The Best Restaurants for a Date Night in Melbourne

Tonka will alter the way you view Indian cuisine. Modern yet traditional, experimental and considered, flavourful and always memorable. The desserts here are exceptional. One of my favourites from the Flinders Lane precinct.

A Melbourne icon. 10 years on and this place is still kicking goals. Very few restaurants command an audience like Scopri, even on a weeknight they’ll have a full house. The food (think paddock to plate) is exceptional and some of the best Italian in Melbourne. This joint never disappoints.

Family owned and operated Sushi restaurant that has become a Melbourne institution over its 20 plus years. Best value sushi in Melbourne. Highly recommend the Omakase menu. Owners Suzy and Hiro Nishikura are genuine hard working people who’s passion and dedication for what they do is hard to come by these days.

Melbourne welcomes a Sydney iconStrap yourselves in, lovely people. Welcome to my first review of 2022 and where better to start than at Melbourne's hottest new restaurant, NOMAD. A longtime Sydney institution, this dynamite of a restaurant is serving up all the classics that have become synonymous with the label since launching along the east coast. Truthfully there's nothing I would change here. The wine is delicious and affordable, the flat bread is extraordinary and as for that kingfish...In fact, I loved the menu so much that I recently recreated one of their most famous dishes at home. Burrata and fennel jam. And yes, it was an absolute crowd stopper. Don't miss this place, particularly if you love its older sibling in Sydney.Eat up! Tom x

Killer aesthetic, sexy vibe, best Japanese in town Sleek, sharp and consistent. Every course, gorgeous. The word that comes to mind when I think of Kisumé is 'precision'. There's a sense of refinement in the way this place operates. The chefs are calm, considered and detail focused, while each dish presents as a work of art. For me, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne x

Di Stasio pizzeria Carlton isn’t like any other pizzeria in town, but I think I was unprepared for just how much I loved itLobster pizza, I thought, why on earth would you want that? And who’s gonna order it? Turns out you order it because it’s delicious (not least with some vermentino, a little chilli and some sunshine), and I’ll definitely be back for more. I’m not surprised to see that Di Stasio pizzeria Carlton isn’t like any other pizzeria in town, but I think I was unprepared for just how much I loved it. A win for the forces of Italianality.

Italian tucker, sexed up. Everyone I know raves about this place and you need only look at the reviews online to realise they're not alone. Illaria's big brother TIPO 00 has been one of my favourite restaurants for several years now and so it should be of no surprise that this joint was high on my priority list. It was absolutely outstanding. Every single course, stellar. We skipped the chefs menu (I'm a bit off them of recent) and simply built our own eight course deggy, partnered alongside one of the best Chardonnays I've had in recent times. All in all, I loved every second. Modern yet classic, familiar yet creative, simple but tasty. Not to be missed x

Industrial chic, flavourful tucker. This place has such a sexy aesthetic. Gorgeous tall ceilings, great lighting, it's the perfect spot for a date...in fact, I definitely saw a few in play. Obvious highlight was their roti (covered in shaved truffle) with vegemite curry, as well as their bannockburn chicken with Thai sausage, gai lan and bush apple. Gosh it was nice. Sunda is the sister restaurant of ARU and can I just say, they're both worth your time x

Unique, modern but also traditional kaiseki dining in a hidden locationPossibly the best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, intensively laborious technique, an amazing showcase of excellent produce, cookery, service and opulence in a sleek and intimate space, a must for special occasions and gourmet dining

Sexy, modern, old-world euro. An opulent dining space with all the romance of a classic European bistro. The dishes are familiar yet elevated, the wine list has been compiled by someone who knows what they're doing and the staff are attentive but not overbearing. The lamb and beef were standouts, as was the tartare and foie gras. I can see this restaurant sticking around for years to come, definitely worth the visit. A clear indication of what Melbourne is capable of.

A nice small wine bar/bistro serving delicious snacky things and great wine. Guesthouse upstairs.Napier quarter is a tiny any time of the day type of restaurant in Fitzroy. For people from out of town they have a lovely guest house above the restaurant. It’s a wine bar/bistro serving delicious snacky things, but modern in the sense not typically French. The wine is really good, and there's always something interesting to eat. I would probably recommend to go earlier rather than later because it's a tiny kitchen so they will sell out. The place has lots of character and it just feels like you're escaping to a different part of the world. I think it's a great place run by nice people.

Fitzroy just got a little cooler, if that's even possible. Firstly, I was having such a great time I forgot to take photos of the food so apologies in advance. Alta is coming in hot, tucked away off busy Brunswick St, this quaint little italian restaurant is warm and comfortable, elegant yet casual. In an otherwise saturated market here in Melbourne, Alta offers a fresh perspective with delicious things like fettuccine, chestnut and speck, ravioli with cockerel and pine mushroom and rabbit ragu. Wines were affordable and scrumptious, staff were friendly and attentive. A great little find in one of Melbourne's coolest suburbs.

Essential Melbourne drinking.Hidden entrance? Tick. Remarkably few seats? Tick? Cocktails that make all that bearable? Tick and tick. Photo credit: James Morgan @morgophoto

The pristine and precise art of cocktail-makingIn lesser hands the whole Prohibition, Milk & Honey vibe could be a bit creaky. But this gleaming venue is a first cousin of the landmark Manhattan speakeasy, and as a result it contains some of that true spark of inspiration that made M&H such a radical proposition to begin with, from the pristine and precise cocktail-making to the sultry, just-shy-of-snippy service.