Updated March 2026 | 8 restaurants tested | Marcus Cole reporting
Richmond’s restaurant scene splits across four strips, each with a different personality. Swan Street brings polished dining and pub-restaurant hybrids. Victoria Street delivers Vietnamese food that rivals anything in the country. Bridge Road has quieter neighbourhood restaurants that rely on regulars. Church Street connects them all with Italian spots and Japanese dining. The range means you can eat extraordinarily well here without leaving the postcode — and without spending CBD prices.
Here are the restaurants that earned their place on this list.
1. Becco — 302 Swan Street, Richmond
Becco has been a Swan Street fixture for years and the consistency is what keeps it here. The Italian menu is polished without being overwrought — handmade pasta, seasonal specials, and a wine list deep enough to explore. It’s the restaurant you suggest when someone asks “where should we go?” and you want to look like you know what you’re doing.
What to order: Pappardelle with slow-cooked ragu ($28) is the anchor dish. Burrata with roasted tomatoes ($18) to start. The tiramisu ($16) is made in-house and properly boozy.
Price range: $80–$120 per person with wine.
The vibe: Warm, candlelit, attentive service. Works for dates, group dinners, and birthdays. Tables are close enough for intimacy but spaced for conversation.
Good to know: Book at least three days ahead for weekend dinner. Walk-ins possible on weeknights.
2. Hanoi Hannah New Quarter — 79 Swan Street, Richmond
Hanoi Hannah outgrew its original tiny Lennox Street location and this Swan Street version is their most polished offering. Modern Vietnamese with serious cocktails and a wine list that goes beyond the usual pairing assumptions. It bridges the gap between Victoria Street’s traditional restaurants and contemporary Melbourne dining.
What to order: Tamarind pork hock ($32) — sticky, rich, and shareable. Prawn toast with chilli jam ($16). The Saigon Sour cocktail ($20) is genuinely good.
Price range: $60–$90 per person with drinks.
The vibe: Spacious, contemporary, buzzy. The cocktail bar side operates independently. Works for groups, dates, and pre-MCG dinners. Walking distance from the sporting precinct.
Good to know: Bookings recommended on weekends. They have an express bar next door for takeaway.
3. Thy Thy Counter & Canteen — 60-66 Victoria Street, Richmond
Thy Thy is Victoria Street royalty. The original opened in 1980 as one of the first Vietnamese restaurants on the strip. The family returned in 2021 with this contemporary version — retro fitout, share-plate format alongside the classics, and prices that keep it accessible.
What to order: The banh xeo ($14) is the best Vietnamese crepe in Melbourne — golden, shattering, stuffed with prawns and pork. Grilled pork chops with rice ($14). Duck salad ($18) for something different.
Price range: $30–$50 per person.
The vibe: Retro-contemporary — terrazzo floors, warm timber, casual energy. Works for Tuesday lunch and Friday night with friends equally. Regulars travel from regional Victoria.
Good to know: Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-9pm. Walk-ins usually fine on weeknights. Reservations for groups.
4. Lantern by Wagaya — 156 Bridge Road, Richmond
Lantern by Wagaya brings Japanese dining to Bridge Road with a menu broad enough to work for both casual dinners and occasions. The fit-out — paper lanterns, dark wood, mixed seating — creates genuine atmosphere that Bridge Road otherwise lacks in the evening.
What to order: Sashimi platter ($38) is generous and well-presented. Wagyu tataki ($24). Grilled miso black cod ($32) is reliably excellent. The yuzu martini ($20) from the cocktail list is the standout drink.
Price range: $70–$100 per person with cocktails.
The vibe: Dimly lit, atmospheric, and busy on weekends. The Bridge Road location draws a slightly more dressed-up crowd. Good for dates and group dinners.
Good to know: Walk-ins possible on weeknights. Bookings recommended for Friday and Saturday.
5. Sapore — 346 Church Street, Richmond
Sapore is a quieter, more intimate Italian spot that flies under the radar compared to Becco but delivers comparable quality. The menu is focused rather than sprawling, the portions are generous, and it has the feel of a genuine neighbourhood restaurant.
What to order: Arancini ($16) to start. Gnocchi with gorgonzola cream ($26) is indulgent and well-made. Pan-seared barramundi ($30) with roasted vegetables for something cleaner. Mid-range Italian wines ($45–$65 per bottle) pair well.
Price range: $50–$80 per person with wine.
The vibe: Quiet, warm, white tablecloths without the white-tablecloth pretension. Neighbourhood restaurant energy — they know their regulars and treat newcomers the same way.
Good to know: Recommended for weekends. Walk-ins work midweek. Good for dates that want conversation over atmosphere.
6. Pho Hung Vuong 2 — 108 Victoria Street, Richmond
Not every great restaurant needs tablecloths. Pho Hung Vuong 2 has been serving beef pho from this location since the early 1980s, and the broth — deep, fragrant, simmered for hours — is reason enough to rank it alongside any restaurant in the suburb.
What to order: Beef pho with tendon ($14–$16). Brisket pho for something richer. The pork chop broken rice plate (com tam) is underrated.
Price range: $15–$25 per person.
The vibe: No-frills, fast, packed. Fluorescent lights, plastic stools, zero pretension. You come for the broth, not the lighting. Cash preferred, cards now accepted.
Good to know: Open daily 9am–9:30pm. No bookings — just turn up. Busiest at lunch on weekends.
7. Pacific Seafood BBQ House — 240 Victoria Street, Richmond
The original flagship of a small Melbourne chain, Pacific Seafood BBQ House has been hanging Peking ducks and char siu pork in its front window for years. This is Cantonese BBQ at its most direct — perfectly roasted meats served over rice or with noodles, in a room that cares about food, not Instagram.
What to order: Half BBQ duck and char siu pork with fried rice ($15–$18). The duck is crisp-skinned, the pork caramelised and sweet. Salt and pepper squid to start. Whole steamed fish if you’re with a group.
Price range: $20–$35 per person.
The vibe: Loud, busy, entirely unbothered by aesthetics. Point at the roast meats in the window and tell them how you want it. That’s the ordering system and it works perfectly.
Good to know: Always packed at weekend lunchtime. Available on delivery apps but better eaten in person.
8. Maedaya — 400 Bridge Road, Richmond
Maedaya has been a Bridge Road fixture since 2007, which makes it ancient by Melbourne restaurant standards. The Japanese izakaya format — grilled skewers, sake, small plates — works for casual weeknight dinners and longer group sessions alike.
What to order: Start with grilled skewers — the chicken thigh and pork belly are reliable. The sake list is extensive and the staff can guide you through it. Agedashi tofu ($12) is a solid starter.
Price range: $40–$70 per person with sake.
The vibe: Warm, wood-heavy interior that feels authentically izakaya without being a themed restaurant. iPad ordering system (years ahead of its time) still works well.
Good to know: Check current hours before visiting — they’ve adjusted post-pandemic. Bookings recommended for groups.
What We Skipped and Why
Chain restaurants on Bridge Road: They exist. They’re fine. They’re the same as every other location and don’t warrant space in a local guide.
Pub bistros: Several Richmond pubs have excellent kitchens, but they’re covered in our best pubs guide. This list focuses on dedicated restaurants.
Pop-ups and ghost kitchens: No fixed location, no consistent quality guarantee, no inclusion. When they earn a permanent address, we’ll test them.
FAQ
What’s the best restaurant street in Richmond? Swan Street has the most variety and the highest concentration of quality sit-down dining. Victoria Street wins for Vietnamese and Cantonese food. Church Street and Bridge Road have quieter neighbourhood spots.
How much does dinner cost in Richmond? Richmond’s sweet spot is the $50–$90 per person range, which gets you a proper meal with wine at places like Becco, Lantern by Wagaya, or Sapore. Victoria Street restaurants will feed you extraordinarily well for $20–$35. The range is genuine.
Do I need to book? For Swan Street restaurants on Friday and Saturday, yes — book at least two days ahead. Victoria Street is almost entirely walk-in. Church Street and Bridge Road restaurants are bookable but rarely full on weeknights.
The Verdict
Richmond’s restaurant scene is stronger and more diverse than most inner-east suburbs. The combination of Victoria Street’s traditional Vietnamese and Cantonese restaurants with Swan Street’s contemporary dining gives the suburb genuine depth. You can spend $15 on one of Melbourne’s best bowls of pho or $120 on handmade pasta and Italian wine, and both meals will be excellent. The mid-range — $50–$80 per person — is where Richmond particularly shines: restaurants with serious kitchens, proper wine lists, and prices that don’t punish you for eating out on a weeknight.
More Richmond eating: Best Asian Food | Cheap Eats | Best Brunch
This guide was researched and written by the MELBZ team in March 2026. We visited every restaurant, paid for every meal, and received no sponsorship or compensation from any listed business.
Explore More of Richmond
- Richmond History
- Richmond Things To Do This Weekend
- Richmond Cheap Eats
- Richmond Rent Guide
- Richmond Date Night Guide
- Richmond Victoria Street Vietnamese
- Richmond New Openings
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