The Hot List is the definitive guide to Melbourne’s most essential food and drink experiences, updated weekly. Learn more.

This week, we asked our Hot-Listed venues what their best-selling dishes were last month (or, in the case of set menu-only spots, what new addition guests were vibing with the most). And you can see evidence of April’s temperature tug-of-war all over the shop. Some of you are jumping jacket-first into winter mode with comfort food, while others are still dedicated to ice-cold drinks.

In any case – let last month’s most popular dishes and drinks guide your menu-surfing in May. Because it’s a rough feeling when you finally tick a restaurant or bar off your list, only to discover you didn’t order the one thing everyone gets.

Strawberry matcha, Tori’s – $10

“Our strawberry matcha. It’s made with freshly prepared strawberry puree, ceremonial-grade matcha, and is best enjoyed with creamy soy milk. The fruity sweetness balances the bold matcha.” – Tori’s

Gelato floats, Hareruya Pantry – $12

“Our iced gelato floats are our most popular right now – especially the matcha and strawberry combo, closely followed by the houjicha and sesame. It’s the go-to for customers who feel like a drink as well as a scoop.” – Hareruya Pantry

Bahama Gold’s Bright Red, Bahama Gold – $10 a glass

“We served 1300 glasses of our iconic and original ‘Bahama Litre’ Bright Red in April. It’s a chilled red we make with Damon Koerner in the Adelaide Hills – it’s refreshment in red form. It’s true value for money. Bright red is the past and the future.” – Bahama Gold

Saké clams and dry yuzu lager, Benchwarmer – $25 sake clams; $9 yuzu lager, dine-in

“Our most popular dish is our saké clams and our most popular drink is our Oishii Dry Yuzu Rice Lager. [The former] is a playful Cantonese twist on Spanish clams with chorizo by new head chef Geoff Marett. And the Oishii Dry is a super smashable dry rice lager brewed with real Victorian yuzu.” – Lachlan Jones, owner

Snowpeas and taramasalata, Brico – $18

“We’ve received great feedback on this dish over the last few weeks. We typically serve a crudités plate in the snack section of our daily menu, but upon tasting Paul’s sensational snowpeas from Day’s Walk Farm in Keilor, we knew they needed to be the star of the show. They’re the perfect vessel to carry a tangy and energising house-made taramasalata.” – Josh Begbie, co-owner

Crispy fried chicken, Molly Rose – $23

“New to the menu, this moreish fried chicken is drizzled with fermented honey and served with an IPA barbeque sauce that’s perfect for dunking. We saw a lot of people dunking the chicken with one hand while holding a pint in the other. Perfect combo!” – Molly Rose

Woodfired rare beef with sambal and Sebago potatoes, Etta – $34

“The woodfired rare beef takes Malaysian flavours and reframes them in an Etta context. In Malaysia, sambal is so ubiquitous as a condiment. To make it the star of the show in an almost-raw dish makes people appreciate its complexity. We’ve even had people come up to the pass and say, ‘I’m from Malaysia and this is very good’ – which is one of the best compliments I’ve received.” – Lorcan Kan, head chef

Apple pie, Luther’s Scoops – $14

“We’ve just started our apple pies in the last two weeks, which are a Luther’s winter classic. It’s our first pie of the season. It’s a classic apple pie made with heritage cooking apples grown by Suzie from Zooie’s Apples on the Mornington Peninsula. Customers enjoy them because they’re baked fresh each afternoon and are never frozen or re-baked. Best served with ice-cream of course - my favourite pairing is our fig and cinnamon ice-cream.” – Christian Williams, owner

Super Golden Happytime, Byrdi – $30

“This is from our new autumn menu, which spotlights some of our favourite producers. It’s a milk punch-style drink that incorporates a house-made honey vinegar, Saint David dairy, Starward whisky, Saison white flowers vermouth and smoked cedar wood. It’s then aged in beeswax for two weeks before serving it to guests, garnished with bee pollen ice-cream, coated in chocolate ganache and a biscuit crumb reminiscent of the classic Golden Gaytime.” – Luke Whearty, owner

Pumpkin and mascarpone ravioli, sage, chicken jus, Bistra – $36

“It’s silky ravioli, filled with whipped pumpkin and mascarpone, served with a light chicken jus and butter sage sauce. It’s a wonderfully autumnal offering, with satisfying richness as the weather gets cooler. Yet it’s still light and approachable. We love serving it as a mid-course in between entree and main.” – Bistra

Crispy eggplant, spiced red vinegar, Lee Ho Fook – $28

“Our most popular dish is our crispy eggplant. It’s been on our menu since 2013 and every table orders one. It’s a dish that has it all – crunchy, sweet, sour, salty, spicy. It’s vegan, so everyone can enjoy it, and it pays respect to the flavours of Sichuan, but with a modern twist. It’s our most talked about dish – have you really been to Lee Ho Fook if you didn’t order the eggplant?” – Victor Liong, owner

Angasi oyster and swede, marinated with cultured citrus and biodynamic cream, Brae – part of current set menu, $360 per person

“The wild Tasmanian angasi oyster is a rare delicacy, hand-dived by custodian, Dale Ridgers, with limited availability from late April to November. The oysters are aged 10–12 years and have a distinct flavour with crisp yet creamy mouthfeel and a lingering mineral-driven umami finish. It’s served with organic swede and citrus grown here at Brae Farm, and biodynamic cream from Schulz Organic Dairy.” – Julianne Bagnato, co-owner

Matcha Milo, Suupaa – $10

“Our Matcha Milo was the clear standout this month. We craft it using Maru matcha from Matcha Mate — a premium Uji blend prized for its rich, nutty character. Paired with a nostalgic Milo-flavoured foam and Oatly oat milk, the drink balances depth and familiarity, allowing the matcha’s purity to shine.” – Suupaa

Ramen scotch egg, Reed House – $15

“It’s the perfect dish that highlights what we do at Reed House: a blend of something contemporary with a nod to British nostalgia. [We take] soy-cured eggs, which are then wrapped in pork mince and deep-fried, served with an old-school British-style mushroom ketchup. It’s the perfect fun snack to start the meal off with.” – Reed House

Beef rendang laksa, Pappa Laksa – $19.890

“This rich and hearty laksa features tender beef slow-cooked for over four hours using our secret spice blend. Served in our signature laksa broth, it’s bold, comforting, and a top pick among regulars – especially on cooler days.” – Pappa Laksa

Shark Bay scallop, anchovy mayo, pickled cucumber, Anchovy – $12

“The scallop has been on for the last few weeks. It’s lightly wood-grilled Shark Bay scallop served with anchovy mayo made from our house dish sauce by-product, finished with pickles for a sharp contrast.” – Anchovy

Chargrilled WA octopus with petimezi, oregano, Taverna – $30

“We had a clear winner in April: our chargrilled WA octopus. We source WA octopus for its sweet flavour and great texture. The tentacles are braised slowly in a low oven, finished over a wood fire. We take pride in offering quality produce that would earn the approval of mama and yiayia. Now imagine all that with a cheeky ouzo, fava and bread – what more could a human want?” – Angie Giannakodakis, owner

Pork jowl skewer, Bar Spontana – $10

“One of our most popular, and most re-ordered dishes, this skewer is our take on the iconic Bangkok street food moo ping. It’s finished with nam jim jaew – a smoky, tamarind-based barbeque sauce, and chef Noomie’s signature southern Thai pickles. It’s the ultimate bar snack.” – Josh Hodges, co-owner

Charcoal-grilled baby snapper, Carnation Canteen – starts at $46

“Our charcoal-grilled baby snapper is a forever favourite. We butterfly the fish each morning and grill it over binchotan charcoal, dressed simply with the best olive oil we can source and a squeeze of lemon.” – Audrey Shaw, owner

Al pastor torta, Frankie’s Tortas and Tacos – $22

“Our best-selling item, for years now, has been the al pastor torta. We think it’s become so popular in the saturated sandwich and Mexican food scene because it’s original and unique. So many authentic ingredients and flavours go into the sandwich, which makes it easy for it to stand out in the crowd.” – Stuart Morton, co-owner

Marinated peppers, Suze – $16

“The dish that everyone has been loving this week is our marinated peppers. It’s one of the dishes we recommend pairing with our focaccia. We use seasonal pepper – sometimes poblanos, sometimes bullhorns – charred hard and fast and then marinated overnight. The fried curry leaves on top add a bit of unexpected fun.” – Suze

Spicy cheese croquettes, Kafeneion – $17

“We had three best-sellers for April – tarama dip with crusty bread, beef cheek stifado and our spicy cheese croquettes. Because anything that involves saganaki cheese is always a winner – and when it’s rolled into a croquette it means that you can get more in your mouth faster!” – Kafeneion

Briani canard – Great Ocean duck biryani, Manze – $40 extra add-on between two on set menu

“I had this dish on Saturday night and it’s the best dish I’ve ever eaten – even removing personal bias. It’s rich, warm and gently spiced, and the chutney and salad have the perfect balance of acid and spice to cut through. It’s simultaneously comforting and decadent. We have a limited number per night and encourage guests with reservations to pre-order.” – Sophie Carles, venue manager

Malted milk strawberry matcha, Dua Bakehouse – $9

“This is our playful twist on iced strawberry matcha latte. It’s made with our house-made strawberry compote layered with house-brewed malted milk and vibrant Uji matcha from Kyoto. We sell about 1000 cups a week.” – Raymond Tan, owner

Congee, Moon Mart $33

“We’ve started introducing some new dishes as the weather gets cooler and a standout has been our new congee. It’s a rich smooth porridge with rice and pork, finished with prawns, spinach and barley. It’s how my grandmother used to make it for me growing up, and it’s super nice to see it resonate with people now.” – Eun Hee An, co-owner

HSL Special, Above Board – $24

“The HSL Special is a fun and fruity all-round cocktail that appeals to most people. It’s also very photogenic, with its vibrant colour and beautiful aesthetic. It’s an amaro and blackberry sour with a dash of liquorice, topped with a blackberry.” – Above Board

Ducklava, Navi Lounge – $13

“Our Ducklava is slow-cooked duck leg, rolled and baked in filo pastry, smothered in a salty honey glaze. It’s served with a dollop of salted Davidson plum puree. It’s often ordered with the perfect matched cocktail the Rhubi and Rose. It’s a perfect combination of a little decadence, but also just a quick bite and cocktail without a full meal.” – Julian Hills, owner

Steak prego sandwich, Bar La Sirene – $33

“The steak prego sandwich has recently become a hit among our customers. It features a garlic marinated 220-gram scotch fillet, grilled onion, chilli and capsicum relish, gruyere, oak lead and mayo – served with fried chat potatoes” – Bar La Sirene

Tom yum noodles, Dodee Paidang Little Collins Street – starts from $13.90

“This dish is our OG bowl, first introduced when we opened in 2017, and we brought it back on the menu a couple of months ago. Last month it became out best-seller. It’s tom yum noodles with a combination of toppings and crispy wonton on top – customers can choose their preferred type of noodles and spice level. Perfect for a quick lunch.” – Dodee Paidang

Patra Poda, Enter Via Laundry – $10

“We sold lots of Patra Poda – we serve this at the bar and as part of our five and 10 course set menus. It’s a skewer of three prawns marinated with mustard oil, coconut and chilli and wrapped in seasonal green leaves – charred and served with lime.” – Helly Raichura, owner

Sea urchin orecchiette, The Walrus – $28

“Our new head chef Ciara Woodside has taken our menu from ‘wine bar’ to ‘restaurant’ and our regulars and locals alike have been enjoying the new menu. The sea urchin pasta is autumnal comfort food at its finest.” – Amy McGouldrick, owner

Spanner crab toast with black cabbage, pickled fennel and wasabi, Aru – $19

We mix spanner crab with wasabi mayo, coriander and pickled fennel and place it on top of a lightly toasted soft bread made from bao bun flour. We then pipe a small amount of calamansi gel over it and cover it with fried cavolo nero. It’s an eye-catching dish. When it leaves the pass, guests generally ask ‘What is that one?’” – Aru

Price: $19

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