Melbourne's 20 Most Popular Restaurants of 2024 So Far
These are the spots you went looking for so far this year, from stunning beachside restaurants and CBD fine-diners to neighbourhood haunts and hidden Chinatown gems.
There's always something to eat in Melbourne, no matter what you're craving. Hankering for Nonna-worthy Italian food? Extravagant multi-course omakase? Quality hot pot in the CBD? Basque-inspired seafood and sangria by the bay? Whichever fits, this city of ours has just what you're looking for.
And in 2024 so far, you have been looking. So, with the year at its halfway point, these are the results. Our most-viewed restaurants of the past six months provide a snapshot of your recent faves and a roadmap of places to visit — either for the first time or the sixth.
Use this list as a look back on some of your favourite eats from 2024 — and as a guide to planning the rest of your meals before 2025 hits.
Recommended reads:
The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
The Best Restaurants in Melbourne's CBD
The Best Cafes in Melbourne
The Best Bars in Melbourne
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Restaurant
Gimlet at Cavendish House
33 Russell Street, Melbourne
Andrew McConnell's elegant cocktail bar and European bistro serves up caviar, champagne and truffles aplenty.
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Restaurant
Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya
127 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Find a stacked menu with both traditional and wildly fun contemporary Japanese eats at this Brunswick Street haunt.
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Restaurant
Tsukiji Restaurant
237 High Street, Prahran
Dine in at this unique Japanese restaurant, where you pick your fresh seafood from the deli fridge and then watch on as the chefs turn it into a hyper-personalised sashimi platter for two.
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Restaurant
Hazel
164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
From the minds behind Liminal and Common Ground Project comes this after-work go-to for cocktails and clever contemporary bites.
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Restaurant
Akaiito Restaurant
349-351 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Home to excellent a la carte Japanese eats, omakase experiences and a private dining room with immersive visual projections.
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Restaurant
Society
80 Collins Street, Melbourne
This dramatic venue from Chris Lucas features two restaurants and a glam cocktail lounge.
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Restaurant
Aru Restaurant
268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
This considered offering heroes cooking techniques from eras past and a surprising fusion of flavours.
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Bar
The Waiters Restaurant
20 Meyers Place, Melbourne
Despite missing out on the neighbouring Meyers Place revolution, the Waiter's Club remains a city stalwart.
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Restaurant
Sebastian Beach Grill & Bar
26 Esplanade, Williamstown
This Basque-inspired waterfront bistro grills seafood and pours sangria on a sprawling shaded deck right on the sand.
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Restaurant
Neptune
212 High Street, Windsor
The Windsor restaurant has gone back to its roots, serving up stacks of seafood and Mediterranean eats.
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Restaurant
Supper Inn
15 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne
A long-standing Chinatown institution, where the frills are minimal, the Cantonese eats are generous and the dinner service kicks on till the wee hours.
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Restaurant
Panda Hot Pot
100 Victoria Street, Carlton
The former Dracula's site is now home to an international sichuan hot pot chain.
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Restaurant
Kisumé
175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Chris Lucas's three storeys of Japanese grandeur in the heart of Melbourne.
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Restaurant
Victoria by Farmer's Daughters
2 Swanston Street, Melbourne
A love letter to the people and produce of Victoria's diverse regions, featuring a 3000-bottle wine library and a rotating 'region in residence' menu.
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Restaurant
Yulongfu Steamed Buns Restaurant
136 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Xiao long bao steals the show at this Shanghainese dumpling restaurant — especially the luxe black truffle variety.
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Restaurant
Shira Nui
247 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley
The interiors might be underwhelming but the food is anything but.
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Restaurant
Etta
60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
The team has collectively worked at Attica, Cutler & Co, The Roving Marrow and Rosetta.
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Bar
Grossi Florentino
80 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Littered with Italian murals and quintessentially traditional food, this Italian institution has been pumping since '28.
Top image: Etta by Annika Kafcaloudis.