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Lygon Streets Best Restaurants

Trying to find some high-quality places to eat in Melbourne but don’t know where to begin? Don’t stress out. That’s because Lygon Street satisfies every appetite you could possibly have. There are plenty of places to eat and drink all along this beautiful avenue, which connects the central business district of Melbourne with the city’s northern suburbs. In addition to being home to some of Melbourne’s most talked-about eateries, Lygon St is a popular destination for a number of other reasons.

Just so you know, it’s been called “Little Italy” because of all the delicious Italian restaurants that can be found there. Some r estaurants here claim to provide the best carbonara in the world, and one also boasts a 400-cheese pizza. But, if you go further, you’ll discover a wide variety of cuisines, from spicy ramen on one end to contemporary Australian on the other. But that’s not all; the street also has a variety of Greek, Mediterranean, Japanese, and sub-continental restaurants with outside seating, so you can enjoy your meal while taking in the vibrant atmosphere of this gourmet mecca.

The city of Carlton is undergoing a culinary rebirth, with new eateries springing up at almost every corner. Don’t feel bad if Italian food is all you can think about when there are so many other possibilities. Now, you may choose from many other options.  On Lygon Street, we can choose from an array of delicious options provided by some of the city’s finest eateries. No matter how hungry you are, have to throw an urgent party, or if your house needs a kitchen renovation, you will never get disappointed with Lygon Street for its food.

Here are some of the best restaurants in Lygon Streets

In This Article

Tiamo

10/10

Something about this place, even after 40 years, still has its charm. Grab an espresso at the bar or sit down for a leisurely dinner with many courses. If you have a visitor from out of town, Tiamo is the place to take them to show them what Melbourne is like.

The focus at Tiamo is on authentic Italian cuisine, with pizza, spaghetti, and more served in a cosy, canopied outdoor environment. This Lygon Street Italian restaurant has been a local favourite for over 40 years because of its reliable quality and constant service, and the restaurant’s pasta and pizza are among the best in Melbourne. This place is a little more expensive than the cheap and cheerful pasta joints we discovered all across Lygon, but its rich history makes it well worth the extra money on the weekend. You can’t go wrong with any of these three parma recipes, which have been handed down through the generations of Tiamo nonnas.

Address:- 303 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 305

Phone:- (03) 9347 5759

Website:- https://www.tiamo.com.au/

Capitano

9.4/10

Capitano is influenced by co-owner Michael Bascetta’s Sicilian roots and chef Casey Wall’s Italian-American recipes. On the menu, we discovered a variety of pizzas made in an electric oven, which produces a somewhat chewier flavour than the typical Neapolitan. A meal there may begin with the original cheese and then go DIY with their toppings – we can select from mortadella, pepperoni, cheeses, and more – or choose one of the four ready-made compositions on the menu. Try their lasagne, veal parmigiana, and dry-aged steaks as well.

The cuisine at this laid-back Italian eatery from the same crew as Bar Liberty borrows several elements from North America, including deep-dish pizza “squares” and thick, fermented base “rounds.” While the US is prominently featured, the wine selection is virtually entirely Italian.

Address:- 421 Rathdowne St, Carlton VIC 3053

Phone (03) 9134 8555

Website:- www.capitano.com.au/

DOC Espresso

7.4/10

DOC Espresso is a well-established Italian eatery on Melbourne’s Lygon Street, however it does not provide pizza. We looked over the menu and saw a variety of pastas, focaccias, colazione (breakfast) dishes, and salads. It’s hard not to imagine enjoying a lunch at DOC, especially because it has two sibling stores called after the Italian term for quality: DOC Delicatessen and DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar.

There are three D.O.C. locations in the Lygon Street eateries district, and it’s fair to say that they’re the authority on Italian in Melbourne. Fresh pasta and charcuterie can be found at D.O.C. Espresso, which is next to a deli, and at D.O.C. Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, where you must have the Pizza ai Porcini, which is topped with truffles.

Address:- 326 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Phone:- (03) 9347 8482

Website:- https://docgroup.net/

Lagoon Dining

8.7/10

Whitewashed brick walls, a black wrap-around bar, and a grid pattern that dominates the sides of the walls and greaseproof paper sheets make up the monochromatic decor of the space. However, the cuisine is a world apart from the angular, monochromatic decor. Lagoon’s steak tartare, which has beef seasoned with chilli and lemongrass, is a pleasant spin on the classic, while the restaurant’s perfectly fried chicken chop comes with white pepper togarashi and tonkatsu sauce. The soft charcoal-roasted char siu with an umami spring onion relish and the highlight entrée of flash-fried shredded potato slathered in a fiery, sour sauce are two examples of dishes that are closer to traditional Chinese cuisine. 

Lagoon serves hearty dishes with a Chinese twist. Kimchi fried rice, stir-fried beef with fried potatoes and charred capsicum, and steamed barramundi with shitake mushrooms and pig scratchings are just a few examples of the meals that take classic methods and give them a modern twist. There is a wide selection of wine and liquor; ask the staff for advice on what to drink. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu at Lagoon Dining.

Address:- 263 Lygon St Carlton, 3053 VIC

Phone:- (03) 9349 1939

Website:- www.lagoondining.com/

Milk The Cow

7.9/10

Milk The Cow is one of the Lygon Street eateries that caters to cheese lovers. You’d be crazy to enjoy cheese from anyplace else when they have over 180 varieties from across the globe, all carefully picked and cared for by their staff of cheesemongers. Cheese shop owners here take great pride in suggesting drinks to go with your purchase. Cheeses from all over the world, including the country that gave birth to the art of French Fromage, as well as regional favourites, line their shelves.

Get a cheese box delivered if you’ve hit your limit of laziness and can’t force yourself to move off the sofa. Also, the upstairs function area is a great place to have a party or a knees-up.

Address:- 323 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Phone:- (03) 9348 4771

Website:- https://milkthecow.com.au/

Bar Idda

7.9/10

This bustling Sicilian eatery is one of Lygon Street’s most popular hangouts, with nonstop music and a never-ending supply of tasty treats. In order to get a table at Bar Idda, you need do so well in advance. If you want a quick history lesson and map of Sicily, just flip over your menu at Bar Idda. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and melons, as well as chocolate and tomatoes, all have their origins that may be uncovered.

Indulge in a classic Sicilian breakfast, savour perfectly cooked fettuccine alla puttanesca, and finish with a scoop of cappuccino gelato prepared right in front of you. While certain dishes remain constant between menu rotations, others reflect the changing of the seasons. Try the mulinciani, which consists of cooked eggplant covered with passata, buffalo mozzarella, and pecorino, and melts in your mouth. 

For optimal enjoyment of the meal and the gallons of house wine, it is recommended that you come with a group of hungry diners. You should make your reservations early since Bar Idda is always full.

Address:- 132 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057

Phone:- (03) 9380 5339

Website:- https://www.baridda.com.au/

Etta

7.9/10

Follow your nose past the cliche Carlton eateries up Lygon Street and you’ll end yourself at Brunswick East. The modern restaurant has the welcoming atmosphere of visiting the home of a friend who also happens to be a fantastic cook.

Since launching in 2017, Etta has been a hit with patrons in Melbourne, but things have really picked up steam since since rising star Rosheen Kaul took over the kitchen in late 2020. The equally beautiful food at this restaurant lives up to its immaculate aesthetic. The greenlip abalone and lardo skewers, gently rich and silky with rendered fat from lardo, will win you over just as they did us.

Highlights include the stracciatella and the raw beef and salted mushrooms, which may be ordered as a snack in the cosy front bar or as part of a full menu experience in the adjoining dining room at this modern diner, widely regarded as one of the finest and newest restaurants on Lygon Street.

Address:- 60 Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC 3057

Phone 03 9708 5555

Website:- https://ettadining.com.au/

Téta Mona

7.4/10

Head to Téta Mona on Lygon Street for some of the greatest Lebanese cuisine in Melbourne, including some of the city’s best falafel. They’re providing simple, homemade Lebanese dishes with plenty of pickles. It’s a small, boisterous bar with accommodating staff and a BYO policy. Inside, you’ll find a long room furnished with sofas, several finely carved tables, and a large exhibit of blown glass water pitchers; outside, people may relax with their dogs.

There is a large, shaded courtyard in the rear that is ideal for gatherings of all sizes. Menu items like the honeyed pastry packets of samboosek bi jebne with halloumi and feta, or the soft, fragrant falafel cooked with a green and yellow split pea base for a sweeter take on the chickpea staple, will get your taste buds tingling with excitement. Muhallabieh, a brown rice pudding flavoured with cinnamon and orange blossom water and topped with walnuts, is the perfect way to round up the dinner.

Address:- 100A Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057

Phone:- (03) 9380 6680

Facebook page:- www.facebook.com/tetamona/

Bluebonnet

8.7/10

To demonstrate to the rest of the world what authentic Texas barbecue tastes like, Bluebonnet Barbecue was born. Bluebonnet is like barbecue royalty; it has set up shop in Brunswick East, amid the glut of eateries on Lygon Street. Bluebonnet Barbecue provides delicious eats like as brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, and more as a kind of entertainment for its customers.

Bluebonnet’s smoked meats have the ideal texture, and the 100g serving size is standard in barbecue restaurants. Indulge in some of the tastiest sides in town, such as smoked mash potato doused in brisket gravy or some good ol’ mac & cheese, with some barley-fed beef brisket, smoked lamb ribs, and crisp pig belly. This strategy is most effective when there is a large group available to “divide and conquer” the menu.

Address:- 124-126 Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC 3057

Phone:- (03) 9972 1815

Website:- https://www.bluebonnetbbq.com.au/

Brunetti

8.2/10

Brunetti, a famous Melbourne pasticceria, can be found on Lygon Street. Hipsters may try to convince you that this is simply another location in a chain, but there must be a solid reason why this establishment has endured for so long. Hot cocoa is recommended. You can almost stand a spoon in it, and it’s so thick and dark that it’s almost black.

Brunetti is a three-in-one establishment, with a café, piazza, and restaurant, so you can easily spend the whole day there. Brunetti is quite the place, with its mosaic flooring and long, bright interior serving up Italian classics like spaghetti, wood-fired pizza, and sweets. Brunetti reflects the culture of Italy with its retail wine wall, gelato bar, and several cured cuts of meat on display. Additionally, they sell frozen food: pumpkin soup, potato leek and pancetta soup, ossobuco ravioli, and wood-fired pizza are some of the dishes on the menu.

Address:- 380 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Phone:- (03) 9347 2801

Website:- https://brunettioro.com.au/

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