The Best Restaurants in South Melbourne
Much like Richmond, South Melbourne mixes bustling shopping strips (Clarendon Street), slumbering industrial areas (Montague Street) and dense residential zones (Park Street). You’ll find restaurants scattered throughout all these areas. The superb Tempura Hajime is semi-hidden under an office building, Half Acre lives in a former warehouse and Lamaro’s Hotel occupies a stunning corner site with 150 years of history. Here’s where to find them, and plenty more, curated by Broadsheet’s expert food and drink editors.
Restaurant
Half Acre
This multifaceted space couples the drop-in spirit of a pub with the food of a more polished eatery.
Restaurant
Park Street Pasta & Wine
Housed in a 19th-century building, this spot freshly extrudes pasta shapes such as rigatoni and bucatini in-house – an expensive process rarely seen in restaurant kitchens. Try them in the cosy dining room, or pull up at the parklet.
Restaurant
Komeyui
Take a seat at the stone counter for a 10-course sushi degustation, or order fish-skin crackling, miso-marinated black cod, and savoury steamed custard topped with foie gras à la carte.
Restaurant
Bambu Asian Eating House
Take a break from market shopping with a hit list of filling dishes from across South East Asia.
Restaurant
Lamaro’s Hotel
Lamaro’s is a love letter to long lunches and refined pub dinners. A woodfired grill lends the steaks their smokiness and char, while the rest of the menu blends classic pub fare with Southeast Asian and French flavours.
Restaurant
Wayside Inn
The Wayside’s front bar is for drop-in cheesy parmas and pints. The beer garden out the back is for parties and brews in the afternoon sun on Melbourne’s warmer days. And the smoky baby back ribs keep locals coming back.
Restaurant
Claypots Evening Star
Claypots romance: live music, seafood and drinks every night of the week.
Restaurant
Meatworksco
A smoke and meat-driven restaurant inspired by a chance encounter at a market in Spain.
Restaurant
Peko Peko
This playful Taiwanese-Japanese restaurant in South Melbourne (no relation to Fitzroy's Peko Peko) is a fun eatery that doesn't take itself or its delicious menu too seriously.
Restaurant
Woods Yard
Wood-fire sourdough pizza is the star at this wine bar, which pours natural wine, wild brews and coffee. Plus, grab sourdough rolls for lunch loaded with fillings such as mortadella, or a fancy omelette on the weekend.
Restaurant
Marmont
While the atmosphere draws from California’s breezy glamour, the seafood-forward menu takes cues from Latin American and Filipino cuisine. And it’s all about the music – a late dinner reservation here might finish on the dancefloor.
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