What Is Melbourne’s Expensive Food?

The well-to-do of Melbourne, Australia, spend hundreds of dollars on a single meal, not counting drinks, while the rest of us slum it with a six-pack of chicky nugs from the Hungry Jacks drive-thru in some distant area. To help level the playing field when someone offers to treat you to dinner on your birthday, we have investigated the best restaurants in the city to present you with a list of the greatest locations to eat.

It's easy to let life get away from us between work, family, and maintaining an excellent (but friendly) online profile. Weekends in the country or in another state or country are frequently romanticised, but what's right in our own backyard is often overlooked. But if you give your hometown a chance, it just could surprise you.

Because Melbourne is a crossroads for so many different cultures and a last stop for so many different creative endeavours, we are #blessed (not sarcastically) with world-class eateries on every corner. These dinners may appear pricey, but they're less than a weekend getaway and provide the greatest (and tastiest) way to enjoy the finer things that our great city has to offer.

Grey Goose is among the most expensive vodkas available, therefore we're proud to partner with them to bring you the best of what your city has to offer. Now is the time to start checking off those restaurant and bar visits.

Some of the Most Expensive Restaurants in Melbourne

Is it your payday, a special occasion, or just Friday night and you feel like you deserve a reward for all your hard work this week? On occasion, you have every right to treat yourself like royalty.

Given the state of affairs, we have produced a list of the greatest meals now available for delivery in Melbourne, ranging from the "I'm fabulous and I know it" to the "I'm so lavish, I don't even care" categories.

Minamishima

Minimishima, a casual and affordable Japanese restaurant, comes in at number ten on our list. The omakase (chef's selection of dishes) here costs just $150 per person. There's no need to let the fact that nine McChicken meals would cost you $90 deter you from indulging in Sake and wine with your meal.

Those with a significant budget should try Minamishima's omakase menu (and who are prepared to give up on ever enjoying sushi rolls from a shopping mall again).

Chef Koichi Minamishima will expertly guide you through 15 of Melbourne's finest sushi options as part of his signature Omakase experience (the Japanese word for "chef's choice").

Composed by Scott Pickett, "Estelle"

Do you fancy a night out at one of Northcote's upscale restaurants? Then you must visit (i.e., schedule six weeks in advance to visit) Scott Pickett's Estelle. Smoked wallaby and black rice, veal sweetbreads, pickled truffle, and lemonade fruit are just a few of the seasonal items on their seven-course tasting menu. And for for $160, you can have the whole shebang!

Group of Journalists

Press Club is a Greek restaurant established by Masterchef host and blacklisted soccer lover George Calombaris. It serves anything from a two-course lunch to an eight-course evening. But this is the only article that matters to us. Dinner for two with lamb magiritsa, potato kleftiko, octopus, and crumpet costs just $180. Even with the extra cost of the "beverage trip" of $110.

Dinner for Three at the Town Mouse

The Town Mouse is tucked away in a seedy part of Carlton, far from the bright lights of Lygon Street, but the stylish, tiled decor belies a welcoming, character-filled bar.

You can satisfy your hunger, from a light snack to a bear's feast, with the protein-rich menu, although we suggest ordering at least three dishes. Oysters with Chardonnay sorbet are delicious, as are many of the items on the dessert menu, and the wine list is well-balanced to pair with them.

Entrecôte

What does gourmet haute food conjure up in your mind? That's right; the language must be French. The French restaurant Entrecôte, which serves a classic take on the delicacy known as caviar, joins our list of the priciest meals in Melbourne.

Blinis, crème fraiche, shallots, baby capers, and a sieved egg are included in the price of $144.90, in addition to the essential pot of Yasa sturgeon caviar.

Ezard

Before trying Ezard's eight-course tasting menu, you can't claim to know what it's like to actually be poor. You'll be willing to toss the waiter $180 to try the menu, which includes Japanese-inspired oyster shooters, steamed scallop dumplings, twice-cooked pork belly, and a dark chocolate sphere.

Intimate Dinner for Two

Overlooking the Yarra, Sake's Hamer Hall restaurant provides a banquet-style dining experience.

The classic Japanese dishes for which Sake is known, as well as others you would be hesitant to eat if given the option, will be presented to you as part of the set menu. You can count on the highest quality seafood and an abundance of umami flavours.

With each passing year, the arts district's restaurant scene improves. Downstairs at Hamer Hall, you'll find the new home of Sake Restaurant & Bar. Sydney and Brisbane are the first southern cities to welcome Sake, a Japanese restaurant known for its communal spirit, wide cocktail menu, and stunning decor.

Located by the water, it was a clever move on Sake's part to outfit one side with huge windows. Luchetti Krelle, an interior design firm, did a wonderful job with the layout. There are cosy booths inside for date nights, bar seats besides the window to watch the game, and a few tables outside begging for warmer weather.

Standard Fare At Ides

Peter Gunn's latest endeavour, Ides, had its beginnings as a pop-up and only just made the switch to a permanent location in Collingwood. Ides is based on the principle that you should try new things.

The restaurant's more typical six-course menu is available Monday through Saturday, while on Sundays, diners can dive right into the holiday spirit with the restaurant's unique rotating tasting menu. At $110, it's not cheap, but it's also not cheap luxury.

The crew at Peter Gunn's upcoming restaurant IDES needs to get their act together. , fortunate. It may be either one. While the Ides of March proved fatal for Caesar, we think they may prove quite fortunate for the ex-Attica chef, who has timed the launch of his ambitious new location to coincide with that date.

Gunn, who for the past five years has worked as a sous chef for the famed Ben Shewry at Attica, has opened a tiny restaurant in Collingwood for the lucky 36 who can get a reservation. It's not a huge gamble on his part, considering Melburnians have been onto his stuff since 2013.

When Gunn was working in the kitchen at Attica, he would organise monthly pop-up dinners at Persillade to raise money for IDES (that makes you feel bad about ordering takeout, doesn't it?). Months in advance, they were completely booked, and we anticipate the permanent restaurant to be just as popular.

Gunn thinks the menu gets its vitality from the unanticipated meals served at pop-ups, therefore they're staying on the menu.

If you want to try a degustation menu created and prepared by one of Melbourne's best chefs, you can do so for just $110 (wine pairing will be available for a little extra money). Perhaps some of the top young chefs in the world. Because it undoubtedly will be fully booked until the year 3000, you had well get moving on it now.

Flowers Drumming

The Chef's Six Course Signature Banquet at Flower Drum in the Central Business District comes in at number six on our list. To name just a few courses from this extravagant meal: baked crab shell; blue cod in spicy salt; Peking duck; and grain-fed eye fillet with Sichuan sauce.

The cost of such a meal at the Flower Drum is a hefty $200 per person, with an additional $75 for paired wines and $40 for an upgrade to Blackmore's Wagyu porterhouse (because, why the hell not?).

Lûmé

Lûmé, as shown on Josh Thomas' Please Like Me, is a one-of-a-kind sensory experience that doesn't skimp on quality despite the high price tag. The Road is the restaurant's most "immersive and considered" menu option, and it comes with a whopping fourteen different meals.

Everything costs $210, so it better be excellent, even though nothing tastes as it looks and nothing could possibly have the curative virtues its price tag indicates.

There's no need to give any background on Lûmé, it's a well-known institution. If you're looking for a way to commemorate a memorable event, but haven't explored a Lûmé degustation yet, I urge you to fork over the cash immediately.

There are three different degustation menus available, ranging from four to sixteen courses, but the granddaddy is The Road, a fourteen to sixteen course trip through gastronomic enlightenment. Spend $170 per person (plus an additional $120 per person for BEVs) and let the specialists to lead you on a trip that is part art, half cuisine, and completely transformative.

Three and a half years have passed since Lûmé initially burst onto our food scene, with head chef and co-owner Shaun Quade's highly innovative cooking earning a name for the South Melbourne gourmet dining in short order.

As Quade prepares to launch his next culinary venture, he has spruced up the establishment and given the reins of the kitchen to his protégé and rising star, John Rivera. Recent awards he's taken home from the culinary world include the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year and the Gault & Millau Rising Star Chef.

2017 Millau Young Talent of the Year.

The first thing he did was pare down the menu, offering just three slightly more affordable options (three courses for $100, five courses for $140, and seven courses for $170) instead of Lûmé's signature $210 14-course degustation. As such, there will be a whole new menu featuring Rivera's take on contemporary Australian cuisine, prepared with the signature Lûmé twist.

Try the calamari with coconut, cucumber, and chrysanthemum; the melaleuca-smoked duck with leatherwood honey and cherries; or the shiitakes with charred kombu for a dish that is both familiar and novel.

Brae

If you're feeling "offensively affluent," as the locals call it, you should treat yourself to a meal at Brae, a restaurant in Birregurra, where you can waste your entire bankroll.

You can never be sure what you'll be eating because the daily menu is determined by whatever is fresh and in season in their organic fruit and vegetable garden (classic). A total of $240, plus an additional $145 for wine, without tax and tip.

Estelle's Scott Pickett-Created Seven-Course Tasting Menu

Estelle, Scott Pickett's upscale restaurant, features a menu that is uniquely Australian in many respects. The seven-course tasting menu may seem modest, but the smoked wallaby and assortment of Australian seafood on it will leave you wanting more.

All your requirements for a fine dining experience will be met at this north side restaurant, which has been tastefully (and monochromatically) furnished to meet them.

One World View

It's the most elegant meal you've ever had planned, and you've been counting down the 180 days since you booked the reservation at the posh restaurant in the Central Business District six months ago. At Vue de Monde, you can try the chef's tasting menu, which features at least sixteen dishes.

Some of the more unusual foods available here include gumnuts, lamingtons, poached pears, emu eggs, rusty wire oysters, and beer bread.

The following is, I think, quite clear, but here goes. Vue de Monde is the place to go if your notion of exquisite dining is to be served by one of the city's best chefs while gazing out over the city from the top of one of the city's highest buildings. The meal depicted above is merely the tip of the iceberg at this restaurant, which is located on Melbourne's 55th floor and is the epicentre of the city's fine dining scene.

The $230–$275 tasting menu is not cheap, but it is an experience that will change your life (including, hopefully, the bill at the end of the night).

Attica

Attica, located in sleepy Ripponlea, is a multi-award winning, opulent eatery. We suggest the Extended Tasting Menu, which has dishes like whipped emu egg with quandong and aged Santa Claus melon served with crushed avo on toast and crunchy carrots. The price for all 10 courses is a modest $260, with an additional $185 for wine.

What You Can Expect From Nora's Tasting Menu

Any preconceptions you may have had about Thai food should be left at the door when you enter your Nora degustation. Sarin Rojanametin, the restaurant's chef and proprietor, takes a surprisingly lighthearted approach to the cuisine and degustations served at his restaurant, which feature dishes that were among his favourites growing up.

You know you're in for a crazy journey when he describes Nora as "punch in the face, dance in the tongue flavours of Thailand."

Cupcakes on the Loose

Expensive things don't always have to be solemn and savoury. Sweet delights may be ordered by the dozen from Runaway Cupcakes, making them suitable for any celebration or even the company holiday party.

There are a wide variety of cupcake flavours available, from matcha green tea and white raspberry chocolate to devil's food-cake Nutella and salted caramel, and the best way to get your fill is to order a box of 36 full-size cupcakes. If you break down the price of $145 in cupcakes, you'll find that each one costs slightly more than $4. To refuse would be unreasonable.

Heston's Dinner

Dinner by Heston's Chef's Ten Course Table Menu is unrivalled in terms of price, requiring at least three automobiles and a small city home as a down payment.

Here you'll be treated to a multitude of pricey treats, such hay smoked kingfish, roast pheasant and the famous plum flesh fruit. It might even have a passable flavour, but how can it possibly be a better deal than buying eighteen tandoori chicken Crust pizzas instead?

A Dinner With the Chef, Hosted by Heston

When you go to Dinner by Heston, it will be one of the best experiences of your life. While the menu at Blumenthal's Crown restaurant isn't exactly vegetarian-friendly due to its inspiration from classic British gastronomy, it is informative in that it takes diners on a journey through the evolution of dinner and dessert.

You can order from the menu or splurge on a seat at the chef's table, where Executive Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts will personally prepare and serve your meal while you enjoy the company of your personal sommelier.

It's not quite as fancy as eating at The Fat Duck, but it's still well worth checking out.

Culinary Tasting At Cutler & Co.

Cutler & Co. is one of Melbourne's most underrated restaurants, but a visit there will not be wasted. In a hidden location on Gertrude Street, you can enjoy delicious food (that looks more like art than food) and a well-thought-out drink menu.

If you buy six courses and spend $150, you can add matched wagers for an additional $80-$130. They also have a sibling restaurant, Marion, that serves digestives and is conveniently located next door.

It's not realistic to make frequent visits to a high-end eatery. Having a memorable eating experience that leaves an effect on your memory as well as your stomach is especially important when you are celebrating a special occasion with your closest friends and family. Cutler & Co. is widely regarded as one of the finest American dining establishments.

Cutler & Co. is always one step ahead of both the new and the ancient in the world of cuisine. The converted metalworks factory's interior achieves a delicate equilibrium between spare elegance and sumptuous comfort with the help of wicker chandeliers and velvet upholstery. The restaurant's open kitchen invites diners at the front entrance, where the action is. But if you're curious in the origins of Cutler & Co. and chef Andrew McConnell's passion for locally sourced produce, you've come to the right place.

The dining area may be set up for anything from formal business dinners to relaxed social gatherings to long lunches to sophisticated tasting menus. Thanks to the well-thought-out layout, patrons at separate tables can see, hear, and converse with one another without disturbing those at their own tables. The occasion is made even better by the attentiveness of the wait staff, who do everything from bring you more water as soon as you need it to return your coat when you leave.

These creations are works of art as well as culinary delights. These foods are served in the most ornate fashion imaginable. Dissecting the complex flavours, such the fennel and cabbage salad that is less intimidating than it looks, provides a visual feast in and of itself.

We highly recommend making Sunday lunch at Cutler & Co. a regular occurrence in order to experience the entire breadth of flavours available at the restaurant. The afternoon set menu is $75 (with an additional $50 for a wine pairing), and it includes everything you need to unwind and enjoy yourself. Please call ahead to ensure a table, as space is limited.

The service at Cutler & Co. is flawless, luxurious, and grandiose in a way that words can't even begin to describe. This restaurant, on the other hand, is so amazing that you won't believe it until you eat here.

Japanese Steakhouse (Hibachi)

The legendary quality of traditional Japanese cuisine is well-deserved. Cooked by master chefs, thinly sliced fish exudes an allure that cannot be denied. The Premium Banquet at Hibachi is the way to go if you want to make an impression.

It includes sashimi from the day's catch, a variety of fresh tempura, miso, steamed rice, a sweet finish, and more. You can also have a well cooked Wagyu sirloin steak and some Patagonian Toothfish served in an aromatic soy broth. Two people can dine like kings and queens for just $179.60.

Oysters from Richmond

You may be starting to notice a trend here, given the increasing placement of caviar and sushi. Is there any other kind of seafood that is more exclusive and expensive? Obviously, oysters. However, the Deluxe Platter at Richmond Oysters is a celebration of more than simply the namesake.

Competing for attention are oysters, sushi, calamari, soft-shell crab, and smoked trout rillettes. On the other hand, the lobster mornay is the main attraction here. In addition, for $350, you can have this seafood extravaganza for yourself to enjoy and eat.

Dutchess

A tender steak is unrivalled in the culinary world. The Sher family of Ballan, Victoria, produces the finest Wagyu beef for Dutchess.

They spend 450 days being fattened on feed before being processed into prime steaks. While the rump is on the menu, the rib eye steak is the way to go. However, at 1 kilogramme and $110, you might want to split it with a friend.

Conclusion

Some of the Most Expensive Restaurants in Melbourne. Minimishima, a casual and affordable Japanese restaurant, comes in at number ten on our list. Grey Goose is among the most expensive vodkas available. Now is the time to start checking off those restaurant and bar visits. The Town Mouse is tucked away in a seedy part of Carlton, far from the bright lights of Lygon Street.

Chef Koichi Minamishima will guide you through 15 of Melbourne's finest sushi options. Entrecôte serves classic take on caviar known as Yasa sturgeon caviar. Sake Restaurant & Bar is the new home of Sake, a Japanese restaurant and bar. The classic Japanese dishes for which Sake is known, as well as others you would be hesitant to eat if given the option. At $110, it's not cheap, but it's also not cheap luxury.

Everything costs $210, so it better be excellent, even though nothing tastes as good as it looks. If you're looking for a way to commemorate a memorable event, I urge you to fork over the cash immediately. The tasting menu at Estelle features a seven-course tasting menu that is uniquely Australian. Vue de Monde is located on Melbourne's 55th floor and is the epicentre of the city's fine dining scene. The $230–$275 tasting menu at Attica will change your life.

Heston's DinnerDinner's Chef's Ten Course Table Menu is unrivalled in terms of price. Cutler & Co. is widely regarded as one of the finest American dining establishments. If you buy six courses and spend $150, you can add matched wagers for an additional $80-$130. The converted metalworks factory's interior achieves a delicate equilibrium between spare elegance and sumptuous comfort. The Sunday lunch set menu includes everything you need to unwind and enjoy yourself.

Call ahead to ensure a table, as space is limited at Cutler & Co.; prices start at $75. Oysters, sushi, calamari, crab and lobster mornay are all on the menu at Richmond Oysters. The Premium Banquet at Hibachi is the way to go if you want to make an impression.

Content Summary

1. The well-to-do of Melbourne, Australia, spend hundreds of dollars on a single meal, not counting drinks, while the rest of us slum it with a six-pack of chicky nugs from the Hungry Jacks drive-thru in some distant area.
2. To help level the playing field when someone offers to treat you to dinner on your birthday, we have investigated the best restaurants in the city to present you with a list of the greatest locations to eat.
3. Because Melbourne is a crossroads for so many different cultures and a last stop for so many different creative endeavours, we are #blessed (not sarcastically) with world-class eateries on every corner.
4. Some of the Most Expensive Restaurants in MelbourneIs it your payday, a special occasion, or just Friday night and you feel like you deserve a reward for all your hard work this week?
5. Given the state of affairs, we have produced a list of the greatest meals now available for delivery in Melbourne, ranging from the "I'm fabulous and I know it" to the "I'm so lavish, I don't even care" categories.
6. MinamishimaMinimishima, a casual and affordable Japanese restaurant, comes in at number ten on our list.
7. Chef Koichi Minamishima will expertly guide you through 15 of Melbourne's finest sushi options as part of his signature Omakase experience (the Japanese word for "chef's choice").Composed by Scott Pickett, "Estelle"Do you fancy a night out at one of Northcote's upscale restaurants?
8. Then you must visit (i.e., schedule six weeks in advance to visit) Scott Pickett's Estelle.
9. The French restaurant Entrecôte, which serves a classic take on the delicacy known as caviar, joins our list of the priciest meals in Melbourne.
10. Downstairs at Hamer Hall, you'll find the new home of Sake Restaurant & Bar.
11. Sydney and Brisbane are the first southern cities to welcome Sake, a Japanese restaurant known for its communal spirit, wide cocktail menu, and stunning decor.
12. Standard Fare At IdesPeter Gunn's latest endeavour, Ides, had its beginnings as a pop-up and only just made the switch to a permanent location in Collingwood.
13. The crew at Peter Gunn's upcoming restaurant IDES needs to get their act together. ,
14. Gunn, who for the past five years has worked as a sous chef for the famed Ben Shewry at Attica, has opened a tiny restaurant in Collingwood for the lucky 36 who can get a reservation.
15. Gunn thinks the menu gets its vitality from the unanticipated meals served at pop-ups, therefore they're staying on the menu.
16. If you want to try a degustation menu created and prepared by one of Melbourne's best chefs, you can do so for just $110 (wine pairing will be available for a little extra money).
17. Flowers DrummingThe Chef's Six Course Signature Banquet at Flower Drum in the Central Business District comes in at number six on our list.
18. The cost of such a meal at the Flower Drum is a hefty $200 per person, with an additional $75 for paired wines and $40 for an upgrade to Blackmore's Wagyu porterhouse (because, why the hell not?).LûméLûmé, as shown on Josh Thomas' Please Like Me, is a one-of-a-kind sensory experience that doesn't skimp on quality despite the high price tag.
19. The Road is the restaurant's most "immersive and considered" menu option, and it comes with a whopping fourteen different meals.
20. There are three different degustation menus available, ranging from four to sixteen courses, but the granddaddy is The Road, a fourteen to sixteen course trip through gastronomic enlightenment.
21. As Quade prepares to launch his next culinary venture, he has spruced up the establishment and given the reins of the kitchen to his protégé and rising star, John Rivera.
22. The first thing he did was pare down the menu, offering just three slightly more affordable options (three courses for $100, five courses for $140, and seven courses for $170) instead of Lûmé's signature $210 14-course degustation.
23. As such, there will be a whole new menu featuring Rivera's take on contemporary Australian cuisine, prepared with the signature Lûmé twist.
24. BraeIf you're feeling "offensively affluent," as the locals call it, you should treat yourself to a meal at Brae, a restaurant in Birregurra, where you can waste your entire bankroll.
25. Estelle's Scott Pickett-Created Seven-Course Tasting MenuEstelle, Scott Pickett's upscale restaurant, features a menu that is uniquely Australian in many respects.
26. Vue de Monde is the place to go if your notion of exquisite dining is to be served by one of the city's best chefs while gazing out over the city from the top of one of the city's highest buildings.
27. The meal depicted above is merely the tip of the iceberg at this restaurant, which is located on Melbourne's 55th floor and is the epicentre of the city's fine dining scene.
28. The $230–$275 tasting menu is not cheap, but it is an experience that will change your life (including, hopefully, the bill at the end of the night).AtticaAttica, located in sleepy Ripponlea, is a multi-award winning, opulent eatery.
29. What You Can Expect From Nora's Tasting MenuAny preconceptions you may have had about Thai food should be left at the door when you enter your Nora degustation.
30. You know you're in for a crazy journey when he describes Nora as "punch in the face, dance in the tongue flavours of Thailand.
31. Sweet delights may be ordered by the dozen from Runaway Cupcakes, making them suitable for any celebration or even the company holiday party.
32. While the menu at Blumenthal's Crown restaurant isn't exactly vegetarian-friendly due to its inspiration from classic British gastronomy, it is informative in that it takes diners on a journey through the evolution of dinner and dessert.
33. It's not quite as fancy as eating at The Fat Duck, but it's still well worth checking out.
34. Culinary Tasting At Cutler & Co.Cutler & Co. is one of Melbourne's most underrated restaurants, but a visit there will not be wasted.
35. Cutler & Co. is widely regarded as one of the finest American dining establishments.
36. The dining area may be set up for anything from formal business dinners to relaxed social gatherings to long lunches to sophisticated tasting menus.
37. Thanks to the well-thought-out layout, patrons at separate tables can see, hear, and converse with one another without disturbing those at their own tables.
38. These creations are works of art as well as culinary delights.
39. These foods are served in the most ornate fashion imaginable.
40. We highly recommend making Sunday lunch at Cutler & Co. a regular occurrence in order to experience the entire breadth of flavours available at the restaurant.
41. The afternoon set menu is $75 (with an additional $50 for a wine pairing), and it includes everything you need to unwind and enjoy yourself.
42. Please call ahead to ensure a table, as space is limited.
43. The service at Cutler & Co. is flawless, luxurious, and grandiose in a way that words can't even begin to describe.
44. Japanese Steakhouse (Hibachi)The legendary quality of traditional Japanese cuisine is well-deserved.
45. The Premium Banquet at Hibachi is the way to go if you want to make an impression.
46. Is there any other kind of seafood that is more exclusive and expensive?
47. Obviously, oysters.
48. However, the Deluxe Platter at Richmond Oysters is a celebration of more than simply the namesake.
49. Competing for attention are oysters, sushi, calamari, soft-shell crab, and smoked trout rillettes.
50. On the other hand, the lobster mornay is the main attraction here.
51. DutchessA tender steak is unrivalled in the culinary world.
52. The Sher family of Ballan, Victoria, produces the finest Wagyu beef for Dutchess.
53. While the rump is on the menu, the rib eye steak is the way to go.