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Clover Cottage was a special occasion destination for Berwick locals from the 1970s to 2010s.

‘Never thought we’d be custodians’: Berwick’s beloved dining icon makes a comeback

Locals remember the carvery, Brandy Alexander mousse and grand dining room. Clover Cottage’s three-decade run is about to continue under new owners keen to revive the glory days.

  • Dani Valent
The warehouse space on Flinders Lane trades from noon until late.
Good Food hat15.5/20

Andrew McConnell’s genre-defining dining room comes of age, and is as buzzy as ever

Cumulus Inc. invented the Melbourne wine-bar-slash-restaurant game, and remains a standard-bearer of great service, fantastic wine and exciting share plates.

  • Besha Rodell
Bar Ampere's concrete tunnel swept with bohemian artworks.

It’s not hot or new, but this classic laneway bar has still got it, especially after midnight

Under this archway, in this quintessentially Melbourne laneway, absinthe still makes the heart grow fonder.

  • Tomas Telegramma
Chauvel citrus-fed wagyu rib-eye steak, pictured with beans with tarragon and feta.
Good Food hat15/20

Does Rockpool still sizzle? Good Food revisits the riverside steak stalwart 20 years on

Fewer venues in town boast such a massive menu, and such wide appeal, but the exacting service has slipped.

  • Besha Rodell
Outside Marios in Fitzroy.
14/20

Marios

The restaurant that pioneered breakfast on Brunswick Street celebrates the big 4-0.

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Mario Maccarone and Mario de Pasquale outside Marios, which they opened on April 28, 1986.

I sat in this beloved Fitzroy restaurant all day to understand its 40-year legacy

Pioneering Marios has stood steadfast as its neighbourhood has gone from bohemian to boujee. What can a day spent at this dining icon tell us about Brunswick Street in 2026?

  • Emma Breheny
Bar Lourinha's bric-a-brac filled wall.
Good Food hat15/20

Why this 20-year-old treasure should be on every Melburnian’s list of go-to restaurants

Dani Valent raises a glass of sherry to two decades of eating, drinking and being merry.

  • Dani Valent
Marios' walls are lined with posters.
14/20

This 40-year-old restaurant is probably our critic’s favourite in all of Melbourne

And it’s not even because of the food. To love it, you have to understand these unwritten rules of dining there.

  • Besha Rodell
Laikon Deli is celebrating 50 years in Richmond this year.

A Golden Jubilee and ‘another 50 to go’: The enduring soul of Bridge Road’s favourite deli

From deli goods to custardy bougatsa and one of the best spanakopita in town, there’s a reason Richmond stalwart Laikon Deli has stuck around for five decades.

  • Dani Valent
The faded copies owned by the Good Food team.

Stephanie Alexander’s Cook’s Companion turns 30: Share your book’s ‘battle scars’

Splashed, stained or held together by tape? Send a photo of your well-loved “kitchen bible” and the recipes that have shaped your cooking adventures.

  • Sarah Norris