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Cheap eats

Popular Melbourne cafe Ophelia is now open for dinner three nights a week, serving pasta, share plates, cocktails and more

$20 pasta and bargain bowls: Five cafes now staying open for (budget-friendly) dinners

Melbourne’s thriving cafes are now coming for your evenings, with the lure of cocktails, share plates, DJ sets and excellent dinner deals.

  • Dani Valent
Omi 380 is a new Japanese destination in Melbourne CBD with five venues in one.

Find matcha, wagyu skewers, sushi tacos and more at a new one-stop Japanese dining hall

Getting your Japanese fix has never been simpler, thanks to a one-of-a-kind mega venue that wraps five different venues into one. And it’s inspired by a Melbourne institution that might surprise you.

  • Quincy Malesovas
The seafood tower at the Collins Kitchen buffet at Grand Hyatt.

Buffets are booming: Four of Melbourne’s best all-you-can-eat restaurants (plus one to avoid)

Five years on from COVID restrictions, the buffet resurgence is real. Here’s what’s driving the trend and tips for getting the most bang for your buck.

  • Tomas Telegramma
The signature pounding bowl.

Tough day at the office? Take out your frustrations at this ‘smashing’ city lunch spot

Pounding Rice Bowl provides the mortar, pestle, rice and pork and asks diners to smash away.

  • Dani Valent
Coffee and baked goods at Hector’s Bakery, including the cinnamon bun with “Cinnabon vibes”(right).

Your guide to 13 of Melbourne’s hottest new bakeries (plus what to order at each)

Here’s a baker’s dozen of openings to add to your hit list, from suburban gems to those in the inner-city’s emerging pastry hub.

  • Tomas Telegramma
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24-hour marinated charcoal chicken comes with Lebanese pita bread at Habibi Chicken’s Preston outlet.

Melbourne’s charcoal chicken shops have levelled up: Here are four to try

There’s more than meets the eye at these new spots. Try Lebanese wraps with serious spice, wood-roasted birds like those found in Korea and a burger that rivals a fast-food fave.

  • Quincy Malesovas
The venue sits inside a bluestone building on a quiet Fitzroy side-street.

$5 skewers and a ‘secret’ menu: Your cheat sheet to the city’s latest Filipino restaurant

Find real-deal Filipino flavours at a new spot off Smith Street in Fitzroy. It’s all about hearty brunch, snacky night menus and wallet-friendly prices.

  • Tomas Telegramma
A burger at the now-closed Mocha Jo’s Burger Bar in Ripponlea, Melbourne.

Why do zoomers hate these burgers? And what are they eating instead?

“Millennial burger joints” are being mocked online by Gen Z, who say ridiculous toppings, overpriced add-ons and inauthentic fit-outs are out. So what’s in?

  • Haymun Win
Dipping udon with mushrom soup at Musashino Udon Kan

Melbourne’s top new Japanese venues for noodles, katsu and more

Seek out a cosy Tokyo-style cafe for fluffy cheesecakes to go with matcha or book your next date night at a wallet-friendly sushi counter.

Captain Baxter’s $140 Captain’s Catch platter is ailable Friday to Sunday.

$2 oysters to half-price lobster rolls: 11 dining deals to get hooked on this month

Seafood can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you time it right. Here’s when to find the catch of the day for less at hatted restaurants, oyster bars and more.

  • Tomas Telegramma