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Located in Prahran between Greville and Chapel Streets, Sydney's famous EdwardsAndCo hair studio has expanded into Melbourne's south. 

Figlia made a splash in the Brunswick East dining scene a couple of years back now, and has had its praises sung far and wide ever since. It’s from the crew behind the Tipo 00 and Osteria Illaria Famiglia and, like its sibling venues, there’s one star of the show at Figlia—pizza.

Restaurateur Jason Jones and designer Brahman Perera—the minds behind Entrecote—are partnering up for Hopper Joint, an 80-seater Sri Lankan eatery.

The restaurant and sibling bar duo isn’t a new concept by any means, but it is one we’ve loved since day one. Apollo Inn and Gimlet, March and IDES, Rocket Society and Rumi—the pairings are designed to extend the dining experience late into the night, and for some of Melbourne’s best restaurants, why wouldn’t you want to? And with that, we welcome Bianchetto, the booze-forward sibling to Mister Bianco in Kew.

Joining a growing line up of Korean restaurants across Melbourne, Doju is a sultry fine diner on Little Collins Street that's perfect for a lunch date or post-work snack. 

The Wagyu Ya Group are a seemingly unstoppable force, with three locations operating and now a fourth one just over the horizon. With the success of Wagyu Ya, Yakikami, and Niku Ou, another venture was almost to be expected, and they haven’t disappointed. Introducing Wagyu Ya Teppanyaki, a brand new teppanyaki experience for those who are hungry for all things wagyu. 

Still rocking the Auckland Italian food scene, Otto (formerly Cotto) is one of the top Italian restaurants in the city. This spot showcases that Italian food doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag, with their menu ranging from $8-$28 and every single dish tasting like a million bucks. 

South Melbourne has always been a foodie hotspot with the iconic South Melbourne Market, but as of late, there have been more venues popping up left, right and centre. We welcomed UGO Burrata Bar with open arms in January, a flashy Mediterranean restaurant called Lucia swung open it’s doors this month (more on this soon), and mega Brewmanity is gracing the inner suburb any day. Now, cult-followed craft beer Pirate Life is opening its first venue in Victoria after a slew of spots across the nation.

Morgan Hipworth was just 15 years-old when he opened his now widely successful bakehouse, Bistro Morgan, quickly making a name for himself as the doughnut kid. Fast forward to today, and Hipworth has starred on MasterChef’s Dessert Masters, had his name splashed across his very own cookbook, opened a second Bistro Morgan site, and now Hipworth made his debut into the restaurant world with Maven at the age of 22.

The Albion Hotel has returned to its roots after a few different stints, the space formerly known as Perry’s, a private events venue, and Punter’s Palace in the 90s, a particularly lively pub. Taking on the original name that it wore for the first 120 years of its life, The Albion is reinstating its taproom atmosphere, having been bought by the owners of Bodrigging Brewing Co., Pete Walsh and Anthony Daniel, alongside Jon Costello and Greg Scott. 

Melbourne is unapologetic about its current sanga craze, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. Down in the south-east, Cheltenham has a fresh face on the scene in the form of Robin’s Deli, fittingly from the team behind Merrymen in Hampton. Head Chef Cristina Kelly’s menu is designed to balance unique flavours, marrying classic sandwiches with more modern combinations. 

The Skin Bar has finally arrived in Melbourne with its new outpost in Armadale. Securing a shop front on the bustling High Street right next door to Green Cup, you’ll spot this luxury skin clinic by its simplistic, forest emerald green exteriors.

Somewhat surprisingly, Melbourne hasn’t had a rooftop brewery bar in her midst yet, but that’s about to change with Brewmanity. With three levels including their brewery, a beer hall and two rooftop bars, Brewmanity will have you covered from top to bottom. 

Most sushi restaurants lean towards austere, restrained, and monochromatic—not Sushi Baby. Their distinctive pastel colour scheme perfectly offsets the bright colours in their sushi: think vivid orange salmon, deep pink tuna, fresh green cucumber, and bright white rice. Their mascot, a smiling child reminiscent of the Gerber baby, encapsulates their playful take on a sushi restaurant. Originally opening as a takeaway shop, their Brighton venue has opened its doors to dine-in customers, complete with an outdoor courtyard and a private dining space. 

YAWYE is Little Collins Street’s all-new smoothie and acai bar here to level up your nutrition game. 

Sunbury’s Ball Court Hotel is back in the game after a multi-million-dollar transformation—including an all-new 600sqm beer garden. 

Gertrude Street is known to harbour some exquisite food and drink spots, and this leafy green hub is now home to yet another killer venue—Gertrude Hotel.   

What started as a modest pop-up in the Docklands has transformed into an omakase with a waitlist of 4000 hungry patrons looking for a booking—Rōnin has settled into a permanent location in the middle of the CBD. 

If you’ve had your ear to the ground waiting to hear the rumblings of a fresh new restaurant set to shake up the scene, Tokyo Motto might finally be music to your ears.

After several months of rumblings, hospo heavyweights Maurice Terzini and Joe Jones link-up to bring you an authentic disruption to the city’s bar scene—Purple Pit. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the good-times bowling alley that is The Keys, now is the time to get involved. They’ve just announced an epic new expansion to level-up your dining while you bowl and drink yourself to victory. 

Pascoe Vale South has a new all-day brunch spot that’s begging you to feel at home, Emil’s. The space is packed to the brim with memories and cosy vibes—once their childhood home, brothers John and George El-Khoury have refurbished their parents' milk-bar into a delicious destination, keeping much of its raw aesthetic from their childhood. 

Scent is arguably the most powerful of all the senses—it can transport you to another place, or a different time. Born out of a warehouse and raised in Melbourne, Flâner Fragrances is a niche fragrance house that are all about using scent to tell a story, with each product in their perfume line developed with a distinctive profile and place in mind. Although they only launched in 2022, they’ve already developed a keen following, and are now opening up their very own boutique store on the iconic Gertrude Street in Fitzroy.

After many culinary residencies (Fitzroy’s Rochester Hotel, Avani Winery and more), Keralan cuisine chef Mischa Tropp has secured his first permanent venue on Collingwood’s Smith Street—Toddy Shop by Marthanden Hotel. 

The crew at Brick Lane Brewing have a brand new venture launching at the end of November 2023, and cracking a few cold ones is all but guaranteed. Introducing Brick Lane Market, conveniently located right in Queen Victoria Market. The iconic location is only matched by the building itself—once the premise of the infamous Mercat Cross Hotel (if you know, you know).

Harboured on a quiet side street in Bentleigh, Freddie’s Pizza Kitchen is a hole-in-the-wall shop championing wood-fired thin-crust pizza. At the helm is owner and pizza maker, Milton, who fuses his Jamaican heritage with years spent honing skills in Tuscany and New York.

Melbourne’s love affair with la dolce vita is not slowing down anytime soon, as embodied by the opening of a brand new aperitivo bar in the heart of the CBD. Torino Aperitivo is the new kid on the block, by the seasoned team behind Beneath Driver Lane. The focus is on bringing aperitivo culture to Melbourne, which entails succulent bites designed to whet your appetite, alongside a few drinks of course. Torino Aperitivo wants to infuse the sweetness of aperitifs with the vibrancy of Melbourne’s unique food scene, aiming for a match made in heaven. 

Nestled across from the Fitzroy Gardens is Roccella—East Melbourne’s all-day Italian eatery, backed by generations of family recipes. Fuelled by his Catania heritage, head chef Francesco Crifo brings over 20 years of experience, after residing in some of Iltaly’s most famed pizzerias and perfecting the foundations of each province’s pizza. 

Rosemary Andrews, the famed ex-pastry head chef of Ben Shewry’s Attica Summer Camp, is opening a dessert-dedicated, long-term pop-up store in Malvern. Still being fitted out, Mietta By Rosemary will be a minimal and monochrome store, with the spotlight on an art-gallery-like cake display. 

Mount Macedon Winery has just gone through one helluva glow-up, and within the evolution comes the introduction of Uumm, a fine diner focusing on the produce of Mount Macedon Winery and surrounds. 

Red Hill’s Southern-style barbeque and craft beer hall, Red Gum BBQ, has expanded to Seaford with a new concept—Red Gum At Home. 

New York’s famed mezcal bar, Ghost Donkey, is bringing its Mexican flair and fairy-light-covered ceiling to longstanding nightlife destination Crown Melbourne. 

Positioned tactfully near several LUCAS' venues at the iconic 80 Collins, this diner is (one of) restaurateur Chris Lucas' crown jewels. There are several elements to this stunner, with SOCIETY being the hero, which takes form as a grand dining room and lounge. And just as the space is grand, so is the menu—don't miss the wagyu striploin, and the stunning salmon en croute. 

Commune Group's dedicated open-grill diner, Firebird, is a fiery Vietnamese eatery driven by flame-focused cooking and punchy flavours.

Bringing Michelin-starred experience and European-style dining to Warragul is Messmates. The new bistro and wine bar in the Gippsland town is a joint venture from Jess and Chris Odrowaz alongside and chefs Michael Clarke and Jodie Odrowaz.

Northcote’s High Street levelled up when the Northcote Theatre reopened late last year, and now, thanks to music industry heavyweights Crown Ruler, the buzzing northside strip is notching with a new venue called High Note—calling the two ground-level shopfronts home. 

The butcher shop of Gary’s Meat has been within the family for five generations, now with the addition of daughter Ash, the beloved Prahran Market shop has taken on the new of moniker of G.McBean Family Butcher.

Onigiri Kitchen And Sake Bar is Melbourne’s new intimate Japanese-inspired eatery with a simple mission—perfecting the beloved Japanese rice balls, and serving up premium Sake to match. 

Hawksburn’s humble Italian espresso bar, Officine Zero, has doubled in size and evolved into the newly opened Officina Gastronomica Italiana  (OGI)—an all-day Italian bistro dedicated to bringing Emilia-Romagna’s gastronomy to Melbourne.

Flinders Lane’s dual-level diner Hazel has been a pillar of the Mulberry Group (Lilac Wine, Square One, Liminal) since opening back in 2019. 

Making its way across the river, boutique baked goods shop, Bistro Morgan has planted a flag right on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy.

High Street Prahran is getting a taste of Miami and Cubano sandwiches with the newly opened Little Havana. The name is an ode to a vibrant Cuban neighbourhood in Miami, Florida and it’s rich Latin American culture. 

There are big shoes to fill when your father is responsible for founding one of Australia's premier pie outfits, Bocastle. Pieman's Son is the latest opening from Pat Cremean who grew up entrenched in a world of pastry and mince. 

Situated on the corner of Spencer Street and Flinders Lane, Beso is Melbourne’s new contemporary Spanish dining experience. Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll see long leather banquettes, an illuminated marble bar and a kitchen surrounding an open flame.

A cornerstone of South Yarra’s dining scene, Cosi has recently come under new ownership, with restaurant veterans Omar El Deek and Pietrantuono brothers Giacomo and Donatello—known for their successful ventures Cucinetta and Carboni’s, taking the helm. They have breathed new life into the institution, contemporising the venue while preserving its authentic 1996 essence.

18 years in the game, two beloved southside venues, and a cookbook that’s captured the hearts of many a home chefs can’t be wrong. The latest project from southside hospitality gem, Amanda Ruben, is Ruben’s Deli—a nod to the Big Apple and its buzzing delicatessens. 

What began as a humble cafe and sandwich operation in the midst of 2021, Mortadeli, run by Jake Cassar, has blossomed into a preeminent destination for the surf coast. 

Deep in the backstreets of Footscray, Hop Nation opened up in 2016, and now eight years later, they've cemented themselves in the heart of locals by supplying exactly what the people want—good craft beer.

Melbourne is frankly inundated with ramen options, but so far, we’ve had nothing quite like Mensho. Originating in Tokyo in 2005, Mensho quickly exploded in popularity, eventually leading to them receiving a Michelin Star for their renowned soup and noodle combo.

Nestled in the Melbourne CBD right near Southern Cross Station, V Wine Salon is located inside a gorgeous heritage-listed building that looks like it’s straight out of a European romance novel. Combining high ceilings with a more modern furbishing, the result is a chic, understated wine bar with a seemingly never-ending wine list. 

Straight outta Beechworth, Bridge Road Brewers is gearing up to unveil their brand new venue in Brunswick East. Known for their rustic, gold rush-style aesthetic and variety of craft beers, the new venture will be a tad different - while still having a huge assortment of at least 30 beers on tap, the trimmings will be more glossy and streamlined.

Australian Grossi Group chef and restaurateur Guy Grossi has revitalised the former Kew junction pub with his permanent presence in the form of the new multi-venue establishment Clifton Hotel. 

Julie is the latest addition to the historic Abbotsford Convent, from the crew behind the beloved Cam’s Kiosk. If you’ve been craving an elevated dinner party vibe, Julie has you sorted, with a menu that's all about fresh ingredients, set in the gorgeous Convent surroundings right by the Birrarung (aka the Yarra River). 

Nestled in at the far north end of Glenferrie Road in Kew is the neighbourhood’s go-to wine bar, Cru.​​ The 28-seat wine bar operates as a family-friendly cafe during the day while transforming into an intimate and low-lit space at night.

Tucked away behind a pink roller door and a red-brick frontage in North Coburg’s industrial estate is Back Alley Bakes— a relatively recent addition to the area. Spearheaded by husband-wife duo, Gabriel Alonso and Alana Trevisan, the bakery specialises in expertly crafted bread and pastries.

You may have heard of a little winery on the Mornington Penisula named Ten Minutes by Tractor—it’s two-hatted and has some of the chicest fine dining you can find in Victoria. Well, the team behind it is elevating the bar for sustainability with the unveiling of their latest dining venture, Allis.

From the suburbs of Sydney to the streets of South Yarra, Yan is the newest smoke-infused restaurant to grace our city. Specialising in Asian cuisine with a smokey, American BBQ twist, this restaurant was awarded the prestigious Chef Hat from the Good Food Guide in 2020, only one year after it opened. 

The best dinners aren’t always found at high-ceiling restaurants with pristine white tablecloths as far as the eye can see. Sometimes, there’s nothing more special than having a dinner party with your close friends, and Greasy Zoes serves up those vibes to a tee in their intimate, 8-seater fine diner. 

Located on Level 1 in Transport Hotel, beneath Transit Bar, Taxi Kitchen is a reincarnation of the previous Taxi Dining Room established 20 years ago. The fine dining restaurant is spearheaded by the acclaimed executive head Chef Tony Twichett and esteemed partner, chef Michael Lambie who continue to further the legacy of the diner.

There’s only one thing better than a big bag of fresh popcorn—a big bag of fresh gourmet popcorn. Pop Lab Popcorn is Melbourne’s newest entry into the boutique popcorn game, and they’re bringing flavours you’d never even thought of right to the forefront.