Gastronomic Tour of Melbourne!

Introduction

Foodies Delight - That's Melbourne. Whether you're after Eastern or Western, Middle Eastern or Aussie, you'll find it in Melbourne or somewhere on the outskirts. The brilliant thing about Melbourne is that as the population has grown, so has the depth and breadth of available cuisine. Melbourne lets you choose from a quick on the run dish to fine dining in elegant surroundings. Melbourne is recognised as one of the "Slow Food" cities around the world. This is a a basic starter listing, but I'm sure there will be many more that people will add.

Bakeries 

Phillipas in High St Armadale - Pricing $$ to $$$ Food: bread the way bread should be made - no artificial flavours, left to rise and signature loaves are sourdough - check out the variety! Cakes and pastries also available.

American

Barbarinos and Wong - St Kilda Rd - Pricing $$ to $$$ Food: Mix of American and Asian - the ribs and the bbq sauce are the signature dish of this place which originally was Barbarinos without the Wong! Decor - simple chairs and tables Service is efficient, not particularly friendly but not unfriendly!

Aussie

Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder - Bridge Rd Richmond. Pricing $$ to $$$ Food: Visit this place for brekky, lunch or dinner, mix of Australian and fusion style foods - Famous for its cheese room. Decor - like a small country town restaurant feel with wooden floors tables and chairs. Service is reasonable. Previously run by Stephanie Alexander who ran Stephanies in Hawthorn - a haute cuisine restaurant many years ago. 

Dinkum Pies - Block Arcade City - Pricing $ to $$ Food: What's a visit to Australia without having a pie? Well Dinkum has nearly 50 types of pies, pastries and Aussie delights such as lammingtons, apple cakes and iced cup cakes. Decor - eat in takeaway style. Service - ask for it and you shall receive! Clear out your own table once you've finished and away you go.

Chinese 

Shanghainese Chinese

Bamboo house - Location: Little Bourke St City  Pricing $$$, Food: Very high quality, Signature dish(es) famous for their Peking and Tea Duck. Beggar's chicken 24 hours notice. Decor: Semi 80s surroundings with walls near the cashier full of awards, Bamboo/Plant sculptures updated weekly between the multi level restaurant. Service - waiters in suits, appearing at just the right time and watching that your glass is always full.

Cantonese Chinese

Flower Drum - Location Market Lane City, Pricing $$$$ Food: Best in the city - fresh Signature dish(es) Peking Duck, Fish of the day, and other seafood, Cantonese Steak, crab meat dumplings  Decor: 80s look with Asian/Chinese surroundings (Urns, furniture, flower layouts etc) Rely on the waiter - tell them what you feel like and they'll design the menu for you. Consistently rated as one of the World's best Chinese restaurants by Gourmet Magazine. Service - Five star pricing goes with five star service. Observations by waiters can be detailed from what part of the dish you like to eat to ensuring your orders are not too much and glass of wine or drink kept full without asking and knowing when you've had enough.

Pacific Seafood - Toorak Rd Toorak Pricing $$ to $$$ Food - it's fast and furious cantonese chinese dining and there's two seatings at night with queues heading out the door (6-8pm and 8-close). Almost everything is great and signature dish is seafood live from the tank at very reasonable prices (one of the owners is also a wholesaler of seafood).  Try the Spicy salt chicken ribs, steak in Japanese sauce quail in spicy salt, live crab with spring onion, garlic and noodles. Decor Menu items written in Chinese and English adorn the walls, seating is tight but who cares when the food is that good? Service is rapid and basic.

Taipan - Blackburn Rd East Doncaster  Pricing $$ to $$$. Food - famous in Melbourne for its yum cha in a key Chinese Hong Kong residential area, the car park is bigger than the restaurant and it still gets jammed up every day. Decor - Chinese paintings adorn walls, seating a little close but in typical Hong Kong style Service is typical Hong Kong style, fast, efficient and battle of the trolleys to get the dishes you want.

Red Emperor Southbank City Pricing $$$ to $$$$ Food - from the owners of Taipan the sister restaurant in Southbank in the city area presents an upmarket Yum Cha with views of the Yarra. Decor is upmarket with old fashioned Chinese furniture Service is mid to upper range, waiters generally knowledgeable.

Supper Inn - Chinatown city - Pricing $$ to $$$ Food - open only for dinner this place has people queueing from open till its closing time of 2:00am when the chefs at other restaurants finish up work and look for the chow mein that only Supper Inn can provide. For Asians, the comfort food before bed (and signature dish of this place) is congee with either chicken, prawns, pork balls, abalone or mixed innards with a doughnut stick of Chinese  style bread crisp and dunked in hot congee. Decor is simple with wood panelled walls, carpeted floors and dim lighting, A menu of specials hangs on the wall with Chinese paintings surrounding other walls. Service is reasonable and quick to get you in and out so that the rest of the crowd queueing at the entrance, down the stairs and down the street can come in and have their fill. 

Other suggestions: Eastern Court - Eastland shopping centre. Tea House in China town.

French

Phillippe Mouchel at Crown Casino Price $$$ to $$$$ Food: Nouvelle cuisine and standard French fare of steak, duck etc. Decor: Modern with a few paintings and wooden floors. Service - depends on the night - some nights the service for a five star restaurant was left wanting with knowledge of dishes non existent, other times well versed and knowledgeable waiter/waitress.

Italian

Pellegrinos - Bourke St City Price $$ to $$$ Food - famous for its pasta - simple fare done well coffees also famous Decor - counter style or dine in - simple surroundings.

Brunettis - Faraday St Carlton - the place for after dinner also offers Italian fare - but I just go there most of the time for the cake, ice creams and coffees/hot chocolates. Signature food - cakes and coffee Decor: Modern Italian- granite floors, tables, seating on stools or chairs depending on where you can find a seat.

De Fazios - Blackburn Rd Blackburn - Price $$$ to $$$ pasta, pizza, gourmet pizzas and more - the risottos are great and generous in serving size. Decor is basic with pictures of Italy on the walls. Service is reasonable with waiter/waitress knowledgeable on specials and making meals suit your needs.

Japanese

Kappo Okita - Liverpool St city - tiny place - if you blink you'll miss it - run by two brothers who aren't Japanese but speak like a local. Pricing $$$ Food: Generous servings of Sushi and sashimi, reasonable sized hot dishes - signature dish are sushi and sashimi platters Service - reasonable - not too fast, not too slow.

Kunis - Little Bourke St City - busy at lunch or dinner, Price $$$ to $$$$ Food consistently good quality after more than 10 years in operation signature dish - sushi and sashimi, tempura Decor: "Traditional" Japanese restaurant setting - pine tables and chairs, disposable chopsticks 

Yu-u Flinders Lane, City - not easy to find and hidden by a graffiti door but worth the effort - get there early or book because it only seats 30. Pricing $$ to $$$ Food Menu varies every day based on what's available, great quality sashimi and sushi Decor is basic and service is reasonable. You go to this place for the food, not the atmosphere!

Koko - Crown Casino - Pricing $$$$ - top end Japanese with top end pricing - now competes with fusion Japanese Nobu also in Crown Casino Food: Traditional to Fusion/mixed Japanese/Western. Menu has traditional sushi/sashimi and $300+ per kg Wafu steak all well presented. Decor is traditional Japanese in style with rooms available. Service is highly attentive matching the price of the place. 

Ayame Glenferrie Rd Pricing $$$$ - ex Iron Chef competitior in restaurant and ex Shogun restauranter ex Daimaru/Daimonji restaurant owner - well qualified to present fusion Japanese along with traditionals such as tempura, teriyaki chicken, etc. Decor is basic and clean,  chef can put together a menu for you by just asking! Service is average to good.

Middle Eastern

Abla's - Elgin St Carlton, Recently classed as a legendary restaurant in Melbourne's Age Newspaper  Pricing $$$ to $$$$, Food: Traditional Home style food with wonderfully fresh and high quality ingredients, Signature dishes include Kibbeh, falafel, tabouleh, cabbage rolls and chicken kebabs. Service - the chefs come out and visit the dining areas seeking feedback - very proud of their 30 years in existence. 

Seafood

Waterfront - Crown Casino - Casino district - Pricing $$$$ Food: daily fresh seafood and aged prime steaks/meats. Food: Seafood at its highest, freshest levels Signature dish: Crayfish anyway you like it! Decor - Seafood restaurant airy open air seating with tiled floors and large glass windows. Al fresco dining available. Service - waiter dependent - some had to check back with chef, others knew what was happening in the kitchen that day.

Steak

Stokehouse on St Kilda Rd - great beach location, Pricing $$$$, Food: Mid to high quality. Signature dish(es) steak and seafoods. Decor - simple. Service - ok to reasonable.

JJs bar and Grill - Crown Casino Pricing $$$$ Food: High quality Signature dish any steak Decor - modern American/paintings of horses and dining surrounds a bar. Service - waitress/waiter attentive however from time to time lacked finesse of an upmarket restaurant with some waiting staff knowledgeable and some not so.

Vlados -on Bridge road Pricing $$$$ Food: One mindset menu (i.e. definitely not for vegetarians!!) but done well with various meats served as entree, steaks as main and pancakes as dessert if you can make it through entree and main! Decor - 1940s style rooms - Service - attentive and knowledgeable waiter about the cuts of meat and selecting orders to best suit likes and dislikes

Other suggestions

Water front - see listing in Seafood,

Vietnamese

Mekong in Swanston St in the city is an institution for Pho. Pricing $ to $$ Food: Noodles with fresh beef or chicken are the signature dishes here, alternatives are the rice/vermicelli dishes - menu is limited but serves your craving for Pho. Generous bowls of soup noodles, large spring rolls and lots of garnish to go with the pho. Decor - take away style - sit down, eat your fill and go! Service - waiters/waitresses with electronic ordering organizers walk around and take your order on line direct to the kitchen.

Tia To Crown Casino - newly opened about 6 mths ago, presents Vietnamese inside the casino room Pricing $$ Food: ranges from Pho to single plate dishes of chicken rice, vermicelli, spring rolls etc. Convenient for late night dining as casino is open 24/7.

Tho Tho Victoria St Richmond - a tram ride from the city to Vietnamese city. Pricing $ to $$ Food: dishes or single plates/bowls - signature dish is country pancake which is crepe full of vegetables and pork Decor - modern bistro Service attentive.