Located in Hardware Lane, Claypots Barbarossa brings the wild, party atmosphere of a European market town to Melbourne’s CBD. If you’re looking for somewhere to sip rosé while listening to a two-piece jazz duo then this is the place to visit. 

You’ll notice Pacific House from the street with its array of ducks hanging in the windows and chefs working frantically behind them. The street scene tells you everything you need to know — this is a place that’s serious about food and not much else. 

Inspired by the grand old brasseries of New York’s Meat Packing District, The Atlantic, located within Crown, oozes sophistication. With a stylish interior, it’s a destination for special occasions or a power broker’s business lunch when the boss is paying.

We’re calling it: you’ll struggle to find a Melbourne lunch spot with a better view. This relaxed fine-dining institution is set right on St Kilda Beach, with the option to sit inside at the main dining room or in one of the private dining spaces.

With a big, bright red lobster at the entrance, it shouldn’t be too hard to work out what makes Unabara Lobster & Oyster Bar one of the standout Japanese seafood joints in Melbourne. 

Named for the famous Tsukiji seafood market in Japan, this seafood restaurant is unlike your typical sushi and sashimi joint. Instead of just ordering off a menu, here you head to the fridge, select your fish, and watch the chefs carve it up for you fresh.

Richmond Oysters started its life way back in 1959 when brothers Nick and Tony Anassis opened a small shopfront next to the rail line on Church Street. The story goes that one of the brothers stayed in the store shucking oysters and selling them to the locals.

When Minamishima first opened in 2016, it didn’t take long for people to notice. After 15 years at the Kenzan, sushi master Koichi Minamishima decided to go out on his own, and he almost immediately started making waves in the world of sushi.

The simplest way to describe Kisumé may be this: three storeys of considered grandeur. Its design is impressive and the attention to detail travels throughout this CBD restaurant.

Previously named the Richmond Seafood Restaurant, this Melbourne stalwart (now in Fitzroy) won’t give you long lists of ingredients or a heavy-handed use of spice and gastronomic fuss.

Look, we get that this isn’t exactly on par with the rest of this list. However, it’s always good to have a cheap and cheerful option to consider and Krabby’s Crab Boil is more about fun than finesse. 

Yugen Dining is a multi-faceted drinking and dining destination with a dramatic aesthetic and an impressive commitment to detail. Downstairs is home to a lofty, open restaurant space and adjacent bar area with soaring ceilings.

Named after the god of the sea, it’s no surprise to see Neptune champion all things seafood on its short yet solid menu. But the Windsor restaurant, run by hospo stalwarts Nic Coulter and Michael Parker, didn’t always have this seafood focus.