Best Comfort Food Restaurants in Essendon

15 restaurants available nearby

1. Lulu's Social Space

4.8

Exceptional(13)

Price: Moderate

• Comfort Food • Ascot Vale

A great range of cocktails, beer, wine & mocktails.Delicious simple food with a fresh approach.Shared plates.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great family options.🔥Cosy courtyard. 🍸 Cocktails🍔 Comfort Food🌱 Cosy undercover Courtyard🙌 Private functions🥂 Great Wine List🍺 Beer on Tap🐶 Dog friendly dining🍖 Onsite smoker cooking ribs and tacos🪑 High Top dining in Parklet🚃 57 Tram stop within 50m🍻 Beer Garden🕵️ Private Events🚗 Streetside Footpath Dining👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fresh & tasty Share plates❌ Gluten Friendly options🙌 Run by Ascot Vale locals for Ascot Vale locals

2. Regale

4.7

Exceptional(15)

Price: Expensive

• Comfort Food • Carlton

Booked 8 times today

Hello, Carlton! Your new favorite Restaurant and Basement Bar is about to light up the neighborhood, just steps away from Melbourne CBD.With a focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, Regale's menu showcases a curated selection of innovative dishes, from indulgent small plates to signature mains that celebrate Asian flavors with a modern Australian flair.Downstairs, Bar Galer offers an inviting blend of contemporary elegance and casual sophistication, perfect for unwinding with friends or catching up over a few drinks.

3. Donnini's

4.6

Exceptional(632)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • Carlton

Booked 3 times today

Donnini's is a generational Italian eatery with a sincere focus on handmade pasta, real food, generous hospitality & well sourced wines.Family owned and operated DONNINI'S relaxed atmosphere and honest approach to traditional cooking provides the perfect environment for family get-togethers, intimate dinners and business lunches alike.

A photo of Sleepy's cafe and wine bar restaurant

4. Sleepy's cafe and wine bar

4.9

Exceptional(12)

Price: Expensive

• Chinese • Carlton North

Good FoodGood CoffeeGood WineGood PeopleCafe by day, wine bar by night. Sleepys is your local caffeine dealer, funky wine sommelier, comfort food hotspot and third place. Come say hi at 787 Nicholson St, Carlton North.

5. Carwyn Cellars

4.6

Exceptional(1)

Price: Moderate

• Pub • Thornbury

Booked 1 time today

Carwyn Cellars is an independent bar and bottleshop proudly supporting small producers of wine, spirits and craft beer across 32 taps since 2007. Make a day of it with our newly added kitchen 'CARWYN TUCK SHOP', serving your favourite hot and tasty classics from the beer garden every Wednesday - Saturday. Bookings are allowed outside of food service hours, so please pay attention to Tuck Shop hours if you are looking for a feed!Tuck Shop Hours:Wed & Thurs: 4pm-8pmFri/Sat: 12-9pmSunday: 12pm-6pm Walk-ins only for groups smaller than 3. Please contact bookings@carwyncellars.com.au for groups larger than 12, special requests or function enquiries.

6. Cugini's Fitzroy

new

4.0

Excellent(0)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • Fitzroy

At Cugini’s, we bring you an authentic taste of Italian comfort food, influenced by the rich culinary traditions of Aeolian and Venetian regions. Our menu features signature dishes like Pasta Alla Norma and Pasta Pescatore, crafted with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. We pride ourselves on our wood-fired pizzas, including the classic Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes and creamy fior di latte, as well as hearty dishes like ossobucco and handmade agnolotti.Cugini’s offers a welcoming atmosphere for all, whether you’re enjoying a casual meal with family or an evening with friends. Our cocktail menu, including refreshing spritzes, complements our dishes perfectly. Located in Fitzroy, Cugini’s is your go-to spot for traditional Italian meals, just like Nonna used to make.

A photo of Fieste European Dining restaurant

7. Fieste European Dining

new

5.0

Exceptional(1)

Price: Moderate

• European • Tullamarine

Since opening in 2000 Fieste has been serving European cuisine with a family touch, 3rd generation European restaurateur, 364 days a year. We believe in the hands on approach; so much so that you can find owner Roberto Giuseppe Panuccio Hernandez spinning dough in the kitchen or front of house every day of the week. Not only is there a wide ranging menu and friendly staff but both locations also have private function spaces available to book. Fieste has something for everyone. If you are looking for simple comfort food our gnocchi with Napoli sauce is hard to beat, but if you want to crank it up a notch then try our Rib Eye steak with a selection of seasonal sauces.

8. French Saloon

4.8

Exceptional(354)

Price: Expensive

• French • Melbourne CBD

Booked 2 times today

Climb the narrow flight of stairs up from the red brick lane to enter the saloon. A table in the bustling dining room? Or a seat at the fluted zinc bar? Whether it’s a lunch, dinner or well crafted cocktails with a snack, bookings are essential.

A photo of Normandy Wine & Grill restaurant

9. Normandy Wine & Grill

4.7

Exceptional(93)

Price: Expensive

• French • Windsor

Booked 3 times today

Normandy, a cosy restaurant & wine bar, serving French food both traditional and modern. Steak frites plays a big part on the menu serving Cape grim beef with Bearnaise or bordelaise sauce.- TUESDAYS 1/2 Price Steak Frites (all cuts of 'The Grill')- WEDNESDAYS $35 French Classic Dish + Glass of Wine- BYO Tuesday - Thursday ($25 corkage pb)

A photo of Park Street Pasta & Wine restaurant

10. Park Street Pasta & Wine

4.5

Awesome(821)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • South Melbourne

Booked 6 times today

Park Street Pasta & Wine is a cozy Italian spot that serves up comfort food in a warm and inviting environment. Reviewers rave about the 'terrific homemade pasta' and the 'divine handmade pasta', which is a testament to its comforting nature. The menu is inspired by the Tuscan roots of the head chef, and the dishes are described as 'wonderful', 'delicious', and 'excellent'. The restaurant's ambiance is also praised, with many saying it makes them feel like they're back in Italy.

‘About the restaurant’ descriptions have been generated using an artificial intelligence model comprised of OpenTable proprietary data that has not been independently verified by OpenTable. The content is presented as-is, for informational purposes only.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

A
Aloysius
Melbourne •1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
I absolutely loved the ambience! Subtly posh and quietly romantic. The jazz band serenading us from the bar downstairs was a fine touch. Our waiter was extremely personable and made us feel very welcome. The food was absolutely fantastic for the price point and I was very pleasantly surprised by the chef's choice of ingredient combinations. My girlfriend and I order the Chef's 9-course dinner and every single plate was well thought-out and meticulously crafted. My favourite was the beef claypot rice; the beef was fall-apart succulent and flavourful. 10/10 would recommend for a nice date night or special event - you will not be disappointed!
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RegalePrice: Expensive• Comfort Food• Carlton
•
4.7
N
Nina
Melbourne •1 review
5.0
Dined on Dec 15, 2024
I treated Mom to an great pasta lunch at Donnini’s, and wow, she loved it! She couldn’t get enough of the Grilled Local Calamari and the delicious Tri Di Pasta. Service was excellent and prices were very reasonable
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Donnini'sPrice: Expensive• Italian• Carlton
•
4.6
M
Michelle
Melbourne •1 review
5.0
Dined on Oct 15, 2024
Fantastic pop up with hesi jimbo, lulu's staff and owner were amazing! Will definitely be back
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Lulu's Social SpacePrice: Moderate• Comfort Food• Ascot Vale
•
4.8
DJ
DonaldsonJ
Montreal / Quebec •8 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 11, 2024
Love this venue. Great beer selection and food and staff were really friendly.
More info
Carwyn CellarsPrice: Moderate• Pub• Thornbury
•
4.6
OT
OpenTable Diner
Melbourne •1 review
5.0
Dined on May 3, 2024
One of my favourite places to eat, always a fun time, can’t recommend more 😊
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Sleepy's cafe and wine barPrice: Expensive• Chinese• Carlton North
•
4.9

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Essendon

Best Comfort Food Restaurants in Essendon

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15 restaurants available nearby

1. Lulu's Social Space

2. Regale

3. Donnini's

4. Sleepy's cafe and wine bar

5. Carwyn Cellars

6. Cugini's Fitzroy

7. Fieste European Dining

8. French Saloon

9. Normandy Wine & Grill

10. Park Street Pasta & Wine

See what locals rave about

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