Disclaimer: you might notice that the best restaurants listed here tend to be Asian fusion – that’s because that’s Melbourne at its best, experimenting with all the different flows of immigration and turning people’s histories into creative approaches to food. Here are my fav CBD spots.
EAT
Asian fusion fun type bar near Chinatown with a tapas style menu. Three dishes will fill a solo diner up without weighing too much on wallets. I really recommend the son in law eggs, a soft and tasty dish made of a fried boiled egg with chili jam, as well as the korean bun type burger sliders and any dumplings you can find.
Melbourne’s most popular restaurant, Chin Chin doesn’t take reservations – so expect long queues at the entrance.
I sat at the bar to beat the crowds and had the meal of a lifetime – Ora King salmon wrapped in banana leaves and topped with a red curry paste, a match made in heaven.
Top that with cool surroundings and staff that know the menu inside out together with the best wine pairings and you have a winner. Not a huge fan of the Sunday surcharge on the bill, but hey it was just $5 extra and I guess they can.
DRINK
An impressive beer, wine and cocktail list long as a book, the biggest collection of spirits ever and chilled out vibes in the otherwise quite fancy CBD are what makes Cookie one of Melbournian’s favourite drinking spots. Part dining room, part boozer, this place is the best option to let your hair down after a day of walking around.
A staple of AC/DC Lane, Cherry has its own rock festival every year and is a historic and popular venue for all the rock n’roll lovers out there. Go for the gig, stay for the vibes.
Pictures: Carolina Are
