Best Restaurants in Carlton
Carlton’s top dining spots are mostly clustered along Lygon Street, near the corner of Elgin. This stretch – which extends all the way down to Victoria Parade in the south – isn’t the force it was in the ’80s and ’90s, but it remains one of the better places in Melbourne for Italian food.
In fact, nearly all our favourite restaurants here are Italian, with a few notable exceptions such as Epocha and Abla’s, the Lebanese institution that's been cooking since 1979.
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Carlton Wine Room
The pretty Victorian building in the heart of Carlton is a modern eatery with a European-influenced menu and wine list.
Restaurant
Lagoon Dining
Take a seat at the black granite bar for hot and sour shredded potato, charcoal-roasted char siu and cured pork belly with rolled rice noodles in XO.
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Bar Bellamy
Is it a cocktail bar? A wine bar? A bistro? It’s all of that, depending on your mood and the occasion. Visit for standout Martinis with creative house twists, plus devilled eggs, veal schnitties and the possibility of making good friends.
Restaurant
Capitano
This fun Italian joint, from Bar Liberty’s crew, takes plenty of cues from North America – with deep-dish pizza “squares” and rich, fermented base “rounds”. While the US gets a big look-in, the wine list is almost entirely Italian.
Restaurant
Kazuki's
In 2018, this Euro-Japanese fine diner moved from its home in Daylesford to Carlton. We're glad it's made the move to the city. The dishes here, delivered thoughtfully across several multi-course options, are a compelling argument for fusion done the right way.
Restaurant
Al Dente Enoteca
Originally a lockdown pasta delivery service by a stood-down chef, this swish spot doubles as a restaurant and locally focused wine bar. Come for signature tortellini, sterling seafood and classic Italian desserts in a chic neighbourhood dining room.
Restaurant
Di Stasio Pizzeria
When veteran restaurateur Rinaldo Di Stasio started serving pizza for the first time, people duly took notice. Come for classic Margheritas and luxurious lobster pies in a colourful, artwork-filled space.
Restaurant
Scopri
Inspired by Italy’s Piedmont region, the Scopri team plates up house-made pastas and heavy-hitting secondi such as kid goat cooked on the bone. Don’t be fooled by the starchy white tablecloths – there’s nothing but a friendly, welcoming vibe at this Carlton classic.
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Heartattack and Vine
A Lygon Street espresso and cicchetti bar.
Restaurant
Taquito
This Mexican eatery makes its own tortillas and grows its own chillies and herbs. To drink, there’s wine on tap or you can buy mezcal from the in-house bottle shop.
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DOC
Come to this buzzy restaurant for pizza like the Italians eat: simple and brilliant combos that don’t overload the palate, with a focus on best-in-class ingredients. It can be hard to squeeze in on a busy night – that’s half the fun.
Restaurant
Abla’s
The food and ambiance at this Melbourne institution have comforted generations of Lebanese Australians and introduced the cuisine to countless others. Come with a big group – if only to try as many dishes as possible.
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The Lincoln
This 19th-century gastropub, with a vintage front bar and bistro, is among Melbourne’s best. It’s serving modern classics (including schnitzel with chicken butter) and a set menu that wouldn’t look out of place in a classy restaurant.
Restaurant
Fenton
This paddock-to-plate cafe and bistro sources much of its produce directly from the owners’ Gippsland farm, and uses it to serve up hearty breakfasts, plus harvest dinners with local DJs and booze.
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Leonardo’s Pizza Palace
Leonardo’s is the kind of place you can accidentally spend hours at, and wake up far dustier than planned. The pepperoni is a classic, and the jalapeno number with fermented pepper and bechamel is a spicy wake-up call in the low-lit diner.
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Panda Hot Pot
Under the watchful eye of a 1.5-tonne steel dragon, Australia’s first outpost of international chain Panda Hot Pot is serving fiery DIY soup with a choice of 80 ingredients.
Restaurant
Hakata Gensuke Carlton
Looking to avoid the lines at the original, which set the gold standard for Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen in Melbourne? Head to Carlton.
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The Green Man’s Arms
The green heritage-style facade and mid-century decor give all the impressions of another classic pub. Yet the plant-based menu says otherwise. The eggplant “schnitzel” and fried cauliflower stand out; the diverse beers are a bonus.
Restaurant
Tiamo Coffee
Little Italy wouldn’t be the same without this little joint. People have been lining up across its chequerboard floors for generous pastas, pizzas and parmigianas since the ’70s. But fear not – the queue moves fast.
Restaurant
Tiamo 2
As with its older sibling next door, you don’t come here for theatrics or artful presentation. You come here for no-frills Italian fare. Here the focus is on pizza. For the full experience, grab one of the outdoor tables on Lygon Street and order some cannoli for dessert. You won’t regret it.
Restaurant
Shinbashi Yakiniku
An all-you-can-eat Japanese barbeque joint where you’ll be cooking wagyu over the coals and sipping ice-cold matcha beer.
Restaurant
Cinta
This casual Indonesian eatery features all your street food favourites, with an entirely halal-friendly menu. Plus, you can browse the mini grocery section and take home hard-to-find Indonesian snack foods.
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Marama
Hit up this community-focused watering hole for Aussie wines, Melbourne beers, and produce sourced from Victorian farms and businesses within the bar’s five-kilometre radius.
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The John Curtin Hotel
It was once Bob Hawke’s favourite watering hole; these days it’s a rock’n’roll icon. Bands often pack out the upper level, while DJs spin vinyl downstairs. Sonny’s, the in-house diner, has Southern-style fried chicken and banging burgers.
Restaurant
Super Norma
This pasta spot has big nonna energy. Come for rigatoni doused in rich Napoli-style ragu, Italo-disco tunes and a yarn with the two owners – who draw inspiration from their upbringings in southern Italy.
Restaurant
Muli
Seafood comes first at this family-run 12-seat restaurant. Its fishmonger owners once ran a popular seafood stall at Footscray Market. Come for buttery lobster rolls with salmon roe, and blue swimmer crab marinated in gochujang.
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Bistra
This bistro leans into white table-clothed dining, vintage wines and timeless dining. The menu defies definition, offering French onion soup through to Southeast Asian-style desserts like lychees with coconut custard.
Restaurant
Kahaani
Kahaani, which means “story” in Hindi, showcases deep cuts from India’s diverse regional cuisines. Try the refined reshmi kebab, or the family-recipe goat curry that predates Partition.
Restaurant
Waroeng SS
Find 20 types of sambal – some substantial enough to be meals in themselves – at the Indonesian brand’s first Australian outpost.
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