Your guide to Halal food in Melbourne

Craving halal food in Melbourne? You are in luck! Melbourne’s diverse food scene makes it a breeze to find halal options, from Asian to Western cuisine.

I remembered having lots of fish and chips during my first visit since I didn’t come across much halal-certified food back then. This time, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of halal choices— that I didn’t even have any fish and chips!

This was my eat list:

Note: We went in summer, but we got lucky because the temperature that week was air-con weather!

Mains

Happy Lamb Hot Pot (Halal)

This place had the best lamb and beef, no cap! The restaurant offers both buffet and à la carte Mongolian-style hot pot, which is also vegetarian-friendly. The buffet spread is on the second floor, but we opted for à la carte and sat on the first floor.

We split the pot into two soup base – tomato and moderately spicy broth. Simply dip the ingredients in the soup, then dip in your own customised sauce (available at an additional cost), and enjoy! We ordered mushrooms, dumplings, seafood, fried tofu skin, vegetables and more. Our meal for four pax was S$155.

You can also pair your meal with rice or noodles. Don’t worry about ordering too much, as there is an open wooden tray drawer to keep your table clutter-free, allowing you to eat in peace. Overall, I’d recommend skipping the chicken and common seafood, and going all out on the meat, dumplings, and fried tofu skin.

Address: 173/175 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Mamak Melbourne (Halal)

The mum was super satisfied with the food here that she passed compliments to the chef. Trust.

Mamak was buzzing with families, colleagues, and big groups. Despite that, service was fast and tummies were filled with warm, tasty food. They serve Asian food like satay, nasi lemak, fried rice or noodles, and roti prata. There were also dishes like curry, fried chicken, sambal prawn or sotong and more. The dishes are generally not spicy.

They also serve teh tarik, coffee and fresh lime, our staples which we missed very much. There is a 5% discount if you make payment in cash. We spent about $85 for 3 pax.

Address: 366 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Southern Xross Kebabs (Halal)

We arrived at Southern Cross Station via the Skybus. As we were walking to our tram stop, we passed by Southern Xross Kebabs. The interior was clean and bright, and their halal cert was right in your face. One of Melbourne’s staple is the HSP (Halal Snack Pack) and kebabs, so we had to try it!

We got the large HSP and kebab sets for about S$30. Both servings were quite big with a range of sauce options, and you could mix the meat options too. It was not bad for our first meal of the trip! There were a few kebab shops on the same street too.

Address: Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia

壹碗BOWLTIFUL (Halal)

Yo, this was the tastiest halal Lanzhou handmade noodles I ever had. The hot soup with fresh, tart and spicy flavours hit the spot in the cold weather. Like the usual lanzhou handmade noodle restaurants, we could choose the type of noodles and they had nine options. The big portion of noodles was then topped with good beef, radish, chilli oil, and other condiments.

Water is free flow for customers. Bowltiful also sells their homemade chilli oil in a jar for fans. The menu items are the owner’s family recipes that have been passed down through generations. And they ensure the quality with all the noodle chefs being trained for at least six months on noodle pulling.

You can’t miss the obvious shop signage with the halal sign. Once seated, you could scan the QR on the table to order, but I had to go to the counter as payment was unsuccessful on my phone. A total of three bowls (with extra noodles) and 1 bottled drink costed about S$60.

Address: 382-384 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Nelayan (Halal)

The restaurant was located near Emporium and Bakemono Bakers. It serves Indonesian and Malay food like nasi penyet, gado-gado, nasi lemak, noodles, beef rendang and fried rice. They served a big portion so we weren’t able to finish it, including one whole fried fish! Best to eat their fried dishes which were good. Their tempe was different from the normal tempe we are used to, which may just be a local difference.

The dishes do not automatically come with rice, so you have to add-on with the fried fish, for example. Jugs of water are reserved for customers too. We spent a total of S$60. We could definitely get such food in SG at a way more affordable price.

Address: 265 Swanston St, Melbourne

Swanston Halal Food Centre (Halal)

The place was not exactly a “food centre”, but it is a humble shop in the city centre that serves a variety of food options. Opened all the way till 3am and located near our accomodation, it was a great option for supper!

We bought fried chicken and chicken HSP after a night out at a concert (DPR!!!), and the warm, unhealthy food definitely hit the spot. We also tried their pizza, biryani and burgers on other days. The biryani came with yoghurt and strong spices. The other options was more satisfying.

Address: 1/55 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Oporto (Halal)

Acquaintances who live in Australia had said that if you are unable to find any halal food, look for Oporto. This restaurant chain in Australia sells flame-grilled Portuguese-style chicken with halal ingredients and prep.

There are burgers, wraps, salads and fried chicken, which comes with sides if you buy a meal. Their sides include fries, rice, coleslaw, corn, and salads. It was interesting that they had a range of sauces to choose from. The fried tenders was so juicy and tasty.

I ate at the DFO South Wharf outlet, but there are a few other branches in the city centre as well.

There was actually a food court at DFO South Wharf and some stalls had halal certs or signs, but we were not too sure about cross-contamination, as the stalls also sold pork.

Address: DFO South Wharf, B-105A/20 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia

YOI Indonesian Fusion (Halal)

This restaurant was in a seemingly isolated alley in the day, but was it worth it? YOI.

The restaurant name meant ‘yes, Indonesian food’, with the good ol ayam grepek, nasi kuning, bakso, bakmie, and oxtail soup. They also offer a twist on their family recipes, like salted egg chicken, chilli crab noodle, gyutan don, grepek mentai and chicken katsu curry. Overall, the food here was delicious.

Apparently, they were the “first ones who introduced martabak manis (a fluffy sweet pancake) to Melbourne that is made fresh to order”¹. It was nice to spot the teh botol drinks too.

The glasshouse-inspired restaurant had a cosy ambience, with wooden decor and fern plants adorned on the wall, together with a robot waiter that served some of our food. If you need to use the toilet, the staff will share with you the keys with a huge keychain (aka a soup spoon!) that you have to return.

Address: 1/155 Franklin St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Royal Stacks @ Collins St. (Halal)

Feel on top of the world with good burgers from Royal Stacks. We took the tram for half an hour from the city center to the Brunswick outlet as that was the branch that fully meets the halal requirements. (There is another branch in the city at Collins Street, but we were not too sure of the preparation method.)

Their milkshakes were rich and flavourful, together with a range of dipping sauces (like vegan mayo, chipotle mayo, prince hakeem, truffle mayo) and sides to go with its burgers.

The burgers had fancy names to live up to their royal status, including The King, Queen Bee and Prince Hakeem. Even if you got the single stack (which I did), you will still enjoy the patty that is minced fresh daily from pasture fed, 100% Australian, GMO-free beef. There is also a kids meal version.

We spotted other halal restaurants and butcher shops in Brunswick.

Address: 1/800 Sydney Road, Brunswick Victoria 3056

Food Trucks @ Queen Victoria Market (Halal options)

There were some halal and vegetarian options at the Queen Victoria Market shed. Asian Streets Food Truck sold asian food. We tried the pho which costed about S$16, it tasted bland, so perhaps other dishes may have been a better option.

Check out another halal food truck in the same area: Wesh. They sell homemade South Mediterranean dishes including beef and lamb Kofta, vegan Shakshouka and north African Merguez.

Both of these food trucks had the halal sign displayed.

Walk a little further and you will see Kiki’s Crepes, which serves vegetarian and gluten free options of freshly-made French crepes and galettes. I thought the food truck was inspired by the movie, Kiki’s Delivery Service, but it was really by a real Kiki, someone who grew up surrounded by the culture of crepes in France.

Address: E Shed Stall 43-46, Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Queen Victoria Night Market (Halal options)

Queen Victoria Market also opens on Wednesday nights in Summer from 5pm till late. Was shocked not only from the HUGE crowd, but also the range of halal food available. There were booths that sold trendy food too, and original food trucks from the morning market.

For this summer, there were over 45 food traders and food trucks, and over 60 specialty traders to discover. (Although fun fact: my friend who lives in Melbourne shared that the booths here are always almost exactly the same each year.)

The exciting thing about the night market is the line-up of live music, roving entertainment and pop-up activities. We spotted a DJ, people walking around on stilts, and dancers dressed in christmas trees, which made the atmosphere lively.

Address: Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

NeNe Chicken (Halal)

Was so glad we could get Korean fried chicken. We visited a couple of branches, and they all had halal certification. The branches are often located at food courts if they do not have a standalone stall with seats. The bonelesss chicken and ribs were fried well, (rare to get the ribs in SG), and they even have a HSP version . They also sold dosirak (rice meals), tteokbokki, and corndogs with juicy sausages wrapped in even crispy batter.

Address: Melbourne Central, Lot 147 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia / 2/410 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia / 3 – 052/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Cherry Season Day!

Cherry Hills Orchard’s On-Site Cafe

It was peak cherry-picking season, so we had a lot of fun for this activity! You could eat as many as you want while picking, just that since cherries are natural laxatives, we were advised not too eat too much unless we want to go to the toilet often. We could buy the ones we picked, which was about S$17/kg.

We also bought 1kg fresh boxed cherries for S$40 – the cherries were slightly bigger in size and the sweetness was not as intense as the ones we picked ourselves. Both options tasted super good though.

They also had a farm gatestore with cherry ice cream, yoghurt soft serve and drinks to enjoy with the scenic view. They also had cute merchandise and other cherry-related products! The orchard was about an hour away from the city. Truly enjoyed this experience.

Address: 474 Queens Rd, Wandin East, Victoria 3139 Australia

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery

The main building, which housed the factory, shop, and cafe, was set against a beautiful mountain backdrop, vast orchards, and busy roads with tractors and lorries. The cafe isn’t halal-certified, so we got margherita pizza and churros for lunch. Being a tourist spot, the food was a bit pricey, but it was good and served hot.

They also had pastries and coffee, milkshakes and juices. Water was self-service. Grab a cup of ice cream from their wide range of flavours afterwards.

There were many things to look at in the shop itself. We were distracted by chocolates in all shapes and sizes. Fancy a 1-metre chocolate, converture chocolates, pastilles, egg chocolates, animal-shaped chocolates, chocolate letters and trees, truffles, chocolate sticks to melt in your coffee, chocolate powder, ready-made fondue, jam, and marshmallows. Reccomended to get the chocolate-coated fruits and nuts which were superb!

All chocolate were made in-house by European chocolatiers from mostly locally sourced ingredients. For the adventurous ones, check out the chocolate lip balm and hand cream.

Address: 35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen Victoria 3775

Cafes

Note: I only drink coffee when I am overseas. Cafes are not certified-halal.

Jungle Juice Bar

Jungle Juice bar was definitely my favourite, for a number of reasons:

Top-notch service
Somehow the best coffee ever
Great seasonal juice too
Delicious bagel
Adorable menu design
Bang Chan’s photocards
Owner was so friendly and lovely!

Nestled along the cafes and restaurants at Centre Place laneway, Jungle Juice Bar has been a beloved spot for good coffee, bagels, and freshly squeezed juices. I visited the cafe towards closing time, and chatted with the owner for a bit. He told us to come again tomorrow so he could serve us proper, and when we returned the next morning, he remembered us and kept his word! He was so friendly and open. We had conversations about multiple topics in that short period.

Photo Credit: Ghazi

We got an avaocado + chips bagel, which they kindly offered to cut in half since we were sharing. The bagel was toasted to perfection so it was crunchy and soft, and the guacamole was not too rich and not too dry either. Coupled with the freshly squeezed juice of the day, it was no wonder Jungle Juice Bar was Stray Kids Bang Chan’s go-to shop in Melbourne.

Each staff was super attentive as well, and worked well together in the well-decorated cafe with a quirky menu. It was a cafe I would not miss out.

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Address: Shop/20 Centre Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Lune Croissanterie Melbourne CBD

Lune has always been a respected star of Melbourne, with its croissants, pain au chocolat, and lemon curd cruffins. The bakes were flaky on the outside, but it was soft and light on the inside. Their coffee was also the right amount of roast and not too strong.

Visited the main store the last time I was in Melbourne and I knew I wanted to introduce it to the fam one day (finally had the chance to!). They opened a take-away shop in the CBD area, and even this outlet had a queue outside the shop.

The shop still maintained the vibe of Lune HQ with an open kitchen concept and industrial interior. There were polished concrete standing tables while waiting for your drinks.

Four pastries and two drinks cost about S$38. We sat at a street bench nearby to fill our tummies with Lune before heading off to the next spot.

Address: Shop 16/161 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Market Lane Coffee @ Queen Victoria Market

Market Lane coffee takes great pride in their ethical practices and coffee. I accidentally asked if they sold hot chocolate, and they straight-up said to check other shops for non-coffee drinks. The brand is well-loved by locals and tourists alike as the beans are roasted on-site.

The shop had a minimalist touch which incorporated Queen Victoria market’s brick walls and bright lights, with their merch displayed around the store.

Coffee here was brewed strong and the milk did not overpower the taste, but somehow even an L like me could tell the coffee was roasted well. They serve espresso, filter coffee, and coffee teas.

Address: 83-85 Victoria St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Mörk Chocolate @ Queen Victoria Market

Inspired by Melbourne’s coffee culture, Mörk Chocolate aims to bring specialty hot chocolate and be makers of ethically sourced hot chocolate in Melbourne.

They had quite a few signature drinks available, including the campfire hot chocolate. The drinks were prepared meticulously, with sprinkles of chocolate powder and sauce. The cup was smaller than I thought, considering the price point. The drink wasn’t too my liking, but my sibling loved it.

Address: Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 51 – 55, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

American Doughnut Kitchen @ Queen Victoria Market

The iconic food truck that sells the Hot Jam Doughnut has been here since the 50s, and is well-known. Service was fast and the sugary-treat was as sweet as the moments we had eating it together.

Note: After writing this post, I realised…the doughnuts are not suitable for Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free or Halal diets as the cooking oil is derived from animal fat (Angus Beef)². Eat at your own discretion.

Address: D Shed Stall 59-60, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Bakemono Bakers

If you want to try their bakes, you better head down early! When I visited at 2pm, almost everything was sold out except for their very limited numbers of Yokan, Financier, and Scone. Barely managed to get their last two chocolate & sea salt financier. It was rich and its sweetness was well-balanced.

The shop is located in an alley behind a major street. You will know you are at the right spot if you see the display of Bakemono’s bread and pastries in front of the Japanese-inspired storefront. Step inside and you will be greeted by a clean, open kitchen with high ceilings, white-washed walls, hanok or ryokan-looking wooden interior.

The hojicha latte was so tasty with a clean aftertaste. They also had batch brewed coffee, chocolate drinks (using Mörk chocolate) and tea.

Address: 273 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Little Rogue.

Known for great coffee, this was a popular spot for locals, located right across their sister shop, Bakemono Bakers. Honestly, I could not find the shop sign, so it felt a little rogue to enter the quaint-looking shop with high ceilings.

Met up with a friend here who reccomended the popular iced matcha latte, which was prepared wonderfully with an earthy matcha taste, and creaminess from the latte. Overall it was not too rich, and was not overpowering. Cookies and cakes were also available.

Address: 12 Drewery Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Padre Coffee @ South Melbourne Market

Padre Coffee was a hot spot at South Melbourne Market with lots of customers waiting to be served their coffee. It is located in the Deli Aisle, beside the Food Hall. There was seating available nearby.

The only thing was the coffee was too strong for me, so that was a pity. The small flat white costed about S$5. There were also take-home bags of single origin roasted beans available for purchase. We bought croissants which were soft and buttery from another store, which completed our breakfast

Photo Credit: Anita

Address: South Melbourne Market, 33/322-326 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia

Agathé Pâtisserie @ South Melbourne Market

Baked in an open kitchen that provided some distraction while queuing, Agathe served a wide range of cakes and pastries which had unique and colourful flavours. There was definitely effort in making French fusion desserts like cherry pistachio danish, galettes with almond cream, rhubarb turnover, and pandan flan. Someone recommended to try their kaya pastry too. I personally found the food a bit too sweet.

Agathe been operating for over 150 years. You can also find a small booth in the Royal Arcade in the city centre.

Address: 322 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia

Clement Coffee @ South Melbourne Market

Unfortunately, I only bought their hot chocolate as I was still reeling in from the previous cup of coffee. The cafe offers special daily blends, in their passionate pursuit for coffee and coffee beans.

The simple interior with a cute wooden alcove entrance felt cosy and comfortable with friendly baristas. They also sold homemade pastries to go.

Address: South Melbourne Market, Unit 89 Cecil St, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia

Brother Baba Budan

Thought this was a Muslim-owned shop based on what I read online, but management might have changed over time at this OG franchise. It is a specialty coffee shop specialising in single origin and seasonal blends that had chairs hanging from the ceiling, but chairs outside for customers. Not sure how it works, but Brother Baba Budan works with Seven Seeds who roast it in-house.

I thought it tasted average (after drinking so much coffee on this trip!), so I would probably give this a miss. Did not get any food here since they sell pork sandwiches now.

Address: 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Europa Cake Shop

There were lots of restaurants, bars, and dessert shops at Acland Street Village. We were treated to many sweet and mouth-watering display. We ended up buying some dessert at Europa Cake shop since they had a wide range of vegan and gluten-free cakes, including their hot chocolate.

The shop is also known for their traditional polish donuts and other bakes. Had always wanted to try the huge meringues which came in many flavours like vanilla, blueberry, strawberry, lime and more. The vibrant, flavourful pastries would definitely hit the spot for those with a sweet tooth. Personally, they were all too sweet for me, and it tasted like they used lower quality chocolate for their chocolate cakes.

Address: 81 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia

Gelato

Aussies (and friends) not only take their coffee seriously, but their gelato too.

It became a side quest to try as much gelato as we could. I tried the Pistachio flavour across these shops. They were all delicious, but could definitely taste the difference in texture and intensity of the flavours.

The winner goes to:

Piccolina Gelateria

Piccolina was so tasty, I miss it already! The pure, rich, smooth gelato was full of flavor and you could taste the quality ingredients. Understand that the gelato and sauces are made fresh without using premixes and is gluten and gelatin-free. They also have an assortment of vegan sorbet.

Piccolino’s options are common gelato flavours, but all their flavours are so good. Plus, the fact that the colours were slightly milked-down and melts relatively quickly is evident of its commitment to taking its gelato seriously.

Address: 137 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia

Pidapipó CBD

It was a chilly night, but there was still a queue for Pidapipo! Located right across Flinders Street station, the shop is in an alley of dessert shops and restaurants. Spot the signature neon signage, and a gelato menu that has both classic and seasonal flavours.

Gelato lovers can choose from the 20 rotating flavours made daily. The taste is less intense than Piccolina and is a bit sweeter I think.

Address: 8 Degraves St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Gelato Messina Fitzroy

The nearest Gelato Messina for us was in Fitzroy, which was about a 20 minute ride away. We walked a fair bit from the Rose Street Artist Market to visit this celebrated shop. It was top in terms of variety – with 40 unique flavours and also coffee and milkshakes. The staff were friendly and gave us testers. They also have seasonal flavours.

The store had an industrial look, with exposed bricks, tiles, and pressed metal, and two big seating areas so you could enjoy your dessert and also watch the workers cooking up their speciality food behind a glass window.

The only thing that brought the score down was the very sweet aftertaste.

Address: 237 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

There’s just something about eating cool things in cool weather.

Other Desserts

Fun fact: Strawberry matcha was the trend then.

Haigh’s Chocolates Block Arcade

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The staff was super nice and helpful. We came in right before closing, and they still allowed us to shop and gave us samples to try. The chocolates was definitely high quality and I liked that they had a range of chocolate-coated fruit options or fruity flavours. They had the usual basic chocolate options which was slightly pricey, but they were really tasty and not too sweet. Wished we bought more home.

Address: The Block Arcade 7-8, 282 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Queen Vic Sweets & Juices @ Queen Victoria Market

Was feeling a bit adventurous, so I bought a piece of neat-looking pistachio baklava from a stall at Queen Victoria Market. The shop did not sell any meat and other sus food, plus the shop was clean. They also had other treats like sweets and chocolates. The baklava was pretty good.

Address: Dairy Produce Hall Shop 57-58, Dairy Hall, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000

Australian Corn @ Queen Victoria Market

Had to try Melbourne’s fresh steamed corn. Interestingly, the locals add salt, pepper and chilli powder to their buttered corn. The corn kernels were somehow bigger than the size I am accustomed to.

A cup cost about S$4.20.

Address: F Shed, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000

Dipped & Co

This booth in Melbourne Central offers quality desserts. Enjoy sweet, juicy strawberries dipped in warm Belgian chocolate sauce, with additional toppings like Biscoff or Oreo crumbs, or whipped cream. While a bit pricey (S$11), it’s worth trying once.

Address: Cnr LaTrobe and Swanston Streets Melbourne VIC 3000

Cannoleria @ South Melbourne Market

I was intrigued by this shop’s uniquely shaped dessert and discovered it was a cannoli – a thin, crunchy pastry filled with flavored ricotta and dusted with powdered sugar. We tried the lemon filling, which was pretty good, though it was a bit tricky to eat gracefully.

The filling is preservative-free and ingredients locally sourced. There were other flavours available too like cookie dough, chocolate, silican. Each cost about S$5.

Address: 322-326 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia

G TEA Elizabeth

The shop provided a quick respite from all the walking. You could sit and sip your bubble tea. While the shop name is G Tea, it is actually a Ding Tea outlet, which is a common brand found in Asian countries.

Sipping a hot pearl milk tea in cold weather was splendid. The menu also includes fruit milk teas, lattes and fresh tea.

Address: 215 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Teaser

Teaser sold milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, with brown sugar and macchiato versions. The pearls here were big and chewy!

Apparently every tea leaf is fresh and processed by hand here. The small store had a constant stream of customers.

Address: 197/195 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Supermarket Snacks

This is probably a no-brainer, but there is a wide range of snacks available at Coles, Woolworths, and other supermarkets. I usually check the ingredients list to make sure it meets my requirements. Finding ‘local’ souvenirs is becoming tougher, as many items are already available at our local Fairprice and Cold Storage.

Honestly, there were many more recommendations and other food options we wanted to try, but this was the best that we could do in our short time here. Overall, we were definitely well-fed in Melbourne!