Melbourne
Grab a seat outside or in the fresh-looking interior and tuck into spicy curries, fresh dhal and homecooked naan for very reasonable prices.
Must-see restaurants in Victoria
Victoria
Attached to the Star Hotel, this cafe serves breakfasts, pies, toasted sandwiches, coffee and cake.
Victoria
Morningtonians feast on street-style tacos and quesadillas at this noisy place, accompanied by house-mix margaritas and sangria.
Melbourne
Burgers, chips and shakes are the mainstays here, devoured on the bench seating or at a handful of little tables on the lane.
Great Ocean Road
Uber Mama does modern Aussie cooking with Asian inflections that's creative without straying too far from local roots.
Melbourne
This sexy Italian bar-restaurant package brings antipasti, pasta, meat and seafood dishes to a Chinatown laneway.
Victoria
The Wally is a cosy one-room pub decked out with prints of old Walhalla and serving good-value counter meals.
Victoria
Do as locals have been doing since the 1950s and grab a pie from the window counter at this corner bakery.
Victoria
As one of the region's biggest towns, Shepparton's Coles supermarket is conveniently open until 11pm.
Melbourne
There's nothing complicated here, just tasty bratwursts in a roll with sauerkraut and sauce.
Victoria
This tiny licensed cafe is worth a visit for its breakfasts, pies and egg-and-bacon rolls.
Melbourne
Bopha Devi's herb-strewn salads, noodles and soups are pleasant, if not extraordinary.
Melbourne
A branch of a Melbourne chain serving an American take on Italian meatballs.
Melbourne
Risotto is the speciality here, ranging from a simple Venetian risi e bisi (rice and peas) to some fabulously luxe options involving truffles or spanner…
Melbourne
Semi-al fresco with great river and city views, this family-friendly place serves salads, pasta and wood-fired pizza at reasonable prices.
Great Ocean Road
Just next to Kennett River Holiday Park, this laid-back beach kiosk does pies, bacon-and-egg rolls, fish and chips, cakes and soft drinks. It also hires…
Melbourne
Come for the sweet, fluffy, barbecue-pork buns, which became famous when the original Hong Kong branch became the cheapest ever Michelin-starred…
Melbourne
Who said veg food was all lentils and lettuce? This fast-food chain, which has eight branches in Melbourne, should hit the spot when plant-based carbs are…
Great Ocean Road
Arab started as a beatnik coffee lounge in 1956 and single-handedly transformed Lorne from a daggy family-holiday destination into a place for groovers…
Melbourne
A split-level, mural-covered coffee haven, Drugstore does serious trade for nearby workers. The menu can be a little overwhelming, from burgers involving…
Victoria
Seemingly unchanged from the gold-rush era, this low-lit bakery is set in an old corrugated-tin shed with uneven brick flooring. Its 100-year-old scotch…
Victoria
New owners have transformed this tapas bar into a smart cafe-bar serving excellent coffee, brekky burritos, steak sandwiches and salt-and-pepper calamari…
Melbourne
The self-proclaimed 'queen of rice-paper rolls', Misschu (the enigmatic Nahji Chu, a former Laotian refugee) serves cheap and tasty Laotian-Vietnamese…
Victoria
Located on the Sorrento back beach, this place hosts loads of weddings and functions and is often closed to the public as a result. It serves simple…
Great Ocean Road
The best Italian food you'll get for some distance, Casalingo is a no-brainer if you're after thin-crust pizza or homemade pastas, including the likes of…
Melbourne
This open-air vegetarian cafe is situated just outside Queen Vic Market's Deli Hall. Most menu items are vegan or can be made so on request, and there's…
Great Ocean Road
Tasty selection of homemade pies, including the signature scallop pie (though these days it's exorbitantly priced). Also does sandwiches on freshly baked…
Victoria
Though best known for its vanilla slices (recipe: top secret), this cafe and deli also serves all-day breakfasts and simple lunches.
Victoria
Great for a light lunch or coffee and cake, Tog's has artwork on the walls and a wide selection of cheeses at its next-door deli.
Victoria
Established in 1896, this Sorrento institution serves a simple menu of sandwiches, soups, pastas and curries.
Melbourne
Is this happening place a bakery or a bar? Whatever. Rock up early or late to taste a freshly baked American-style sweet pie – banoffi perhaps, or the…
