Bodega Underground in Melbourne has become a personal favorite, with three visits so far. The…read morestandout dish is undoubtedly the fish taco--crispy, flavorful, and consistently delicious. Although the first serving seemed a bit modest compared to neighboring tables, the taste more than compensated, prompting return visits. The birria taco is also commendable, but the fish taco remains unparalleled. The chicken wings and the potatoes were good as well. Potatoes were cut all different sizes. I prefer the smaller crispy ones. The sauce on the chicken had me licking my fingers for real. Definitely not for a first date!! The chips and guacamole with salsa are exceptional...no dry chips!!! Their menu is gluten free!!! The gluten-free churros are a must-try; we came back once just for the churros!! Service at Bodega Underground is consistently excellent. Making reservations in advance has ensured prompt seating on each occasion.. when we came just for churros we had no reservations but there was no wait. The decor is fun and interesting . Some walls and the ceiling are covered in old but colored newspaper(?) giving the space a unique, slightly vintage feel. It makes the atmosphere lively and different from your typical Mexican spot.

Cute little spot for some yummy tacos and other Mexican street food. We met up with a small group…read moreand found the service and the food both very good.

I enjoyed the food here. They've got an interesting selection of burgers with some unique American…read morestyle varieties I haven't seen at other burger places in Melbourne. I went for the LeBron burger, a spicy beef burger. The chips were pretty good too. The dining areas were a bit of a let-down. inside was too noisy and outside is right next to a large, congested and ugly intersection.

Good solid burger joint in the North. Cheesy Bacon fries were just as you'd expect, American out of…read morea can style cheese sauce, American style bacon pieces (you know the type, almost candied), and really good thick chips. The chocolate cookie shake was divine. The burger itself was nice, a good mix of sauces, but the meat pattie itself was probably a little dry if anything? The brioche bun wasn't too "briochey", and it is served in a half unwrapped, ready to eat and catch your drippings fashion. Service was quick and friendly, the decor is basically a basketball court, complete with rings, and they have a decent sized outdoor space out the front, but multiple tables big enough for big groups (we had 7). Fun Fact - the burgers are all named after prominent NBA players (hence the title Dribbles). I went the good Ol' original Jordan Royale. I mean, well i had to, we were sitting on table number 23.

What at amazingly remarkable find in the basement!!!…read more This restaurant was recommended by a local of Melbourne! We always try to support local establishments, especially while traveling! I have to say, THIS is by far.... THE BEST recommendation we've ever received! The restaurant was a tad bit difficult to find, having not been to Australia and not being familiar with basement restaurants, lol. It had quite a unique secluded vibe from the moment the door swung open. The atmosphere was almost hypnotic! There weren't too many patrons eating when we arrived .. but we did arrive shortly after opening. By the time we were finished the tables were 75% occupied, I think in part to only being open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. The food, as well as the service were both TOP NOTCH! I don't typical care for red meat... but I ordered steak and it was extremely well-prepared! So delicious!!! I asked for it to be well done! It DID come out charcoaled so I made a comment to my husband that was over-heard by the chef, himself! Moments later, he personally delivered a new dinner plate to me with a replacement! Now THAT'S what I call top-notch service! I REALLY wish Meatmaiden would expand to the US! That would be the icing on the cake!!!

We have fallen in love with another Melbourne restaurant. We are even thinking about changing our…read morehotel for next year so we can be closer...we actually have! We can't brag enough about our new find. COVID stopped our travels to Melbourne for three years but hopefully no longer. We selected some winners. They were: 1) Grilled Bread with Beef Fat Butter; 2) 350g Westholme Wagu NY Strip; 3) GEM Lettuce salad; and 4) Hand cut chips. - The Grilled Bread was actually a fried bread that was then brushed with honey and lightly grilled on the bbq. The Beef Fat Butter was awesome. My spouse didn't care for it but I adored it. - Grilled Wagu NY Strip was 330+ day grain fed which only intensified the marble and added so much taste. Not a bite left and it was almost 13 ounces of pure meat. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare (-) temperature. It came with a choice of a sauce and we paid for an additional one. The Three Pepper Sauce and the Beef Fat Bernaise. Both were awesome. I need the recipes! - GEM Lettuce Salad with radishes and dressed with a Burnt Grapefruit Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette made the salad. - Hand Cut Chips w/ a Garlic Aioli - another perfect taste. The chips had a great crispy outside with a very smooth inside. And the Aioli was addictive. Do no pass this great place by. We did not have reservations but should have. We got there early and they were slammed. We saw two empty tables and they offered us one by the front entrance. We eyed the other table and they said "if you can be finished in 1 1/2 hours...we laughed and said there would be no problem and probably be out of here in an hour! MeatMaiden was so upbeat. We just kept looking around in awe. Two old ladies eating in a basement. The atmosphere is awesome. Somewhat darkly lit but light enough to see your food. Very high energy crowd. Service was spectacular. Toward the end of our meal the hostess came over and said we could stay a bit longer. We said thanks but not needed. Highly recommend and also recommend making an advanced booking. Enjoy.

Had Wednesday steak night with a friend recently, absolutely brilliant - excellent food and…read moreservice. Fantastic atmosphere and very attentive staff. Highly recommended for locals and tourists. ​

It's still got the ambiance. Mac's for the 2020s. Good drinks selection, decent menu.read more

How could we not stop in for at least a drink at this hip bar and restaurant with such an evocative…read morename. Naked for Satan is a large space with a sprawling open air rooftop up on the 4th floor along with a smaller pub-like space on the main level. We joined the 30-something crew up on the deck on a mild March day. In the shade it was a tad cool and you could tell fall was setting in. There is no table service on the patio so you need to go inside to order food/drinks. We enjoyed a couple of pisco sours while watching people trickle in after a busy work week. The interior has a steam-punk, industrial vibe and that's fun and inventive. Service at the bar was friendly and they brought our drinks to us outside. We only had an hour free in our packed itinerary but I'd definitely head back to try the food and just partake in the great people-watching,

Cool place on good area. Top floor rooftop really good.drinks all with satan theme and good.read more

Melbourne's CBD offers a mixed bag of pubs. From venues catering to the high visibility crowd to…read morethe young corporate set - a variety of tastes are well serviced. Collins Quarter fits the more upscale city pub theme. There is no TAB or pokies here. I particularly like the architecturally designed courtyard with its industrial feel and retractable glass roof. It's the perfect place to sit back and catch up with friends and do some people watching too. The restaurant offers a full service selection of food, from bars snacks to main meals and plenty of seasonal offerings. An upcoming Saturday afternoon menu promises, for example, suckling pig rolls to be washed down with freshly brewed beer from Mildura. The service is a winner too - casual, yet attentive. In a uniquely Melbourne way, Collins Quarter can be entered via an alleyway (Pink Alley) and it can also be accessed directly via Collins St. Worth a visit!

I constantly commute up and down Collins Street during the business day and this has to be one of…read moremy favourite places to stop for a quick bite (I've even been known to try and move business meetings to one of the booths). Although I have heard that it can be a little bit loud during after work drinks. You have options here, everyone likes options! There is two different types of atmosphere, the dining room stiff chair experience with a wonderful courtyard view and more attention from the wait staff, probably because of the easy line of site. Or you can choose for the booths along the wall, mostly hidden by a supporting wall that they've cut holes out of as much as possible. I prefer the booth. What you loose in service standard (in time only) you make up for in reduced noise, nicer ambience and seriously comfortable dining. It is true that you will have to work harder for attention but if you grew up with brothers and sisters I'm sure you'll be fine. Like many places in the Paris end of town this spot has a wonderful wine list and there's something good for everyone (from $47 to ~$1k) and most of the people there can help you with matching wine to your food. If not, have the steak, it's yummy (professional term). Seriously though, I strongly recommend sitting in a booth with your work colleagues with a bottle of wine and a burger, it makes any disagreement you're having seem much more trivial and by the time you reach the dregs of the second bottle I'm sure they'll see it your way ;-)

We had an absolutely delicious meal at Smith & Daughter. Every dish was full of flavor. I'm a…read moresauce lover, and they have great sauces. We started with the mushroom skewers, which were perfectly grilled. The pole beans were crisp and seasoned nicely...they were thick and hearty. We took a chance on the red beans and rice. One of our favorite food vacations is New Orleans. I will not doubt this chef again..they were delicious... comforting and flavorful. I would definitely get them again. I do wish the plantains were traditionally made though. The star for me was definitely the country fried lion's mane. Crispy, hearty, and so well-seasoned. I've wanted to try lion's mane for a while. This was the best place to try it. I'm not usually a big dessert person, but the chocolate brownie with biscotti-flavored ice cream had me claiming my fair share (my husband usually gets most of the dessert to himself!). The decor was modern but also cozy and inviting. It really made for a great night out. I don't know how we skipped over the bbq brisket. We will definitely be back to try it!

Melbourne's bustling scene of vegetarian restaurants includes one I thought I'd never see: a vegan…read moreSpanish tapas place. Besides having transformed a vegetarian-unfriendly cuisine, they've also managed to do it in a fairly prominent corner, and fill their tables (both the individual ones and the communal table I sat at and the bar) with a very typical-looking bunch of Australians. It is not what one expects of an all-plant restaurant; the mainstream, hipster-ness of it all was quite unique to Melbourne. Like most tapas places, you'll pay a lot of money for a little food and probably like it. I only tried the chickpea soup and some sort of soda, though people sitting next to me ordered all kinds of delicious-looking things that I could only ogle. The soup was appealing enough that I finished a large bowl rather quickly. I would struggle to pay up for it on a regular basis if I lived in Melbourne, but I certainly would want to come with a group and try everything. It seemed like this place was a success.

In a city of unique bars (to an extent that is), this once certainly stands out namely because it…read morespecialises in African craft beer. I should point out that it is a little more specific than African beer, it is African craft beer (though a part of me wonders whether there is such a thing considering that African beer is pretty rare in and off itself - there was only one other bar that I knew of where you could get African beer and that is no longer around). This place isn't just a beer bar, it is basically your standard bar with a whole range of drinks, but it was the African beers that actually caught my attention. Mind you, it isn't the easiest to find, particularly since it is located in an area where there aren't that many bars around, but then again it just makes it stand out all the more.

What a great spot to catch up over dinner and drinks with friends!…read more Food is a good variety and there is also an assortment of African style beers. Atmosphere is cool and the music is great! Definitely worth trying!