Flying Scots Girl

Melbourne is the ultimate foodie capital of Australia with delicious new restaurant, cafe and bar openings every week. From Michelin stars and tasting menus to sweet treats and street eats you’ll find it all in Melbourne to satisfy every taste palate and every budget. Melbourne’s food scene has been carved and influenced by generations of immigrants coming to the city and bringing their own dishes from all over the world. This means that so many different cuisines are exceptional in Melbourne. After World War II, Greeks, Italians and Lebanese immigrants brought the first wave of world cuisines and then from the 1970s another wave brought people primarily from South East Asia and with them came another set of flavours.

I’ve been fortunate to visit Melbourne on three separate trips (I’m lucky to have family and friends in the city) and I’ve enjoyed some very yummy food and drink. These are 10 food and drinks that you should taste while you’re in the city (and that won’t break the bank either!). Before leaving Australia I hope to visit Melbourne again and add a few more items to this list for you 😉

If it all seems a bit daunting, one of the best ways to discover Melbourne’s food scene is with a guided food tour. I joined this one with Walk Melbourne Tours through Get Your Guide and it was so good, lots of tasty food as well as being a really interesting way to learn about Melbourne’s history.

Top Tip – Booking Activities & Tours

My favourite app for booking tours, adventures and plenty of fun is Get Your Guide. There are so many epic memories that you can choose to make from food tours to entry tickets, laidback wine tasting to adrenaline filled adventures. Make sure you use my discount code CATTHOMSON5 for 5% off your first booking when you download the app as a new user 👇

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1. Magic Coffee from Bench

Melbourne is known for being the coffee snob of Australia (and Australians in general know their coffee so this is a big deal). The city even has its own type of coffee called a ‘magic’ which you won’t find anywhere else in Australia (unless the cafe has Melbourne origins) let alone the world so it’s a must try in the city. That is if you like coffee and you like it strong. It’s a 3/4 full small sized flat white but made with two ristretto shots together, both of these things make for a great balance of milk to coffee flavour with the benefit of having a bit more of a caffeine kick than a regular small coffee.

Whilst plenty of coffee shops across Melbourne will be able to serve you a decent magic, the best place to try it is at Bench Coffee who take coffee very seriously. And I really mean that. The menu is very simple with the focus being on the coffee and you won’t find a mocha on the menu. The name Bench Coffee comes from the quick service and intention to stand at the bench to drink so it’s great for a quick coffee fix!

2. Dumplings from ShanDong MaMa Mini

Melbourne is famous for its laneway culture. Here you’ll find street food mixed with street art for a great combination. Flinders Lane is the most famous and popular for eating so it’s an excellent place to start when you’re hunting for lunch or dinner. Just off Flinders Lane you’ll find ShanDong MaMa Mini which is a smaller outpost of the famous dumpling restaurant ShanDong MaMa. The menu and location are smaller and more intimate here and it’s a perfect spot for some lunch. They’re best known for their mackerel dumplings but there are others to choose from as well including pork, prawn and beef. They were so yummy and perfect to have a couple as a little afternoon snack!

3. Pastries from Lune Croissanterie

If you’re walking down Collins Street at Lune Croissanterie’s opening time then you may be wondering why there’s such a large queue outside. Well, Lune went viral on social media in 2023 for their pastries they’re so good that The New York Times previously asked ‘Is the World’s Best Croissant Made in Australia?’. They often release ‘limited edition specials’ which lead to even longer lines as people try to get their tastebuds on the new flavours. I’ve tried the pain au chocolat in Melbourne and the Kouign Amann in Brisbane both of which were SO YUM. The Kouign Amann in particular was so buttery and caramelly (sorry I know it’s not a word but I’m sure you know what I mean!) and with a little bit of salt to just tone down the sweet a notch.

In Melbourne, on a Thursday morning, I waited around ten minutes which wasn’t too bad!

Top Tip – Data Roaming
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4. Brunch from Hardware Société

Brunch has become a quintessential Australian mealtime and in a foodie city like Melbourne it’s not a surprise that there are plenty of brunch locations and options to choose from. I’ve been to Hardware Société on all three of my trips to Melbourne and I’ve not been disappointed. It’s regularly on lists of the best brunch or breakfast in Melbourne and it has other branches in Paris and Barcelona (yes really!) so you know it’s going to be good. The interior is industrial and at the original location on Hardware Lane, the setting is pretty much one big table with a lot of the cooking going on behind you. I’ve twice been for coffee only and once had brunch. I have a sweet tooth so opted for a yummy, loaded slice of French toast which very much satisfied my sweet cravings.

5. Bánh Mì from Heartbaker Bun Mee

Another popular street food along Melbourne’s laneways is Vietnamese and bánh mì is a perfect option for a quick lunch. Heartbaker Bun Mee is one of the most popular and does get busy at lunchtime. The pork belly option is the most popular. The melt in your mouth pork is a perfect texture combination with the crispy baguette and the flavours that come together are divine. You might just want to have another!

6. Hot Chocolate from Mörk Chocolate

If you’re not from Australia then you may be under the impression that it doesn’t get very cold in winter but in Melbourne it really can do. The temperatures dip over the winter months so warming up with a hot chocolate is a great treat. The best place to enjoy it as at Mörk Chocolate. They have a range of chocolate % from 50 to 85% which, because they’re all on the darker end, means it’s not too overwhelmingly sickly sweet which hot chocolate can have a tendency for. I tried the original dark 70% cacao and my partner opted for the Campfire Hot Chocolate. I tasted some of the Campfire flavour and yum this was different. The hot chocolate is infused with campfire smoke and topped with a toasted marshmallow and it was incredible. It did taste like a yummy, smokey hot chocolate that you’ve had round a campfire. I didn’t try any of their brownies but I believe they’re supposed to be excellent as well.

7. Gelato from Piccolina

After World War II many Italian immigrants moved to the city and brought the famous Italian cuisine to the streets, delis and restaurants of Melbourne. Lygon Street in Carlton is known as Little Italy! Piccolina might not located on Lygon Street but they do exceptional gelato. It’s so creamy and smooth with traditional flavours like pistachio and chocolate as well as monthly specials using seasonal ingredients that can vary from Eton Mess to Black Forest. Perfection on a hot summer day or after a meal to finish off the evening.

8. Pizza from DOC Pizzeria & Mozzarella Bar

I’ve found that generally pizza is not as good in Australia but make an exception for Melbourne. As I shared above (8), post Second World War II brought a wave of Italian immigrants with their recipes, ingredients and iconic flavours. At DOC Pizzeria & Mozzarella Bar the focus is on ingredient origin and simple, classic toppings. On the back of the menu you’ll find the DOC of the cheese and meats (basically where exactly they come from – mostly imported from Italy). I had the Pizza DOC and it was one of the best pizzas (dough, cheese and sauce) I’ve had in Australia and it’s very popular with Melburnians and visitors alike.

9. Hot Jam Doughnuts from the American Doughnut Kitchen

Wow. The queue for the hot jam doughnuts from American Doughnut Kitchen was long. I mean possibly half an hour long so when we saw the van and the subsequent queue at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market we knew that they must be something special. My ever observant partner noticed that you could order online and so we may have skipped waiting in line entirely to pick them up immediately which was a relief. They did not disappoint. I honestly am not a big doughnut fan but these were delicious. They’re so popular that you’re nearly always guaranteed to be served your doughnuts hot and fresh right out of the fryer. They’re quite little which is great because they’re so moreish (we definitely fought over the extra doughnut oops) and the bright red oozy jam inside is the perfect level of sweet.

Top Tip – Booking Activities & Tours

My favourite app for booking tours, adventures and plenty of fun is Get Your Guide. There are so many epic memories that you can choose to make from food tours to entry tickets, laidback wine tasting to adrenaline filled adventures. Make sure you use my discount code CATTHOMSON5 for 5% off your first booking when you download the app as a new user 👇

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10. Macarons from The Little Royal Macaron Specialist

Sometimes you just need a sweet little something. If you find yourself in need of that sweet something whilst exploring Melbourne’s CBD then make your way to Royal Arcade where you’ll find The Little Royal Macaron Specialist. They make lovely delicate macarons which are displayed in the most gorgeous shades of pastel and bright colours with an assortment of flavours from raspberry to early grey tea. It’s hard to just pick one so you can of course always buy a box to take some home for later!

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Cat x