10 Feb 2023
Ditch the FOMO. You'll want to get yourself into these new Melbourne eateries in 2022.
Research (check!). Now all you need to do is book that table and enjoy something new in 2022!
The food at Nomad is fresh Victorian produce made with Spanish, Moroccan and Middle Eastern touches.
Samples of dishes here include Yarra Valley salmon caviar, zucchini flowers with truffle honey and pecorino, shallot tarte tatin, BBQ spatchcock with harissa, and Roman beans with almonds, tarragon and salsa verde.
A curated wine list showcasing Champagnes, Pinot Noirs, and Chardonnays from around the world, which could be marvellously paired with Nomad’s dry-aged pork cutlet with golden raisin and caper salsa.
For a slice of Tokyo in the Melbourne CBD, then hurry into Yakimono.
Food over fire is what Yakimono is all about. Head to the bar first for a cocktail or some sake, then order up fiery delights along the lines of jumbo prawns and beef-wrapped vegetables.
Look for the neon signs over the entrance of this ‘high energy’ Japanese eating house. And when you’re there, tell them that Dish Cult’s suggested the chargrilled octopus as a must-try.
Uncomplicated and unaffected that the crew at Hero have aimed for. Under the watchful eye of Karen Martini, Hero brings together Modern Australian cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. Dessert queen Phillipa Sibley has created the desserts at Hero. The quirky wine list has been curated by Phillip Rich.
Dishes here include grass-fed bavette steak with butter and frites, roast chicken with corn and witlof, market fish, and a couple of pasta dishes.
If you ask us, Hero’s $19 peach melba needs to be in your dining order.
The dining room at Chancery Lane is superbly outfitted, and oozes the class of a bygone era.
On the food side of things, start off with the local trout caviar or starters, before moving onto the Hervey Bay scallops. The charcuterie boasts some fine Polish salami, beef basturma, and cherry-smoked capocollo. Order the baba with rhubarb for dessert, even if just for the sheer fun of saying it out loud.
The wine list at Chancery Lane is truly delightful, with plenty of classic French drops to choose from as well as some solid Australian entries.
Escape on your European dining adventure at Chancery Lane with their $99 Dry Aged Milla’s Farm Duck with Sauce à l’Orange (for 2 people).
The building that houses Farmer’s Daughter has a designated floor for the restaurant, the deli, and the rooftop bar.
Naturally, you’ll be wanting to check all three out.
In the restaurant, order the Gippsland venison with beetroot and red cabbage, or the wood-roasted Japnut pumpkin with Maffra cheddar cheese. Seafood, salad and vegetable dishes, all sourced from Gippsland, complete the menu at Farmer’s Daughters.
Meanwhile, you can hit the deli and take a piece of this region home in the form of honey, cheese, olives, herbs, and more.
The undecided should be ordering Farmer’s Daughter’s $25 O’Connor beef carpaccio, cultured yoghurt and oyster mushroom.
If stir-fry noodles are your go-to comfort food, then Lulu’s Char Koay Teow has all the noodles your heart could desire.
The emphasis here is on egg, seafood and vegetables to complement said noodles. If you love prawns, then look no further than Lulu’s.
If you happen to wander into this eatery with the orange walls and Chinese lanterns, make sure you order some tea or coffee too – we suggest the tea with condensed milk, a Malaysian specialty.
For the fanatics, the pork laksa at Lulu’s Char Koay Teow is one way to anyone’s heart, and gets a big thumbs up from Dish Cult.
The food here has a decidedly Mexican vibe, so if you are in the mood for tostadas, tacos, and fritters then you’ll love Repeat Offender.
Order some jackfruit fritters with salt and herb aioli, some Yellowfin tuna ceviche with onion, chilli, lime and coriander, or the slow-pulled pork taco with pickled red onion.
The drinks list at Repeat Offender has a few surprise entries that will be hard to pass up – the Lagerita is, as the name suggests, a mixture of frozen margarita and Estrella Damm lager.
Looking for a sure thing at Repeat Offender? Dish Cult recommends the $24 adobo spiced chicken with Peruvian spices, roasted pumpkin and sweet potato crisps.
Lona Misa is a collaboration between Melbourne chefs Shannon Martinez of Smith & Daughters and Ian Curley of French Saloon, Kirk’s Wine Bar, who have created a heavily vegan menu using fresh local ingredients.
Diners who opt for the set menu can look forward to a ceviche of oyster mushrooms, croquettes stuffed with Manchego cheese, watermelon tostadas, and a traditional Spanish potato tortilla. The set menu features seafood and chicken too.
The colourful bar is the perfect place to enjoy a sip, whether it be a native G&T or a Latin-inspired cocktail. The Pedro (pineapple sherry, orange, mint, sugar and berries) is essentially dessert in a glass!
Lona Misa’s $28 mushroom pinchos murunos (Moorish spiced mushrooms, grilled over coals) should be on your order list.
Not too many places in this country cater to those of us wishing to try Russian food, but luckily for Melburnians, Gray and Gray can accommodate.
The decidedly rustic menu kicks things off with some simple bread and pickles, followed by chicken schmaltz (which is rendered chicken fat), preserved celtuce (celery lettuce) and sulguni cheese (made with both cow and buffalo milk.)
Larger dishes include charcoal globe artichokes and green almonds, bay trout in a vegetable terrine, and potato dumplings with sorrel and pickled garlic. Yum.
Know what else is yum? The $21 raw beef with basturma, cure egg yolk and rye crisp at Gray and Gray gets on the yum-list for 2022.
It’s been said that post-lockdown, restaurants seek to have a ‘less is more’ approach to the number of dishes on their menus. Japanese eatery Robata is a fine example of this approach.
Grilled dishes are the stars of the show here, but if this is not your style then there are classic sashimi and sushi options; tuna, kingfish and salmon. Back to the grill, take your pick of eggplant, pork, chicken, Wagyu beef, octopus or leek.
Robata’s $85 Suteki (Rangers Valley Wagyu striploin with Yuzu Koshu) will be all the rage for 2022 dining. Check it out post haste!