Melbourne is one of the best living cities in the world! High quality of life, surrounded by greenery, on the ocean, with lots of things to do and see, but let's not forget one important point: it is also a city where you can eat really well and the coffee is excellent, so much so that a real coffee culture was born here! The cuisine is a mix of different cultures and traditions and of course there is no shortage of international restaurants!
Here are our top 10 tips on what to eat in Melbourne and where, because you know, a journey is also experienced through food!
1 - Meat Pie
Start with the iconic meat pie that is eaten on any occasion: at lunch or dinner, as a snack, while watching footy or rugby matches on TV. The ultimate snack!
This pie is small in size, fitting in the palm of one hand, but can now also be found in larger sizes. It contains Australian or New Zealand meat, and in some cases onions, mushrooms or cheese are also added to the filling, but the classic variant is always the best! It is then accompanied with different sauces to your liking. In short, a must-try!
Recommended: lunch, dinner, snack
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: Australian or New Zealand meat, flour
2 - Barbecue and kangaroo meat
Barbecue, more than a dish, is a real tradition in Australia, as it is in Melbourne! In warm weather, Australians break out the grills and any occasion is a good one to get together with family or friends. Many parks around the city are equipped with proper grill areas, where you will find everything you need, all you have to do is bring the meat! Even in large apartment complexes in the CBD(Central Business District) there are outdoor areas with a grill area.
In addition to the meat we are used to, in Australia you will have the chance to try something really special: kangaroo meat. It really is served in many ways, but one of the Australian favourites is barbecuing it and then serving it with blackberry sauce.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €25.00
Main ingredients: kangaroo meat
3 - Fish Dumplings
Melbourne has a very international cuisine, so it will not be uncommon to find some of the most popular dishes with foreign origins. Such is the case with Fish Dumplings, which are very popular with locals and which we're sure you'll love too!
The best can be found at Shandong Mama, an eatery in the heart of Chinatown, the Chinese neighbourhood that occupies part of Melbourne's CBD. These stuffed dumplings are a real treat, an explosion of flavour in your mouth! Inside is T mixed with some spices (ginger, coriander and chives). A very light but tasty dish. If you are not a fish lover, no problem, you can also find them with meat!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €15.00
Main ingredients: pasta, mackerel, species (ginger, coriander, chives)
4 - Dim Sim
No, it is not a mistake: this dish is really called Dim Sim and, as you can already guess, it is a variation of the famous Chinese Dim Sum! Dim Sim, which is also called Dimmy here, was invented in the 1940s by William Chen Wing Young, a Chinese-Australian. Noticing how Australians loved Dim Sun, he wanted to try this alternative and was immediately successful!
So what are the differences? Dim Sim is a little bigger, with a thicker coating and is then fried, making it crispy. Today they are also steamed and inside there is a mix of beef, pork, lamb and cabbage. They are great both to eat to take away and to enjoy sitting down with chilli or soy sauce!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: pastry, beef, pork, lamb, cabbage
5 - Sunday Roast
Photo by WordRidden. Apart from barbecuing, Australians have another tradition: that of getting together on Sundays for family roast. And, on this occasion, the dish served is Sunday Roast. We could translate it as the Sunday dish, or theSunday roast, that of family and company meals. In fact, in the old days, meat was mainly served on Sundays.
Meat has always been a key ingredient in Australian cuisine and we also find it in the Sunday Roast: it is a main course with meat (usually beef or sheep) and roast potatoes, all accompanied by various vegetables and sauces to taste.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €20.00
Main ingredients: meat (beef or sheep), roast potatoes, vegetables
6 - Fish and Chips
Given this country's past, one of the locals' favourite dishes can only be the iconic fish and chips! Served in the most elegant pubs and restaurants, eaten comfortably seated or taken away between visits, this dish always remains a guarantee.
But the most curious thing is this: here in Melbourne you can taste fish and chips made from shark. That's right, just as kangaroo meat is eaten, shark meat is also served. If the idea doesn't appeal to you, even though it's still a very good dish, you can opt for regular fish and chips, usually made with cod!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €15.00
Main ingredients: fish, potatoes
7 - Tim Tam biscuits
Photo by Bilby. And now to the desserts. Australians love sweets and desserts and those with a sweet tooth will get their money's worth here! When you set foot in Melbourne, or anywhere in Australia for that matter, make sure you buy Tim Tam, delicious chocolate-covered biscuits made by Arnott's.
Anyone who tastes them is hooked and, trust me, you will miss them when you return to Italy! It is a wafer biscuit covered in chocolate and there are so many variations: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, orange, coconut, red velvet and many more! You can then enjoy it right out of the packet or bite the sides and dip it in milk, it will work like a straw. Try it to believe!
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: chocolate, butter, flour, sugar, oil
8 - Lamingtons
Among the many cakes, there is one in particular that you absolutely cannot miss: we are talking about Lamingtons! This is a 100% Australian cake and here again you will be delighted, especially if you love coconut!
It is in fact a layered sponge cake with chocolate sauce and covered in coconut. It is served in different sizes, generally the slices are rectangular and are great with a cup of tea or a great coffee, maybe a flat white!
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: sponge cake, chocolate, coconut
9 - Coffee
Usually it's always difficult for us Italians to find good coffee outside Italy, we're so used to it! But in Melbourne you will have no such problem: the coffee here is really exceptional, so much so that we talk about a real coffee culture! Everywhere you go you will find coffee shops of all kinds and styles, serving coffee at tables or in take-away format.
Obviously, you will find different types of coffee here than in Italy, and you just have to understand how it works: you will find the more classic Espresso and Double Espresso, Long Black (like an Americano, so Espresso coffee diluted with water) and the Macchiato, but also coffees with an important part of milk, such as Latte, Flat White, Cappuccino or Moka (to which chocolate is also added).
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: coffee, according to recipe milk, chocolate
10 - Vegemite
Finally, you can't leave Melbourne, or more generally Australia, without tasting Vegemite, considered a true cultural icon, almost a national dish.
It is a savoury spread made from yeast extract, with a very distinctive and strong flavour. It is generally not very popular with foreigners or tourists visiting the country, but Australians love making Vegemite toast! You just have to taste it for yourself and let us know what you think!
Recommended for: breakfast, snack
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: salt, yeast extracts from beer processing, plant extracts
Where to eat in Melbourne: best restaurants, eateries and street food
Melbourne is the kingdom of good food and coffee! In all neighbourhoods you can find all kinds of cafes and restaurants, from the most elegant and upmarket to the simplest, uniquely designed and also selling street food. There is of course no shortage of international cuisine restaurants!
Definitely not to be missed are the city's large markets, first and foremost the Queen Victoria Market, where you can stroll in the morning with your coffee takeaway or snack on a slice of lamington. Each district has its own characteristic market, for example the Prahran Market. in the district of the same name!
1 - Queen Victoria Market
Description: the large city market in the centre of Melbourne, where you will also find cafes, clubs and restaurants, as well as evening street food events (Winter Night Market). Foodie tours are also available
Speciality: street food
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: Queen Street -(Get directions) / tel: +61393205822
2 - White Mojo
Description: popular and very Instagrammable place, with black or green coffee, wonderful cakes and great for lunch, breakfast or brunch
Speciality: Double Cheese Chilli Scrambled Egg
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: 115 Hardware St -(Get directions) / tel: +61390788119
3 - Brunetti Flinders Lane
Description: one of the best Italian places in all of Melbourne, if not the best. Great coffee and biorche for breakfast, but also breads, flatbreads and pizzas
Speciality: homemade pasta
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: 250 Flinders Ln -(Get directions) / tel: +61393472801
4 - Sunda Dining
Description: a unique restaurant that combines the flavours of Asian and Australian cuisine, with dishes that will surprise you
Speciality: tasting menu
Average price: from €80.00 per person
Address: 18 Punch Lane -(Get directions) / tel: +61396548190
5 - Flower Drum Restauran
Description: Chinese restaurant in the CBD, a real institution in Melbourne, but also one of the most famous in Australia.
Speciality: Dim Sum
Average price: from €40.00 per person
Address: 17 Market Lane -(Get directions) / tel: +61396623655
