Quirky Places to Eat in Melbourne, Australia | 20 Restaurants To Visit

Some cities are culinary havens especially when there’s a variety of cuisines mixed with urban and cool restaurants to enjoy them in and at all times of day/night. Australia’s culture capital, Melbourne, has just that.

This Melbourne travel eating guide includes the best and most quirky places to eat in Melbourne from Brunch to local specialities to cheap deals around the city!

These fun eateries encompass the deliciousness of the Melbourne food scene so be sure to note these places for your next Melbourne trip.

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Places to Eat in Melbourne Australia

A lot of these restaurants outdoor seating will be helpful when taking safety measures for Covid. Plus, Melbourne is a great city to sit outside and people-watch!

Dietary requirements like Gluten Free are readily available at most restaurants in Melbourne. They are well equipped for amendments too, so many people are on a no garlic or onion diet and places in liberal Melbourne are always keeping up with the times and trends.

Breakfast / Brunch in Melbourne

Brunch is as much a part of Melbourne culture as is the AFL and their beloved coffee. You would be doing yourself a disservice by coming to the city and not experiencing Brunch in Melbourne.

Brunch became a big part of my life on my working holiday visa in Melbourne: before work, on breaks and certainly on hangovers! My favourite places are listed here and one I never managed to visit but heard top reviews about. Read on for the ultimate list of quirky places to Brunch in Melbourne.

1. Galleon Cafe

What better way to start this eating list than with a breakfast recommendation? Galleon Cafe is a rough-and-ready kind of restaurant, certainly not for fine-dining but reminds me of the greasy spoons we have in Wales.

Don’t let the mixed decor and backpacker notices put you off because Galleon Cafe serves the best breakfast in St Kilda by maintaining its number one beachside institution. It’s the number one cafe for backpackers and in a great location near St Kilda Hostels and closest Melbourne beach.

Their Eggs Florentine with a Banana Smoothie sets you up for a day of exploring Melbourne’s St Kilda suburb for no more than $20.

Address: 9 Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia. Google Maps

2. Dilly Daly

If you want a quirky restaurant in Melbourne with tasty food, perfected coffee, pink decor and top marks for presentation, Dilly Daly is your place to eat Brunch in South Yarra.

Try the Eggs Benedict with Pulled Pork in a Croissant and Halloumi on the side as well as a couple of Cappuccinos. This comes to around $30 but it was worth it and I’d drop that on this meal again!

Address: 6c Daly St, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia. Google Maps

Read Next: 8 Things to Do in South Yarra, Melbourne

3. Operator 25

The home of Melbourne’s first switchboard, hence the name, this Brunch cafe has everything you need for a tasty brunch and catch-up or meeting over coffee and feels like New York style brunch.

Try the quirky, Asian-fused menu such as Balinese Burger or Sichuan Duck Leg. Lots of the dishes have crisps on the side which give the meals a nice crunch.

Address: 25 Wills St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.operator25.com.au

4. Henry and The Fox

If you want somewhere quirky to eat in Melbourne but a little more pricier, try Henry and The Fox in Melbourne Central Business District (CBD).

Most meals are upwards of $20, I went for a pasta dish for Brunch when I ate here and chose a quirky meal: Squid Ink Linguine! They have a large menu and open all day/night so you don’t have to settle for brunch.

Address: 525 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.henryandthefox.com.au

5. Top Paddock

This is the brunch cafe I always talked about but never visited! My friend worked here and it was one of my colleague’s favourite place to Brunch in Melbourne! Top Paddock is near the famous Chapel Street, FULL of bars, restaurants and clubs.

Address: 658 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia

Website: http://toppaddockcafe.com

6. Fargo and Co

Okay, this one is more for the option of Bottomless Brunch. If you want brunch such as pancakes and poached eggs with unlimited alcoholic drinks, then head to the suburb of Richmond for a boujie place to eat in Melbourne.

Read My Full Review of Brunch in Fargo & Co

Quirky Lunch in Melbourne

7. Easeys

For the most quirky place to eat in Melbourne, you have to visit Easeys in Collingwood suburb. Easeys is an unusual dining experience as it’s a train restaurant in Melbourne.

The converted trains sit on top of the building that you can see as you walk down Easey Street and you take a lift to reach them. The quirky eating experience is completely inside an old Melbourne train with maps of train routes on the table and views of Collingwood.

Try a burger, dim sum or a hot dog and snap your pictures of this adventure.

Address: 3/48 Easey St, Collingwood VIC 3066, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.easeys.com.au

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8. Bluetrain

Bluetrain aka Melbourne’s Meeting Place, does perfect Melbourne food and is the best casual dining in Melbourne. I know the menu back to front and I’ve tried everything and there isn’t one thing I wouldn’t recommend!

Bluetrain is found on Southbank, behind Flinders Street Station with views over the Yarra river! What a good place to eat in Melbourne! The decor is quirky and the toilets are unmissable! (no, seriously). This is one of the best and quirky restaurants Melbourne has to offer.

I highly recommend getting a few taste plates because they’re all so good, and you need to try a little bit of everything! Taste plate prices range between $15 and $18.

Address: UR3/3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://bluetrain.com.au

9. Lentil As Anything

Travelling Australia on a tight budget? Then Lentil As Anything is the perfect place for you! Based in St Kilda, this quirky place to eat doesn’t charge a fixed price for its menu but rather asks you to donate what you think it’s worth.

It’s also a great place to volunteer in Melbourne as most of the staff are volunteers who love to work in a quirky Melbourne restaurant. Also, Lentil As Anything is a vegan restaurant in Melbourne but note, there’s always queue!

Address: 41 Blessington St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.lentilasanything.com/st-kilda

10. La Roche

If you’re looking for a cheap place to eat in St Kilda with good Australian food in Melbourne, La Roche is your spot.

They have cheap food deals everyday such as main meals for $18 and classic dishes for your Melbourne eating experience such as a parmigiana (Parmi’s) and an Aussie burger (with egg and beetroot).

Address: 185 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.larochestkilda.com.au

Take a Melbourne Foodie Discovery Tour with Viator

11. Beachcomber

A laidback restaurant overlooking St Kilda beach is Beachcomber Cafe where I had my favourite meal of seafood pasta. But it was VERY expensive especially on a backpacker budget at $40! It was a friend’s birthday though so a special treat was in order.

Fancy trying something local to Australia and only found down under? You can get a Kangaroo Steak for $47 here!

Address: 10-18 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.beachcombercafe.com.au

12. Belgian Beer Cafe

Belgian Beer Cafe is a quirky place to eat in Melbourne because of its unique location at the base of the Eureka Sky Deck.

A chef I worked with raved about the craft beer at this spot and claimed them to have the best mussels in Melbourne! Go here for a little taste of Europe.

Address: 5 Riverside Quay, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.belgianbeercafemelbourne.com.au

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Quirky Places to Eat in Melbourne at Night

13. Shujinko

This is the best ramen in Melbourne and it’s open 24/7. I’ve been for ramen late at night here as it became my go-to after drinking in Melbourne. Shujinko is a must-eat in Melbourne and because of its delicious Ramen, you’ll think you’ve been transported to Japan.

Sit in a singular row and start with some edamame before trying the signature ramen, all for around $22. I really wish I was in Melbourne for this right now!

Address: 225 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

Website: http://shujinko.com.au

14. Dragon Hot Pot

Hot Pot joints in Chinatown is the best quirky eating experience in Melbourne! The Russell Street location is open 24 hours so you can enjoy this fun way to eat any time of the day.

How to Visit Dragon Hot Pot in Melbourne? All along the right-hand side there are options for your hotpot items where you can choose any ingredients and noodles you want. Then, you take it to the counter to get weighed and choose your broth you want it cooked in (or stir-fried). They charge you based on its weight and give you a number. For instance, mine was $14 and the portion was huge!

You take a seat and your hotpot is brought out to you. It’s full of flavour and such a fun way to enjoy dinner! Note: The portions are large so you can ask to take some home for a dollar or so.

For fun places to eat in Melbourne, try the variations of Hot Pots in Chinatown.

Address: 213 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

15. HSP’s

HSP is a Halal Snack Pack (classic Aussie abbreviation) and an ultimate Melbourne food to try. It’s found in a white take-away box with chips, cheese, kebab meat and chilli, barbecue and garlic sauce. Oh wow, it’s so good and part of food culture in Melbourne.

They can be found everywhere in Melbourne and taste especially good after a night out! I lived in Spencer Street for a short while and there was a great place for HSP as well as on Flinders Street. See this Timeout List of HSP for some top HSP locations.

Melbourne food is so diverse! Click on one of these tours to check out the latest prices to experience the multi-cultural cuisines around the city:

Klook.com

16. Hopscotch Melbourne

Found nestled among some of the best bars in Southbank, is a quirky Melbourne restaurant overlooking the Yarra River.

At Hopscotch, you can enjoy popular Melbourne food and drinks while watching sports on the big screen or listening to live singers and bands so it’s always an enjoyable atmosphere.

I loved their ‘one-handed’ section of the menu (pictured above), ranging between $13 and $18. ‘Two-handed’ menu items are upwards of $20.

Address: 4 Riverside Quay, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://hopscotchmelbourne.com.au

17. Arcadia Hotel

I couldn’t do a Melbourne foodie guide without listing a place to get Steak in Melbourne. I’ve chosen Arcadia Hotel which is somewhere unexpected and quirky for a steak meal but it’s cheap, has live music, a sports area, reasonable drinks and a pool-table section.

Most importantly, it’s the best steak I had in Melbourne. Arcadia do themed nights and their steak night is every Wednesday with $16, 400g Porterhouse steaks or $19.50, 350g Eye Fillet steaks.

Address: 2 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia. Google Maps

Wesbite: https://www.arcadiahotel.com.au

18. Arbory Afloat

Arbory Afloat is only available during summer months as it’s the pop-up on the Yarra version of Arbory bar, directly behind Flinders Street Station.

Its an unusual dining experience in Melbourne because you’re eating on the river. If you just eat at Arbory, it’s still worth visiting because the burgers are tasty and the bar itself is unique due to it’s long and narrow structure.

Address: 1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://arbory.com.au

19. Iddy Biddy

One of my favourite bars in St Kilda is Iddy Biddy for its humble size and location, surprisingly-tasty food and cheap happy hour drinks!

From the outside, you wouldn’t think this venue would serve nice food but it’s actually a fun and quirky place to eat with food as tasty as the next Melbourne restaurant.

They serve dishes like juicy, thin pizzas and moreish pastas that you can choose from their unique menus made out of old Disney books and enjoy while playing vintage gaming machines.

Address: 35/39 Blessington St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.iddybiddy.com.au

20. Chin Chin

For one of the best Asian restaurants in Melbourne, try Chin Chin. Part of the Lucas Group, Chin Chin is a restaurant that’s an extremely popular eating place in Melbourne. This is the best place to eat near Street Art in Melbourne as it’s so close to Hoiser Lane.

This is the number one place I will eat when I return to Melbourne because I never had the chance when I had to leave Melbourne in March but I know it’s one of the best Melbourne restaurants.

Address: 125 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Google Maps

Website: https://www.chinchin.melbourne/booking/

Other Melbourne Best Restaurants & Cuisines

There’s lots of cuisine styles in Melbourne to try if you’re looking to go somewhere away from the quirkiness. You can always visit many markets around Melbourne like Queen Victoria and South Melbourne for local food. You can book on to this food Market Viator tour for the insiders’ guide to Melbourne Markets.

Did you know Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece? Ergo, the greek food is authentically in abundance. There’s Middle Eastern, fine dining, wine bars with snacks, rooftops galore, everywhere has a salad joint and importantly, lots of delicious Italian restaurants.

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