The best hidden restaurants in Melbourne

Many of Melbourne’s favourite foodie spots are also the hardest to find. But they're always worth the journey.

Aung Lo

Venture down Sutherland Street and weave your way around to Flanigan Lane. Then look out for the glowing paper lanterns and a rustic roller door to find Aung Lo. This secret spot delivers authentic Thai flavours mixed with Japanese. Gather your crew and try everything from juicy marinated pork, to melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef on the grill.

Lankan Tucker

Despite its Lygon Street address, there's a good chance you haven't stumbled across Lankan Tucker. Surrounded by the student apartment buildings of College Square, the Sri Lankan inspired spot is easy to miss. Grab a table for brunch and dig into a biryani burrito or chicken curry lasagne. Then try street food staples like kotthu roti or gluten-free curries. The cafe doubles as a grocer too, so you can take home delicious ready-made meals like butter chicken pie.

Past/Port

This fiery Southeast Asian restaurant is spread across two levels of the new Waterside Hotel. Eat in the dining room or perched above the city in an open-air terrace. If you're visiting at lunchtime on a weekday, order the Sarawak laksa. This "breakfast of the gods" contains a creamy coconut milk broth with rice vermicelli noodles. Poached chicken and king prawns are added on top. Pair your bowl with a signature cocktail like pandan fizz or a rose martini.

Ho Liao

You really have to be in the know to find this Malaysian restaurant. It's located on the second level of a building along Rainbow Alley. Ho Liao translates to 'good stuff' and is the brainchild of famous chef Junda Khoo (also behind Da Bao and Ho Jiak). The menu is inspired by the traditional homestyle cooking of Khoo's grandma. Try squid with butter, salted duck egg and curry leaves. Or go for the twice cooked Angus beef ribs with caramelised soy and garlic chilli. If you're after a showstopper dish, order the whole lobster or crab from the live seafood menu.

Nori Maki

Transport yourself to Tokyo at this secret sushi bar. Nori Maki is hidden away in an unassuming arcade. The ex-Nobu head sushi chef and his apprentices are at the ready to serve some of the best sushi in Melbourne. Take a seat at the wrap around counter and watch the master at work. Go for the omakase set to sample the best on the menu. Or call in for lunch and try the luxe sashimi bowls for $39.

Yum Sing House

Karaoke, Cantonese food and 1960s kitsch. Yum Sing House has all the good stuff in spades. Seek out the easy-to-miss entrance on Sutherland Street, which gives way to an expansive, mood-lit dining room. Order everything from prawn toast to crispy skin spatchcock. Try mango sago with coconut jelly, knock back a matcha sour and head upstairs to the secret karaoke room.

Yaowarat

Chinatown is full of nooks, crannies, laneways and hidden gems, so Yaowarat on Waratah Place fits right in. Inspired by Bangkok's strip of the same name, it brings Thai and Chinese street food to Melbourne. The restaurant is from the team behind Aung Lo and Pick Prik. Load up on affordable dishes like crispy pork, stir-fried tiger prawns and barramundi. Open until midnight every day of the week, you can always stumble in for a $1 bowl of warming congee.

Ho Jiak: Junda's Playground

Venture down the secret side street of Rainbow Alley and discover Ho Jiak: Junda’s Playground. Then get ready for a menu of Malaysian dishes with a modern twist. Order stand-outs like laksa bomb dumplings (as seen on MasterChef). Plus roast bone marrow rendang curry and raw kingfish with granita and pineapple salsa. The drinks list is a must-try too. Sip on drinks like the kopi negroni – a Southeast Asian take on this classic cocktail. It’s made with gin, coffee-infused Campari and amaretto.

Misty Pot

You have to visit this Korean diner tucked away on the ground floor of a West Melbourne apartment block. Take a short stroll from North Melbourne station and you'll find Misty Pot. Here you can try all the classics like bibimbap, fried chicken and kimchi pancakes. But the real stars of the show are the hard-to-find dishes like samgyetang. This comforting chicken and ginseng soup is stuffed with rice and served with radish kimchi.

Serai

Located on one of Melbourne's tiniest laneways, Racing Club Lane, Serai offers up a menu of traditional Filipino food. Grab a seat at the chef’s omakase table to watch your meal cooked over the open fire in front of your eyes. Pair colourful cocktails with dishes like smoked pineapple with caviar, fried chicken with banana hot sauce and lamb ribs with sticky adobo sauce.

Khaosan Lane

This secret spot fits right in along Postal Lane – a food-lover's alley packed with restaurants and a buzzing night life. Named after a popular street in Bangkok, Thai BBQ joint Khaosan Lane is the place to go for steaming seafood hot pots, sizzling cook-your-own meat and giant fruity cocktails served in jugs. With its rainbow-coloured string lights and neon decor, the atmosphere is more Southeast Asia than it is Melbourne.

Cookie

Curtin House was one of Melbourne’s first so-called ‘vertical laneways’. But the tenant that put it on the map was Cookie. A bar, Thai restaurant and club rolled into one, this venue is worth the trek up the stairs. Perfect pad thai and sticky beef ribs are served with hand-picked gin, palomas and Trappist monk inspired beer.

Tonka

You can’t get more Melbourne than a restaurant down a back alley covered in street art. Tonka’s modern Indian cuisine is very well hidden in Duckboard Place. Try the next-level chicken tikka, chargrilled asparagus and pani puri with date and tamarind chutney. For something sweet, order the coconut lime mousse topped with strawberry sorbet or the delightful gulab jamun.

Life's Too Short Bar

Hidden away in the old bluestone cellars of the original brewery in Victoria Parade is Life’s Too Short Bar. Offering craft brews and an extensive cocktail list, it's no rookie in the bar game. Order delicious curated grazing boards, a range of international cheeses, cured meats and more. Looking for something a little extra special? Book the Gin-dulgent High Tea for an intimate tasting of three gin-based, tea-inspired cocktails and savoury bites.

Johnny's Green Room

Find the neon-lit entry behind King & Godfree and fly up above Lygon Street to Carlton rooftop spot Johnny's Green Room. Take a seat and soak up the city views then feast on pizzas loaded with potato, prosciutto or mortadella. Pair with fresh salads and generous helpings of stracciatella and burrata. Then finish with a refreshing limoncello margarita.

Mjølner

Getting inside Mjølner is an achievement in itself. Weave your way down Hardware Street and look for the solid concealed door surrounded by iron gates. Head below street level for blazing cocktails in the bar or dine on Viking-inspired delights in the restaurant. Order your drinks shaken, stirred or served in a giant horn, then feast on roast bone marrow, tomahawk steak and whole grilled market fish.

Lucy Liu

An iconic eatery in an unknown laneway behind mysterious neon signage. Lucy Liu has taken hiding its door to a whole new level. Follow the glow to seek it out and you'll be rewarded. The spoils might include juicy dumplings, shortrib rendang and Vietnamese coffee ice cream with Chinese donuts.