The Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
You'll find big bowls of ramen, crispy borek, chicken parma deals and even steak and bottomless fries at Melbourne's best cheap-eat haunts.
The Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
You'll find big bowls of ramen, crispy borek, chicken parma deals and even steak and bottomless fries at Melbourne's best cheap-eat haunts.
Melbourne's food scene might be world-famous, but it's not all fancy fine-diners and lavish degustations. This fine city of ours also boasts a smorgasbord of top-notch culinary options to suit even the tiniest of budgets. Just because you're saving your dollars — or it's a few weeks out from payday — doesn't mean you've gotta give up the good stuff.
We've scouted the streets for Melbourne's best cheap eats that'll fill your belly without emptying too much from your wallet. There are big bowls of ramen, crispy boreks, cheesy pizza slices, filling bowls of pasta, hefty souvlakis, and even steaks with bottomless fries, all that you can enjoy without stressing about your bank balance. Step away from the mi goreng and check out these budget-friendly food finds all over the city.
Recommended reads:
The Best Pizza in Melbourne
The Best Ramen in Melbourne
The Best Burgers in Melbourne
The Best Banh Mi in Melbourne
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Frenchie brings classic French flavours, techniques and dishes to the city, with one obvious difference — the price tag. Frenchie’s big drawcard is that everything on the menu is priced at $14. Yes, you read that correctly. All plates, cocktails, bubbles, and beers are $14. Those plates play into classic bistro dishes reimagined for a new generation. Share plates are bold and flavourful, and tableside service and roaming trolleys add a dramatic flair to the dining experience. This is not the kind of place you expect to find on a cheap eats list.
Go for tuna steak with peppercorn sauce, confit duck leg with potato sarladaises, steak entrecote, or ratatouille tart. Of course, we expect many will start with the $14 caviar bump, for a taste of the good life, at an approachable price point. The owners want Frenchie to be a fuss-free, feel-good, late-night venue that is approachable and accessible. With red velvet and mirrored lighting, the venue design leans into the romance of Paris, the allure of the Moulin Rouge, and the grit of Melbourne’s street culture.
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For anyone who grew up on snags at Bunnings, cevapi might strike a familiar chord — only smokier, spicier and skinless. Without the delightful snap of a sausage casing, what you get instead is a more robust, juicy chew that defines the Balkan staple. The good news is that cevapi is made from scratch at Chevapi Grill in South Melbourne. Even better news: the venue has the green light from Coeliac Australia, so the gluten-free crowd can join the barbie.
Tucked along the quieter stretch of Clarendon Street, Chevapi Grill’s minimal shopfront can easily pass for a local cafe — but inside, it’s all smoke and sizzle, and available for surprisingly affordable prices. Cevapi arrives at the table with sides like cabbage salad and a roasty eggplant-and-pepper ‘ajvar’ spread. Order it with pillowy lepinje flatbread and condiments like paprika and feta dip to build your own Balkan-style pita pocket, or opt for a mixed meat platter featuring pljeskavica (Serbian minced meat patty that also makes its way into burgers), beef sausages and more.
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Steak with fries is the only thing on the menu at No Biggie. And did we mention that the fries are bottomless, and that it all comes in at a great price? No Biggie is from owners Randy Dhamanhuri and Valerie Fong, who know a thing or two about operating successful venues, with Operator25, Operator San and Operator Diner part of their hospitality collective. No Biggie runs out of the Operator Diner venue at 130 Lonsdale Street in the evenings; however, its menu and identity will be clearly differentiated from the daytime venue.
The menu is as concise as they come, and it’s invitingly well-priced. For $30, you’ll get a 250-gram Anugs steak with endless fries and a sauce of your choosing. Add a Caesar salad for $12, and you’ve got the ultimate no-fuss meal. Deciding whether to go for green butter, chimichurri, red wine, or peppercorn sauce will be about the only thing you need to use your brain for upon entering. At No Biggie, you can simply sit back, relax, and smash as many fries as you can, to really get the most out of your $30.
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If you’re looking for a real Greek feed, head to Ermou Gyros on Swan Street for the kind of meal you’d expect on the streets of Athens. Generous portions, tasty meats, fresh ingredients, and warm, welcoming service, all for a great price, are the name of the game at Ermou. The meats at Ermou are cooked upright on a rotating skewer, and never over charcoal, just like they make them back in Athens; hence, they are called gyros, which literally means to turn or spin. The meats are sliced thin and stuffed generously into a thick, fluffy pita.
The pork gyros comes with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, and chips — don’t ask for lettuce or garlic sauce, that’s not the way here — and is a massive portion for just $17. The Athenian wrap is inspired by the meals the owners’ grandfathers loved in Athens and Piraeus back in the 1950s. Traditional beef patties are smothered in a spicy red sauce with tzatziki, onion, and chips. If you somehow still have space, go for the classic Greek orange fillo cake topped with Greek yoghurt ice cream for dessert. It’s as sweet as the deals you’re in for at Ermou, with massive wraps coming in at around $7 and most entrees and sides priced under $10.
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This Lebanese bakery and grocer has been a Sydney Road favourite for about two decades — serving up some of the best cheap eats in Melbourne the entire time. You’ve got haloumi pies, spinach triangles, labneh pizzas, falafel wraps, and a heap of platters, all for a truly affordable price.
Either get these bites to take away or sit in for a cheap breakfast or lunch. You can easily come back here over and over again, scoring a different cheap meal every time.
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The Borkek Shop at Queen Vic Market is legendary. Everyone knows it’s home to one of the best cheap eats in Melbourne: the humble borek. These filled breads are an absolute steal and come stuffed with options like spicy lamb or cheese and spinach. The gozlemes, fritters, wraps, and salads are also worth adding on if you want to build a bigger feast, and you’ll still be within budget.
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This tiny diner has become a firm favourite for late-night eats in Melbourne, but you don’t need to be a night owl to appreciate its quality, meat-driven food offering. And you don’t need to be flush with cash, either, thanks to a lineup of daily dish specials that mostly come in at a surprisingly reasonable price.
On Wednesdays, you can nab yourself a mighty buttermilk crispy chicken sambo with ranch dressing, while Thursdays are dedicated to hefty reuben sandwiches made with house-made wagyu pastrami. And you can stop by any day of the week to try some of the best cheap eats in Melbourne — its hamburger goes for just $15.90, its Coney Island Chili Dog for just $17.50, and you can grab two dry-aged beef skewers for $20.
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There are few bad moods that a big ol’ slice of New York-style pizza won’t fix. Out of a tiny shopfront in Meyers Place, Pizza Pizza Pizza is slinging a range of hefty 12, or 18-inch pies, available by the whole pizza, as well as by the slice.
And these cheesy triangles are a steal. Choose from classics like margherita, pepperoni, mushroom, and ham and pineapple, or opt for a vegan or vegetarian iteration.
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As one of the forefathers of Melbourne’s Korean fried chicken craze, Gami Chicken & Beer is a go-to whenever that chook craving hits. Even if you’re feeling extra cheap. Here, $19.90 gets you a Gami Original Burger with coleslaw and creamy cheese sauce, and $18.90 gets you a bibimbap with your choice of protein and sauce.
You can even grab a Cup-Bap for just $13.90, designed to be a quick and easy takeaway lunch. Why not throw in eight wings for just $14.95?
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Don’t be fooled by Shujinko’s legendary ramen bowls’ generous portions and big flavours — these are some of the best cheap eats in Melbourne. Most of the varieties come in at $20.50 or less. The signature ramen with tonkatsu soup, veggies, marinated egg, and signature grilled pork belly is yours for just $19.50.
The famed ramen joint has long been a win for budget-conscious diners in search of a hearty comfort-food fix, renowned for its Tokyo-style tonkotsu ramen made with a signature slow-cooked pork broth. There is also a healthy selection of add-ons such as gyoza, karaage, and takoyaki.
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Brunswick East is home to plenty of tasty, affordable spots to grab a bite, and amongst them is Tawooq, the casual Lebanese spot on the buzzy Brunswick East end of Lygon Street. The tight menu consists of wraps, baguettes and burgers — all prices around the $15 mark. The wraps come stuffed with either falafel, beef shawarma, fries, or the signature chicken tawooq (grilled chicken covered in a creamy yogurt-based marinade).
Pair your lunch or late-night meal (Tawooq is open till the early hours on Friday and Saturday nights) with a soft drink or something a little more substantial from Tawooq’s sister brand Laiimoon, located within the same space. Try a traditional Lebanese sahlab (milk pudding) or a smoothie packed with fresh fruit. It’s a small selection of food and drink, but you’ve only got to master a few to become a true food destination in Melbourne.
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It’s been around a while now, but unassuming Fitzroy North Good Times is still pulling queues. And it’s easy to see why. The laidback St George’s Road eatery is doing a bang-up job of living up to its name, with cheerful, honest dishes and a comfy, home-spun vibe ticking all the right boxes for northside’s savvy dining set.
From the kitchen comes a cheerfully simple, produce-focused offering, where pasta is the star of the show. And most of them will cost you less than $20. There is even napolitana pasta with fresh basil for just $9 a bowl, which is basically unheard of in this economy. If you want something meaty, grab bolognese for $16, and you’ll still be able to throw in a side salad for just $5!
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You don’t have to overthink cheap eats in Melbourne. A lot of the time, a great kebab or souvlaki will do the trick. Among all the best kebab joints in Melbourne, Lamb on Chapel is certainly a classic.
Instead of being heated by electric grills, the giant lamb and chicken slabs are cooked over coals, elevating the whole experience. Either get a classic souvlaki or opt for the beloved Halal Snack Pack with chips. Small bites, including dolmades, spicy grilled sausages, grilled calamari, and traditional Greek salads are also available.
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Hidden in a basement just off Little Collins street, Dodee Paidang is a vibrant eatery bursting with aromatic smells and bustling conversation which perfectly captures the energy of a Bangkok diner. Opened in 2017 by Somporn Phosri, who grew up working in his mother’s kitchen, this Melbourne Thai restaurant now has several locations. But this one is the original and, fair to say, the best.
The menu is vast and can be daunting to any newcomer. It’s also stacked with some of the best cheap eats in Melbourne. There are noodles and soups, rice and curries, entrees and salads, and even a healthy selection of vegan and gluten-free options. Better yet, DoDee has its own takeaway spot located upstairs — called Khao Kang — which sells boxes of cheap, daily-changing lunches to hungry office workers.
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Spice up your life — the budget-friendly way — by hot-footing it down to Delhi Streets. A buzzy, modern Indian eatery tucked away down Katherine Place, it’s plating up a menu of blissfully affordable street food, with so many dishes priced around the $20 mark.
You’ll find naan pizzas, burrito-inspired wraps, tandoori classics, and a whole range of dosas. Opt for something like the vegetarian thali — two vegetarian curries served with rice, naan, papadums, and pickles for $22, or grab a half tandoor chicken for just $16.
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The philosophy at Bowltiful is homemade, flavoursome, and unpretentious halal food made to celebrate Melbourne’s vibrant cultural diversity and culinary heritage. Bowltiful offers a Chinese Muslim-style beef noodle with halal meat, no soy sauce whatsoever, and a light seasoning of salt and herbs. It is a traditional recipe dating back and is served with a clear soup and hand-pulled lamian noodles, garnished with white radishes, red chilli oil, coriander, and leeks. It is absolutely delicious, and most dishes come in around the $20 mark.
There are nine varieties of noodles here — all made from scratch — and they are organised by their width and thickness. They start off super thin, weighing in at 0.5mm, and steadily get thicker until they climax with the whopping 30mm option. Then pick your soup, with hot-and-spicy beef and braised beef brisket standouts. For vegetarians, look no further than Bowltiful’s stir-fried noodles with mixed vegetables. Throw in a few extras such as a tea-braised egg or a serving of pickles, and your soup is complete. There is also a range of sides to complement your noodle dish, including seaweed salad, shredded tofu, beef tripe and a spicy beef salad. Add copious amounts of chilli oil and get slurping.
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Melbourne pubs are traditionally home to some of the best cheap eats in Melbourne. But you can score even better prices when you know what days to visit. You’ve got steak nights, trivia nights and meat raffles, but you can’t go past the humble chicken parma deals.
The Spread Eagle offers big $20 parmas with chips and salad on Sunday arvos, when you can also join free trivia. But if you’re looking for cheap parmas on another day, we have you sorted. Head to the Great Northern Hotel on Mondays, Terminus Hotel on Tuesdays, The Imperial South Yarra on Wednesdays, and The Prince Alfred every Thursday. Each of these spots cooks up a mean parma that won’t break the bank.
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If you’re after a knock-your-socks-off laksa to stave off the winter chill, you can’t go past Flemington’s Laksa King. While there are plenty of delicious menu items sure to catch your eye, it’s the famous combination curry laksa ($17.90), filled with mixed noodles, shrimp, fish cake, and chicken, that keeps regulars coming back time and time again.
Believe it or not, all this slurping is still pretty thirsty work. And thankfully, Laksa King lets you BYO wine for $8 per bottle. It’s got some of Melbourne’s best laksa, is one of the top BYO restaurants in Melbourne, and is a cheap eats haven. If you’ve never been, add it to your hit list, stat.
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Leonard’s House of Love is one of Melbourne’s best bars and is also home to a stack of banging cheap eats. Many of its burgers come in around $20, and the same can be said for its fried chicken tenders and fried popcorn cauliflower. We could rave about these for days. Spend a little extra to sample a few stellar sides, including the poutine fries, mac and cheese, iceberg salad, and corn ribs.
Once you’re done eating, you’ll likely have some coins left over to play a few rounds of pool out back. This is ideal for winter, as the billiards room has its own open fireplace that warms the entire space.
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One word: roti. Mamak is famous for a good reason, and that reason is flaky, buttery, delicious, and dipped in curry. You can get a serving for $11, but you won’t want to stop there. That’s why we recommend ordering its murtabak filled roti, with chicken or lamb, for a very reasonable $19. There are also plenty of other reasonably priced plates for less than $20, including mee goreng, nasi goreng, and a half dozen satay sticks.
And on top of all that greatness, Mamak is BYO at $4 per person. Bring a cheap bottle of wine from home to share with some mates, and you’ll have a big night out for a very reasonable price.
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You’ll notice Richmond’s Pacific Seafood BBQ 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. There are no bells and whistles here, just deliciously made Cantonese food that won’t let you down.
Inside, it’s all plastic chairs and tables, lazy susans, and menus blu-tacked to the walls. And there are many dishes under $20, as well as regularly changing chef specials at affordable prices. You’re spoilt for choice here.
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Melburnians rejoiced when Miznon, the world-famous Middle Eastern street-food eatery, opened on Hardware Lane in 2017. It’s been feeding hungry CBD workers, visitors, and tourists alike since then with fluffy pita and smooth tahini. From the outside, the Melbourne CBD restaurant might look small, but the whole space weaves around three narrow floors.
Many of the filled pita items cost less than $20, but the hardest part is choosing. Whether you go for a roast lamb creation or a minute steak stuffed pita, the ratatouille or rotisserie chicken, may be the hardest decision of the day. But good news is, you can’t make a bad choice here, as everything on the menu genuinely tastes incredible.
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This one’s all in the name. With a focused and easy-to-read menu that doesn’t compromise on variety, I Love Pho is your go-to for quick, no-fuss cheap eats in Richmond. It’s home to some of the best pho in Melbourne, with generous portions at a great price.
There are topping options all across the spectrum, including brisket, meatballs, tendon, heart, liver, and giblets — but its vegetarian option with tofu and veggies is one of our faves.
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Trippy Taco is cheap and cheerful Mexican that proves, with an all-vegetarian menu, that the flavour ain’t necessarily in the meat. Trippy’s menu looks like you’d expect: tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos — but they all come served sans meat and with the option of vegan soy cheese. The secret is in the beans, actually — there are lots of them and they’re incredibly rich and tasty.
Every single dish costs less than $20, proving there’s no need to deprive yourself when dining on a budget. Just make sure you rock up early — the no-frills cantina can only seat 45 amigos, and it can get a bit squishy.
Feature image: Supplied.
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