft-led city grill, dining room and listening bar.

Looking down on assorted dishes of Korean food on a table in a restaurant.

SOT Dining

Elevated Korean dining featuring the city’s best sotbap and a refined bansang set.

Formal dining room with tables and chairs, bench seating and bar area.

Ministry of Crab

Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan restaurant with a focus on Northern Australian mud crab.

People taking food from round white dishes of food on a black table with glasses of wine.

II.II.VI

A fire-driven contemporary Australian restaurant.

Japanese chef holding a bowl of food and spooning on ingredients from a large selection of dishes.

Oden

From the team behind Ishizuka comes Melbourne's first elevated Oden dining destination.

Restaurant's bar area with Asian-inspired decor, illuminated screen detail, red stools and wooden shelving.

Lexy Restaurant and Bar

Where high-glam sophistication meets the electric spirit of modern Asian fusion.

Exterior of Blackbird restaurant at night, with mood lighting seen from through the windows from the street.

Blackbird

Blackbird offers premium steaks, seafood, and cocktails across three stylish levels.

Last updated on Thu 23 Jul 2026

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