JEM'S MELBOURNE FOOD GUIDE

JEM'S MELBOURNE FOOD GUIDE

My name is Jem, I work as General Manager at Mr Winston

I’m a big fan of lunch / dinner out on a Friday or Saturday (often at one of the below places, or somewhere new), followed by what we call ‘Sunday Service’ at home. This consists of a dialogue or negotiation over cuisine, a South Melbourne market run, and an afternoon spent cooking / over indulging / enjoying. When I do successfully document this, other recipes & recommendations, you can find it / them here: @goodfoodthings_

There’s clearly no shortage of amazing options to eat out in Melbourne. I’m aware that of it’s largely unmatched (I believe) dining scene, I’ve not so much as scratched the surface - and that this will likely be an article never finished. I can offer however, after a somewhat overzealous return to eating-out post covid, my favourites.

Here are some of the restaurants, bars and cafe’s that I love most to eat, drink, celebrate & commemorate at, and some of the things I think that they do best.


CAFE’S

FLORIAN EATERY - 617 Rathdowne St, Carlton North
Heaven on Rathdowne Street, serving Allpress coffee gold from 7am. A menu full of unique, innovative takes on breakfast & lunch, wines, house made cakes, pies & sandwiches. Unbelievable @austro bakery pastries & local flowers. The Pretzel bun - unreal.

MIDI CAFE - 45 Wangaratta Street, Richmond
Our daily go-to for coffee & Office lunches. By the team behind Burnside in Fitzroy. Light-filled industrial fit out, perfect, fast coffee every day & affordable takeaway salads. Not open on weekends despite consistent pestering - very favourable nonetheless!

MORNING MARKET - 579 High St, Prahran & 59 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Fast, affordable & great coffee, beautiful flowers, fresh produce and what I think is Melbournes #1 croissant.


LUNCH & DINNER

CLAYPOTS - Shop 101, 116 Cecil Street, Market, South Melbourne
An institution on a busy corner of the South Melbourne Market. The BBQ out the front slings one of the best sandwiches to eat whilst procuring produce - The Fish in Bread - grilled white fish, charred ciabatta, onion & sumac salad, pickled chilli + mayonnaise - heaven. The restaurant, for lunch or dinner, is a celebration of the best seafood produce - triumphed by simple, well executed dishes on a blackboard menu.

EAT: Seafood Linguine, Garlic King Prawns, Cajun Flathead, Crushed Potatoes

CITY WINE SHOP - 159 Spring St, Melbourne
Opposite Parliament House & beside Princess Theatre on my favourite street in the city. A wine bar heavily across good food, outdoor dining thats well heated & unreal for people watching. Doubles as a retail bottle shop, by the same team behind Siglo & the European, has a 10/10 Negroni.

EAT: Gnocchi Pomodorro, Grilled WA Ocotopus

SUPERNORMAL - 180 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Modern Korean, Chinese & Japanese fusion. By Andrew McConnell, who’s behind gimlet, meat smith, Marion, Cutler & Co, Cumulus, etc. Amazing open plan restaurant in the inner city, and kitchen-view bar seating. I’d say very close to my favourite of all time. Sit at the pass, spectate heavily on the kitchen, order the house down, drink an amaretto sour, etc etc etc

EAT: Lamb Shoulder, Lobster Roll, Duck Bao, Peanut Butter Parfait

EMBLA - 122 Russell Street, Melbourne 3000
My #1 favourite and some of the best dining experiences I’ve had. A seasonal French/Italian inspired menu with chargrilled meats cooked over fire & genuinely otherworldly sides. Another wine bar heavily versed in amazing produce & execution. Intimate moody vibe in modern yet rustic fit out - in a tiny standalone building on Russell Street. Perfect date night / special occasion.

EAT: Hasselback Celeriac, Beef Carpaccio w Artichoke, Soured Cucumbers

MARION - 53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
A big vibe for lunch or dinner or afternoon wine & small plates in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. Beautiful modern light filled fit out with an exposed kitchen, floor to ceiling wine racks & windows. A pasta & wine in the afternoon out the front in the spring/summer is a genuine pleasure. The menu changes daily however you couldn’t order incorrectly here if you tried and the must haves are always included. Open late, great for date night / celebration / just because.

EAT: Mussels, Flatbread, Any Pasta, Rib Eye, etc, etc, etc.

MIZNON - 59 Hardware Ln, Melbourne
Fast, fresh Israeli street food from a chain of restaurants with outlets in Tel Aviv, Paris, Vienna & New York. Perfect casual affordable option for lunch or dinner, a two story restaurant that feels like a family kitchen.

I am a big fan of an institution, less so for those you can rarely get into without a booking / local notoriety, however within this & certainly worthy of a mention are:
France Soir, Di Stasio (Citta & Pizzeria - Carlton), Stokehouse, Scopri & Florrentini.

Other notable food mentions:

  • Carlton Wine Room

  • Secret Kitchen (YUM CHA)

  • Neighbourhood Wine

  • Tien Dat (Vietnamese)

  • La Tortelleria (Mexican)

  • Tonka (Modern Indian)

  • Rockpool


A DRINK:

  • Alberts Wine Bar

  • Bouzy

  • Siglo

  • Bar Margaux