By Celebrating Melbourne’s fantastic foodie heritage
Whilst Australia has earned a legendary reputation for its fresh and delicious cuisine, it’s probably Melbourne that’s the nation’s foodie epicentre.
With the much-loved Melbourne Food and Wine Festival recently enjoying its 25th year, the city in Victoria is one of the global hotspots for enjoying the best in culinary innovation.
Whether it’s checking out the incredible Asian offerings in the much-loved Chinatown part of the city, or even exploring some of the phenomenal Italian or Greek restaurants, it all shows just why Melbourne has earned such a great reputation for its fun and vibrant cuisine.
So what are the must-see sights on a foodie tour of Melbourne that allow you to take in the easy-going ambience whilst enjoying some mouth-watering tastes?
Melbourne’s markets
Much of Melbourne’s culinary excellence is derived from the wonderfully fresh produce of the region. And where better to witness this than at one of the city’s famous markets?
The fantastic Queen Victoria Market offers a great place to start with local delicacies like peppered kangaroo fillets and crocodile sausages nestling alongside fresh fish, artisan cheeses, and of course plenty of delicious organically grown fruit and vegetables.
But there’s plenty more to Melbourne’s markets than this, as Dandenong Market is famous for its global delicacies with everything from Turkish lokma to Indian spices making this one of the most aromatically inspiring places in the city.
And then there’s the Slow Food market on Abbotsford Covent that takes pride in serving up locally grown organically produced foodstuffs that let you know exactly where they came from.
Meat treats
Melbourne has plenty to offer for any visiting carnivores with the title for the best steak in the city being incredibly competitive. Many local people swear by Rockpool Bar and Grill for their wide selection of quality steaks, whilst the recently opened Longhorn Saloon has been a welcome addition to the city’s steakhouse scene with their popular New York strips catering to even the largest appetites.
And for those who are seeking something a little different, then the stylish Ribs and Burgers in Hawthorn does exactly what you’d expect, plus they even have a delivery service with Deliveroo so that you can enjoy their wonderful meat delicacies no matter where you are!
But seeing as you can’t go anywhere in Australia without somebody mentioning the good old-fashioned barbecue at some point, then why not see how the masters do it at Big Boy BBQ in the CBD. With everything from ribs and wings to meat platters, it certainly won’t leave you feeling hungry!
Fresh Seafood
Those looking to sample Australia’s amazing seafood cuisine are also in for a real treat in Melbourne. Whether it’s keeping it low key at Miss Katie’s Crab Shack in Fitzroy to get some Southern-style seafood, or trying to impress your other half with CBD’s Meat Fish Wine, there’s plenty to discover.
And whilst there’s no shortage of great fish and chips outlets in Melbourne, it’s probably the much-loved Cerberus Beach House that offers the most dazzling view over Half Moon Bay whilst you tuck into the freshly battered fish.
It’s also worth mentioning that Melbourne’s markets also take pride in serving up plenty of excellent fresh fish. Whilst the aforementioned Queen Victoria market has plenty of legendary fish outlets like Gazza’s, it could also be worth heading over to Claringbolds Seafood at the Prahan market.
This much-loved outlet has been serving up prawns, salmon, trout and Coffin Bay oysters since 1909, and it will give you another reason to believe that Melbourne is a fantastic place for enjoying fresh seafood.
Veggie options
There’s plenty to enjoy for those who aren’t tempted by ribs and burgers, as Melbourne has long been at the forefront of global healthy eating trends thanks to outlets like Vegie Bar in Fitzroy that have been catering to vegetarians for over 20 years.
It’s also worth mentioning that plenty of Melbourne’s vegetarian outlets also showcase the best in global cuisine. Places like Om Vegetarian are great fun as they are all-you-can-eat Indian kitchens that have a relaxed atmosphere whilst providing a cool way to sample many delightful dishes from the Indian subcontinent.
In addition to this, the Moroccan Soup Bar in Fitzroy North does exactly what you’d expect, but with some delicious sultana couscous offerings, it shows what a wide reach Melbourne’s food scene has.
Other options include Smith & Daughters that specialises in vegan produce that has many interesting Spanish and South American influences, whilst Gopal’s is a nice buffet restaurant that excels in meat-free Asian options. And with the much-loved Crossways featuring vegetarian cuisine that’s served up by the local Hare Krishna group, it all goes to show what a fantastic and diverse food scene Melbourne has.
Your Say
Where are your favourite spots in Melbourne for a bite to eat?
