Hidden in a CBD laneway off Little Bourke Street, Serai suits a friends dinner with an intimate wine-bar feel, plus engaged, friendly staff who make you feel welcome.

In North Melbourne, Auction Rooms is a comfortable, warm, nostalgic cafe where service is described as excellent, and you may even hear old auction-call recordings that nod to the venue’s history.

Works for a celebratory lunch where the atmosphere keeps things lively and staff are described as charming and attentive, helping with choices and making sure the table has what it needs.

A'Beckett Street casual with a grocery-meets-diner layout and tight indoor seating, described as delivering major flavor without inner-city pretense, alongside reviewers calling the staff lovely and consistently impressive.