Melbourne’s Top 3 Must-Try Restaurants (From a Local’s Secret List!)

After bookmarking dozens of spots, these three stole my heart (and stomach) ❤️ 1️⃣ Claypot Babarossa 📍 Hardware Lane, CBD A seafood legend with Asian-friendly flavors! Third visit, first time at their CBD branch—perfect for city dwellers. 🔥 Must-order: Chili Crab 🦀 ($75): Two massive crabs in a savory-spicy sauce, plus mussels—worth every cent! Garlic Butter Tiger Prawns ($15 each): Juicy, garlicky perfection. 💰 Hack: Happy hour deals before 5:30pm! 2️⃣ Faraday’s Cage 📍 Fitzroy A hipster haven in Fitzroy’s brunch battleground. Think brick walls, Korean fusion twists, and non-Insta-bait prices. 🔥 Must-order: Pulled Pork Benny: Melty meat + runny eggs = brunch heaven. Fried Chicken & Waffles: Sweet, spicy, crispy everything. ☕ Coffee: Beans from neighbor Proud Mary—sip like a local. 3️⃣ I Love Pho 264 📍 Richmond Skip the touristy spots—this is Melbourne’s pho royalty. Closer to the city, packed with locals, zero pretension. 🔥 Must-order: Beef & Brisket Pho (Large): Broth so rich it’ll haunt your dreams. Brisket? Butter-soft. Cold Vermicelli Bowl: Crispy pork belly + tangy-sweet sauce = summer vibes. Why trust me? Claypot Babarossa’s chili crab? Better than Singapore. Faraday’s Cage? Proof Fitzroy’s hype is real. I Love Pho 264? A bowl of pure joy (and no lines… yet). #MelbourneEats #HiddenGems #BrunchGoals #SeafoodLovers #VietnameseFood #LocalsPick #FoodieDiaries #EatLikeALocal