TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in Australia - Updated November 2024

Lau's Family Kitchen

85/100 (1596 ratings)

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Dinner

Lunch

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Beef

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Omelette

Eggplant

Chili

Crab

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Duck

Oyster

Calamari

Calamares

Shanghai

Cantonese

Hong Kong

"Fabulous service and fantastic food from this delightful st kilda restaurant. Place was full, lots of staff including the famous Gilbert Lau who..."

Srslyfoods

"Best Cantonese cuisine in Melbourne. Small place but clean. I ordered five signature dishes fron the menu and every one of them surprised one..."

Blair He

"Some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. Some notable dishes I tried were the crab omlette, lightly fried calamari, dumplings and fried rice. All..."

Lewis

"I had not been here for a long time but it is very much how i remember it. Elegant food and wonderful service. We started off with the whitebait..."

Scottyfella

"Every time my family, especially my dad, visited me, we always come back to this restaurant. Its my dad’s favourite in Melbourne! Those pictures..."

Vivi Susanti

"My experience with Lau’s Kitchen may not have been super proper. It’s one of the few Asian options in Saint Kilda. And my parents almost..."

Donutsam

"This would have to be one of the best food experiences in Australia. Coming from the Flower Drum Dad you have to expect it would be good but the food..."

Peter Hugall

"The place is always packed on the weekend. We had dined in for CNY. The food is good. Service is great and thoughtful. The food is overpriced. You..."

Yoshi69

"Been regular to this place. Authentic Cantonese food. Could order anything with confidence, can’t go wrong. Recommend barbecue pork,..."

5ilverr

"Went to Lau’s Kitchen during the week and its full! Wow did not expect a chinese restaurant to be like this. Had the oyster two ways,..."

Eating Away Melbourne

"The owner is former owner of Flower drum ( very famous in the world, Cantonese cuisine). Mr GILBERT LAU , he is a great great lovely gentleman, he..."

Candy Cheung Jackson

"10/10 for service... never had an empty beer and staff were very helpful. Food is also excellent with my highlights being the BBQ pork which was..."

Birdman

"4.5/5Fantastic Chinese’s food, some of the best!! Tasty fresh food and exceptional service from all the staff! Crispy wontons and bbq pork to..."

Denny Patron

"Food: amazing quality of food with great taste very close to what you’ll get from Asia. Huge variety of choices to choose from.Service:..."

Kravengerfoodie

"Food is fabulous. It tastes the natural flavor of the food material rather than heavy sauces. The staff are very friendly and make you feel very..."

Niconiconi

"Located in St Kilda, Lau’s Family kitchen is a great example of food and impeccable service delivered at its finest. Lau’s Family Kitchen..."

Melbourniancritic (The Melbourne Experience)

"Recommended by lots of friends, and Lau’s Fmaily Kitchen didn’t disappoint me! We went there for lunch, booked in advance. The food..."

Jianierrrrrr

"had the oyster pot, fried fish and char siu. all are verh good.service great and attentive. must book, very packed even on monday..."

Aaaaa

"Fresh ingredients. Thats what makes a memorable dish for tonight dining out experience. The menu is carefully chosen and well tried. You can taste..."

Mei

"A high quality Chinese meal bringing together a blend of Cantonese and Sichuan dishes. My meals were all tasty and well prepared with fresh..."

Hungry Tum

"So pleased to see a place live up to the hype. Flawless Chinese food serviced with that famous Flower Drum attention and hospitality...."

Foodie AC

"Hands down my favourite Chinese restaurant in Melbourne!!!! Amazing food that highlights the flavours of the produce instead of being overly..."

Andrea

"Not sure what to focus on here... the food or the service. Both impeccable. Three years since i last dined here and the experience is still..."

PedGetsFed

"Old timer .... classic Cantonese food; simplicity at its best and a bit pricey too ... not their wines.For those missing the old..."

"JT" Jeffrie Trika

"Possibly the best Chinese I've had in Australia. Very authentic, high quality ingredients, excellent service. I cannot fault it. Tonight was our..."

Justine

"I'm not an expert in Cantonese cuisine and can't define the authenticity of meals I had tonight but I know that my tastebuds were absolutely..."

Mamma Leone

"What more can you ask for? Great food, wine list and friendly staff. This is the famous Gilbert Lau inspired and mentored Chinese restaurant which is..."

FoodieGuru_770

"Lau's family kitchen is an amazing Chinese restaurant! All staff are friendly and I've been their several times. Every time 5\5. The food is just..."

Alan V

"Been here a number of times. Always faultless. From service to food quality, this place is my favourite for Cantonese in Melbourne. Try the steamed..."

Rod

"Have been to lau's half a dozen times now & I cannot fault one this in this restaurant. Food, beverage & service all 100% each time. See you again..."

Foodlovermelb6

"Everything was good, yet nothing special, Here for friends birthday, had good time. Ver cosy, prompt service, the quality of ingredient is..."

Baysidefoodie

"It's not often these days that I find myself dining out in St Kilda – sadly it’s no longer on my radar. But recently, we had tickets to see..."

Sub Urban

"Very fresh food, especially the seafood. The spicy tofu and sweet sour pork are great too. Friendly and attentive staff. Only Disappointed to..."

Nat Nat

"My partner is very fussy when it comes to Cantonese food. It's unavoidable when he is from Hong Kong, and has grown up eating the best that Cantonese..."

Hello. Imnikki

"Tasty and well-cooked food, family-run and always packed restaurant. Go for the truffle fried rice!!We booked a table for two in advance..."

Luke And Hannah

"Been here a few times now and the food is consistently good. Always lovely seeing old Mr Lau helping out his sons. The noise is sometimes a bit much..."

Pinch Of Bacon

"We ate at Lau's on Saturday night (1/4/17) around 6.30pm. One of the best places for service at this time we have eaten at in a long time, well done..."

Cooper

"Lau's kitchen ticks all the boxes, nice atmosphere, prompt services and good food.The only thing is the food isn't quite authentic Chinese,..."

Latteme

"DO: Everything. But the best would be toothfish, sweet and sour pork, soy Chicken and my absolute favourite Truffle Fried rice. DON'T:..."

David Food Leasing

"Amazing Cantonese. The truffle fried rice, toothfish, crispy skin chicken and mix veges. Will be back again. The service was also..."

Shelddon

"Really well done Cantonese food with friendly, playful yet professional service. Food: entrees were great and can recommend the lamb spring rolls as..."

Brillat_Savarin

"When I first started doing some serious travel to Melbourne for the big events, like the Melbourne Cup, one of the restaurants I had to try was..."

Ben Lee Kong

"Such a gem of a restaurant. Really enjoyed our time, from the friendly waiters to the delicious food. Lovely outside tables to sit in the..."

Ilovemelbourne

"Hidden Gem !I was surprised when I came here ! It wasnt like what I have imagined. Trully fooled by the fish picture as I thought it will..."

Hartini Wong

"The best Cantonese restaurant in Melbourne with exceptional service. The patagonian tooth fish are really good here or I should say 'excellent' both..."

Mira Surjadi

"The only place hustlin' and bustlin' down Acland on a Tuesday night and with good reason! Authentic, homely, delicious meals. Sat outside which..."

Milla Vanilla

"Great food and wonderful service. Must sit outside on a warm balmy Melbourne and eat the best home style Chinese food in Australia. Great wine list..."

Becca

"Tucked away in St Kilda, this cosy little space is all about authentic Asian cooking with an up market appeal. Everything we ordered delivered in..."

Jordan

"A breathtaking meal from start to finish. Every dish was presented simply but exquisitely, showcasing a respect for the freshest ingredients,..."

Thaddeus Ong

"I don't like this new version of this zomato, I don't want to leave the review, but I need to reminding me how many marks I give to this restaurant..."

Xiaoqingyin2007

"I am glad I finally visited this restaurant. We had the King George Whiting for starters, the sechuan Aubergine and the beef in black bean sauce...."

Meysam Ahmadi

"Had another great dinner at Lau's and find it hard to fault.The staff were friendly and accommodating as usual.We ordered the lemon and..."

Reet

"The atmosphere was fantastic with great service. The selection of the food is quite common but overall very pricey. Maybe because they were belong to..."

Monkey King

"Fine dining Chinese restaurant, please dont expect over quiet like other western fine dining, the environment of the restaurant is still quite casual..."

Snoopy

"Great service & high quality food. This & Di Stasio are the only places left in St Kilda that are worth your $$, time & effort. Can't wait to visit..."

Gio

"Fine, fine China. The toothfish with soy and sake is one of the most exquisite dishes I've ever eaten. It's many years since I went to Flower Drum,..."

Onara

"Having recently eaten at Flower Drum, I can finally conclude that Lau's Family Kitchen knows a thing or two more about food, service and experience. ..."

Noble_rot

"Yum-a-dub-dub in my tum-tum-tum! Any time anybody wants to go to Lau's, I AM IN!!!! Most excellent all the way around. Why not a '5'? It's very very..."

Chad

"A small hidden kitchen located on a side street away from all the crazy of St Kilda. The food is beautiful- quality is definitely there. Service-..."

Narzi-Goreng

"Underwhelmed. Firstly service was delightful. Service was let down by food best described as ordinary. Every dish we tried was fairly well..."

Latitudes

"Had an amazing lunch! I Will be back there for my next Chinese meal. Beautiful flavours in the food and the qual was cooked perfect. Lau's Family..."

James Raine

"Having recently moved to Melbourne from Sydney, I have been looking forward to dining at Lau's ever since I moved. Lunch here today did not..."

Richmond Rachel

"If you want yummy Asian food without feeling the gym bloaty effects of all the msg in the food then Lau's is the place! This would have to be one of..."

Alyce Campana

"Sublime food - the flavours and so delicate and well balanced. Salt and pepper squid is easily and by far the best I've ever had in my life. Beef..."

MelbourneMiss

"Lovely food. Some dishes are nicer than at Flowerdrum. Wine was so so. Pricey for what you get, but a very enjoyable meal. Chilly prawns are..."

Little Man

"Always exceptional.Always attentive.Always fresh.Always detailed.Always pleased!This restaurant will forever be one of my..."

Melanie Hargreaves

"Great service, really nice food. However, probably overpriced for what it is. $180 no alcohol for 3 adults, would have received 10x more food for..."

Sarah Wright

"Best food, fantastic service frompeter can't wait to come back!! Can't believe I haven't been here before!! New favourite restaurant!! Highly..."

Chelsea F

"Much like a penguin, I can get easily distracted by shiny things so when I am in the area of the Prince complex on Acland Street, it is rather hard..."

Epicurean Of Southbank

"But the mushroom fried rice, is perfection, each and every..."

Popcornandtoast

"Special New Years menu - delicious. Excellent service. Will be back to try the sweet and sour pork, hope the braised pork feet is there..."

Liam Saliba (lsp0)

"Great service, high quality, authentic cuisine and it's pretty much the best value + good vibe/crowd in the area (aside from Fitzrovia). The food is..."

T Gauntlett

"The Melbourne Cantonese legend is finally retiring in style, not doing a #johnfarnham act. Thank you #uncle Godfather Gilbert, the family and team..."

Jeffrie Trika

"One of Melbourne’s best kept secretes. Amazing food, the dumplings and the duck are delicious and the seafood is always the best and freshest. It..."

Warren Tate Speaker Coach

"A very good Chinese Cantonese trattoria, dumpling are awesome; service is friendly and warm, the ambience is 90 but still charming... wine list needs..."

Raffaele Mastrovincenzo

"Has always been my favourite Chinese restaurant in Melbourne. The soy spatchcock is a must!! I suggest to limit your group to 4 max for better..."

Charlie Soon

"A crowd favourite and rightly so! This is hugely popular with the locals, but don’t let the mostly Caucasian crowd fool one into thinking that the..."

Garett Lee

"Amazing service by Christine. Recommend most of the dishes. Good service and food. Well balanced restaurant. Best Chinese restaurant so..."

Ian R

Mahjong Restaurant

76/100 (1441 ratings)

Restaurants

Vegetarian Friendly

Asian

Chinese

Asian

Vegetarian Friendly

Drinks

Dinner

Lunch

Beef

Duck Pancakes

Fish

Dumplings

Fried rice

BBQ Pork Buns

Pork

Dumplings

Crispy Skin Pork Belly

Wonton soup

Pancakes

Sticky Coconut Rice with Fresh Fruit

Steamed rice

Beijing Duck Pancake Stir Fried Asian Green

Duck breast

Chili

Duck

Calamari

Calamares

Dim Sum

Prawns

Mandarin Duck

Fried Ice Cream

Peking Duck

Cantonese

Hong Kong

Sit down

Asian

Chinese

Wine and Beer

Full Bar

Accepts Credit Cards

Outdoor Seating

Takeout

Accepts Mastercard

Accepts Visa

Seating

Accepts American Express

Table Service

Street Parking

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Drinks

Dinner

Lunch

Mid-range

"Food and service couldn't have been better. The management and staff were unbelievably friendly and attentive. Great atmosphere and fun place to go..."

Ian Hynd

"Yummy made to order food. Good service and nice atmosphere. My family fav place for dumplings. Soy steamed fish is a must..."

Mimi Nguyen

"A must!! So many great nights at this restaurant with quality food and staff. Highly recommend. Maxy is the best!! We love..."

Kate Hanlon

"Love the Szechuan hot and sour soup and the juicy pork dumplings are super juicy. Great spot for Yum Cha and catch up with..."

Hae-mi Hong

"When it comes to dining experience, you cannot top this place. Food was delicious and well prepared and presented, blending modern with traditional..."

Howard Lam

"Mahjong is the finest Chinese restaraunt in Melbourne, a great place for an all you can eat Yum Cha without the trollies. You order what you want..."

David Lloyd

"Their Saturday/Sunday lunch Yum Cha is my ultimate!! You have to order the Rose! best $28 you will ever spend i..."

Stuart Maltese

"Not your typical Chinese food. Loved it especially the pork belly!! Great meal definitely recommend. Friendly..."

Heather Fisher

"Amazing food. Every dish was brilliant. Service was amazing. I’m..."

Shawn Bergquist

"We had the Yum Cha special on Sunday and the food was fantastic. They kindly fitted us in without a reservation (though will definitely book next..."

Simone Forde

"Was the best experience in Melbourne food wise and now I need more but I’m back in Perth..."

Bradley Fabry

"Great service and beautiful food. Yum cha food on Saturday and Sunday and grey value all cooked..."

Nicole Hansford

"Amazing food and amazing service. Cannot fault this place at..."

Leo Cordedda

"Fantastic staff - fantastic food, we will be..."

Paul Dick

"Great ambience, delicious food - incredible dinner! ⭐️ I first found this restaurant thanks to the Entertainment Book. This offers a..."

Alisha (LifeUnleashed)

"Great service, beer on tap, handmade dumplings, and modern surroundings overlooking Albert Park. And $39 endless yum cha on weekends - can’t go..."

Marc Davis

"Probably the best eye fillet I’ve ever had, so tender! Adding the Guangzhou honey pepper sauce makes it special and a creative way of cooking eye..."

Jaime Eat&Fit

"I came here for the celebration of Mahjong's 10th birthday and had such an amazing time , it truly was a testament to hard work paying off as the..."

Vivian

"Crab and prawn dumpling was lovely but the chilli beef was mehhhh. Flavour was great but the meat was chewy and unpleasant... could have been amazing..."

Lin B

"Mahjong was a highly enjoyable restaurant to enjoy a birthday at, as the staff were kind and the pricing for the quality and quantity of food was..."

Barbraedwards

"Can’t get better Chinese food in Melbourne,The south gippsland pork is amazing .Definitely come back and highly recommend. Best..."

Damienhodgkinson

"Friday night had CBF cooking so skipped down the road to Mahjong for some fried rice. I have walked past squillions of times but never had the urge..."

Simmyeats.Melb

"Fancier than your average dumpling house but not quite fine dining Mahjong remains my number 1 dumpling restaurant in st kilda. Come here several..."

PedGetsFed

"Really nice atmosphere for dining with friends and family! Great food and drink! Really like the graffiti on wall! Nice and friendly staff! my..."

Ben NG

"what an amazing restaurant!!! having a great meal in there. the food is great the service is perfect. we ordered juicy pork dumplings, ginger prawn..."

Anderson

"absolutely recommend! friend service and delicious variety of food! The chilli prawn wonton is make by real prawns without other fill up. we..."

Suki Shum

"A really enjoyable place for yum Cha. The food was fresh and tasty with many varieties to choose from. The service quality and our food came at a..."

CoCoNuT

"We went on a saturday and had the $35 yum cha at lunch time. The food was amazing and it was served promptly. We will definitely be going back..."

Stefan Pn

"This is a seriously outstanding restaurant. We dine here regularly. The $35 yum cha is unbelievably good value. The food is fresh, tasty and..."

Gussie

"If there was ever a time I was going to need to be rolled out of a restaurant, today would have been that day. I came to Mahjong today with my..."

Maddie Kingham

"What can I say? I love Chinese food and since its so difficult to make up mind which dishes to select with so many delicious options, yum cha is a..."

Ryan Ilahi

"A local fave hard to top. Owner is so lovely, and the food is consistently great, especially the Eye Fillet - do yourself a favour, delicious...."

GG

"Yum! Best Chinese food I've tasted in the area. Pork dumplings to die for and the duck spring rolls are also excellent. Wish I had ordered more of..."

Clair

"Thanks to the dining experience in Mahjong, 'FORCE' me to create an account on Zomato purposely, just to share my precious moment with someone who..."

Jack Leo

"Terrific restaurant particularly for the Sunday $35 flat rate yum cha. The food is superb. Our party of four tried numerous dishes (see photos) and..."

Two Sheds

"Dined at Mahjong yesterday and the food was delicious, the service top notch. The venue has great atmosphere with a comfortable..."

Todd Peterson

"WOW the smell when you walk into this place, AMAZING!! One of the best smelling restaurants we have been too! It just lures you in off the street and..."

Jar-Fed

"Lovely ambience and the food reminded me of mixed cantonese and northern chinese flavours. Service was faultless.We had a variety of dumplings,..."

Food For Thought

"Amazing as always!!Went to dinner with friends last night. Loved it!Great service and food! Best ginger prawn dumplings..."

Food Lover

"Been here a few times for lunch and dinner and always has great Yum Cha every time - flavours, freshness and service. Keeps us coming back for more...."

DLC

"Mahjong - what a find! Had the yum cha on saturday and was blown away. fresh fresh fresh! tasty, few dishes with a bit of kick but not to..."

Liam

"Had dinner at Mahjong last night with a friend. Ordered the Mahjong Rose, Cantonese crispy duck, pork belly stir fry and steamed mixed vegs. The..."

Jasemin Sibo

"Sat near the huge marble bar with giant Asian eyes looking down fromthe walls. Fun names for cocktails and a small bar menu that was fine..."

Zeeshan Ahmed

"Slick presentation and gorgeously presented food. Went there on a Sunday recently and I'm not a fan of traditional yum cha with the breaded buns..."

Glenn

"Posted by FoodieAboutTown on Monday, April 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment Gotta love dumplings and dumplings after a long walk they are even better,..."

FoodieAboutTown

"Went to mahjong on Thursday night with 3 girlfriends , we had set menu, $59 per head . Including 10 different items to share, my favourite was the..."

Cherre

"New mahjong. Not sure if this is a new place or not, because the staff seem to know people, but anyway it was a good night, delicious meal from the..."

Simon Tsui

"John Sampson. Been going to Mahjong regularly since it opened and have never been disappointed.The new refurbishment suits it down to a tee with..."

Sampsonjohnp

"For those who want a new style of Chinese food experience. Modern new fit out and a modern new menu. Just like some of the hip places in Hong Kong or..."

Geoff Kliger

"Had a craving for yum cha. We headed over to Mahjong (165 Fitzroy St St Kilda) for an early yum cha session after our trip to St. Kilda farmers..."

Jeroxie

"Whatever By Mahjong - cool new name and makeover. We called by Mahjong last week and were surprised by a whole new look and menu and bar area. After..."

It's Just Food

"2017 edits. So after a few years.. I have decided to go back there and have another all you can eat Yumcha.I was super excited..."

Food Dine Roll

"Loved it the food was beautiful my partner and I enjoyed our evening just a bit on the expensive side good customer service. We will..."

Monica

"Enjoyed a sunny Saturday afternoon in the company of old friends, delighting in some very yummy yum cha accompanied by bubbles (Moët $128 bottle)...."

Madame Bubbles

"Very nice. Had a lovely meal here with friends a few weeks ago. We chose a mystery banquet option, where you pay just under $60 per head, tell the..."

Sian Bo

"Very nice food, though expect to pay top $. Honey Pepper beef was our favourite. Though $9 for 1 San choi bau I thought was..."

Peter N Chris Semetas

"Excellent Yum Cha!. Beautiful decor and fantastic, fresh yum cha! The service was great and the food was wonderful with plenty of vegetarian/vegan..."

Grimm

"We were a group of 10 people and the staff were great, very attentive from the moment we got in there until we left. The food is always amazing when..."

Ciara Wright

"We chose this place just randomly, as we walked by. Food was delicious! It's on the pricey side, but we didn't mind. Food came and everything looked..."

Akosita Marie Sikaleti

"Very hip Chinese restaurant, with a cool bar and a nice cocktail selection. They do $39 pp all-you-can-eat yum cha on Tuesdays! Will have to try it..."

A Doctor's Orders

"Beautiful interior, beautiful friendly staff and amazing food. As a coeliac there wasn't a huge variety for me however they DID have gluten free soy..."

Jess Fernandez

"Probably the best and freshest yum cha in Melbourne. Lost a star for not bringing the desserts even after asking three time, eventually we gave up...."

Rob Jack

"Absolutely amazing!!! I would 100% recommend. Came for dinner because there was a bit of a wait at Milk the Cow down the road. So glad we did. The..."

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