The growth and development of Melbourne's restaurant sector is both a boon and a bane: with so many excellent options, how do you decide? We're here to help, then. Put down your phone and make a plan to visit each of the places on Time Out's current top-rated restaurants in the state list. Our ever-hungry local experts and editors compiled the most delectable, wonderful, inventive, comfortable, familiar, unforgettable, and miraculous eating experiences.
Serai
The announcement of Time Out's Restaurant of the Year always boosts the local dining scene. Irreverent, lively, and joyful, chef Ross Magnaye's fire-licked food also introduces non-Filipino Melburnians to a new world of flavor while drawing inspiration from his Filipino roots.
The menu is a tour de force of everything we want to eat, supported by a brief wine list with a naturally lean and a great deal of buzz. Like the lechon, which is a roasted free-range pig served with a palapa sauce that is mildly spicy and sweet thanks to the addition of pineapple.
Grill Americano
Grill Americano is here to convert you if the thought of "fine dining" makes you think of torture with starched tablecloths. The best fine dining restaurant in Time Out is everything from stuffy. It's as vibrant as the Rat Pack, with a lavish stage design of marble, velour, and terrazzo.
An Italian-American grill songbook and a wine selection with the undertow of Bass Strait make for a great evening. It's not inexpensive, but it's worth it for the countless little details, like the perfect mandarin rind circle perched on the ice cube in your Americano.
Put away your cold noses. Really, how could anyone possibly find fault with that? You'll be overjoyed by this brand-new establishment decorated in regal blue. It's important to remember how to dress for this one.
Minamishima
While the food at Minamishima is exquisite, the restaurant's true calling card is its impeccable service and attention to detail. A well-laid table with various ceramic saucers and serving utensils takes center stage as we move from course to course.
Everything from the sushi to the zigzag towel used to moisten hands in between bites is beautiful. Servers have a natural inclination to make people feel comfortable and at ease. The sushi at Minamishima is the finest in Melbourne, and the staff is just as kind and enthusiastic about their work.
Aru Restaurant
Something exciting is happening right in the middle of Little Collins Street. Sunda's younger brother, Aru Restaurant, has a lively and determined character, which may have something to do with the many jars of fermenting potato skins or cabbage. Whatever it is, it's a much-needed addition to a previously neglected part of the Central Business District.
The restaurant celebrates the pre-colonial culinary methods of Southeast Asia, including "cooking over fire and all those types of treatments, as Nguyen puts it. It's an irreverent spin on the 'f' word that typically falls flat, but Nguyen makes a humorous and surprisingly polite point about colonialism in his fusion cuisine.
Gimlet At Cavendish House
Cavendish House's Gimlet was already well-known before it opened to the public. To err would be practically impossible with a historic structure from the 1920s as the starting point, an Acme &'' Co makeover, and Andrew McConnell at the lead.
Not at all, that's for sure. This Gimlet business is perfect in every way. For the first time in far too long, Gimlet provides a taste of the European nostalgia we've been craving. The kitchen is filled with the smoky, intoxicating scent of grilled meat and fish, thanks to the wood-fired oven that takes center stage. Do yourself a favor and save space for dessert despite the abundance of delicious protein options
Nomad
The entry, a dark staircase, descends into a warm, lively place with a little underground atmosphere, protecting you from the noise of the street while giving the impression that you've landed in one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods.
The dim lighting, polished hardwood flooring, cool blue tones, and spaciously-arranged tables all combine to create a cave-like atmosphere that heightens anticipation for the creative cuisine to come. The wood-fired oven is the literal and symbolic center of the eatery, wafting the aroma of toasted spices throughout the space.
The origin of its works may be found in this area. You should expect a smoky, charred, and fat-rendered character in every bite, whether you're eating fish, pork, or bread. At Nomad, getting help is a breeze.
