The Feed | Melbourne Food News You Don’t Want To Miss

The food news has been coming in thick and fast in Melbourne, and to make sure that you're across all of the food and bev movements, we've wrapped up everything that you need to know in a handful of digestible servings. 

And if you're chasing Melbourne's best cheap eats right now, best restaurants, best cafes, best bars or basically anything else you need a rec for, we've got you covered. 

Keep up to date with all of Melbourne's food and drink news right here, hot and fresh out the kitchen as of June, 2026:

More wine, more snacks, no cocktail over $26. Byrdi’s biggest change in years

Image credit: Byrdi, supplied

Melbourne's award-winning Byrdi bar has entered its ‘Ephemera’ era, with relaxed vibes, a walk-in only policy and a wallet-friendly price point for snacks and vino 7 days a week. The creative cocktails that made them famous are still there, but change weekly and all ten sit at a friendly $26. New cocktails focus on immediate seasonality, tapping into Victoria's produce: what's growing, what's best right now, what's interesting to play with. When it's done, it changes. 

Instead, more menu real estate is given over to minimal intervention Australian wines from small-scale growers. Unusual grapes, interesting techniques, some cult faves and industry challengers. And it's all perfectly paired with a new selection of snacks. The prawn toast with pepperberry mayo remains (for now), joined by bar bites like shoestring fries with house chicken salt, beef tartare with smoked egg yolk, wattleseed crumb and saltbush and a whipped chocolate mousse with olive oil and Redgum smoked salt. But tomorrow, you might find something else entirely.

It’s fresh, it’s fun, it’s strictly for a limited time. It's Ephemera, after all.

 

Chotto Motto, Robata and Koi Toy Are Dropping An Unexpected Menu Of Detour Dishes This June

Image credit: Urban List

Three of Melbourne’s coolest Japanese restaurants are taking a detour from their usual menu. From 3 June to 1 July, we've tasked the top Melbourne chefs, Kazuyuki Uchida (Chef at Chotto Motto), Lily McGrath (Head Chef at Robata) and Alex Meimetis (Owner of Koi Toy), to whip up an inventive konbini-inspired dish to celebrate our launch into Urban List Osaka with Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

 At Chotto Motto, mozzarella is in the spotlight, with their salty spin on the Kushikatsu. Panko-coated mozzarella is fried up golden and served with a pairing of crispy chilli hot honey, ramping up the dish with an unexpected sweet sidekick. Meanwhile, Robata’s Head Chef Lily McGrath is giving the nostalgic street food bite, Famichiki, an unexpected twist. Juicy boneless chicken thigh is wrapped in an ultra-thin, crisp coating, and plated it with a rich mayo injected with Japanese curry flavours. And over at Koi Toy, they'll be serving immaculate sashimi-grade blue eye fillet with a kaffir and lemongrass-infused crème fraîche, yuzu chilli smoked salmon roe emulsion, prawn floss, nori furikake, shiso, and lemon balm micro herbs.

Swerving in from 3 June to 1 July, the Detour Dishes are here for a good time, not a long time, so get in quick.

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Ferguson Plarre Is Giving Away 10,000 Pieces Of Cake 

Image: Ferguson Plarre | Supplied

Ferguson Plarre is turning 125, and to celebrate the team are giving away 10,000 pieces of cake with any purchase across all locations on Friday 5 June.

Surviving generations of change since opening its first bakery in Moonee Ponds, we hear that even the great grandkids now work at one of the chain's now nearly 80 sites.

Celebrations will run right across winter too, with a hit of nostalgia. Classics like sausage rolls, vanilla slices, lamingtons and meat pies will fly out the door for just $1.25 each if you join the Sweet Rewards Club (free to join). The weekly specials start 8 June and run until 23 August.

You Can Now Get Your Hands On The Viral Dot Cakes In Brighton 

Image: Bakehouse By Vic | Supplied

You've almost definitely seen the viral dot cakes all over your feed: single serve containers of layered cake, covered in icing and packed with 100s and 1000s.

Don't worry: if you're not much of a baker, we've found exactly where to get them in Melbourne—no clean up or grocery shopping required. Brighton's Bakehouse By Vic, known for its New York-inspired treats (bagels and cookies, anyone?), is slinging dot cakes all June long. 

The team are baking two flavours: a rich double chocolate cake with choc buttercream and a classic vanilla with buttercream. They're available in store now, and we recommend getting in quick. 

Three Martinis At Lunch? Cleo Says Yes 

Image: Cleo | Supplied

Once upon a time, the most renowned midday ritual in New York City was the three-martini lunch: a chic, leisurely long lunch for professionals during the work week. Now this ritual has found a home in Melbourne, at Cleo’s new Three Martini Lunches every Thursday and Friday until 28 August. 

For $89 per person, you get to choose two courses and three (half-serve) martinis, alongside some shared sides for the table. Available for groups of two to eight, the Three Martini Lunch runs from midday to 3pm—and what better way to test your arvo productivity than a couple of stiff drinks? 

Book your NYC-inspired lunch here.

Warabi Introduces Its First-Ever Lunch Service 

Warabi, Melbourne’s two-hatted Japanese restaurant, has launched its first lunch service. With pricing that makes one of the city’s most refined kitchens accessible on a weekday, there are two set menu options available: 

• Warabi Bowl Set ($32): rice, miso soup, and a kobachi, with a choice of teriyaki chicken, miso katsu, or a vegetable poke bowl

• Kaiseki Box Set (from $45): a decadent nine-dish box with your choice of Tasmanian salmon saikyo yaki, teriyaki chicken, or Wagyu steak, plus delicate bites including truffle edamame, sashimi ocean trout, oyster with ponzu, and agedashi tofu.

For a restaurant that made its name on its $285 omakase, this new lunch offers a taste of luxury at a more wallet-friendly price. Check out Warabi’s full menu here.

This Fire-Inspired, Chip-Loaded Sando Is Only Available For A Month

Fancy Hank's, 1/79 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD | Thursday 4 June to Saturday 4 July, lunchtime

Image credit: Urban List

Fancy Hank's is dishing up a lunch-only Firemasters Brisket Sandwich inspired by Kettle Firemasters, the new fire-fuelled chip range fuelling good times. Packed with 16-hour smoked Angus brisket, American cheese, red onion pickles, Fancy Hank's Original BBQ Sauce and Kettle Firemasters Beef Brisket & Smokey BBQ Potato Chips in a soft Martin's potato roll, it's only available from Thursday 4 June to Saturday 4 July. 

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Gayan Pieris Is Bringing Sri Lankan Heart To Chapel Street 

Image: Supplied

Agnii is the latest venture from hatted chef Gayan Pieris, and it’s shaping up to be one of Chapel Street’s most significant new arrivals, set to open this August.

Pieris’ Many Little Bar & Dining in Red Hill is one of the country’s most-awarded Sri Lankan-influenced restaurants, and Agnii will bring that same culinary flair to Windsor. It’s promised to be a more ambitious interpretation of the same philosophy of ‘kussiya’, where the kitchen is the heart of the home. 

Agnii’s open kitchen will feature whole dried fish hanging and preserving, claypots sourced from Sri Lanka, and custom hearths built in Melbourne that will be used to cook over fire. The kitchen is set to introduce authentic dishes and preservation methods that have rarely been seen in Australia, and spices will be sourced directly from small-scale Sri Lankan growers and producers. 

On weekends, the venue will shine as it shifts into its late-night supper menu. It’ll have everything from short eats, hoppers, kottu, curries, and regional specialties to vinyl records and a drinks list that’s designed around arrack (Sri Lanka’s distilled spirit). 

Agnii is an 80-seat restaurant with a 40-seat private dining room, reservations will open in July here.

ST. ALi’s Cerulean Signature Drink? Groundbreaking 

Image: ST ALi | Supplied

In case you’re not aware, cerulean is having a serious moment (hello, Devil Wears Prada).

ST ALi’s Cerulean—you know, the striking blue coffee drink that became the talk of Australian Fashion Week—has landed at their South Melbourne cafe a strictly limited time.

The Cerulean is made with espresso cream, blue curaçao, and blueberry syrup, which makes it just as much an eye-catching visual statement as a delicious, dessert-like drink.

Available now until 7 June, it's a very fun, very limited coffee. That's all.

La Madonna Launches Caviar After Dark 

Image: La Madonna | Supplied

You might've had a caviar bump, but we doubt you've ever had an entire caviar degustation. That's about to change—La Madonna has just launched Melbourne’s only all-caviar degustation, and it’s an indulgent experience worth dressing up for.

Caviar After Dark is a five-course menu built by Michelin-trained chef Jacopo Degli Esposti, and places premium Anna Dutch caviar at the centre of every dish. Think bluefin tuna tartare with basil coulis and Baerii caviar, a generously finished spaghetti with caviar and lemon butter, and a surprising dessert wildcard: house-made negroni caviar (spherified from La Madonna’s barrel-aged negroni), served in an oyster shell. 

La Madonna strikes the balance between luxurious and approachable, even with its moody chandelier-lit decor, and this caviar degustation is no different. Caviar After Dark is running Tuesday through Saturday until 31 July, with tickets for $220pp and an optional wine pairing at an extra cost. Find out more and book here. 

Melbourne-Inspired Coffee From The Three Thousands x Griffiths Bros 

Image: Supplied

Ever wondered what Melbourne would taste like as a coffee? Well, Melbourne creative studio The Three Thousands has partnered with one of the country’s most established coffee roasters, Griffiths Bros, on two new blends inspired by the coffee capital. 

First up, the Laneway Blend is a light-medium roast with notes of milk chocolate, candied nuts, and a smooth toffee finish. It’s the kind of coffee you can imagine enjoying slowly in the morning, as you take your time walking through the CBD to your office

Then the After Dark Blend gets darker with it; a bold espresso layered with dark chocolate, cocoa, and roasted nuts, making it perfect for later in the day or for those of us who prefer their coffee without milk.

Whatever blend is more up your alley, they’re sold in 250g sustainable tins for $18. Grab yours online here.

50% Off Dining Vouchers, Giveaways And Boosted Travel Rewards

Image credit: ST ALi. | Instagram

From meals out with mates to that coffee, if you're not earning travel rewards on your spending, you're missing out. With Kris+, the nifty rewards app by Singapore Airlines, you can hit the town, use the app and score as you go. 

Now's the time to jump on it, because from 1 May to 30 June 2026, Kris+ members are earning a boosted 12 miles per dollar spent at participating dining partners, including ST. ALi, Tori's, Hopper Joint and more, no minimum spend required. 

From 15 to 17 May, Kris+ will also be hosting a three-day activation at Melbourne Central Shot Tower with daily giveaways of 144,000 KrisFlyer miles (enough to redeem a return Business Class ticket to Singapore on Singapore Airlines).

50% off dining vouchers to crowd-favourite venues are also dropping on 1 June at 10am (AEST), with limited quantities available. And, the best part is that if you use the code KPUL10 on sign-up, you'll get a $10 reward (awarded as 1,000 miles). 

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$18 Snack And Sip Pairings At Mr Mills 

Image: Mr Mills | Supplied

Mr. Mills at HYDE Melbourne Place has just launched Sipper Club, where you can get a cocktail with a paired snack for just $18. That has to be the most civilised (and affordable) way to start a night out in the CBD right now. 

Drawing on Iberian flavours, the new cocktail pairings are more sophisticated than your average bar snack. Think a green apple and bergamot margarita with a swordfish gilda, or an olive leaf and melon gimlet with smoked eel pâté. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try the artichoke clarified bloody mary with oyster and fermented chilli.

If the pairings don’t tickle your fancy, you can always mix and match your own. Sipper Club runs Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm, and it’s an easy yes from us for after-work drinks with more interesting food than a bowl of chips for the table.

Bar Marmelo Launches Lisbon Nights Happy Hour 

Image: Bar Marmelo | Supplied

If your ideal evening starts with something bittersweet, ice-cold, or even fortified, then Bar Marmelo’s new happy hour is right up your alley. Located at HYDE Melbourne Place, Marmelo’s Lisbon Nights specials draw on the Portuguese tradition of gathering before a long dinner for aperitifs, designed to get your appetite going and ease you into the night ahead.

The menu (sitting between $9 and $14) leans into the classics: Port and Tonic, Madeira with Ginger Beer, and a cold Superbock lager for our beer drinkers. The star of the show is the Porticano, a house Americano-style drink with bitter liqueurs, port, and a dark cherry liqueur made specifically for Marmelo by White Possum Distillery. 

The considered list will transport you from Melbourne’s CBD to a streetside bar in Lisbon, and the specials are running Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm to 6pm—no bookings needed.

Tuesday Nights Just Got Better At Ruzia’s 

Image: Ruzia's | Supplied

Balaclava Road's neighbourhood wine bar Ruzia's has launched just the thing for a midweek reset: every Tuesday from 5pm, you can secure a stellar $45pp set menu. It kicks off with a glass of wine and Ravi Presser's famous chicken meatballs—made from his grandmother Ruzia's recipe and served with Baker Bleu bread—before finishing on a warm, twice-proofed doughnut with vanilla bean ice cream. 

At a spot that has quickly become known for generous pours, a warm, unforced atmosphere and cosy food prepared at the bar, it's an easy yes for a Tuesday date night or overdue catch-up.

Olives for dessert? For A Limited Time At Tzaki, Absolutely 

Image: Tzaki | Supplied

Got a sweet-savoury tooth? You need the limited time ‘Olive Dessert’ hitting the table at Tzaki,
Yarraville's woodfired Athens-inspired eatery. Chunks of kalamata olive “mantolato” (honey-
sweetened nougat) line the dish, then a rich, dark mousse-like chocolate namelaka is piped
over, topped with a creamy dome of olive oil ice cream and finished with a drizzle of extra virgin
olive oil, a touch of fleur de sel and a flourish of fresh thyme leaves. In each decadent spoonful,
the fruitiness of kalamata olives blends with the bittersweet chocolate, lifted by the acidity of the
oil and a salty, herbaceous edge.

Head chef Yiannis Papanatsios was inspired by a dessert at the two Michelin star restaurant he
worked at in Athens: an olive covered in cocoa butter and dark chocolate.

“Whenever I think of Athens, where I used to live, I always think of the olive trees,” he says. “I
always use olives at savoury dishes but I thought to be a little bit more playful and create a
dessert.”

An utterly unique taste of Athens. But hurry, it’s not here for long.

Yum Sing House Launches A Series Of Artisanal Events And Culinary Collabs 

Image: Yum Sing House | Supplied

Melbourne CBD's Yum Sing House has a big autumn ahead. While new Head Chef Ian Ho has just dropped a fresh seasonal menu, we think the real fun is in the programming. 

The 1960s-inspired Hong Kong restaurant is kicking off its Suburb to City collab series in April, starting with Caroline Springs' cult Basque cheesecake maker Bakt as an in-house pop-up. You can get adventurous with two custom cheesecake flavours, Szechuan Chilli Chocolate and Black Sesame Yuzu, or stick to their renowned Biscoff dessert—all from just $10. 

In May, Pecks Road will feature a Filipino ube dessert on Yum Sing House’s menu, with another collaboration for June to be announced soon.

Then, on Saturday 16 May, guest chef Geoff Marett (formerly of Hong Kong's Michelin-starred Yardbird) will recreate a Dai Pai Dong. The Hong Kong open-air food stall will feature six dishes, award-winning sake and '90s R&B DJs, for $88 per person. Spots are limited, so book your spot here. 

Marmont Brings Back $35 Wagyu Wednesdays 

Image: Marmont | Supplied

Welcome back to Marmont, Wagyu Wednesdays. We’ve missed you. 

It’s a crowd favourite that you can (and should) weave into your weekly routine, because for just $35 you can indulge in a Marble Score 6+ Wagyu Steak, served with Marmont’s signature Cali Butter and golden fries. Not only that, but Crown Melbourne’s California-inspired restaurant has unreal riverside views and a groovy all-vinyl music program, so you’re guaranteed immaculate vibes while enjoying one of the best-value steaks in Melbourne. 

Check out Wagyu Wednesdays at Marmont for lunch or dinner, now available every Wednesday.

Curious Launches A Playful New Cocktail Menu 

Image: Curious | Supplied

The W Hotel's swanky cocktail bar Curious has launched a playful new menu designed to challenge our expectations. Each tipple is carefully crafted, surprising in its own way, and a little bit dramatic. 

The Velour Old Fashioned is a luxuriously silky, sealed in chocolate. Simply break the seal with your supplied wooden hammer and enjoy. The Neon Wobble is a jelly shot, but not as you know it. Rum, cointreau and tropical flavours are swirled into a gelatinous cube, ready and waiting for you to take a bite. The Mandarin Alchemist arrives in two parts: a garnished, ice-cold cup, and a glass container—half liquid, half smoke. Let the mandarin fog infuse your drink, enhancing its citrus notes and producing a surprisingly refreshing sip. 

With 12 new cocktails to choose from, this is a sipping experience designed for savouring. 

29 Cheese Gnocchi Returns To Cucinetta 

Image: Cucinetta | Supplied

Goodbye four cheese pizza, hello 29-cheese gnocchi. By popular demand, Cucinetta South Yarra has again partnered with That’s Amore Cheese to deliver decadent, cheesy goodness for the entire month of April. 

The pasta itself is gorgeous: handmade potato gnocchi that’s oven-baked with 29 different cheeses, in a real celebration of everyone’s favourite dairy product. If you can name a cheese, it’s probably in this beautifully rich dish. We’re talking everything from burrata and smoked bocconcini, to truffle caciotta and ricotta delicata. The renowned 29-cheese gnocchi goes for $36 per serving, and is available for both lunch and dinner at Cucinetta—all April long. 

Seafood Sundays At Lucia 

Image: Lucia | Supplied

There’s nothing better than a special Sunday lunch to top off the weekend, and Lucia’s new seafood specials are the perfect excuse for an outing. The South Melbourne Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar is offering a rotating list of seafood specials designed to celebrate the freshest catch of the day—alongside their regular à la carte menu, of course. 

Available at Lucia from 12pm each Sunday, you can expect dishes like baked Sydney rock oysters with parsley butter and lemon, squid-ink risotto with marinated squid and citrus pangrattato, and yellowfin tuna carpaccio with grapefruit and anchovy cream. 

Yakimono Launches YakiHour 

Image: Yakimono | Supplied

Whether you’re looking for an after-work pick-me-up or a fiery way to kick off your weekend plans, Yakimono’s new YakiHour is for you. Between 5pm and 6pm daily, the Collins Street Japanese hotspot is serving up $15 cocktails and flame-kissed snacks to get your appetite going. 

Expect classic cocktails with a Yakimono twist: the Tokyo Tommy’s Margarita, Kamukara Margarita, Matsumoto Martini, and the Sendai Sour. And for food, it’s a curated menu of quick-fire bites designed to be shared. Choose from dishes like karaage chicken (or cauliflower, for our veggie friends) with chilli crisp mayo, Pacific oysters with finger lime ponzu, and the playful Yaki dog which features a miso pork sausage and grilled jalapeño. 

Have Your Say On The Best Hospo Venues In Melbourne And Win $250

Image credit: Salona | Supplied

OpenTable has launched its inaugural Restaurant Awards, giving much-deserved flowers to the venues and operators helping make Melbourne one of the best places in the country to eat right now. Better still, one of the categories is decided by the public with the chance to win one of several $250 gift cards, which means your strongest culinary opinions can finally be put to use. 

Diners have been invited to decide the winners across Neighbourhood Gem, Bar & Pub of the Year, Bucket List, and Opening of the Year. So, if you’ve ever insisted your local is underrated or forced a friend to try a certain restaurant against their will, now’s the time to make it official.

Check out the list of nominees and vote for the OpenTable’s People’s Choice Awards here, with winners announced on 15 June at the ceremony held at Bourke Street’s iconic Luci. 

Freddy's Pizza Team Launches A Kiwi Liqueur 

Image: Tommy's Booze | Supplied

Melbourne’s cult-favourite Italian liqueur brand Tommy’s Booze has just added a juicy fourth flavour to its arsenal, and it’s worth gathering the troops for. From the powerhouse duo behind Freddy’s Pizza, Kiwi is a limited-edition drop. It’s bold, sweet-sour, gorgeously vibrant in colour, and made with just four ingredients: kiwi, pure alcohol, water, and sugar. 

Kiwi joins Tommy’s existing range of Limoncello, Mandarino, and Lampone, and stays true to the brand’s style of real fruit, minimal ingredients, and maximum flavour. It’s great in a spritz, mixed into a cocktail, or just tucked away in the freezer for whenever the urge for something fresh comes knocking.

Nab a bottle now, because we suspect Kiwi won’t hang around forever. 

Finally: You Can Now Get Grill’d Sauces At Coles

Image: Grill'd | Supplied

Incredible news for those of us who’ve ever desperately scraped the last dregs of herbed mayo from a Grill’d container: now we can take an entire bottle home. 

After over 20 years of keeping their beloved sauces top-secret, the legends at Grill’d have finally bottled the goods. The flavours that have long been tried, tested, and well-loved in-restaurant, are now packaged and ready to get saucy in your home kitchen. The full range of seven sauces is now available at Coles—we're talking Herbed Mayo, Perfect Pickl’d Mayo, Golden Katsu Mayo, Smoky Chipotle Mayo, Signature Tomato Relish, and Native BBQ Sauce featuring Davidson plum. 

Each bottle of Grill’d sauce is Australian-made and available now at Coles. Find them here, and get yourseld one step closer to perfecting your Simon Says burger at home. 

Nico's Deli x Heinz Launch Night Shift: A Late Night Sanga Spot 

Image: Nico's Deli | Supplied

Melbourne has plenty of sandwich spots, but you know what we don't have enough of? Late night sangas. And we need late night sangas. 

Thankfully, Nico's Sandwich Deli have teamed up with the saucy legends at Heinz to bring us Night Shift: the city's first late-night sandwich automat. Launching on Thursday 12 March, Night Shift will run from 7–11pm, Thursday–Sunday for six whole months. 

It's an automat, so sangas will be self-serve, delivered to customers though an illuminated vending maching (yes, really). But don't worry, the saucy sandwiches are set to be just as good as the Nico's Deli we all know and love. 

The automat will operate off a rotating menu, launching with the Mozerella in Carroza, featuring melty mozzerella coated in panko crumbs, fried to perfection and served with an exclusive Night Sauce dipper made with Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayo.

Uber Eats Is Now Letting You Book Tables (And Snag Exclusive Ones)

Image credit: Uber Eats | Supplied

Uber Eats has rolled out in-app restaurant reservations in partnership with OpenTable—meaning Melburnians can now book tables directly inside the Uber Eats app.

The new Reservations feature shows real-time availability and confirms bookings instantly, streamlining everything from spontaneous dinners to carefully planned catch-ups. Alongside it comes Uber One Exclusive Tables, a premium perk now live in Melbourne, offering members access to reserved tables at some of the city’s most sought-after venues.

Participating restaurants include Lee Ho Fook, Carlton Wine Room, Tulum, and Daphne, alongside a broader mix of fine dining institutions and local favourites.

Reservations are open to all Uber Eats users, while Uber One Exclusive Tables are available exclusively to Uber One members—marking Uber Eats’ latest step from delivery app to all-round dining platform.

Main image credit: Nobody's Baby | Supplied