CHINESE RESTAURANT, Melbourne 2023 Reviews

Daily yum cha, live seafood from the tank and crispy fried noodles are all designed to share at this Cantonese restaurant. Take a seat in the courtyard for a view of the Yarra through bamboo stalks, while sipping jasmine  tea or a Singapore Sling. For lunch, take your pick from any of the roaming yum cha carts that pass by every few minutes, or dig into an à la carte dinner featuring black bean sauce-slathered prawns or seafood in clay pots.
At Maha bar, the focus is on a Middle Eastern, meze-style menu and cocktails, along with a considered wine list complementing what's on the table in front of you. The Harissa grilled octopus is truly something to behold, as are the cumin lamb roast ribs; vegans are also catered to with plenty of hero dishes that size up against those protein-heavy numbers. Gimlet at Cavendish House is like stepping back into a bygone era. Sitting in the middle of the peking duck Melbourne CBD on Russell Street, the charmful space has a classical art-deco fit with marble tiles, stained wood, and booth dining, harkening back to the early twentieth-century eateries of New York and Paris. If you’re looking for a restaurant with a unique style and a menu that’s perfect for sharing, Supernormal is a good choice. The menu offers classic fare such as pork buns, but there are also more modern takes on some of the best-loved Asian dishes.

Now typically booked out a month in advance, Serai’s allure comes in many forms, but foremostly it’s the open fire that lights up the kitchen. Dishes from the menu are kissed across the flames imbuing an irreplaceable smokiness and depth of flavour to standouts like the calamari which are grilled and then topped with a spicy nduja made from Longganisa . Felicity Dan is a passionate and experienced professional with a strong background in the food and drink industry. She has spent many years working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, both as a restauranteur and as a manager of a successful winery. She is always exploring new flavors and experimenting with different ingredients and pairings, and is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the food and drink world.
The best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne CBD is Izakaya Den which is located on Russell Street, and Kisume which is located in Flinders Lane next to another top choice – Supernormal. Supernormal may be best known for the kitchen’s famous lobster roll, but this genius expression of Asian-fusion mastery is still a powerful force for anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne that’s always going to satisfy. Bincho Boss is an izakaya with food revolving around the binchōtan – a grill fuelled by premium, dense Japanese charcoal.
When it comes to putting a date on Supper Inn, let’s just say it threw open its doors around the time when Malcolm Fraser was prime minister, which means it’s reached the restaurant year equivalent of the Qing dynasty. The menu is long, but make a beeline for the chicken congee flecked with ginger and accompanied by Chinese doughnuts, the soothing minced pork, eggplant and salted fish hotpot, or the glistening roast meats. The dumplings at Din Tai Fung are folded in a lab-like, glass-walled space, cunningly designed to turn an entire restaurant’s worth of diners into Pavlov’s dogs.

A few of their dumplings, like the Flame Thrower pulled pork dumplings, are spicy. Other options include the House Made Tofu, which is an amazingly flavourful dish. In addition to their standard menu, Dolan Uyghur Food heaven offers an extensive drink menu. Their cocktails are the best in Melbourne, and the selection of beer is impressive. They also offer weekly specials that make it easy to stock up on drinks to take home with you.
Although they do offer a bit of everything , you can’t go past their whole roast duck and white sauce duck, for that crispy skin and juicy centre perfection that they seem to nail every time. If you haven’t been to Panda Hot Pot yet, you’ve most likely seen it; an elaborate temple-style building, decked out with a 1.5m suspended dragon and all, just opposite RMIT University on the border of Carlton and the CBD. Dubbed to be one of the best hot pot franchises out there, Panda Hot Pot has 80 fiery soups to choose from, as well as extravagant cocktails and decor that will simply blow you away. This Chengu-born hot pot brand has locals flocking for its bold Sichuan soup bases and vast menu of add-ins. If you’re particularly looking for sushi and sashimi then your best bet is going to be Minamishima or Kisume.
Visit for great drunken chicken and the classic xiao long bao. This Uyghur restaurant serves springy hand-pulled spicy noodles, beef dumplings, and flaky pastries filled with lamb and cumin. The other dumpling chain on this list with a Michelin star and outlets all around the world.

Be it the tantalising array of mezze dishes, the now-famous Slow roasted lamb shoulder, or the simply ground-breaking Turkish delight doughnuts, Maha's continued excellence has firmly secured itself a spot among the best restaurants of Melbourne. We're a culinary destination where some of the finest talent and best restaurants in the world reside. A melting pot of different cuisines and influences, the diversity of the dining offering is what contributes to the strength of our hospitality community. The best restaurants in Melbourne are the ones that leave an impression, a lasting aftertaste of satisfaction, they’re the whole package from the menu to the drinks list, the decor and the service. A housemade soondae , steamed pork belly and pork bone broths with sliced pork, Korean sausage or both, are the only things on offer at Mr Lee’s, and you can comfortably order every dish on the menu for the price of a jug at a pub. We dig a bold title, and we do indeed bow down to Laksa King as the ruling monarch of noodle soup.
If all you want are dumplings, we've rounded up a list ofthe best dumplings in Melbourne. Best Restaurants in Melbourne’s CBD Melbourne's CBD boasts an array of fantastic restaurants, from office workers staples to exquisite fine diners. Release your inner grill master – or leave the cooking to the pros – at this Sichuan barbeque spot. Your spread might include spicy pork ribs, squid tentacles and, for dessert, matcha tiramisu. Enjoy an authentic Cantonese banquet with a view, set above Melbourne’s iconic Esplanade Hotel. Pair duck pancakes, spicy pork chilli wontons and sesame prawn toast with a fusion cocktail.