When it comes to eating your way through Melbourne, few people are better placed to share their favourites than Xerxes Bodhanwala, Executive Chef at UMA. With a culinary career spanning India, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Xerxes has experienced Australia’s food scene from some of its most exciting kitchens. His time working with Peruvian and Latin American cuisine helped shape the bold, flavour-driven style he brings to UMA today.

For a chef who is passionate about fresh produce, bold flavours and discovering the character of a place through food, Melbourne remains a city worth eating your way through. Here, Xerxes shares his ultimate guide to spending a weekend in Melbourne, from where to start the morning to the restaurants, markets and local favourites worth making room for.

Amaru

From the street, Amaru is easy to miss, just a modest door on busy High Street in Armadale, tucked into an ordinary suburban strip. But step inside and the world shifts. The dining room is intimate and warmly lit, and it feels less like a restaurant and more like being invited to someone’s private kitchen table. That contrast between a quiet door, big experience is part of what makes it special for me.

As a chef, I can’t help but watch how other kitchens think. At Amaru, executive chef Clinton McIver’s tasting menu is clearly built around technique and Australian produce, but it never feels showy for the sake of it. Around 15 courses unfold with their own rhythm and reason, and you can sense the care in how each dish is constructed. Sitting there, I found myself quietly admiring the choices, the textures, the balance, the way native ingredients were used with confidence rather than as a gimmick.

What stayed with me most, though, wasn’t just the food. The front-of-house team treated the room like a stage, but in the best possible way making us feel like part of the story rather than just an audience. Our server connected with us on a personal level, weaving together the wine, the producers, and the ideas behind each dish so everything felt linked. At one point, we were even offered a selection of knives to choose from for a course, each with its own little backstory. It was playful and memorable, and it summed up the place for me, a restaurant where the narrative is as important as what’s on the plate.

Marion Wine Bar

We found Marion by chance on a trip to Melbourne. We were meeting a friend, no plan, no expectations. What followed was one of those perfect summer afternoons that remind you why you love this city’s long light, good wine, and food that looks simple on the menu but is executed with real finesse.

Tucked into Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, Marion wears its European influences lightly but confidently. Whitewashed brick, high wine racks, and a room that feels more like a well-travelled friend’s apartment than a formal restaurant. It’s the kind of place where you can drop in for a glass and a snack or settle in for a long, lazy lunch without ever feeling rushed.

As a chef, I appreciated how restrained the plates were: nothing overworked, just clean flavors, great produce, and sharp technique. The menu is small and ever-changing, driven by what’s in season, and honestly, I would give everything a try. It’s the sort of spot that feels special without trying too hard – a sunny afternoon there can easily turn into a whole evening without you even noticing.

Nana Thai

We found Nana Thai by accident after the Australian Open, around 12:30 a.m. stomachs growling and options thinning out. A quick Google search for “what’s open now” led us to a nondescript entrance on Bourke Street and a queue snaking out the door.

At first, I was a little skeptical. The menu is long, the room is loud, and the whole vibe is very much “feed the crowd, fast”. But then the food started hitting neighboring tables, the sweet-sour punch of som tum, the charred, garlicky smell of stir-fried basil dishes. Within minutes, any hesitation vanished.

We ended up ordering about six dishes between the two of us and loved every bite. The flavors are unapologetically Thai: bright, spicy, and layered. It’s cheap, cheerful, and genuinely authentic, the kind of place where you leave sweaty, satisfied, and already planning your next visit.

Lune Croissanterie

Back in Perth, Lune was one of those names that kept popping up in a bakery we’d followed on Instagram for years but never quite made it to. On our Melbourne trip, finally getting to try it felt like ticking off a proper foodie bucket list item. And yes, it absolutely lived up to the hype.

We went for the classic butter croissant and a coffee to start the morning, and it was exactly the kind of simple, perfect ritual you hope for on holiday. The pastry was warm, flaky, and rich without being heavy, the sort of thing that makes you understand why people line up before opening. There’s often a queue, especially on weekends, but for a once-in-a-while treat, it just feels like part of the experience.

Whiskey Den

Whisky Den isn’t a restaurant, but it absolutely earns its place on this list as one of the best places to be in Melbourne. I first visited back in 2016–17, when I was working in the city, and returned in January 2026. A decade on, it’s still there, still low-key, and still home to one of the most impressive and unusual whisky collections I’ve seen anywhere.

You don’t need to be a connoisseur to enjoy it; in fact, it’s one of the least pretentious whisky bars in the city, which is part of its charm. On my most recent visit, the vibe was exactly as I remembered: relaxed, unhurried, and perfect for ending or even starting a night out. We sampled a few Australian and Japanese whiskies we’d never tried before, swapping stories with the bartender about how climate and cask choice shape flavour.

Whether you’re a collector like me or just curious, it’s a brilliant way to cap off a Melbourne night or to build an entire evening around.