Melbourne is arguably one of the best spots in Australia, and maybe the world, to find a varied range of fantastic food. The Michelin Star guide, however, is yet to visit and enjoy our talents for themselves. We’re sure it’s on their to-do list, but in the meantime, we’ve put together a list of the would-be Michelin Star restaurants Melbourne offers (according to us).
Read on for more insight into some of the most exceptional restaurants Melbourne has to offer.
A Michelin Star is tippy-top of culinary distinction and is awarded to restaurants that go above and beyond when it comes to quality. One star means good, two means excellent, and three is exceptional.
This may come as a surprise, but yes, it is that Michelin. The tyre people invented the Michelin Star rating system in 1900 to encourage more people to head out on the road to visit amazing restaurants, using up their tyres in the process.
While this seems like a long bow to burn rubber, the organisation has reviewed over 30,000 restaurants with more than 30 million copies of the Michelin Guide sold, giving a star when a restaurant meets certain criteria.
The Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat Awards is the closest rating system to the Michelin Star in Australia. This system rates a restaurant from 0 to 20, awarding a number of hats that correspond to a number of Michelin stars. This and the fact that a restaurant hasn’t been shut down by Environmental Health Officers is the best we have so far!
One of the first names to spring to mind when we think about 3-star restaurants Melbourne offers is Attica, and no, we’re not doing this alphabetically! This three-hatted restaurant is about true fine dining with extremely inventive cuisine from Chef Ben Shewry.
Using a long list of local ingredients, each dish is more than just a meal, thanks to the story behind it. Some of the menu name highlights include ‘Killer Salad, Lightest Touch’, ‘Reko and Ben’s Picnic Caviar’, ‘Marron, Missed You Delicious Old Friend,’ – so you get the idea that there is more than just dinner happening here.
Attica draws foodies from all over the world to the quiet area of Ripponlea, where they can dine in a moody yet premium and sleek architecturally-designed space. If the Michelin Star people ever do decide to visit Melbourne, Attica will likely be their first stop.
Website: https://www.attica.com.au/
Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea
A Vue de Monde Michelin Star would be a certainty thanks to the stunning modern Australian degustation served at this sought-after spot. It also provides some pretty epic views thanks to its location on the 55th floor of the Rialto building, looking out over the city.
Cuisine and art meet on every dish from celebrity Chef Shannon Bennet. The interior was designed by Melbourne architecture firm Elenberg Fraser which used the Australian landscape as inspiration to create a look featuring kangaroo fur-lined chairs and corrugated iron walls.
The Chef’s Tasting Menu matches the look with native Australian ingredients chosen by Executive Chef Hugh Allen. The degustation costs $310 per person, but this spot is one of the famous Chef restaurants in Melbourne that constantly receives rave reviews.
Website: https://vuedemonde.com.au/
Address: Level 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne
There are plenty of contenders for great Chinese food in Melbourne, but Flower Drum is one of the more elegant options, well-known for its amazing Cantonese cuisine. With its reputation as an institution for Chinese culinary techniques, the banquet menus feature fresh seafood and meats, which give Cantonese classics a modern twist.
The steamed tofu and tender Peking duck are highlights, which you will enjoy surrounded by delicate wood carvings and wait staff who are dressed to the nines. We recommend opting for a similar look if you plan to head here for a bite, as this is a very stylish affair in every sense.
Website: http://www.flowerdrum.melbourne/
Address: 17 Market Lane, Melbourne
Sunda was awarded one Good Food Guide Chef’s hat two years in a row, thanks to another celebrity Chef, Khanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Australian who brings South-Eastern Asia’s flavours to Melbourne’s plates.
The menu draws influence from Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian dishes, blending the boundaries of each into something truly unique. Sunda is a region in Southeastern Asia that offers foods and flavours from areas like Borneo, Java, and Sumatra.
The spot takes up two stories in a former car park, designed by award-winning architecture firm Kerstin Thompson. The minimalistic and neutral interiors of concrete and light timber refrain from any hints about the menu, keeping things cool and modern, leaving the dishes to do all the talking.
Website: https://www.sunda.com.au/
Address: 18 Punch Lane, Melbourne
Spice Temple is yet another offering from Chef Neil Perry of the Rockpool Dining Group. Together with Executive Chef Andy Evans, Chinese fusion explores the regional Chinese provinces such as Sichuan, Yunnan and Jianxi.
If you like your food extra spicy, there is a category here for you in what is an extremely varied menu that offers over fifty dishes. Deliciously tongue-burning, thanks to a range of chillies and Sichuan peppercorns, the menu explores the various flavours of the regions it has been influenced by.
The braised pork short rib in black vinegar tea is shredded and deconstructed in front of your eyes, one of the many theatrics that the dishes available at Spice Temple provide to create a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.
Website: https://www.spicetemple.com.au/
Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
This Melbourne iteration of the globally-renowned Japanese restaurant chain, Nobu, sits within the Crown precinct on the famed South Bank, offering Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s signature dish, the Black Cod Saikyo Miso, amongst many others.
The interior could almost be mistaken for a stylish nightclub as it stretches over three levels featuring timber décor and elegant mood lighting. Nobu is Melbourne’s home of premium sushi and sashimi, and they would likely hand it a Michelin Star without evening needing to walk through the door.
Website: https://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/restaurants/nobu
Address: Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
Tipo 00 references the traditional flour Italians used to make pizza and pasta, so that should help set the scene for what to expect here. One of the few Melbourne Italian restaurants with its own pasta bar, Tipo 00 serves up simple but delicious dishes like asparagus-filled tortellini with parmesan and sage sauce.
The pasta pairs perfectly with the wine selection, which is solely European for true authenticity. After dinner, the desserts are not to be ignored, especially the Tipomisu, which combines chocolate, coffee, and mascarpone. If you like-a the carbs, this spot offers a Michelin Star-worthy bowl full.
Website: https://tipo00.com.au/
Address: 361 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
When it comes to dramatic luxury, Society, a space from Chin Chin’s Chris Lucas, takes art deco and combines it with brutalist mid-century across two restaurants. The Society Dining Room/Lounge Bar and Lillian Terrace offer some interesting dishes that feature mish-mashes of flavours like the Japanese pickle and wasabi butter.
Lillian Terrace draws its flavour influences from Europe with the stand-out, a dessert, stealing the show; the Napoleon mille-feuille is worth the trip alone.
The wine list is intense, and you can order Dom Perignon by the glass or enjoy a cocktail from the listings created by the World Class Bartender of the Year Orlando Marzo. This is embellished luxury at its finest.
Website: https://societyrestaurant.com/
Address: 80 Collins Street, Melbourne
Chef Andrew McConnell is responsible for plenty of quality eateries around Melbourne, and Gimlet, his cocktail bar and restaurant that resides in the heritage-listed Cavendish House, is one of the best.
Designed by architecture and design studio Acme, the historic building features black and gold marble bars, geometric tiles, and chandeliers inspired by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. The venue features four spaces inclusive of the cocktail bar, restaurant, private dining area, and casual lower level, all of which will impress.
The menu is mostly French but draws influence from all over Europe and America, mixing indulgent dishes with modern ideals. With that said, everything is a caviar and champagne-level affair, so pop on your fancy shoes.
Website: https://gimlet.melbourne/
Address: 33 Russell St, Melbourne
The original and iconic St Kilda venue Stokehouse fell victim to a blazing fire in 2014, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the revamped version features multiple bars and restaurants.
The Stokehouse Restaurant is included in this and was designed by architect Robert Simeoni. It has a five Green Star rating for sustainability (which may be more important than Michelin Stars) and blends perfectly with the surrounding sand dunes.
The menu is curated by Executive Chef Jason Staudt along with Head Chef Mark Wong and focuses on seafood platters, pan-seared Murray cod and seasonal fruit dishes like summer berry pudding to help fit the beachside atmosphere beautifully.
Website: https://stokehouse.com.au/melbourne/
Address: St Kilda Beach, 30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda
Renowned Japanese Chef Koichi Minamishima offers Melbournians the experience of Omakase, an intimate dining experience via the sushi bar or dining room which offers a full degustation. Omakase means I’ll leave it to you, placing you at the mercy of the skilled Chef.
Minamishima’s traditional menu was also designed by Hajime Horiguchi with Sommelier and maître-d’ Randolph Cheung (formerly from Flower Drum). The minimal, calm space offers soft lighting and ambient music.
A bar seat means you’ll enjoy 15 courses of sushi one piece at a time, and the dining room provides four warm dishes, a palate cleanser, and then five plates of sushi. This spot offers delicious food, sure, but heading along to watch the artisan craftsmanship of the Chefs is worth leaving the house for on its own.
Website: http://www.minamishima.com.au/
Address: 4 Lord St, Richmond
If we were to create the Veriu Stars rating system, all of the above locations would score very highly. Add them to your dinner to-do list and be impressed by the best restaurants Melbourne has to offer. Should you be visiting or looking for a concise trip back to bed after one of these feasts, our Melbourne apartments are conveniently located within a short distance of the many great dining spots on this list. Make a night of it with a little help from Veriu Apartments!
