Diners' Choice: Best Value restaurants in Inner City North

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best value restaurants in Inner City North? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Ascot Vale Hotel

4.6

4.6 (340)

$40 and under

Australian

Ascot Vale

About the restaurant

The Ascot Vale Hotel welcomes everyone to experience a relaxed and comfortable corner pub that has been taken back to its former glory. This 1875 gem caters for everyone, whether you are hopping off the tram for a quick glass, impressing a loved one or celebrating an event with close friends or family. Here’s Luck to seeing you soon!

Top review

Kathy

Dined on Jun 4, 2025

Love the Ascot Vale Hotel. A true local with consistently good food and great staff.

Central Club Hotel - North Melbourne

4.7

4.7 (123)

$41 to $100

Pub

North Melbourne

About the restaurant

The Central Club Hotel is a vibrant and historic venue located in the heart of North Melbourne, a stones throw away from the Queen Victoria Market. Known for its welcoming atmosphere and rich heritage, the hotel serves as a popular gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.

The Central Club Hotel boasts an extensive menu that caters to a variety of tastes. Guests can enjoy our house-made pastas and hearty pub feeds, including classic dishes like burgers, steaks, and seasonal specials, all crafted from quality ingredients. The bar proudly features a well-curated, all Australian, wine list as well as a selection of local independent craft beers and crowd favourites; Carlton Draught and Guinness, with knowledgeable staff ready to recommend the perfect drink.

The hotel combines classic charm with contemporary flair, featuring a mix of traditional pub decor and modern amenities. The interiors are cozy and inviting, with warm lighting, rustic furnishings, and an overall relaxed vibe.

Top review

MadeleineVIP

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

As always, fabulous foor and wine and excellent service

Commis

4.9

4.9 (57)

$41 to $100

Wine Bar

Collingwood

About the restaurant

OUR BOOKINGS ARE LIMITED TO OUR DINING ROOM SPACE. OUR BAR AND COURTYARD TABLES ARE RESERVED FOR WALK INS ONLY. WE INVITE YOU TO WALK IN AND WE WILL FIND YOU A TABLE.
Our menu is ever changing and is determined by what is beautiful and in season, either from our own gardens or from what the season currently offers us. Chef will lovingly prepare your dinner with respect to the community and the environment. Each time you dine at Commis your experience will be new.

Top review

Chris

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful dinner last night. Restaurant cosy and snug on a cool night. Service was fantastic and wonderful to have a position to watch the mixologist at work. Started with bread and sexy butter, then panisse fries ( divine ) and roasted beetroot. Confession - there was a little jealousy that one member of our party he saved some bread to mop up that delicious sauce! Roasted meyer lemon risotto then venison osso bucco . Amazing! Venison was tender and falling from the bone and the little fork to extract all that marrow was a bonus. Paired with some potatoes and salad greens it was a joy to eat. We were so happy that we shared the meals between three diners and got o experience so many flavours. Sadly no room for dessert - next time! Great music at an ideal level- could talk to each other but not hear the conversations of our near neighbours. This was a dining highlight if our few days in Melbourne and I can’t wait to return on our next visit.

Brandon Hotel

4.7

4.7 (304)

$40 and under

Pub

Carlton North

About the restaurant

A hidden secret in the backstreets of Carlton North.

True corner pub, and home away from home, the Brandon's charming front bar remains true to the traditional style of the corner pub, and is where those in the know head for a pint and a meal. Follow through to the dining room where the menu offers innovative takes on old classics and a modern interpretation of pub grub.

Top review

Janice

Dined on Jun 20, 2025

We had the steak and a chicken Parma, very good, very generous proportions (I could only eat half the Parma). Very good service, friendly staff and table service

Shu Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (509)

$41 to $100

Asian

Collingwood

About the restaurant

Welcome to Shu, once the name of Sichuan province, southwest China, now home of innovative plant-based cooking in Collingwood, Melbourne

Currently we are offering a 10 course vegan degustation. Inspired by Sichuan cuisine, this plant based set menu is all about innovated Chinese cuisine, embracing the healthy plant eating and showcasing seasonal local Victorian produce. From raw and chilled appetisers to fiery but mouthwatering authentic Sichuan flavours of the street food to complimenting premium wines and cocktails, Shu takes you on an adventurous journey of modern Chinese cooking.

Top review

sam

Dined 5 days ago

Interesting food that presented well, tasted great & the service was very very good. Would definitely recommend

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Experience

2025 New 10 Course Degustation

Experience

2025 New 10 course degustation

Experience

Truffle degustation with Adventurous Souls Wine

Malin

4.9

4.9 (47)

$101 and over

Modern European

Carlton North

About the restaurant

Malin is a small neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Rathdowne Village, Carlton North.

Set in an 1880s property on the corner of Curtain and Rathdowne streets, the site has been renovated to honour the heritage of the building.

The food menu, developed by Chef Clement Pilatre, samples European cuisine and showcases seasonal produce and frequently changing dishes. The drinks list favours emerging wine producers, while also giving a nod to the classics.

Malin aims to deliver engaging service 5 days a week; with dinner served Wednesday to Saturday and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

More information can be found on our website or by contacting us directly.

We look forward to hosting you soon.

Top review

Andreja

Dined on Jun 19, 2025

Very inventive and delicious menu with some extraordinary dishes.

Discover more

Experience

Four Course Chef's Tasting Menu

Experience

Six Course Chef's Tasting Menu

Experience

Bastille Day Four Course Chef's Tasting Menu

Palay

4.8

4.8 (16)

$40 and under

Filipino

Fitzroy

About the restaurant

Palay is a modern Filipino restaurant located in Fitzroy, offering a vibrant dining experience that highlights the best of Filipino cuisine. The name "Palay," meaning "rice" in Tagalog, reflects our dedication to using fresh, seasonal ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. Upon entering Palay, you'll feel the warmth of a welcoming home, with a cozy atmosphere and a modern take on traditional Filipino design. Our open kitchen allows you to see our chefs craft each dish with passion and skill. Our menu takes you on a flavorful journey through the Philippines, featuring classic dishes like adobo and kare-kare alongside innovative interpretations of traditional flavors. We also offer a selection of Filipino beers, wines, and cocktails to enhance your meal. Whether you're a fan of Filipino food or trying it for the first time, Palay is the ideal spot to savor the rich flavors of this unique cuisine. Our friendly staff is here to guide you and ensure a memorable dining experience.

Top review

Caz

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

A beautiful, cosy restaurant to discover amongst the hustle and bustle of Fitzroy. Palay intrigues with its thoughtful, textural decor and familial service; whilst making you feel like you’ve been welcomed into Fhred’s home. Offering diverse brunch options and equally impressive dinner menus, Palay delivers on serving up comfort food that still looks and feels elevated, as well as classic dishes that only the discerning palate would know cater thoughtfully to dietaries. If you’re keen to venture into revived and reinvented Filipino cuisine, you should pay this new spot a visit!

Discover more

Experience

Feed Me, Tito!

Experience

Palay x Kariton: Boodle, A Shared Table Experience

Rin Sura

4.8

4.8 (471)

$40 and under

Contemporary Asian

Brunswick

About the restaurant

Rin Sura is in the heart of Brunswick and offering a range of unique Thai cuisine and signature cocktails.

Modern Thai cuisine & craft cocktails lie in store at this stylish restaurant with a bar.

Plenty of space for couple, family and group of friend either inside dinning room and in lovely backyard outside.

Top review

Jerome

Dined 6 days ago

I have been here multiple times and the Rin sura team have never failed to deliver amazingly tasty food and great service.

Local Chook

4.8

4.8 (178)

$40 and under

Vietnamese

Moonee Ponds

About the restaurant

Moonee Ponds Local Chook is a favourite among locals for its imaginative/fusion take on Vietnamese cuisine, served in a modern restaurant.
For starters, the Bao Buns are sensational selections. Some of Local Chook’s specialty/popular dishes include the Red Chicken Curry and Twice cooked scotch fillet in plum sauce, as well as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free dishes.

Top review

Sandra

Dined 3 days ago

Very tasty. Perhaps more chicken required in the Grilled Vietnamese Chicken salad to make it more value for money. The Sizzling Tangy Chicken on the menu was super yummy.

Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel

4.6

4.6 (202)

$41 to $100

Contemporary European

Fitzroy

About the restaurant

Quality driven local pub using artisan ingredients and a rustic yet finessed style of cooking, with a well- known generosity of both portions and flavour, alongside plenty of cold beer on tap and always a warm welcome.

Top review

Suzanne

Dined 7 days ago

This venue has brought the excitement and fun of an Aussie country pub to the inner city. We celebrated a birthday here after reading all the good reviews and we were pleasantly surprised. The styling created a cozy ambience. The open fire and decor also added to the atmosphere. On the night we attended, there was a meat raffle to raise money for charity. The staff created excitement as they paraded through with the prize, ringing a small bell. All staff were enthusiastic and helpful. This venue was not just serving food; it was creating an experience which we will recommend to all. We can't wait to return on "steak night" or "schnitzel night". So, if you are looking for 'Aussie spirit', I am quite sure you will find it here!

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