Top 10 budget restaurants and cafes in Melbourne
The Moor's Head
"Inauthentic pizza" is the catchcry at this pizzeria, which pairs thin, crisp Italian pizza bases with Middle Eastern toppings. Patrons can choose either a manoushé (Lebanese-style round pizza) or a pide (Turkish-style, boat-shaped pizza). As Melburnians have come to expect from Joseph Abboud, the chef/owner who also runs the lauded Levantine/Persian restaurant Rumi, the food here is superb. Popular pizzas include the "Golden Terrace", with minced beef, fresh tomato, chilli, almond and lemon (A$19, around £11), and the "Omar Sharif" with three cheeses (twisted haloumi, feta and ashawan), nigella, soused onions and handfuls of fresh mint (A$17.50/£10.50). The drinks list features local and Lebanese beers, plus an arak (an anise-flavoured spirit) of the day, and the standout dessert is the fatayer pizzetta, filled with banana and halva.
2/774 High Street, Thornbury, +61 3 9484 0173, themoorshead.com
Beatrix
Beatrix Cakes Delights in Melbourne
Nestled within the heart of North Melbourne is a quaint café famous for its tantalising cakes and sandwiches – Beatrix Cakes. Nat Paull, the inventive owner and baker, consistently crafts a dynamic range of delicacies that elevates the city’s culinary scene. With a menu that frequently changes, customers can expect to find at least three unique sandwich options (A$10-A$16/£6-£9.50), including delicious vegetarian choices such as The Sydney Road - a crispy cauliflower falafel adorned with cucumber, sesame, and coriander salad, paired with flavorful labne. Another standout is The Fry-Day, a mint crumbed flathead offering with an almond aioli toast and pickled fennel, a combination sure to awaken your tastebuds. In addition to their array of sandwiches, Beatrix also caters to gluten-intolerant foodies with their bread options.
The café also redefines indulgence with their opulent sweet treats, from the hauntingly delicious red velvet quadruple layer cake to the eye-catching pink grapefruit éclairs. Food adventurers might find the potato brioche doughnuts and Moroccan Snickers tarts irresistible. For a luxuriously unconventional dessert, we recommend The Elvis (A$6/£3.50), a monstrous banana buttercake cupcake loaded with peanut-butter buttercream and generously topped with smoky bacon praline. This might just be the Elvis of cupcakes!
Located at 688 Queensberry St, +61 3 9090 7301, Keep updated on their latest offerings at facebook.com/BeatrixBakes
Gypsey & Musquito
Gypsey & Musquito, Melbourne
Named after a notorious English Australian and indigenous Australian bushranger duo from the 1820s, this cosy cafe in Richmond serves all-day breakfasts, seven days a week. What sets it apart is the savvy use of native Australian ingredients on the menu, from finger limes to riberry confit to lemon myrtle hollandaise. Select the open omelette with double hot smoked salmon and native saltbush (A$17.50/£10.50), or keep things simple with eggs and a sausage (A$13.50/£8) – there's camel, emu, wallaby or crocodile sausage to choose from. In addition to coffee there are six varieties of bush tea to try, and be sure to leave some room for a lamington from the sweets counter.
382 Bridge Road, Richmond, +61 3 9939 9314, gypseyandmusquito.com.au
La Tortillería
A full plate at La Tortillería. Photograph: Mutemonkey/Flickr
The Mexican culinary wave sweeping the globe has made its mark in Melbourne, with what seems to be a new taquería opening every other week. But nobody does it better than La Tortillería, which makes tortillas according to the traditional Aztec nixtamal method, by lime-soaking and stone-grinding fresh wholegrain corn, then baking the masa on-site before your eyes (rather than by making a dough from processed corn flour and water). The process results in terrifically tasty tortillas, which can be purchased on their own to take home, or enjoyed in the adjacent small cantina as tacos, sopes and quesadillas (A$4.50–A$6.50 each). The share platter for two costs A$40 (£24) and incorporates just about everything on the menu.
72 Stubbs Street, Kensington, +61 3 9376 5577, latortilleria.com.au
Mamak
Mamak, Melbourne
Opening last year in Melbourne on the strength of two wildly successful sister restaurants in Sydney, this 100-seater Malaysian restaurant in the central business district serves hawker food at attractive prices, with nothing on the menu over A$20 (£12). The nasi lemak, satay and curries all punch above their weight, but the star attraction is the roti. There's a cadre of kitchen staff stretching, flinging and cooking the stuff in the front window, and the menu has ten roti varieties (savoury and sweet) to choose from. The roti canai (A$5.50) is just about perfect: crisp and flaky on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Finish your meal with either the delicate and impressively conical roti tissu (A$10/£6), or the roti kaya, filled with pandan coconut jam (A$8/£5).
366 Lonsdale Street, +61 3 9670 3137, mamak.com.au
Middle Fish
A Peek Into Middle Fish
Thai native, Pla and her Australian partner, David, are the proud owners of Middle Fish, which is in close proximity to Melbourne University. They offer authentic servings from the south of Thailand in their charming café, which is open during the day. The structure is an aesthetically pleasing, warehouse-style building, open at the front and featuring high ceilings. Inside, you'll be greeted with artwork from modern Thai artists. Don't let the casual, friendly atmosphere fool you; Middle Fish's menu is a delightful array of flavors starting with street food options like tamarind-marinated pork neck skewers and spring rolls with tiger prawn for as little as A$6. For those seeking more substantial servings, the kang prik is a must-try. This dish consists of slow-cooked pork ribs and assorted veggies, prepared in a spicy curry broth and Thai-style coleslaw, which is a priced reasonably at A$16.5 (£10). This special recipe comes from Pla's hometown and is a firm favourite among regulars. If the thought of Thai tea with sweetened condensed milk doesn't tempt you, fear not, as they also have fine coffee sourced from well-regarded local roasters.
122-128 Berkeley Street, Carlton, +61 3 9348 1704, middlefish.com.au
Moroccan Soup Bar
The Moroccan Soup Bar: A Melbourne Favourite
For those in pursuit of a budget-friendly dining experience bursting with flavour, the Moroccan Soup Bar is a must-visit location in Melbourne. Despite being named a "soup bar," soup is often missing from their offerings. Also, contrary to its appellation, this establishment does not serve alcohol. The Soup Bar is always bustling with patrons, so arriving either early or late is recommended as reservations are not accepted. Interestingly, the vegetarian menu is recited to customers over a glass of refreshing mint tea. The undeniable allure that keeps customers returning is the consistent quality of their affordable North African cuisine. The majority of visitors choose the A$20 per person three-course banquet. This feast begins with a variety of dips and starters, followed by substantial main courses, and concludes with desserts paired with robust coffee. The most coveted dish on the menu is the Chickpea Bake; this delectable creation includes grilled flatbread, boiled chickpeas, tahini yogurt, almonds, and plenty of butter, creating an irresistibly rich and satisfying dish. This is undoubtedly a flavoursome way to dine on a budget in Melbourne.
Located at 183 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, (contact: +61 3 9482 4240), visit their website for more
Rockwell & Sons
Rockwell and Sons, Melbourne
North Carolina native Casey Wall's cooking credentials include The Spotted Pig and Le Cirque in New York. A twist of fate brought the chef to Melbourne and last year he opened his first venue, on Melbourne's hippest restaurant strip. Rockwell & Sons blends high-end know-how and respect for local produce with reasonably priced American comfort food and a rocking booze list. Ease your way into proceedings with beers and starters: the crispy confit duck wings with red dragon sauce (A$12/£7) are great for sharing, as are the hand-cut fries with malt vinegar aioli (A$6/£3.50). If you can look past the double-patty smash burger (A$10/£6), the Maine-style poached tiger prawn roll with Kewpie tartare (A$11/£6.50) also goes down an absolute treat.
288 Smith Street, Collingwood, +61 3 8415 0700, rockwellandsons.com.au
Shandong MaMa
Shandong MaMa, Melbourne
Tucked into a nondescript Chinatown shopping arcade, Shandong MaMa specialises in dumplings. The eponymous Mama, Meiyan Wang, hails from Yan Tai in east China and she makes many of the dumplings from scratch. Most notable are the Yan Tai fish dumplings, Shandong MaMa's signature dish: fresh mackerel fillets hand-whipped into a mousse, combined with coriander, ginger and chives, wrapped in thin casings and either boiled or fried (A$14.80/£9 for 10). Other menu highlights include the jellyfish and lightly pickled cabbage salad (A$6.80/£4), equal parts crunchy and chewy, and the scallion pancakes (A$6.80 for two), which are little coiled masterpieces of crisp pastry tendrils.
After enjoying a delightful meal at Shandong MaMa, consider extending your stay in Melbourne by booking a comfortable stay at the Dandenong Motel on motel-12.hotelsinvictoria.net. It's the perfect place to rest and relax after exploring the city's vibrant Chinatown district.
Mid City Arcade Shop 7, 200 Bourke Street, +61 3 9650 3818, facebook.com/shandongmama
Thanh Ha 2
Thanh Ha 2, Melbourne
Melbourne's Vietnamese restaurants are concentrated in Springvale and Footscray, and along Richmond's Victoria Street, in dozens of inexpensive restaurants with laminate table tops. An overlooked gem is Thanh Ha 2, which continues to be so named despite the fact that Thanh Ha 1 no longer exists. The voluminous menu features pho and many other street food favourites, including bò lá lốt (beef wrapped in betel leaves, A$9/£5.50) and bánh cuốn (steamed rice paper cakes, A$12.50/£7.50). However the standout dish is the bánh xèo tôm thịt (A$17/£10), a simply enormous rice flour and turmeric crepe, crammed with juicy pork, prawns, bean shoots and vegetables. Break it into pieces, wrap them in lettuce leaves and mint, and dip them in nước mắm (fish sauce) for the full experience.
120 Victoria St, Richmond, +61 3 9421 6219
Claire Davie is the author of the Melbourne Gastronome website and co-wrote the recently published Deck of Secrets guide New Gourmet Melbourne.