A bite-sized recap of the biggest stories of the week, so you know where to go and what to order across Melbourne and Victoria. Check in each week so you can be the smartest person in your group chat.
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Get Baked’s famous 24-layer cake is coming to Messina
The Bertha is a visual feast of dark chocolate cake and ganache standing 24 layers high, each $40 slice weighing in at about 900g. It’s the viral signature dish at Get Baked in the UK and it’s in Australia for a three-day pop-up at gelato giant Messina from next week. Bruce Bogtrotter, eat your heart out. It’s available via pre-order from August 10, for pick-up at Messina outlets across Melbourne August 14-16, but she’s not coming alone. The pop-up also includes ‘The Mertha’, a collaboration cake pairing 12 layers of chocolate sponge with layers of malt cheesecake, Milo ganache and Milo crumble.
The Tony Trail food tour at Queen Vic Market
Calling all cinephile foodies – A24’s much anticipated Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony is coming to Australian cinemas this August. Ahead of the release, the Queen Victoria Market are launching a one-off weekend tour of its traders and food halls inspired by Bourdain’s time visiting the market. Tickets are $119 and include tastings across eight venues from 10am on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16. Think freshly cooked mussels, pickled octopus, artisanal cheeses and of course, Queen Vic’s iconic hot jam doughnuts. Book here.
Good Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes & Bakeries guide
Melbourne’s coffee – and by extension, its cafe scene – is often declared among the best in the world. But what is the hallmark of a good cafe in 2026? The answers are found in Good Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries Guide. Narrowing it down to just 100 anonymously reviewed venues wasn’t easy in such a cafe and bakery-dense city that continues to grow. But visit any of the spots on this list, and we guarantee you’ll be happy, whether you’re a long-black drinker or a banana cream matcha obsessive.
Hot ticket: Michelin-starred Hanoi restaurant at Aru
This spring, Vietnam’s Michelin-starred restaurant Gia is coming to Melbourne. The Hanoi fine diner is taking over our very own two-hatted Aru on Little Collins Street for just two nights in September. Gia co-owner and head chef Sam Tran, the first Vietnamese chef to retain a star for four consecutive years, is preparing an eight-course tasting menu ($245 per person) on September 1 and 2 from 5.45pm, with drinks pairings available for an extra $125 a head ($75 for non-alcoholic).
Hump day special: $25 pizza and wine at Garfield
Lygon Street pizzeria Garfield is giving us a reason to brave the midweek chill this winter with its Wednesday night pizza and wine special. Each week, get a wood-fired margherita – made with 72-hour fermented dough using Garfield’s signature Tokyo stretch method – plus a glass of house fiano or sangiovese, all for just $25. Date night, sorted.
Our most popular winter recipes
From crowd-pleasing tray bakes, pies and puds, to crumbly, nostalgic cookies, Good Food’s most popular recipes in July covered all winter comfort food bases, plus more. Sink your spoon into these 21 comforting recipes you loved the most last month – and be sure to bookmark your favourites to your own custom recipe saved list on the Good Food app.
The Download: July recap
Hot ticket: Avani’s July dining series with top chefs
Mornington Peninsula winery Avani is returning to its pop-up roots this month, hosting a slew of Melbourne’s top chefs who will serve a curated menu each Sunday and Monday throughout July. If you missed the first weekend, hosted by Mauritian restaurant Manze’s Nagesh Seethiah, there’s plenty more to come. This weekend (Sunday, July 12 and Monday, July 13), you’ll find former Lilac chefs Kyle Nicol and Viveik Vinoharan (The Age Good Food Guide 2026 Young Chef of the Year) on the pans cooking a European and Sri Lankan-inspired menu focused on small plates and charcuterie. Across the weeks to follow, expect Indian dishes by Kolkata Cricket Club’s Mischa Tropp, and south-east Asian dining from Cam Tay-Yap of pop-up restaurant Pebble. Each set menu is $95 per person, and bookings can be made here.
Seven days of steak frites in Melbourne
Call it a recession indicator, or perhaps we’re sick of endless share plate menus, but the bistro classic of steak frites is having a moment. The city is sizzling with special steak nights offering elevated versions of meat and potatoes. So what’s behind the new craze, and where can you find the best deals? We’ve rounded up one for every night of the week here.
Jellycat launches new sushi collection
Foodie parents (and girlies) unite: Jellycat has officially launched its adorable new sushi range. The collection, part of the Amuseables line, is destined to ignite a future generation of omakase connoisseurs, featuring three plushy soft toys including the Soyella Edamame Bean, the Coshi California Roll, and the Coneroi Temaki. It’s available at select Jellycat stockists – keep your eyes peeled.
Sweet deal: Hector’s Deli turns nine with birthday dot doughnuts
Retro is back, baby, and dot cakes (AKA cake with icing and sprinkles) are everywhere. But if a glazed doughnut is your preferred calling for a 3pm sweet treat, Hector’s Deli is celebrating its ninth birthday with a limited edition birthday dot doughnut ($6.50). The glazed number is filled with cereal milk cream and dusted, of course, with colourful sprinkles. It’s available until July 31 exclusively at Hector’s Bakery in Richmond, and the sandwich shop’s CBD doughnut hub Hector’s Kiosk. A cereal milk cold brew frappe is also on the menu at Hector’s Bakery.
Your 50 favourite recipes of the year (so far)
In light of the new financial year we’re throwing it back, and reflecting on the past six months’ worth of recipes through sepia tones. Channel your inner Nonna or Nonno with thrifty Italian family recipes from the likes of comedy trio Sooshi Mango (whose lasagne is pictured, right) and top chef Giovanni Pilu. Or try Adam Liaw’s gentle update to a classic pasta bake. Plus rediscover Aussie country bakery favourites including vanilla slice, creamy no-bake cheesecake and our Anzac bikkie twins. See the full list here and save your favourites to your own custom recipe folders on the Good Food app.
Sunday session: Saadi to launch Indian Bread Shop
Contemporary diner Saadi, which found a permanent home in the former Sunda site on Punch Lane last year, is spicing up your Sunday with Indian Bread Shop – a once-off collaboration with ex-Falco bakery co-owner Christine Tran. Running on Sunday, July 26, the team have created a brunch-friendly menu for the day with dishes like shio pan with bhaji; plus a shokupan riff on kejriwal – the Indian breakfast dish of eggs topped with cheese and chilli on toast – and fried flatbread with amritsari chole, a spicy chickpea curry. Save room for rhubarb crumble cake with cardamom-spiced custard. It’s running from 11am until 3pm (or sold out) and bookings are available here.
New sushi laws arrive in Australia
Where did the prawns in your curry laksa come from? Is the battered fillet in your fish and chips at the pub from Victoria or Vietnam? Do you care if it’s Australian tuna in your sushi roll? Peak body Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) believes that consumers do care where their fish, prawns and lobster tails come from, and, as of this week, all restaurants must let you know if the seafood they are serving is Australian or imported. It’s called Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), and after a 12-month transition period it will be mandatory from July 1. Find out what you need to know here.
Buy imported Greek wines at South Melbourne’s Aegli
Husband-and-wife run Greek restaurant Aegli in South Melbourne is extending its offering from restaurant to retail with a new collection of ready-to-purchase imported Greek wines. Starting from $40, bottles are selected and sourced exclusively from Greece, while monthly showcases will highlight various regions – from Santorini to Naoussa and beyond. Head in to the Coventry Street restaurant to peruse the selection.
Shock closure of two high-profile Abbotsford restaurants
Hospitality operators have issued a clarion call following the closure last week of two well-loved venues at Abbotsford Convent, which documents show were saddled with $883,000 in debts to the Australian Taxation Office. Cam’s Kiosk, open at the convent since 2009 and well patronised, owes $584,000 while Good Food chef’s hatted restaurant Julie, which traded for nearly three years, owes $299,000. The restaurants, both led by Melbourne founder-restaurateur Cameron Miller, have appointed liquidators and ceased trading, as reported yesterday. Find out more here.
Hump day special: Lunch from $35 at a hatted restaurant
Opposite South Wharf, on the banks of the Yarra, From Here by Mike has cooked up a bargain weekday lunch. Get one main course for $35 – perhaps a scotch fillet with fries or a seasonal pasta – or add an entree and pay $50 total. In her November review, Dani Valent wrote, “Each plate is a clever, delicious showcase of ingredients, working on its own terms but also singing in harmony with the rest of the menu”. With the deal available Monday to Friday, noon to 2.30pm, it seems like a solid choice for your next business meeting or team lunch. Find out more.
Sweet deal: Stokehouse Pasta & Bar $45 express lunch
Hatted St Kilda fine diner Stokehouse’s casual beachfront offshoot is bringing the midweek power lunch back to Melbourne. At Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, dine from 12-3pm on Mondays through to Fridays and enjoy a two-course lunch with a glass of wine for just $45 per person. Perfect for a business lunch or midweek catch up, the express dining deal includes a small entree to start, plus a pasta of your choosing from the menu’s rotating selection, and a wine or house drink. Bookings can be made here.
Save your favourite recipes and restaurants on the Good Food app
No more dog-earing your recipe books. The Good Food app has launched a new saved function, which allows you to compile all your favourite recipes in one easy place. Simply click the bookmark icon to save, then head to the Saved page on the navigation panel to view. The Good Food app is home to more than 10,000 recipes from Australia’s top cooks, including Nagi Maehashi, Adam Liaw, Helen Goh, Neil Perry, Karen Martini, Emelia Jackson and more.