The best new restaurants in Melbourne

A new restaurant dedicated entirely to Peking duck has landed in Melbourne. Hidden away in Parkville, Moja Duck has a Chinese garden courtyard and beautiful bamboo interiors. Enjoy live music and traditional dancing as you try the signature dish. Perfectly tender duck is served in a set with handmade pancakes, cucumber, spring onions and a special dipping sauce. Other Sichuan favourites include crispy roast pork belly, black truffle soup dumplings and braised lamb. 

Reed House is found in the enclave of bluestone buildings at Wesley Place. Right by much-loved pub, Caretaker’s Cottage, it brings new life to one of Melbourne’s most beautiful heritage-listed buildings. It has the ambience of a British brasserie. Or perhaps a stylish friend’s dinner party. The wine list skews modern, and so do the classic dishes. Try ramen Scotch eggs, Welsh rarebit crumpets, roast chicken and crunchy salt and vinegar potatoes. 

This well-trodden corner of Flinders Lane felt destined to host a cosy all-day bistro. And charming Euro-inspired Elio's Place has slotted in perfectly. Start your morning with a comte omelette and some people watching at the window bar. Then swing by later for aperitivo hour cocktails and snack plates. Dinner might be pork loin with plum and hazelnuts. Or poached octopus with a side of house-made focaccia and miso butter. 

Melbourne’s newest Latin American restaurant brings a little luxury to Little Collins. Spend a long lunch sampling street food snacks at the casual wine bar, Morena Barra. Then head next door for an elevated dining experience at Morena Restaurant. The dishes here are stunningly presented. Think delicate starters like venison loin tartlets and ebi prawns. Plus bigger share plates like the suckling goat with aged mole. 

Melbourne has just landed a new authentic Filipino bar and eatery. Askal is a celebration of iconic dishes that are comforting yet elevated. Start with the ocean trout kinilaw and snacky ox tail doughnuts with kare-kare peanut curry. Load up on large plates, but be sure to leave room for the desserts. Think coal-roasted swordfish, black garlic fried rice and halo halo with stone fruits.

A little taste of Northern Thailand awaits at Khao Melbourne. The signature dish here is the khao soi. This coconut curry soup comes with a tonne of condiments to create your perfect broth. Sprinkle on some crunchy noodles. Add lime, pickles and herbs. Then amp up the chilli as hot as you can handle. Overdid it on that heat? It's nothing a Thai milk tea and icy cold bingsu dessert can't fix.

Modern Korean fine dining and native Aussie flavours. Seek out this deliciously unexpected pairing at Doju, hidden among the office buildings on Little Collins Street. Try salted calamari with Geraldton wax. Moreish gochujang sourdough. And retired dairy cow beef with bugak and desert lime. For dessert there's injeolmi ice cream. It comes topped with candied walnuts, yoghurt mousse and rhubarb.

Tucked away on Driver Lane is a joint honing in on Italy's aperitivo culture. The menu focuses on tasty morsels like warm nduja, burrata with heirloom tomatoes and house made arancini. As for drinks, you can't go wrong with classic martinis, spritzes and negronis. Speaking of negronis, there's a free flowing fountain of the good stuff right at the bar.

Is it a restaurant or is it Nonna’s house? Comedy trio Sooshi Mango has opened its own version of an old-school Italian diner – Johnny, Vince and Sam's Ristorante. And it comes complete with a generous serving of nostalgia. Step inside and be transported to a retro-style home packed with vintage decor. The food’s pretty great too. Enjoy parmesan-crusted schnitzel, slow-cooked beef meatballs, arancini and more.