Left-of-centre pizzas are the drawcard at this big, industrial-chic room from the owners of Tipo 00 and Osteria Ilaria. Post up at the big central bar for snacks and natural wines by the glass, or share bistecca and nebbiolo at a bistro-style table.

This paddock-to-plate cafe and bistro sources much of its produce directly from the owners’ Gippsland farm, and uses it to serve up hearty breakfasts, plus harvest dinners with local DJs and booze.

Generous, home-style Laotian food is the draw at this relaxed restaurant from chef Thi Le and partner Jia-Yen Lee. Roll in for crisp rice salad with sour pork and freshly grated coconut, and whole spatchcock with pineapple salsa.

While sibling restaurant Farmer’s Daughters is all about Gippsland, this sophisticated eatery brings the best of the entire state’s produce to Melbourne’s epicentre. Find an interactive ingredients table, a 3000-bottle “wine library” and a terrace with river views.

A homey Sri Lankan buffet where $20 gets you meat and veggie curries, rice, sambol and more. Plus, unlimited hoppers for $5 extra.

Tucked beneath an apartment block, an ex-Kisume and Nobu chef perfects the Japanese art of robatayaki using a charcoal-powered parrilla grill. Take a seat at the bar overlooking the small but efficient kitchen for yakitori served every way and a diverse selection of sake by the glass.

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.

In an iconic southside building, this alluring bistro does old Chinese favourites in new ways – like reimagined prawn toast and a Hainanese chicken club sandwich that took 30 attempts to perfect.

Helmed by one of Melbourne’s most exciting young chefs, this low-waste bar and kitchen by the Aru and Sunda team transforms rescued ingredients into ferment-forward dishes and experimental cocktails. It’s also selling fancy pantry products to take home.

Small, lively and theatrical, this barbeque-powered restaurant on the third level of Her is a top spot to try dishes from all over Thailand, paired with highly complementary beers, wines and cocktails.

There’s an experience for every taste at Chris Lucas’ grand palace of seafood. Pull up at the marble bar for cocktails by one of the world’s best bartenders; take a seat in the chandelier-lit dining room to try the dazzling Japanese and European-inspired menu; or take in the terrace views from Lillian Brasserie, Society’s more relaxed sibling.

Just 20 diners a night are admitted to this inimitable Indian restaurant, where owner-chef Helly Raichura cooks vibrant banquets faithful to her home state of Gujarat (plus others) using top-quality local produce and native ingredients.

This Italian disco diner is a “cinematic experience” – with a jukebox, disco balls and red vinyl everywhere. Ascend the stairs for supersized pastas and grandma pies, “tirami-sundaes” and cocktail pitchers.

This sultry sibling to Sunda is every bit as stellar. Chef Khanh Nguyen effortlessly blends Southeast Asian flavours, native Australian ingredients and ancient techniques. And while there are unexpectedly playful riffs on classics – like banh mi, Peking duck and mi goreng – they never feel gimmicky, just modernised and expertly refined.

Venetian elegance, New York energy and a kick of Melbourne nostalgia collide at restaurateur Chris Lucas' lavish brasserie and grill. Take a seat in the grand dining room for charcoal-fired bistecca, a show stopping tiramisu, quintessentially Italian cocktails and plenty of tableside theatrics.

The hotly anticipated Melbourne outpost of the Sydney original was everything we hoped it would be. The focus on open-flame cooking and locally-sourced produce has been replicated here, but there are also Melbourne signatures: baked ricotta and anchovies, dry-aged pork cutlets and a big lean on Victorian vino. Find it in a sleek, contemporary space on Flinders Lane.

Fire-based cooking reigns supreme at the second iteration of Shannon Martinez’ pioneering vegan diner, suitably housed inside an old red-brick fire station. Choose from Mediterranean-inspired dishes and booze à la carte, or grab a seat at the intimate chef’s table and let the experts choose for you.

The cyberpunk facade of this two-level Japanese diner is almost as impressive as the action in the sprawling open kitchen, where chefs turn skewered meat over jumping flames. Visit for elevated rice and noodle dishes, spanner-crab-filled hand rolls and cocktails named after the neighbourhoods of Tokyo.

A glowing wine (and pasta) bar at Collingwood’s mammoth arts hub, which doubles as Hope St Radio’s home. Settle in for lamb rigatoni, hibiscus-and-Davidson’s-Plum sorbet and plenty of juicy lo-fi wines.

For the first time, the prolific restaurateur behind Di Stasio Citta is serving pizza – from the classic margherita to a luxurious lobster option – as well as an exceptional fior di latte soft serve. The green-toned interior is studded with impressive works of art, but the 17th-century Italian stone fountain in the courtyard is hard to top.

Big Esso is the CBD follow-up to Yarraville's beloved, now-closed Torres Strait Islander cafe Mabu Mabu. Expect dishes from chef-owner Nornie Bero’s childhood, brought to life with locally sourced native ingredients. There's also a retail section stocked with pantry fillers to take away.

What started as a pop-up bottle shop is now a fully fledged bar and eatery – with an all-organic wine ethos and a simple but seriously good menu of French-leaning plates by ex-Agrarian Kitchen head chef Ali Currey-Voumard.