Casual dining is king.

The best food I’ve ever had in this city has been at simply casual restaurants. No pretension. No bullshit. No eyewatering bill.

Places I’ve walked into. Restaurants I’ve used vouchers for on Eatclub. Eateries I’ve just taken a gamble on.

That’s how I’ve been able to produce this guide on some of the best casual dining spots in Melbourne, from no frills to that perfect balance of casual, but not too casual.

Best No Frills Casual Restaurants and Cheap Eats

Straightforward, flavour-forward meals where price and pretension are never an issue.

Good Days Hot Bread

Lunch

644 Sydney Road, Brunswick East, VIC 3056

A banh mi sanctuary by day and pop-up chicken shack by night. The XO roast pork banh mi, complete with crackling, strikes a balance between salty and creamy notes, complemented by coriander gremolata and pickled vegetables. The char siu lamb and lemongrass chicken versions stand out, too.

Shanghai Street

Lunch / Dinner (BYO)

342 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000

This place buzzes with energy. Cash-only, communal tables, no reservations. It’s fast, loud, and deeply satisfying for dumpling pilgrims alike. Their xiao long bao are the draw. They’re piping hot, perfectly pleated and full of rich, umami broth. Add some Shanghai-style pan-fried mini buns or noodle dishes with chilli sauce.

Rose Garden BBQ

Lunch / Dinner

435 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000

A Chinatown institution where roasted meats rule. Glistening duck over rice, smoky pork belly, tender beef brisket. Each plate hits the table fast and full of flavour. Portions are generous and prices are low. It’s loud, casual and smells amazing the second you walk in. Rock and roll through and through.

Don Don

Lunch / Dinner (Takeaway or casual dine-in)

Unit 2/1 Bank St, South Melbourne VIC 3205

Speed is the point. Order at the counter, they shout your name, and you eat. Chicken curry rice bowls, beef sukiyaki soba, teriyaki donburi and clean, quick bento boxes. A favourite for students and hospitality staff. It always delivers flavour and value with no fuss.

Best Casual All-Rounder Dining

The perfect middle ground of casual dining. Impresses even the fussiest of eaters and self-considered “foodies”.

Casa Chino

Dinner (occasional weekend lunches)

212–214 Albion Street, Brunswick, VIC 3056

Peruvian-Chinese fusion with punchy cocktails and pastel neon. Lomo saltado spring rolls, sticky char siu bao and ceviche with a kick. Pisco-based drinks flow from a busy bar. The energy is magnetic, the décor playful, and dining here feels like a night out even if it’s just snacks and a few drinks.

Butchers Diner

Lunch / Dinner / Late-night/ Whenever

10 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000

Butchers Diner is one of those rare finds that nails casual dining without ever trying to be cool. And heavens above, it’s a 24-hour burger joint. Butchers Diner is a haven for late-night wanderers, solo eaters, and anyone craving something honest and greasy in the best possible way. The cheeseburger is a thing of beauty: juicy, no fuss, wrapped in paper and too good to wait for others to get their order.

Little Africa

Dinner

417 Victoria Street, West Melbourne, VIC 3003

Eat with your hands. Literally. With Ethiopian cuisine, it’s customary to eat with your hands, tearing off pieces of injera (Ethiopian bread) to scoop up each bite. The menu blends Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes. Slow-cooked stews, spiced lentils, and tender meats laid out over pillowy injera bread that doubles as your utensil. The doro wot (chicken stew with egg) and siga wot (beef stew) are rich, fragrant, and built for sharing.

Leonard’s House of Love

Burgers

3 Wilson Street, South Yarra

Leonard’s House of Love is nestled in a converted 1970s house, without swingers and a living room that smells of cigarettes.

This is easy living, with good comfort food like fried chicken sandwiches and loaded cheeseburgers. Grab a beer, melt into the retro couches and make yourself at home. Unlike a 70s home, smoking is not allowed inside.

Belle’s Hot Chicken

Fried Chicken

150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Fried chicken and beer. Simple. Undo the belt and let a few burps rip. Time to unwind with some creature comforts. These guys do an unlimited beer and chicken deal if you’re keen to enjoy a few earned spoils with some friends.

La Tortilleria

Mexican

72 Stubbs Street, Kensington

This is authentic Mexican in the truest sense of the word, which is honestly harder than you think to get in Australia.

Seriously, and with no hyperbole, this might even be some of the best Mexican in Melbourne. Homemade corn tortillas, with all the classics: Birria tacos, chicken tinga, borrego (slow-cooked lamb) and carnitas (slow-cooked pork in citrus).

Cervazas, horchatas (chilled Mexican rice drink) and Jarittos (Mexican soda) all round.

They have the cutest little providore selling their own tortillas, salsas and guacamole.

Best Casual, But Not Too Casual Dining in Melbourne

The best dining is a mix of casual and not too casual; when it’s cool, but not too cool. Not exactly cheap, but worth every cent.

Lagoon Dining

Dinner

263 Lygon Street, Carlton, VIC 3053

Lagoon Dining walks that perfect line between refined and relaxed. It’s Chinese-ish food made for sharing; it’s the kind of place where you can roll in with friends midweek or on a casual date and feel like you’ve stumbled onto something special. Look out for their wok-fried shredded potato with black vinegar, sticky lamb ribs, and hand-pulled noodles tossed in beef fat and chilli oil. The room itself is warm and stripped-back, with open kitchen energy and attentive but unfussy service.

Marama Wine

Lunch/Dinner

793 Rathdowne St, Carlton North VIC 3054

Marama Wine is the kind of place that feels like it’s always been part of the neighbourhood. Go sit at the bar for a wine and find out why. Run by cousins Tom Gunn and Grace Dowell, both alumni of Proud Mary and Capitano, they’ve poured their heart and soul into this warmly lit Rathdowne Street wine bar. There’s a mellow atmosphere to it: small-producer wines lining the walls, locals softly chatting over share plates, and a kitchen that leans seasonal and thoughtful without trying to impress.

Sundays are a sweet spot, with a $45 three-course set menu that shifts weekly. That means you’ve already missed their charred octopus on rosti, stracciatella with pickled mushrooms and gently steamed market fish with butter beans. Now you’ll have to experience what they do next.

Tombo Den

Dinner

100 Chapel Street, Windsor, VIC 3181

A izakaya (a casual Japanese eatery) with plenty of sophistication. Skewers, karaage, charcoal-grilled seafood and clean sashimi pair perfectly with sake or a natural wine. The space is intimate with just the right amount of buzz. Experience private dining, with your own private karaoke booth, with lots of Dutch courage after a few cocktails.

Terror Twilight

Brunch

11-13 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Brunch but no bull. A favourite amongst the Fitzroy types, Terror Twilight serves breakfast and lunch, with a view. A view of Johnston Street that is, which is its own kind of visual splendour.

Cool brunch options like, Pate on toast, black forest pancakes, eggs Kurosawa, all around that $25 mark.

Hawker Hall

Dinner

98 Chapel Street, Windsor

Southeast Asian-focused food in a super cool restaurant, which could easily be charging more for classic hawker items like steamed market fish, roti canai, sambal prawns and char kway teow. This is casual dining without compromising on the cool factor. Big range of cocktails and a cracking drinks menu.

A good option for friends who want to celebrate the occasion but don’t want to break the bank.

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Best No Frills Casual Restaurants and Cheap Eats