The Best New Restaurants in Melbourne
“What good new restaurants should I try?”
Broadsheet ’s editors field this question, or a variation on it, almost every day. While we’d just as soon recommend one of Melbourne's straight-up best restaurants or a long-standing institution, the pull of a hot new place is hard to deny. So here it is: our edit of the best new restaurants in Melbourne, updated monthly. Some of these places are redefining the way we eat and will go on to become classics. Others will be shorter lived. Either way, these are the spots we’re enjoying eating and drinking at right now.
Restaurant
Ho Jiak
Get celebrated Sydney chef Junda Khoo’s laksa bombs here – the last in Khoo’s trilogy of Melbourne restaurants. It’s not fusion or fine dining, but a playful and cheeky take on Malaysian food.
Restaurant
The Pontian Club
The popular Greek pop-up’s permanent home plates generous serves of moussaka, charred lamb chops with tzatziki, chicken steak with greens and olive oil cake.
Restaurant
Sogumm
Mixing ancient Korean temple food philosophy with fine-dining technique, this nondescript spot feels more like a neighbourhood wine bar than a Korean diner.
Restaurant
Cherrywood at Residence
A devilled egg, topped with smoked eel. Sardines are soused in mezcal and paired with cucumber. British nostalgia gets a sharp new edge at this restaurant concept which changes yearly.
Restaurant
Baix
The 40-seat diner brings city polish to the Bayside suburb. Come for a three-course menu that might start with caviar-topped blinis, move on to a Wagyu porterhouse and finish with a Portuguese tart.
Restaurant
Ho Liao
A contemporary Southeast Asian beer hall from Sydney chef Junda Khoo featuring riffs on classic Malaysian dishes at wallet-friendly prices.
Restaurant
81 Bay Wine Bar
A boisterous, bistro-esque wine bar from the co-owner of Kirk’s Wine Bar and French Saloon.
Bar
Ruzia’s Wine
The neighbourhood wine bar is an ode to the founder's grandmother and her extraordinary life. Come for traditional Polish foods such as pickles, sausages, smoked fish, plus Polish vodka and cakes.
Restaurant
Times New Roman
This follow-up to Good Times in Fitzroy North is just as affordable as its older sibling. But there's an even bigger menu, with even more options. Plus a drinks list that's local and fun (we'll be trying one of the boozy punches).
Restaurant
Dodam
It's house-made noodles, dumplings and traditional rice wine inside this compact Korean dining room. Plus, grilled meat platters and small-batch soju.
Restaurant
Cordelia
At this seafood-driven diner from the team behind Prahran wine bar Don’s, you’ll find a menu that changes according to what’s been caught. Downstairs, a compact basement bar offers a moodier setting.
Restaurant
Yiaga
Settle in for a dozen or more courses in the middle of the Fitzroy Gardens, eating off, and with, wares designed by small Australian artisans.
