Melbourne
10 Best Western Restaurants in Melbourne
The listed western restaurants range from Italian trattorias and pasta specialists to tasting-menu destinations, intimate bistros and relaxed global dining rooms. This guide separates the occasions, formats and signature features that can make one choice more suitable than another.
Our method for this guide
Before ranking this guide we review each business's track record, what its customers say and how clearly it explains its work. The result is an editorial selection that we update as things change.
Featured positions are clearly marked and only offered to businesses that already earned their place in the guide.
Complete list
Full Comparison of 10 Western Restaurants in Melbourne
Una Una
Una Una is a Box Hill cafe and bistro combining daytime focaccias, cakes and coffee with an intimate evening dining experience. Its food offering includes Japanese curry chicken, beef tartare, duck, fish and desserts, alongside cocktails and other drinks. With four tables, the Moonlight Bistro creates a notably small-scale setting suited to special occasions, lunch or dinner.
Notable strengths: The evening bistro has just four tables
Daytime focaccias, cakes and coffeeAn intimate dinner or special occasionGuests seeking welcoming hospitality and cocktailsG2/712 Station St, Box Hill VIC 3128, AustraliaBellezza Restaurant
Bellezza Restaurant in Malvern serves global dishes in a down-to-earth dining room. It suits relaxed meals with family, friends or a date, with the menu spanning oysters, steak, lamb, barramundi, duck, seafood risotto, pasta and desserts. Set options include a Taste of Bellezza menu and a three-course lunch special, while wine pairing is available with the tasting menu.
Notable strengths: The menu combines varied global dishes with Australian ingredients such as barramundi and lamb
Relaxed dining with family, friends or a dateDiners wanting à la carte or set-menu options1413 Malvern Rd, Malvern VIC 3144, AustraliaSassy Italian Restaurant
Sassy Italian Restaurant is a West Melbourne venue serving classic pizzas and pastas alongside main dishes, sharing plates and desserts. It suits families, date nights, birthday meals and relaxed midweek dining, with a vibrant atmosphere, live music and a menu that includes in-house tagliatelle.
Notable strengths: Makes tagliatelle in-house
Diners seeking classic Italian pizza and pastaFamilies, date nights and birthday celebrationsGroups sharing Italian-style plates and desserts1 Dryburgh St, West Melbourne VIC 3003, AustraliaVue de monde
Vue de monde is an elegant fine-dining restaurant in Melbourne’s Rialto building, offering tasting menus and sweeping city views. It suits special occasions and diners seeking theatrical, highly detailed courses with attentive service, pairings and a refined setting. The experience can include interactive table presentations, bespoke cocktails and a kitchen tour, while non-alcoholic pairing is also available.
Notable strengths: Sweeping Melbourne views from the Rialto setting
Special occasions and destination diningDiners interested in tasting menus, pairings and interactive presentation55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaFoglia di Fico
Foglia di Fico is a Melbourne Italian restaurant offering handmade pasta and a substantial wine list in a polished, warm setting. Its dishes include seafood-filled black squid-ink pasta, seafood pasta, arancino, vitello tonnato, steak and tiramisu. The restaurant also offers a five-course meal, making it suited to diners seeking a structured Italian dining experience.
Notable strengths: Handmade pasta includes black squid-ink pasta filled with crab
Diners looking for handmade Italian pastaPeople interested in seafood pasta and a robust wine listGuests seeking a five-course dining experience585 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaAmiconi Restaurant
Amiconi Restaurant is a West Melbourne family-run Italian eatery serving traditional Italian cuisine and wine. Open since the 1950s, it suits diners seeking authentic home-cooked-style food, generous servings and a convivial atmosphere. The restaurant is fully licensed and also accepts BYO wine, giving diners a choice of beverage arrangements alongside its traditional menu.
Notable strengths: The restaurant has operated since the 1950s
Diners seeking traditional Italian food in a family-run settingGroups wanting a convivial meal with generous servingsGuests who prefer a fully licensed venue with BYO wine available359 Victoria St, West Melbourne VIC 3003, AustraliaCaterina's Cucina E Bar
Caterina's Cucina E Bar is a lunch-only Italian restaurant in a Melbourne basement, designed around business lunches and an extensive wine selection of more than 400 bottles. It suits diners looking for comforting Italian food, seafood dishes and a long, relaxed meal in a quietly tucked-away setting. The menu and drinks are supported by attentive table service.
Notable strengths: A basement setting creates a tucked-away escape from the CBD
Business lunches and extended celebrationsDiners seeking Italian food with a broad wine choice221 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaEureka 89
Eureka 89 – Dining & Events is a Southbank restaurant offering seasonal tasting menus, a substantial wine list and Melbourne bay and city views. Its sleek setting, window-side tables and quiet atmosphere suit anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions. Dining options include three-course and eight-course experiences, with drink-inclusive or wine-pairing options available in the documented offerings.
Notable strengths: Window-side dining pairs tasting menus with elevated Melbourne views
Couples celebrating an anniversary or romantic occasionDiners seeking tasting-menu dining with city viewsEureka Tower, Level 89/7 Riverside Quay, Southbank VIC 3006, AustraliaTrattoria Emilia
Trattoria Emilia is a Melbourne trattoria serving regional Italian food and wine with ingredients from Emilia-Romagna. The menu includes traditional dishes such as tagliatelle Bolognese, gnocco fritto and tortellini in brodo, with the tortellini available on request. Set in a discreet Little Collins lane, it suits diners seeking an intimate, classic Italian experience and special-occasion meals.
Notable strengths: Ingredients are sourced from Emilia-Romagna
Diners looking for regional Italian cuisineSpecial occasions and celebratory lunches or dinnersGuests interested in traditional pasta and Emilia-Romagna dishes360 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaRosa's Canteen
Rosa’s Canteen is a Melbourne restaurant serving traditional Italian cooking with a Sicilian lean. Rosa Mitchell’s menu is built around homely food, house-made daily pasta and ingredients from growers and makers close to home. The kitchen runs continuously from 12–9pm Monday to Friday, making the restaurant suitable for lunch, a late lunch or an early dinner.
Notable strengths: A kitchen that runs straight through from 12–9pm Monday to Friday
Diners looking for Sicilian-influenced Italian foodLunch, late lunch or early dinner in Melbourne CBDGroups wanting a set menu or larger-table diningShop 8 Rear of/500 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
The numbers on the map match the positions in the list.
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Dining styles across the selection
- Italian cooking and pastaThe selection includes Sicilian-influenced food, handmade pasta, regional Emilia-Romagna dishes, pizza and traditional family-run Italian cooking.
- Tasting-menu diningVue de monde and Eureka 89 offer structured tasting experiences, while Bellezza provides a tasting-style option alongside à la carte dishes.
- Wine and pairingsCaterina’s offers more than 400 wines; other venues describe wine lists, pairings or wine-inclusive dining options.
- Group celebrationsSassy Italian, Rosa’s Canteen, Bellezza and other venues suit birthdays, family meals, business lunches or larger-table occasions.
- Views and theatrical settingsVue de monde and Eureka 89 pair dining with elevated Melbourne views, while Vue de monde may include interactive presentations and a kitchen tour.
- Relaxed neighbourhood formatsUna Una, Bellezza and Amiconi offer more informal settings, with formats ranging from daytime café fare to generous family-style Italian meals.
How to choose among Melbourne’s western restaurants
- Choose the level of commitmentA tasting menu is an extended experience, while lunch-only, continuous daytime service or à la carte formats may suit a shorter or more flexible meal.
- Match the cuisineLook to Rosa’s, Foglia di Fico, Trattoria Emilia or Amiconi for distinct Italian directions; consider Bellezza or Una Una for broader western dining.
- Plan for the occasionViews and tasting menus suit celebrations, while Sassy Italian and Amiconi are described for family, group or convivial meals.
- Check the restaurant’s hours and booking notesCaterina’s is described as lunch-only, Rosa’s runs continuously from 12–9pm Monday to Friday, and Trattoria Emilia is described as requiring bookings.
- Think about drinksCompare extensive wine, pairing, cocktail, BYO or non-alcoholic options according to what matters for the meal.
Frequent questions
Which listed restaurant offers the largest stated wine selection?
Caterina’s Cucina E Bar is described as offering more than 400 bottles of wine.
Which restaurants are suited to tasting-menu dining?
Vue de monde and Eureka 89 are explicitly described around tasting menus; Bellezza also offers a Taste of Bellezza menu.
Which option is described as lunch-only?
Caterina’s Cucina E Bar is described as a lunch-only Italian restaurant.
Where can I find regional Italian food?
Trattoria Emilia focuses on dishes and ingredients from Emilia-Romagna, while Rosa’s Canteen has a Sicilian influence and Amiconi serves traditional Italian cuisine.
