You’re in Selby, hungry, and the “best restaurants” map keeps dragging you down to Belgrave. Here’s the plain call: where to eat first, what to skip, and which nearby options are actually worth the short trip.
The Verdict
Pick Cognoscenti Food & Wine first. It has the strongest combination on this list: a 4.8/5 rating, 357 Google reviews, and a Burwood Highway address at 1628A that puts it right in the Belgrave cluster most Selby diners will end up using. If you want the safest “I need dinner and I don’t want to waste the night” choice, this is the one. It beats the obvious scattergun approach because it has enough review volume to mean something, without looking like a generic high-traffic default.
The backup call is N&N Bánh Mì if you want something faster and simpler, also rated 4.8/5, though with a smaller 44-review base. For a bigger night out, Killik Handcrafted Rum on Monbulk Rd is the more distinctive pick: 4.7/5 from 429 reviews and marked mid-range. The catch is that Selby itself is not doing the heavy lifting here; most of the useful food choices are in Belgrave, especially along Burwood Highway. Don’t build your night around “finding a hidden Selby restaurant strip” — you’ll regret it. Treat this as a Selby-to-Belgrave eating shortlist and you’ll make a better decision.
Local Reality
What it’s actually like: the list is heavily concentrated just east of Selby in Belgrave, especially around Burwood Highway. Cognoscenti Food & Wine, Earthly Pleasures Cafe, La Collina Pizzeria, Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen, India Gate Restaurant, Belgrave Hotel, Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas Belgrave, Meat & Dumpling Belgrave, Jimmys kebab Belgrave, The Blacksmith, and Bensons Café And Restaurant all sit on or just off that main run. That is good if you want options close together; it is annoying if you expected a quiet Selby village dinner without leaving the suburb.
The Monbulk Rd options are different. Killik Handcrafted Rum and Micawber Tavern sit away from the Burwood Highway food strip, which makes them better suited to a planned stop than a quick comparison walk between venues. Belgrave Pizza House on Bayview Road is the outlier for pizza rather than a main-strip browse. Skip this list if you need a guaranteed late-night option without checking hours; the source data verifies the businesses, ratings, review counts, and listed price tiers, but you still need to confirm current opening hours before you go. If you are west of the Selby side and do not want to drive or rideshare, you may be better off looking at a neighbouring suburb guide instead of forcing Belgrave into the plan.
Who This Suits
If you’re planning a date night, pick Cognoscenti Food & Wine. If you want something quick and low-commitment, pick N&N Bánh Mì or Jimmys kebab Belgrave. If you’re going out with a group that wants drinks attached to the decision, start with Killik Handcrafted Rum or Micawber Tavern. If you’re feeding people who cannot agree, use the Burwood Highway cluster and choose between Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas Belgrave, Meat & Dumpling Belgrave, La Collina Pizzeria, Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen, India Gate Restaurant, or Belgrave Hotel once you’re there.
Cost expectations are mixed. The listed affordable options are La Collina Pizzeria, Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen - Belgrave, and Belgrave Hotel. The listed mid-range options are Killik Handcrafted Rum, Earthly Pleasures Cafe, The Blacksmith, Bensons Café And Restaurant, India Gate Restaurant, and Micawber Tavern. Several venues have no price tier in the supplied data, so do not assume cheap just because they are casual. Check the current menu before you commit, especially for groups.
Time of day matters. For daytime eating, Earthly Pleasures Cafe, The Blacksmith, and Bensons Café And Restaurant make more sense than trying to turn every listing into a dinner option. For dinner, Cognoscenti, Babaji’s, India Gate, Meat & Dumpling, Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas, La Collina, Micawber, and Belgrave Hotel are the more natural shortlist. Weekends will punish vague planning; choose before you leave Selby, then check hours and booking rules.
What to Do Next
Choose Cognoscenti Food & Wine if you only want one answer, then keep Killik or N&N Bánh Mì as your backup depending on mood. For suburb context before you go, read the Selby Suburb Guide.
| Venue | Rating | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognoscenti Food & Wine | 4.8/5 | 357 | — |
| N&N Bánh Mì | 4.8/5 | 44 | — |
| Killik Handcrafted Rum | 4.7/5 | 429 | $$ |
| Jimmys kebab Belgrave | 4.6/5 | 118 | — |
| Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas Belgrave | 4.5/5 | 299 | — |
| Meat & Dumpling Belgrave | 4.5/5 | 271 | — |
| Earthly Pleasures Cafe | 4.4/5 | 995 | $$ |
| The Blacksmith | 4.4/5 | 783 | $$ |
| La Collina Pizzeria | 4.4/5 | 530 | Affordable |
| Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen - Belgrave | 4.3/5 | 1,803 | Affordable |
| Bensons Café And Restaurant | 4.3/5 | 675 | $$ |
| India Gate Restaurant | 4.3/5 | 194 | $$ |
| Belgrave Pizza House | 4.3/5 | 171 | — |
| Micawber Tavern | 4.2/5 | 1,944 | $$ |
| Belgrave Hotel | 4.2/5 | 408 | Affordable |
Venue Details
Cognoscenti Food & Wine
Address: 1628A Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.8/5 (357 reviews)
N&N Bánh Mì
Address: 1652 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.8/5 (44 reviews)
Killik Handcrafted Rum
Address: 64 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave
Rating: 4.7/5 (429 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
Jimmys kebab Belgrave
Address: 1684 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.6/5 (118 reviews)
Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas Belgrave
Address: Unit 2/1678 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.5/5 (299 reviews)
Meat & Dumpling Belgrave
Address: 1682 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.5/5 (271 reviews)
Earthly Pleasures Cafe
Address: 1627 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.4/5 (995 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
The Blacksmith
Address: 1/1700 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.4/5 (783 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
La Collina Pizzeria
Address: 1640 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.4/5 (530 reviews)
Price: Affordable
Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen - Belgrave
Address: 1/1644 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.3/5 (1,803 reviews)
Price: Affordable
Bensons Café And Restaurant
Address: 1710 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.3/5 (675 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
India Gate Restaurant
Address: 3/1644 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.3/5 (194 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
Belgrave Pizza House
Address: 19/21 Bayview Road, Belgrave
Rating: 4.3/5 (171 reviews)
Micawber Tavern
Address: 65/71 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave
Rating: 4.2/5 (1,944 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
Belgrave Hotel
Address: 1645 Burwood Highway, Belgrave
Rating: 4.2/5 (408 reviews)
Price: Affordable
About This Guide
Every venue in this guide is a verified, currently operating business sourced from Google Places API. Data last refreshed: 2026-03-31. If a venue has closed or moved, let us know.
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