Carlton’s restaurant scene is in the middle of a genuine renaissance. After decades of coasting on its Italian heritage (which, to be fair, is still excellent), the suburb is pulling in some of Melbourne’s most exciting operators. 2025 and early 2026 have seen a wave of new openings that are rewriting what Carlton dining looks like.
1. Cordelia
180 Rathdowne Street, Carlton | Opened May 2025
The team behind Don’s, Prahran’s beloved natural wine bar, opened their grown-up sibling on Rathdowne Street. Named after the Latin for “Daughter of the Sea,” Cordelia is a sustainable seafood restaurant with a sun-drenched dining room and relaxed, long-lunch energy. Seasonal menu, natural wine list, and a room that feels like somewhere you want to spend hours.
Why it matters: It’s the kind of place that elevates an entire street. Rathdowne Street between the Carlton Gardens and Carlton North is suddenly a dining destination again.
2. Frenchie — The King and Godfree Reimagining
297 Lygon Street, Carlton | Opened early 2026
The iconic King and Godfree building — one of Melbourne’s oldest grocery shops — has been reborn with new venues. Frenchie is a French-inspired restaurant with roaming trolleys and tableside service. Classic French technique with Melbourne swagger: steak frites done properly, a cheese trolley you can point at, and a wine list that takes French and Australian seriously.
Why it matters: The King and Godfree building has been a Carlton landmark for over a century. Seeing it come alive with ambitious new venues signals that this corner of Lygon Street and Faraday Street is about to become the most exciting stretch on the strip.
3. Di Stasio Carlton
297 Lygon Street, Carlton | Opened 2024/2025
Rinaldo Di Stasio brought his brand to Carlton with this bold, art-filled space. Part restaurant, part gallery. They mill their own flour, source obsessively from Victorian producers, and serve some of Melbourne’s best pizza and pasta. The pasta is where the magic really lives.
Why it matters: Di Stasio’s arrival confirmed that Carlton is worth serious investment. This isn’t a casual side project — it’s a statement.
4. Cherrywood (formerly Residence)
Swanston Street area, Carlton | Opened late 2025
A dual-personality venue: excellent coffee and baked treats by day for the University of Melbourne crowd, then seasonal sharing plates, natural wines, and a secret-garden courtyard by night (Wednesday to Saturday). The model Melbourne does best.
Why it matters: The day-cafe-night-restaurant pivot is smart and sustainable, giving Carlton more dinner options without losing its strong cafe culture.
5. Lagoon Dining
64 Lygon Street, Carlton | Established, evolved through 2025
Not brand-new but has cemented itself as essential. Chinese culinary traditions with a Melbourne edge — share plates, natural wines, and a vibe that walks the line between casual and special. Regularly books out on weekends.
Why it matters: Lagoon represents the new wave of Carlton dining — less Italian, more global, and designed for how Melbourne actually eats now.
6. Sooshi Mango’s Restaurant
Carlton (Lygon Street area)
The comedy trio Sooshi Mango opened a restaurant leaning into big Italian-Australian energy. Big plates of pasta, wood-fired meats, Italian wine list priced for drinking. It’s fun, full, and proves Carlton dining doesn’t have to be serious to be good.
What’s Coming Next
The King and Godfree revival isn’t finished — a Japanese-inspired pizza concept is expected to open in 2026 in the same building, blending miso, nori, and yuzu with Neapolitan pizza traditions. Meanwhile, Rathdowne Street is seeing increased interest from operators wanting to be near Cordelia’s orbit.
The cafe-to-restaurant conversion trend is picking up steam. Cherrywood isn’t the only Carlton venue doing the day-cafe-night-restaurant pivot. Several operators are extending daytime-only spaces into evening service — more dinner options without losing the cafe culture.
FAQ
What’s the single best new restaurant in Carlton?
Cordelia on Rathdowne Street. The sustainable seafood menu, the natural wine list, and the sun-drenched dining room make it the most talked-about new opening in Melbourne’s inner north.
Is the King and Godfree building worth visiting?
Absolutely. Between Frenchie and Di Stasio Carlton, the 297 Lygon Street building has become one of Melbourne’s most exciting dining addresses. More venues are still to come.
The Verdict
Carlton’s new openings are diverse, ambitious, and collectively rewriting what the suburb stands for. From sustainable seafood (Cordelia) to French trolley service (Frenchie) to art-meets-pasta (Di Stasio), there’s more going on here than at any point in the last decade. If you haven’t been to Carlton in a while, now is the time to come back.
For the established favourites, see our best restaurants and best Italian. For the broader scene, check our honest guide to Carlton.
Explore More of Carlton
- Carlton History
- Carlton Things To Do This Weekend
- Carlton Cheap Eats
- Carlton Rent Guide
- Carlton Date Night Guide
- Carlton Carlton For Retirees
- Carlton Things To Do
- Carlton Cost of Living
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