Cheap Eats in Mentone (2026)
You do not need to spend $50 a head to eat well in Mentone. Here are the budget-friendly options from the suburb’s 73 dining venues.
What counts as cheap eats?
- Under $15 for a main
- Under $20 for a meal with a drink
- The kind of place where you order at the counter
Budget-Friendly Restaurants
#1 Adriano’s Pizza & Pasta — 200 Lower Dandenong Road
Pizza
What makes it great: Adriano’s Pizza & Pasta does not advertise. It does not need to. Margherita is the test. San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, basil, olive oil. Nothing to hide behind. This kitchen does not need to hide. Not the flashiest option in Mentone. Possibly the best.
Website: Adriano’s Pizza & Pasta
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 madamviet
Fish
What makes it great: madamviet treats Fish like it matters. Because it does. Pho is the anchor, but the menu goes deeper than most places on this strip bother to. This is not destination dining. This is your neighbourhood doing what it should.
Phone: +61 3 8521 0967 | Website: madamviet
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Guzel Istanbul
Turkish
What makes it great: There are flashier places on this stretch. There is nothing more reliable than Guzel Istanbul. The grill does the heavy lifting. Charcoal, not gas — you can taste the difference on every skewer. The test of a restaurant is whether you think about it the next day. Guzel Istanbul passes.
Website: Guzel Istanbul
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Thai Today
Thai
What makes it great: Thai Today is the place Mentone locals take visitors when they want to show off the neighbourhood. The balance between sweet, sour, salty and hot is what separates good Thai from great Thai. This kitchen understands the ratio. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Xing
Chinese
What makes it great: What Xing does well, it does better than anywhere else in Mentone. The menu is long. Ignore the front page — the back page is where the kitchen really talks. The kind of place you recommend without being asked.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Marpha Indian
Indian
What makes it great: Nobody goes to Marpha Indian for the decor. They go for a menu that does not need explaining. Spice is not heat. Spice is complexity. This kitchen builds layers — each bite reveals something the last one hid. A restaurant that respects the ingredients, respects your time, and respects your wallet.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 King Yuen Chinese
Chinese
What makes it great: The kitchen at King Yuen Chinese runs on precision and repetition — the same dish, perfect, every time. The menu is long. Ignore the front page — the back page is where the kitchen really talks. This is not destination dining. This is your neighbourhood doing what it should.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Tai Wah Chinese Restaurant
Chinese
What makes it great: The word of mouth around Tai Wah Chinese Restaurant has done more than any review ever could. Dumplings are the test. If the dumplings are good, everything else follows. These are good. Not the flashiest option in Mentone. Possibly the best.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Kebab House
Turkish
What makes it great: The menu at Kebab House is shorter than most. That is not a weakness. Bread arrives warm. Meze arrives generous. The main course arrives and you realise you over-ordered. This is how it should be. Worth crossing Mentone for. Worth crossing Melbourne for, honestly.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Thai Village
Thai
What makes it great: You could walk past Thai Village without noticing it. Regulars prefer it that way. They make the curry paste in-house. You can tell because the flavour has edges that pre-made paste rounds off. You will not Instagram it. You will remember it.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Giovanni’s Pizza
Pizza
What makes it great: Giovanni’s Pizza treats Pizza like it matters. Because it does. The dough is everything. Fermentation time, hydration level, oven temperature — get any of them wrong and it is just bread with stuff on it. This place gets them right. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
Cheap Eats Tips for Mentone
- Lunch specials — many restaurants offer cheaper lunch menus
- BYO — saves $15–$30 on drinks per person
- Takeaway — often 10–15% cheaper than dine-in
- Weekday dining — some places have weeknight specials
Related Guides
- Best Restaurants in Mentone
- Best Cafes in Mentone
- Best Bars in Mentone
- Cost of Living in Mentone
- Mentone Neighbourhood Guide
- Family Guide to Mentone
- Is Mentone Safe?
- Mentone Transport Guide
Last updated: March 2026. This guide is refreshed when OpenStreetMap data changes — new openings, closures and corrections are reflected automatically. Found something wrong? Let us know.
Sources
- OpenStreetMap Contributors — openstreetmap.org — accessed March 2026
- ABS Census 2021 — abs.gov.au/census
- REIV Quarterly Median Prices — reiv.com.au
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