Correction (10 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 9 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
This page is about the low end of the menu: baguettes, roti, noodles and small plates near South Melbourne. It covers four places, two in South Melbourne, one in Southbank and one in Albert Park, and Southbank sits right next to South Melbourne.
We name items rather than calling a whole venue cheap, because a place can print a low price on one line and a high one on the next. Every price was copied from the page linked under Sources, and each place was checked against at least two sources, including its own website and the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) or OpenStreetMap.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roti, fried rice, noodles | Penang Road | Plain Roti 面包咖喱汁/面包沙爹汁 | $10.05 |
| Noodles and fried snacks | Meetbowl | Fried Batagor | $17 |
| Baguettes at one price | VPR Vietnamese Street Food | Pulled Chicken Coconut Curry Baguette | $10.00 |
| A baguette and small plates | Chez Bagou | Golden fish fritters, smoked paprika chipotle (2 pcs) | $13 |
Penang Road — 177 Clarendon St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Penang Road’s menu prints Plain Roti 面包咖喱汁/面包沙爹汁 with curry sauce or satay sauce at $10.05, and roti is a flatbread you tear and dip. It also prints Malaysian Nasi Goreng 马来炒饭 at $17.80, which is fried rice. Penang Road’s menu prints Char Kuey Teow 炒贵刁 at $18.80, a stir-fried flat rice noodle dish. The omelettes on the same menu print higher, so they are not part of a cheap order.
On the menu (copied from penangroad.com.au/menu on 9 October 2026):
- Shrimps Omelette 芙蓉蛋虾仁: $26.60
- Chicken Omelette 芙蓉蛋鸡粒: $26.60
- BBQ Pork Omelette 芙蓉蛋叉烧: $26.60
- Plain Roti 面包咖喱汁/面包沙爹汁: $10.05
The move: Pick the roti or the fried rice from Penang Road’s menu and read the rest of the board before you add anything.
Meetbowl — 95 York Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Meetbowl’s menu prints Combination Chicken Noodle at $16 and Chicken & Mushroom Noodle at $17. It also prints Fried Batagor at $17, a fried fish-dumpling snack. Meetbowl’s site lists it closed Monday and Tuesday, open 11 am to 3 pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 am to 6 pm Friday to Sunday. The site is undated, so confirm prices when you order.
On the menu (copied from meetbowl.me/make-a-order on 9 October 2026):
- Fried Batagor: $17
- Bakwan Malang: $19
- Shumai Bandung: $18.50
- Mie Bangka: $19
What it is: Meetbowl’s menu prints Mie Bangka at $19, a noodle dish and one of the higher prices on its board.
VPR Vietnamese Street Food — 3 Freshwater Pl, Southbank VIC 3006
VPR’s menu prints Pulled Chicken Coconut Curry Baguette at $10.00, and its site lists weekdays from 10:30am to 3pm. A Vietnamese baguette is a light crusty roll packed with a filling. VPR’s menu prints BBQ Lemongrass Pork Baguette at $10.00 and Caramelized Beef Baguette at $10.00 too. AGFG lists takeaway for VPR, and it is in Southbank, not South Melbourne.
On the menu (copied from vprasian.com.au/menu on 9 October 2026):
- Pulled Chicken Coconut Curry Baguette: $10.00
- Roasted Chicken Baguette: $10.00
- BBQ Lemongrass Pork Baguette: $10.00
- Caramelized Beef Baguette: $10.00
The move: VPR’s menu prints Chicken Satay Baguette at $10.00, so pick any baguette on the board and check the weekday hours first.
Chez Bagou — 132 Bridport Street, Albert Park VIC 3206
Chez Bagou is in Albert Park, and its site lists Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 pm and Thursday to Saturday from 12 pm, both until late. Chez Bagou’s menu PDF prints French affair baguette, salted butter at $7. It also prints Golden fish fritters, smoked paprika chipotle (2 pcs) at $13. The site is undated, and the bigger plates on that menu print well above this page’s budget.
On the menu (copied from chezbagou.com.au/New-menu-CB-june-2026-2.pdf on 9 October 2026):
- Golden fish fritters, smoked paprika chipotle (2 pcs): $13
- French affair baguette, salted butter: $7
- Steak tartare a la maison, 100g: $29
- Mushrooms lentill ragu pie: $34
The move: Chez Bagou’s menu prints French affair baguette, salted butter at $7, the lowest price on this page.
Quick answers
Where can I find a cheap lunch near South Melbourne?
VPR Vietnamese Street Food in Southbank prints Pulled Chicken Coconut Curry Baguette at $10.00 on the menu we copied, and its site lists weekdays from 10:30am to 3pm. Chez Bagou in Albert Park prints French affair baguette, salted butter at $7, and its site lists Thursday to Saturday from 12 pm.
Is there cheap roti or noodles in South Melbourne?
Penang Road’s menu prints Plain Roti 面包咖喱汁/面包沙爹汁 at $10.05. Meetbowl’s menu prints Combination Chicken Noodle at $16. Both are in South Melbourne, and prices may have changed since we copied them.
Which of these cheap eats are actually in South Melbourne?
Penang Road is on Clarendon Street and Meetbowl is on York Street, both in South Melbourne. VPR Vietnamese Street Food is in Southbank and Chez Bagou is in Albert Park, so they are nearby rather than in the suburb.
Which of these cheap eats list takeaway?
AGFG lists takeaway for Meetbowl and VPR Vietnamese Street Food. Penang Road’s own site says ‘We offer casual dining and take away.’ For Chez Bagou we found an AGFG alfresco dining tag but no takeaway line, so ask the venue.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 9 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 9 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Penang Road: openstreetmap.org/3522857452, penangroad.com.au, penangroad.com.au/menu
- Meetbowl: openstreetmap.org/3522857451, meetbowl.me, agfg.com.au/meetbowl-81555, meetbowl.me/make-a-order
- VPR Vietnamese Street Food: vprasian.com.au, agfg.com.au/vpr-vietnamese-street-food-81099, vprasian.com.au/menu
- Chez Bagou: openstreetmap.org/844920815, chezbagou.com.au, agfg.com.au/chez-bagou-72197, chezbagou.com.au/New-menu-CB-june-2026-2.pdf, chezbagou.com.au/menu
