The Best Restaurants in Prahran
Prahran moves at a few different speeds. By day, residents take their time over coffee or grocery shopping at Prahran Market and office workers bump up the pace. By night, pubs such as the Mount Erica Hotel, College Lawn and Flying Duck Hotel draw civilised crowds for dinner. While Entrecote, Osteria Renata and Uminono offer sophisticated dining across multiple cuisines. These are the best places to dine in the area, curated by Broadsheet’s expert food and drink editors.
Restaurant
Entrecote
After seven years in South Yarra, this well-loved brasserie found a new home in Prahran. Alongside the restaurant’s signature dishes, you’ll find a roving caviar trolley, a raw seafood bar, a late-night supper menu and French-inspired cocktails from the brain behind Romeo Lane.
Restaurant
Osteria Renata
Look for the lush olive-green facade on Prahan’s High Street to find this handsome restaurant and bar. Inside, a dedicated “pasta lab” produces all shapes and sizes, with a big emphasis on egg-based pastas specific to northern Italy. The wine list includes a handful of Italian varietals produced here in Victoria.
Restaurant
Uminono
Run by a passionate French Australian, this 12-seat omakase restaurant is open for just two sittings a day. Book in for a simple chirashi bowl, or an 11-course lunch featuring dishes like dry-aged kingfish sashimi with roasted spring onion oil and Hokkaido scallops with burnt orange gel.
Restaurant
David’s
Enjoy elevated Shanghainese fare and sharp cocktails at this intimate, buzzing restaurant right off Chapel Street. Go for the memorable set menu, which might include Peking duck pancakes, chicken ribs with spicy mayo and white chocolate dumplings to finish it all off.
Restaurant
L'Hôtel Gitan
Restaurateur Jacques Reymond’s vision of a Melbourne pub. It's more about fostering a pop-in, pop-out approach, without abandoning the flair. The food leans French, but there’s a notable showing of Aussie talent on the wine list.
Restaurant
Hopper Joint
Head here for two kinds of hoppers, accompanied by spicy sambals and rotating curries. And forget the cutlery, there’s a tap in the centre of the room to encourage eating with your hands.
Bar
The Flying Duck Hotel
The good times fly at this backstreet corner pub. Have a seafood feast in the greenery-surrounded glasshouse. Or wrap your hands around a big burger in the charming dining room.
Restaurant
The Smith
This spacious gastropub serves honest and elevated pub food alongside sharp cocktails. Go for its excellent oysters, gooey burrata, hulking burgers and juicy steaks.
Restaurant
Colonel Tan’s
A Thai restaurant from the chef behind Cookie and The Toff in Town. Bring a group and go for Bangkok bolognaise, fat duck noodles and souped-up curries. Play on the Nintendo 64s while you wait.
Restaurant
Angus & Bon
A rock‘n’roll steakhouse serving dry-aged Wagyu and bottomless Bloody Marys.
Restaurant
Mount Erica Hotel
This classic corner hotel, revamped by the Marquis of Lorne team, has a little Wes Anderson energy. If you look past the lofty menu and exceptional wine list, you’ll find it’s a rowdy Melbourne footy pub at heart.
Bar
Silverlake Social
An American-themed bar serving craft beer, ribs, hot dogs and cocktails.
Restaurant
Yoku Ono Ramen & Sake
There's an extensive ramen menu at this bar and diner from the man behind Wabi Sabi Salon and Neko Neko, alongside a range of other classic Japanese dishes. Plus, there are plenty of sake-based cocktails and a tight line-up of rare whiskies.
Bar
The Alps
This intimate wine bar pays homage to the excellent wine regions that encircle the European Alps – but you'll also find honest drops from Australia and New Zealand. Take inside or in the courtyard for Roman-style pizza and snacky plates.
Restaurant
White Oaks Saloon Bar & Dining
A touch of the Deep South on Greville Street.
Restaurant
Speakeasy Kitchen and Bar
A classic name attached to a deceptively large space that's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cafe
Little Havana
Cubano sandwiches are the hero at this Cuban-inspired diner, from the owner of Atlas Dining. Stop by the neon-coloured shop for five takes on the sanga, plus salads and sides.
Restaurant
Rossi
This casual Italian restaurant can be the anchor for any evening. Expect carbonara arancini, tiramisu served tableside and a party after dinner wraps up.
More Options
Officina Gastronomica Italiana, Prahran
Meet the second iteration of Officine Zero, Claudio Casoni’s former espresso bar. Come for calamari, cured meats, house-made focaccia, and a wine list focused on the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Whatever you order for starters, make sure you grab a bowl of house-made pasta – including a rigatoni with slow-cooked Wagyu ragu and a red spaghetti infused with tomatoes and served with rock lobster and semi-dried tomatoes.
