Hi everyone! This is a list of my Top Fives in various categories. The list will change from time to time, so check back =)
There are a list of Top Fives (as of the current time) followed by a list of restaurants that make up the Top Ten – however these are in no particular order. Additionally, some categories have Special Mentions which are other restaurants that I have found to be very good as well and are highly recommended to check them out.
My breakkie/brunch list is quite large as this is my fave meal and love to try out new places be it during the week (if I can squeeze it in before work) or the weekends! Nothing like a funky lil cafe to start the day off! =) Also please note the Top Five Burger places come from a collection of fellow foodies who love burgers – however I do agree on Andrew’s Burgers being number one…their Veggie burger is delicious!BEST I’VE EVER HAD!
Also if there are any categories you would like to see or have any questions / feedback please do let me know – either via email (thegrazingpanda@gmail.com) or on Twitter (simtiaz) or Facebook (Grazing Panda – https://www.facebook.com/GrazingPanda)
Thanks everyone!
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Top 20 Breakfast/ Brunch Places
1. The Crux and Co (South Melbourne)
2. Holla (Richmond)
3. Archies All Day (Fitzroy)
4. White Mojo (Melbourne CBD / Balwyn)
5. High Society Cafe (Armadale)
6. Lucy Lockett (Brunswick)
7. Fourth Chapter (Prahran)
8. Bawa (Hawthorn)
9. Second Home (Eltham)
10. Left Field (Carnegie)
11. Higher Ground (Melbourne CBD)
12. Darling Cafe (South Yarra)
13. Matcha Mylkbar (St Kilda)
14. Urban Projuice (Albert Park)
15. Mammoth Cafe (Armadale)
16. Too Many Chiefs (Brighton)
17. Go West (Woodlea)
18. Mister Hoffman (Essendon)
19. Le Petit Prince (Armadale)
20. Little Woodpecker (Blackburn)
In the top 65 – The Pressed Lab (Melbourne CBD), Serotonin Eatery (Burnley), Patch Cafe (Richmond), Denis the Menace (Cremorne), Jerry Joy (Thornbury), Code Black Howard St (North Melbourne), Norma Loves Joe (Balwyn) ,The Vertue of Coffee (Carlton) ,The Bakers Wife (Camberwell), Three Monkeys (Doncaster), Gardinier & Field (Armadale) ,Merchants Guild (Bentleigh), Nora (Carlton), Mart 130 (Albert Park), Tomboy (Collingwood), Wilfred Smith (Moonee Ponds), The Lucky Penny (South Yarra), Barry (Northcote), Two Lost Boys (Windsor), Townhouse (Toorak), Two Bob (Fairfield), Mr Hendricks (Balwyn), Scarvelli Café (Balwyn), Hawk & Hunter (Elsternwick), Stagger Lee’s (Fitzroy), Little Somethin Somethin (Richmond), Hello Sailor (Hawthorn), The Bell Jar (Clifton Hill), STREAT (Kensington), Percy’s Aeroplane (Kew), The Petty Officer (Albert Park), Lolo & Wren (Brunswick), Lemon Middle & Orange (Richmond), Foxtrot Charlie (Brunswick), Brother Thomas (Melbourne CBD), Collective Espresso (Camberwell), Tall Timber (Prahran), Touchwood (Richmond), Industry Beans (Fitzroy), Cru (Kew), Annoying Brother (Carlton), Hammer & Tong (Fitzroy), The Last Piece (Mulgrave), Hobba (Prahran)
Special Mention: Zaatar (Coburg), Servery and Spoon (Malvern), Lux Foundry (Brunswick), Small Victories (North Carlton), Twenty & Six Expresso (North Melbourne), Porgie & Mr Jones (Hawthorn), Lil Boy Blue (Kew), Little Big Sugar Salt (Richmond), Grigons & Orr (North Melbourne), John Gorilla (Brunswick West), The Pour Kids (Malvern East), Cornershop (Yarraveille), Fandango (North Melbourne), Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder (Richmond), Proud Mary (Collingwood), Chez Dre (Collingwood), Di Bella Coffee Roasting (North Melbourne), Penny Farthing Expresso (Northcote), Wide Open Road (Brunswick), APTE (Heidelberg), Snow Pony (North Balwyn), Cheeky Monkey (Richmond), Lawson Grove Shop (South Yarra), Cafe Sweethearts (South Melbourne), Dr Jekyll (St Kilda), Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird (Gardenvale), Two Birds One Stone (Prahran), Auction Rooms (North Melbourne), New York Tomato (Richmond), Top Paddock (Richmond), The Premises (Kensington), Miss Marmalade (Brunswick), Nshry (Albert Park), Fitzrovia (St Kilda), Elceed (North Melbourne), Addict Coffee and Food (Fitzroy), Tyranny of Distance (Windsor)
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Top 15 Dinner Restaurants
1. Mr Miyagi (Windsor)
2. Toko (Windsor)
3. Honcho Noodle (Melbourne CBD)
4. Pastuso (Melbourne CBD)
5. Embla (Melbourne CBD)
6. Lucy Liu (Melbourne CBD)
7. Saint Lucia (Fitzroy)
8. Corte (Port Melbourne)
9. Sezar (Melbourne CBD)
10. Tenpin (Port Melbourne)
11. Two Wrongs (South Yarra)
12. Pretty Mama (Melbourne CBD)
13. Hawker Hall (Windsor)
14. South Central (South Yarra)
15. Mama Rumaan (Docklands)
16. Fratelli Fresh (Melbourne CBD)
17. The Nelson (St Kilda)
18. Massi (Melbourne CBD)
19. Le Bon Ton (Collingwood)
20. Saint Urban (Richmond)
In the top 50: Gazi (Melbourne CBD), Oter (Melbourne CBD), Feast of Merit (Richmond), Mr Big Stuff (Melbourne CBD), Charlie Dumpling (Windsor), Dig A Pony (Yarraville), Roti Road (Footscray), Nieuw Amsterdam (Melbourne CBD), Morris Jones Bar (Windsor), duNord (Melbourne CBD), The More The Better (Elsternwick), Green Park Dining (Carlton North), Little Creatures Dining Hall (Fitzroy), Albert Street Food & Wine (Brusnwick), Supernormal Canteen (Melbourne CBD), Romulus & Remus (Richmond), The Spotted Mallard (Brunswick), The Black Toro (Glen Waverly), Gazi (Melbourne), Mister Bianco (Kew), Epocha(Carlton), Gorski & Jones (Collingwood), Casa Ciuccio (Fitzroy), Rococo (Hawthorn and St Kilda), Estelle Kitchen & Bar (Northcote)
Special Mention: Woods of Windsor (Windsor), San Telmo (Melbourne CBD), Koy (South Melbourne), Little Hunter (Melbourne CBD), The Moors Head (Thornbury), Union Dining (Richmond), Hare & Grace (Melbourne CBD), The Meat & Wine Co (SouthBank), Spoonbill (Prahran), Radii (Park Hyatt, Melbourne CBD), Tonka (Melbourne CBD), West Waters Bistro (Caroline Springs), Captain Melville (Melbourne CBD), Meatball Wine & Bar (Melbourne CBD), Firechief (Hawthorn), Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar (Crown Casino, Melbourne), Brooks (Melbourne CBD), The Merrywell (Crown Casino)
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Top 15 Lunch Places
1. Poked (Melbourne CBD)
2. Ena Greek Street Food (Southbank)
3. Goz City (Melbourne CBD)
3. Higher Ground (Melbourne CBD)
4. A25 Pizzeria (Docklands)
5. Schmuck Bagels (Docklands)
6. Tap831 (Docklands)
7. Banoi (Docklands)
8. Malaysian Laksa House (Melbourne CBD)
9. Dip In Cafe (Melbourne CBD)
10. Tip 00 (Melbourne CBD)
11. Paperboy Kitchen (Melbourne CBD)
12. Thailander (Melbourne CBD)
13. Arbory (Melbourne CBD)
14. Pad Thai Eatery (Melbourne CBD)
15. Hophaus (Southgate, CBD)
In the top 20: +39 Pizzeria (Melbourne CBD), Bowery of Williamsburg (Melbourne CBD) , The Grain Store (Melbourne CBD), Dr Morse (Abbotsford), Long Shot Coffee (Docklands), Operator25 (Melbourne CBD), Henry and the Fox (Melbourne CBD), Mister Close (Melbourne CBD), Kinfolk (Melbourne CBD), Mr Mason (Melbourne CBD), Fugazza (Melbourne CBD), N.Lee Bakery (Melbourne CBD), Threefold (Melbourne CBD), State of Grace (Melbourne CBD), Chuckle Park (Melbourne CBD)
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Top 6 Fine Dining Restaurants
1. Dinner by Heston (Crown, Melbourne)
2. Woodland House (Prahran)
3. Toko (Windsor)
4.Mister Jennings (Richmond)
5. Vue de Monde (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 10: Luxembourg (St Kilda), Sezar (Melbourne CBD), Lucy Liu (Melbourne CBD), Pastuso (Melbourne CBD), Stokehouse (St Kilda), Maha (Melbourne CBD), Tonka (Melbourne CBD), The Italian (Melbourne CBD), Taxi (Melbourne CBD), Bacash (South Yarra), The Atlantic (Crown Casino), Hellenic Republic (Brunswick East), Taxi Kitchen (Melbourne CBD), Morris Jones Bar (Windsor), Circa, The Prince (St Kilda)
Special Mention: Attica (Ripponlea), Jacques Reymond (Prahran), Bistro Guillame (Crown Casino), Number 8 (Crown Casino), The Press Club (Melbourne CBD), Fog (Prahran), No 35 (Melbourne CBD), Zio’s Ristorante (East Melbourne), Allegro (Melbourne CBD), Golden Fields (St Kilda), St Katherines (Kew), The Point (Albert Park), Cumulus Inc. (Melbourne CBD), Cutler & Co (Fitzroy), Builders Arms Hotel (Fitzroy), Woods of Windsor (Windsor)
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Top 5 Wineries
1. Montalto
2. Ten Minutes by Tractor
3. Giant Steps / Innocent Bystander
4. Yering Station
5. T’Gallant
Special Mention: De Bortoli, Domaine Chandon, Balgownie Estate
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Top 5 Italian Restaurants
1. Fratelli Fresh (Melbouren CBD)
2. Massi (Melbourne CBD)
3. Tip00 (Melbourne CBD)
4. Emilia (Melbourne CBD)
5. Il Solito Posto (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 15: Bottega (Melbourne CBD), Grossi Florentino (Melbourne CBD), Mister Bianco (Kew), Merchant (Melbourne CBD), Rosa’s Kitchen (Melbourne CBD), Fatto Bar & Cantina (Melbourne CBD), Tiamo 2 (Carlton), Cellar Bar (Melbourne CBD), Il Bacaro (Melbourne CBD), I Carusi (Brunswick), Gills Diner (Melbourne CBD), Vapiano (Melbourne CBD), +39 / NSP (Melbourne CBD / Docklands), Baby (Richmond)
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Top 10 Thai Restaurants
1. Tenpin (Port Melbourne)
2. Jinda Thai (Abbotsford)
3. Pintoh (Melbourne CBD)
4. Lady Boy Dining (Richmond)
5. Thailander (Melbourne CBD)
6. Thaiger Burger (Melbourne CBD)
7. Rice Paper Scissors (Melbourne CBD)
8. Nine Elephants (Docklands)
9. Chin Chin (Melbourne CBD)
10. Burma Lane (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 20: I Spicy (Hawthorn), Ying Thai (Richmond), Pad Thai Eatery (Melbourne CBD), Bangpop Thai (Docklands), Pok Pok (Docklands), Longrain (Melbourne CBD), Caroline Springs Thai (Caroline Springs), Ying Thai (Carlton), Easy Tiger (Collingwood), Chilli Padi (various), Red Spice Road (Melbourne CBD), Fomo Thai (Melbourne CBD)
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Top 5 French Restaurants
1. Bistro Thierry (Toorak)
2.The Aylesbury (Melbourne CBD)
3. Madame Sou Sou (Brunswick)
4. Nieuw Amsterdam (Melbourne CBD)
5. Bistro Vue (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 10: Bistro Guillame (Crown Melbourne), Oter (Melbourne CBD), Frace Soir (South Yarra), Gills Diner (Melbourne CBD), French Brassiere (Melbourne CBD), Noir (Richmond), Le Triskel (Melbourne CBD), Koots e Salle Manger (Kooyong)
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Top 6 Japanese Restaurants
1. Toko (Windsor)
2. Mr Miyagi (Windsor)
3. Minamishima (Richmond)
4. Nobu (Crown, Melbourne)
5. Hihou (Melbourne CBD)
6. Izakaya Den (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 15: Supernormal Canteen (Melbourne CBD), Gypsy and Pig (Melbourne CBD), Ramen Ya (Melbourne CBD), Yu u (Melbourne CBD), Purple Peanuts (Melbourne CBD), Hannabashi (Melbourne CBD), Ajisen Ramen (Melbourne CBD), Heirloom (Melbourne CBD), Waya (Glen Waverly)
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Top 5 Mexican Restaurants
1. Fiesta Mexican (South Yarra)
2. Touche Hombre (Melbourne CBD)
3. Mesa Verde (Melbourne CBD)
4. Los Amates (Fitzroy)
5.Popol Nah (Carlton)
In the top 10: Mama Sita (Melbourne CBD), Taco Truck (Various), Guzman y Gomez (Melbourne CBD, Maribrynong), Mexicali Rose (Richmond), High Tech Burrito (Hawthorn), Mad Mex (Various), Fonda Mexican (Richmond)
Special Mention: Pacos Tacos (Melbourne CBD), Movida, Movida Aqui (Melbourne CBD), Salsas (Various)
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Top 5 Tapas Places
1. Bar Nacional (Docklands)
2. Bomba (Melbourne CBD)
3. The Moat (Melbourne CBD)
4. Casa Ciuccio (Fitzroy)
5. Portello Rosso (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 10: Bohemian (South Wharf, Docklands), Black Toro (Glen Waverly), Money Order Office (Melbourne CBD), Eau De Vie (Melbourne CBD), Hairy Canary (Melbourne CBD), Movida (Melbourne CBD), Bar Lourihna (Melbourne CBD)
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Top 5 Food Trucks
1. Taco Truck
2. Beatbox Kitchen
3. Gumbo Truck
4. White Guys Cook Thai
5. Mr Burger
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Top 5 Middle Eastern Restaurants
1. Sezar (Melbourne CBD)
2. Mama Rumaan (Docklands)
3. Arabesque (Elsternwick)
4. Ablas (Carlton)
5. Rumi (Brunswick)
6. Afghan Pamir (Dandenong)
7. Maha (Melbourne CBD)
8. Mr Lawrence (Port Melbourne)
9. Zarouna (South Yarra)
10. Tulum (Balaclava)
In the top 20: Goz City (Melbourne CBD), Byblos (South Wharf, Docklands), Afghan Gallery (Fitzroy), Nights of Kabul (Oakleigh), Moroccan Soup Bar (Fitzroy North), Tibas (Coburg), The Moors Head (Thornbury), Kanzaman (Richmond)
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Top 5 Dessert Places
1. Pana Chocolate (Richmond)
2. Om Nom Dessert Bar (Melbourne CBD)
3. Le Petit Gateu (Melbourne CBD)
4. The Smith (Windsor)
In the top 10: Burch & Purchese (South Yarra), Cafe Rosamond (Fitzroy), Lux Bite (South Yarra), Hopetoun Tea Rooms (Melbourne CBD), Dessert Story (Various Locations), Chez Dre (South Melbourne), Ganache Chocolate (Various Locations), Lindt Cafe (Various Locations), Monsieur Truffe (Collingwood)
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Top 5 Malaysian Restaurants
1. Roti Road (Footscray)
2. Jalon Alor (Melbourne CBD)
3, Omahs (Hawthorn)
4. Laksa King (Flemington)
5.. Paparich (Various Locations)
In the top 10: Coda (Melbourne CBD), Mamak (Melbourne CBD), Straits of Malacca (Various Locations), Monk & Me (Camberwell), Chinta Blues (St Kilda), Rasa Malaya (Doncaster)
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Top 10 Chinese Restaurants
1. Man Tong (Crown, Melbourne)
2. Honcho Noodle (Melbourne CBD)
3. Ruyi (Melbourne CBD)
4. Qanjude (Melbourne CBD)
5. Hutong Dumpling Bar (Melbourne CBD)
6. Bamboo House (Melbourne CBD)
7. Dainty Sichuan (South Yarra / Melbourne CBD)
8. Lucy Liu (Melbourne CBD)
9. East Restaurant (Melbourne CBD)
10. David’s (Prahran)
In the top 20: Seamstress (Melbourne CBD), Lau’s Family Kitchen (St Kilda), Flowerdrum (Melbourne CBD), Shandong Mama (Melbourne CBD), Lucky Chan (Crown Casino), Mopho Noodle Bar (South Yarra)
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Top 5 Steak Restaurants
1. The Cut (Melbourne CBD)
2. Dutchess (Melbourne CBD)
3. Longhorn Saloon (Carlton)
4. Fratelli Fresh (Melbourne CBD)
5. Entrecote (Prahran)
6. L’ Hotel Gitan (Windsor)
7. Steer (South Yarra)
8. Vlados (Richmond)
9. La Luna (Carlton)
10. Rockpool (Crown Casino)
In the top 25: L’Hotel Gitan (Windsor), The Grosvenor (St Kilda), Station Hotel (Fooscray), Stokehouse (St Kilda), The Meat & Wine Co (Southbank), Pure South (Southbank), The Point (Albert Park), Mediterraneo (Albert Park), Rare (Melbourne CBD), Squires Loft (Various Locations), Steak Ministry and Grill (Glen Waverly), San Telmo (Melbourne CBD), The Railway Club Hotel (Port Melbourne), Charcoal Grill on the Hill (Kew), Estelle (Northcote)
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Top 5 Takeaway places
1. Hooked – Healthy Seafood (Fitzroy, Hawthorn, Prahran)
2. Melbourne Kebab Station (Coburg)
2. Nandos (Various Locations)
3. Grill’d (Various Locations)
4. Salsas (Various Locations)
In the Top 10: Ali Baba (Various Locations), Schnitz (Various Locations)
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Top 5 Cupcake Places
1. Cupcake Central (Hawthorn, Melbourne CBD)
2. Little Cupcakes (Melbourne CBD)
3. Alice Nivens (Melbourne CBD)
4. Joy Cupcakes (Various Locations)
5. Mister Nice Guys (Ascot Vale)
In the Top 10: The Cupcake Queens (Williamstown)
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Top 5 Indian Restaurants
1. Mukka (Fitzroy)
2. Tonka (Melbourne CBD)
3. Horn Please ( Fitzroy)
4. Babu Ji (St Kilda)
5. Tonka (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 10: Anghaan by Dhaba (Various), Cinnamons (Melbourne CBD), Red Pepper (Melbourne CBD), Horn Please (Fitzroy North), Bhoj (Templestowe), Tadka Boom! (Melbourne CBD)
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Top 5 Cocktail (Mocktail) Bars
1. Murmur (Melbourne CBD)
2. Polly (Fitzroy)
3. Golden Monkey (Melbourne CBD)
4. Brunswick Mess Hall (Brunswick)
5. Bar None (Camberwell)
In the top 10: EDV (Melbourne CBD), Der Raum (now becoming Bar Economico) (Richmond), The Black Pearl (Fitzroy), 1806 (Melbourne CBD), Cookie (Melbourne CBD)
Special Mention: Lily Blacks (Melbourne CBD), Red Hummingbird (Melbourne CBD), Emerald Peacock (Melbourne CBD), Madame Brussels (Melbourne CBD), The Croft Institute (Melbourne CBD), Siglo (Melbourne CBD),
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Top 5 Country Town Restaurants
1. Annie Smithers Bistrot (Kyneton)
2. The Long Table (Red Hill South)
3. Yering Station (Yering)
4. Montalto (Red Hill South)
5. Ten Minutes by Tractor (Red Hill)
In the top 10: Bella Verde (Yarra Valley), The Lake House (Daylesford)
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Top 5 Burger Joints
1. Andrew’s Hamburgers (South Melbourne)
2. Royal Stacks (Brunswick and Melbourne CBD)
3. Burger Theory (Melbourne CBD)
4. 8bit (Footscray)
5. Thaiger Burger (Melbourne CBD)
In the top 20: Grand Trailer Park (Melbourne CBD), Easeys (Collingwood), Mr Burger (Melbourne City, Food Truck), Mr Big Stuff (Melbourne CBD), Charlie & Co. (Emporium Melbourne), Huxtaburger (Collingwood), Burger Lounge (Eltham), Merrywell (Crown Casino), Rockwell & Sons (Collingwood), Belle’s Diner (Fitzroy), Brother Burger & The Marvellous Brew (Fitzroy), The Spotted Mallard (Brunswick)
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