Melbourne – a guide to gourmet wine and dining on a budget
Melbourne’s dining spots offer a dizzying spread of the world’s great cuisines, serving meals from the substantial and classic to the truly exotic. For those on a budget, good news is it does not cost the earth to eat well here. The following cheap options are a good place to start.
High End Dining – Lunch Specials
The Press Club, 72 Flinders Street, Melbourne Ph: (03) 9677 9677
This award-winning modern Greek eatery, named Best New Restaurant and Chef in Award in Melbourne’s 2008 Good Food Guide Awards, offers a weekday ‘executive lunch’ special with two courses for $25 or three for $30.
Café di Stasio, 31 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, Ph: (03) 9525 3999
One of Melbourne’s premier Italian restaurants, Café di Stasio is a landmark in St Kilda, with a mighty reputation built over twenty years in business and numerous cuisine awards. They offer a great value for money lunch time special, serving two courses and a glass of wine for $30.
Hidden Gems
Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Ph: (03) 9419 8600
This funky café and bar on Brunswick Street is famous for its tasty gourmet pizzas, priced between $4 - $8 depending on which night you go. Try the prosciutto, pesto and gorgonzola pizza or the smoked salmon and mascarpone.
Claypots, 213 Barkly St, St Kilda, Ph: (03) 9534 1282
A St Kilda institution specialising in fresh seafood and tapas, Claypots features a nightly ‘Happy Paella Hour’ between 6-7pm where diners can enjoy a bowl of their fabulous paella for just $5. Wash it down with a glass of their local cleanskin red, also $5.
The Moroccan Soup Bar, 183 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy, Ph: (03) 9482 4240
Serving some of the best value-for-money vegetarian food in town, the Moroccan Soup Bar offers offering up a feast (literally) that varies nightly, and costs less than $20. One thing to keep in mind: this venue does not serve alcohol, so if you would like a drink, factor in some time at nearby Brunswick street (Fitzroy) before or after.
Thy Thy 2, 116 Victoria Street, Richmond, Ph: (03) 9428 5914
Located on Victoria street, Richmond, a lively inner-city hub for Asian eateries, this Vietnamese restaurant is known for its super-quick service, eccentric furnishings and diverse menu featuring a variety of traditional dishes for only $8 - $14 a main course.
Dawaat, 358 Victoria Street, Richmond Ph: (03) 94291857
This unassuming North Indian restaurant has been garnering glowing reviews among Melbourne’s food critics for its menu of tasty Indian classics and lesser known dishes of Hyderabadi provenance. A shared meal out with a group, ordering generously (two courses) will set you back approximately $20.
Drink specials
‘Wine-Down Hour’, Cocoon Bar, Mezzanine level, 195 Swanston St Melbourne Ph: 8662 1376
This cosy bar offers a happy hour with a difference: here you can save money and learn about some of the best local wine and beer at the same time! Every day between 5:30 – 7:30pm, the hotel showcases a different wine and one boutique beer range, offering it to customers at just $5 a glass. The majority of product showcased is from Victoria’s acclaimed wine regions and the state’s better known microbreweries.
Happy Hour at Café Banff, 145 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, Ph: (03) 9525 4113
Those who enjoy their drinks with a sea breeze, head to Café Banff in St Kilda for their daily happy hour from 3 – 6pm which offers $2 pots, $8 jugs and $3 glasses of wine. Those having a meal (pizza or pasta for under $10) can also use Banff’s free wireless internet.
Little Creatures Dining Hall, 222 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Ph: (03) 9417 5500
‘Small size’, equates to ‘small price’ at this recently opened Brunswick street eatery which offers customers a choice of three different sized glasses for their beer on tap selection. Try out different beers in the Little Creatures range for only $3 for a ‘Pony’ (200ml glass), $4 for ‘Pot’ (285ml) or $7-8 for a pint.