Victoria Street in Richmond has earned its reputation as Melbourne’s premier Vietnamese dining strip. For more than four decades, this stretch of road has served as the heart of Melbourne’s Vietnamese community — a place where the aroma of pho broth mingles with the scent of fresh herbs, where families have passed down recipes through generations, and where first-generation immigrants built businesses that now feed third-generation Australian-born Vietnamese families.
What makes Victoria Street special isn’t just the quantity of Vietnamese restaurants — it’s the quality and the authenticity. These aren’t restaurants adapting Vietnamese food for Australian palates. They’re the real deal, serving dishes that taste exactly as you’d find in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or the countless regional cuisines of Vietnam.
Understanding the Two Styles
Most Vietnamese restaurants on Victoria Street fall into one of two broad categories:
Southern Vietnamese (Saigon-style): The more common style on Victoria Street, reflecting the origins of the Vietnamese-Australian community (most refugees who arrived in the 1970s and 1980s came from the south). Featuring sweeter, richer broths, narrower noodles, generous use of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and chillies. The pho is robust and the side plate of herbs is essential.
Northern Vietnamese (Hanoi-style): Characterised by lighter broths, wider rice noodles, and a greater emphasis on subtlety. The beef flavour takes centre stage without the sweetness found in southern preparations. Less common on Victoria Street but available at several restaurants.
The Essential Restaurants
Pho Hung Vuong Saigon — 208 Victoria Street
The benchmark. Pho Hung Vuong has been doing this for decades and the consistency is remarkable. The special pho ($16) arrives in an oversized bowl with a broth that’s rich, clean, and unmistakably the product of hours of simmering. Brisket is tender, herbs are fresh, and the condiment tray (hoisin, Sriracha, chilli, bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime) is restocked without asking.
Also try: The bun bo hue ($17) — a spicy, lemongrass-heavy beef noodle soup from Central Vietnam. Comes with fermented shrimp paste on the side that transforms the dish if you’re brave enough.
Hours: Mon–Sun, 10am–10pm. Cash and card accepted.
N Lee Bakery — 426 Victoria Street
The best banh mi on Victoria Street, and arguably in Melbourne. The Saigon-style baguette ($6.50) comes with pate, grilled pork, pickled daikon and carrot, fresh coriander, and chilli. The bread is the star — crisp outside, pillowy inside, baked fresh multiple times daily. At $6.50, this is the best value lunch in the inner east.
Also try: The pork and prawn rice paper rolls ($4 each) and the Vietnamese iced coffee ($5).
Hours: Mon–Sun, 7am–6pm. Cash preferred, card accepted for purchases over $10.
Minh Xuong — 374 Victoria Street
The other strong contender for best banh mi on the strip. Minh Xuong’s version ($6.50) leans slightly different — more chilli, crunchier baguette, and a generous spread of pate. The debate between N Lee and Minh Xuong is ongoing and unresolvable. The correct answer is to eat both.
Also try: The grilled pork with vermicelli ($16) — a bun bowl with properly charred pork, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and fish sauce dressing.
Hours: Mon–Sun, 8am–7pm.
Van Mai — 372 Victoria Street
Van Mai sits at the far end of Victoria Street where the tourist foot traffic thins out, which means you’re eating alongside the locals who’ve been coming here since the 1990s. The menu is the size of a novella. The no-frills dining room, fluorescent lighting, and enormous portions are all part of the Victoria Street experience.
What to order: The special pho ($16) is the flagship. The rice paper rolls ($14 for four) are tight and fresh. The broken rice plates ($16–$18) are the under-ordered gem — com tam with grilled pork, egg cake, and fish sauce.
Hours: Mon, Wed–Sun, 11am–10pm. Closed Tuesdays.
I Love Pho — 264 Victoria Street
I Love Pho occupies the middle ground between old-school and modern. The dining room is brighter and more contemporary than the traditional Victoria Street joints, but the food stays authentic. The pho ($15–$18) is solid, the banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancake, $18) is excellent, and the rice paper roll platter ($22) works well for sharing.
Best for: First-timers to Victoria Street who want authentic food in a slightly more approachable setting. Groups work well here — the menu is broad enough to accommodate different tastes and the tables are larger than average.
Hours: Mon–Sun, 10am–9:30pm.
The Vietnamese Grocery Experience
Half the Victoria Street experience happens outside the restaurants. The Asian grocery stores lining the strip are destinations in their own right.
What to look for:
- Fresh herbs — Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, sawtooth coriander, and perilla leaf at a fraction of supermarket prices
- Rice paper — For making your own spring rolls at home. Multiple brands and thicknesses available
- Fish sauce — The real stuff, not the watered-down versions at Coles. Look for Three Crabs or Megachef brands
- Instant pho kits — For when you can’t make it to Victoria Street but need the fix
- Fresh rice noodles — Made locally and sold refrigerated. Cook within 2 days of purchase
Getting to Victoria Street
By tram: Victoria Street doesn’t have a dedicated tram route along its length. The 109 tram runs along Bridge Road (one street south) and the 78 tram runs along Church Street (intersecting Victoria Street). Walk north from Bridge Road or get off the 78 at the Victoria Street intersection.
By train: East Richmond Station is the closest, about a 5-minute walk to the eastern end of the strip. Richmond Station is a 10-minute walk to the western end.
By car: Street parking is available along Victoria Street with 1–2 hour metered limits. The Victoria Gardens shopping centre at the eastern end has free parking if you’re prepared to walk.
On foot from Swan Street: Victoria Street is roughly a 10–15 minute walk north from Swan Street via Church Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best pho on Victoria Street? Pho Hung Vuong Saigon at 208 Victoria Street is the consensus pick among locals and food writers. The special pho ($16) sets the benchmark. Van Mai at 372 Victoria Street runs a close second with a slightly different broth profile.
What’s the cheapest meal on Victoria Street? A banh mi from N Lee Bakery or Minh Xuong at $6.50 is the best value meal in the inner east. For a sit-down meal, pho at $15–$16 is hard to beat anywhere in Melbourne.
Is Victoria Street safe at night? During restaurant hours (roughly 11am–10pm), Victoria Street is busy, well-lit, and safe. After 10pm, the foot traffic thins, particularly on the western end near Hoddle Street. The eastern end near Church Street stays quieter but residential. Richmond Police Station is at 392 Church Street, staffed 24/7.
Is Victoria Street good for vegetarians? Vietnamese cuisine has strong vegetarian options. Most restaurants on the strip offer vegetarian pho (with vegetable broth), tofu-based bun bowls, and vegetarian spring rolls. I Love Pho (264 Victoria Street) has a particularly good vegetarian section on their menu.
Verdict
Victoria Street is Melbourne’s most important food strip. Not the most fashionable, not the most Instagrammed, not the most written-about — but the most important. It represents four decades of Vietnamese-Australian culture, community, and culinary excellence in a 1.5km stretch of road. The food is extraordinary, the prices are accessible, and the experience is genuine.
Whether you’re eating $6.50 banh mi on a park bench or sitting down for a $17 bun bo hue at Pho Hung Vuong, Victoria Street delivers something that no other strip in Melbourne can replicate. Come hungry. Leave full. Come back next week.
Read More
- Late Night Food in Richmond — Victoria Street’s after-dark options and beyond
- Richmond Neighbourhood Guide — how Victoria Street fits into the wider suburb
- Things to Do in Richmond — the full activity guide including a Victoria Street food crawl
Explore More of Richmond
- Richmond History
- Richmond Things To Do This Weekend
- Richmond Cheap Eats
- Richmond Rent Guide
- Richmond Date Night Guide
- Richmond New Openings
- Richmond Things To Do
- Richmond Rent Report
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