Paving the Way: Hatted Restaurants in Melbourne

No doubt, 2020 was a unique year for many reasons, with the hospitality sector facing new challenges like no other. In light of that, the Good Food Guide went for a different approach this year – one we love, and one that celebrates the joy of good food bringing joy when we need it most.

Swapping out hats for stories, check out their full list of 100 Good Things in Victoria! For those looking for the traditional list of hatted restaurants in Melbourne, scroll down to find the hatted restaurants from 2019.


There’s no denying the strength of Melbourne’s dining scene. The city’s many restaurants, cafés, bars and all-round innovative approach to food and drink inspires foodies from all over the world.

But who’s leading the pack? And who’s taking that innovation to the next level? It’s a tough question to answer, as variety is what makes eating out in Melbourne so great.

You can feast on $10 plates of Chinese dumplings one night. Then enjoy modern Asian fusion at smart-dining hotspots the next, all before wrapping up the week at a rooftop bar with beers and burgers.

A table decked out in white at Grossi Florentino in Melbourne. Source: Quandoo

Yet when it comes to gourmet talent, one has to applaud the culinary creativity of the hatted restaurants in Melbourne. The Good Food Guide, Australia’s leading restaurant critic since 1979, awards the prestigious “Chef’s Hats” to restaurants each year and there’s no denying it’s an Australian restaurant’s most sought after accolade. Similar to the Michelin Guide’s “stars”, there’s a three-tier scoring system and intense reviewing process.

Now in its 40th edition, the Good Food Guide 2020 was released in October 2019 and recognised the high quality of 78 restaurants around Melbourne. Within this count we’ve also included eateries in Geelong and Mornington Peninsula, for when you’re after a special culinary trip outside of the city.

An array of Turkish and Anatolian dishes from Tulum Turkish Restaurant in Balaclava. Source: Quandoo

Overall, wider Melbourne earned 2 three-hat restaurants, 16 two-hat restaurants and 60 one-hat restaurants. The city was comfortably ahead of Sydney’s 68 hatted eateries, as well as still having Australia’s crown jewel of fine dining – Attica, from world-renowned head chef Ben Shewry.

So, in celebration of the hatted restaurants in Melbourne, we’ve done a spotlight on three eateries we’re particularly fond of. Below you’ll also find the full list of the 2020 winners in Melbourne (basically, if you're looking for a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion or book for a flawless Valentine's Day dining experience, read below).

Hatted Restaurants in Melbourne

Three Hats:

Attica, Minamishima

Two Hats:

Amaru, The Chef’s Table at Kisume, Cutler and Co., Di Stasio Citta, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Flower Drum, Grossi Florentino Upstairs, Ides, Igni, Iki Jime, Ishizuka, Laura at Pt. Leo Estate, O.My, Paringa Estate, Rosetta Ristorante, Vue de Monde

One Hat:

Agostino, Anchovy, Atlas Dining, Bacash, Bar Carolina, Bar Liberty, Bar Lourinha, Bistro Guillaume, Cafe Di Stasio, Cape at RACV, Captain Moonlite, Carlton Wine Room, Caterina’s Cucina e Bar, Cecconi’s Flinders Lane, Centonove, Coda, Congress, Cumulus Inc., Da Noi, Doot Doot Doot, Donovans, Elyros, Embla, Etta, Ezard, Ezard at Levantine Hill, French Saloon, Greasy Zoe’s, Harley & Rose, Il Bacaro, Kakizaki, Lee Ho Fook, Lesa, Maha, Marion, Matilda 159 Domain, Montalto, MoVida, Napier Quarter, Navi, Noir, Oakridge, Osteria Ilaria, Philippe, Pt. Leo Restaurant, Rare Hare, The Recreation, Rockpool Bar and Grill, Ryne, Saxe, Scopri, Stokehouse, Sunda, Supernormal, TarraWarra Estate, Tempura Hajime, Tipo 00, Tonka, Tulip, Tulum

Grossi Florentino

TWO HATS

There’s no disputing that Grossi Florentino is a Melbourne dining institution, first opening back in 1928. From humble beginnings nearly a century ago, this iconic Italian restaurant is now a two-hatted restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD.

The Grossi family took over in 1999 and steered the restaurant in a new direction, with their Bourke Street location now housing three different areas. Customers can fine dine in the Florentino restaurant upstairs, have a rustic Tuscan feast at the Grill, or enjoy antipasti and aperitivo at the Cellar Bar.

A gourmet dish from Grossi Florentino restaurant. Source: Quandoo

Now we all know Melburnians love a good Italian restaurant, in fact, the city is full of them. But Florentino is arguably the best. Yet why is that? According to this Good Food Guide review, “restaurants come and restaurants go, but Florentino is forever.” They describe Florentino’s food as having all the comfort of Italian cooking, but with a deeply refined twist.

The menu is driven by high-quality produce and Italian traditions, all while looking at things through the lens of modernity. À la carte primi dishes, for example, can feature creative combinations like risotto with strawberry and leek, or ricotta and yolk ravioli with amaretti biscuit and balsamic.

The extensive wine list at Grossi Florentine showcases both top-quality and lesser know Italian varieties. Source: Quandoo

To complement the menu, Florentino has an extensive wine list. It’s curated to showcase lesser known Italian varietals alongside top-quality Australian, French and New Zealand grapes. If you opt for the Gran Tour degustation then we highly recommend the wine matching. It raises the meal to a whole new level of grandeur.

In addition to fine food and drink, Florentino also dedicates itself to the luxury of traditional dining and genuine Italian hospitality. Tables are decked in crisp white linen cloths, service is charming and attentive, and the atmosphere is both sophisticated and classy. As you can imagine, bookings at Florentino are essential.

The exterior of Grossi Florentino, as seen from the hustle and bustle of Bourke Street. Source: Quandoo

Quick details

One of Melbourne's most loved fine dining institutions, offering sensational Italian cuisine and a quality wine list.

Menus

Gran Tour Degustation: $180 (6 courses)

À la carte: $150 (3 courses)

Opening hours

Now open

12:00 - 15:30

18:00 - 22:00

    Monday

    12:00 - 15:30

    18:00 - 22:00

    Tuesday

    12:00 - 15:30

    18:00 - 22:00

    Wednesday

    12:00 - 15:30

    18:00 - 22:00

    Thursday

    12:00 - 15:30

    18:00 - 22:00

    Friday

    12:00 - 15:30

    18:00 - 22:00

    Saturday

    18:00 - 22:00

    Sunday

    Closed

Tulum Turkish Restaurant

ONE HAT

Although a new kid on the block in comparison to Florentino and EZARD, Tulum Turkish Restaurant has quickly made its mark on Melbourne’s dining scene since opening in 2016. After earning One Hat in the 2019 Good Food Guide, you get the sense this Balaclava restaurant is just warming up.

Tulum is a contemporary restaurant that offers a delicious variety of Turkish and Anatolian cuisine, easily establishing itself as one of our favourite Middle Eastern eateries in the city. Dining here is about the artform of meze plates and head chef Coskun Uysal is no more than a culinary genius in that regard. The Good Food Guide describes Uysal as having “a rare gift for cloaking dishes in narratives.”

An octopus dish at Tulum Turkish Restaurant. Source: Quandoo

The menu is a reflection of that storytelling ability, dishes often transporting customers from the cosy restaurant in suburban Melbourne to exotic Turkey. The Sardalay meze dish, specifically, will take you to the Mediterranean sea – pan-fried sardines, preserved lemon, bay leaves tartar, refreshing cucumber and Bonita tea.

Tulum’s use of Middle Eastern ingredients is imaginative beyond belief. Think katmer bread with smoked date butter and pistachio mousse; cold almond soup with dill and pickled grapes; lamb rump with pickled apricot and Turkish coffee crumble; or melon sorbet with Tulum cheese custard and mint.

The cosy dining room at Tulum. Source: Quandoo

Just one scroll through the restaurant’s Instagram feed and you can see the vibrant, gourmet nature of eating at Tulum. Named after a traditional Turkish goat’s cheese, Tulum is reflecting on its heritage all while embracing Melbourne’s appetite for contemporary dining.

With charming ambience, a low-key atmosphere and genuine service, Tulum is much more than just a neighbourhood eatery in Balaclava. In fact, it’s Melbourne’s best Middle Eastern restaurant and earned One Hat for all the right reasons.

Dishes at Tulum offer a fusion of flavours, utilising different ingredients in innovative ways. Source: Quandoo

Quick details

Modern Middle Eastern flavours centred around meze-style dining, with creative dishes being stars of the show.

Menu details

À la carte: meze plates range in size and price, starting at $4.50 to $34

Opening hours

Now open

17:00 - 23:00

    Monday

    Closed

    Tuesday

    17:00 - 23:00

    Wednesday

    17:00 - 23:00

    Thursday

    17:00 - 23:00

    Friday

    17:00 - 23:00

    Saturday

    12:00 - 15:00

    17:00 - 23:00

    Sunday

    17:00 - 23:00