One of those people who lives to eat, Tom’s career in food, wine and travel began aged 20 with a sommelier’s gig in Chicago’s best restaurant at the time.
After years of travel while eating and drinking around the world he settled permanently in Australia, which segued to media with a weekly column in the Cairns Post aged 29. He began writing weekly restaurant reviews for a Sydney newspaper in 2000. Three years later still in Sydney he, with two colleagues, founded a publishing company with a mish-mash of magazine titles.
That led to regular radio gigs on Sydney’s 2BL talking about wine, food and travel which led to working with Doug Mulray on Australia’s first online television show as the “Wine God”.
A move to Melbourne in 2006 secured a successful freelance writing career specialising in food, wine and travel.
Writing over a thousand stories for mainstream media and just about any publisher that paid, running Australia’s Festival of Travel Writing, appearing as a speaker at Melbourne’s Literary Festival, Sustainable Living Festival and Bright’s Festival of Photography, he settled into working as a consultant in the food, wine and travel industries.
Melbourne is still home but his itchy feet keep him peripatetic.
My selection is based on small businesses typically run by small, dedicated and gifted teams.
While I’ve been lucky to dine in Melbourne’s best restaurants (Attica, Amaru, Vue de Monde and relatively nearby Brae), I prefer places that focus on providing a quintessentially excellent Melbourne dining experience instead of maintaining a focus on PR and winning dubiously judged awards.
I love all these places and heartily recommend them.
That being said, I’m always on the hunt for more.
TNT [LOL]…Tom Neal Tacker
click here to go straight to Tom’s Melbourne restaurant list.
Please note this list is in alphabetical order and not in any preferential order.
open
Thursday to Monday 12 pm – late
reservations
phone
email
Instagram
address
25 Anderson Street,
YARRAVILLE, VIC 3013
open
Monday and Tuesday – 3 pm until late
Wednesday to Saturday midday until late
Sunday – midday until 5 pm [ish]
In December
we will be open for an additional lunch service on Monday and Tuesday
reservations
Sunday lunch is a thing click here
address
122 Russell Street,
MELBOURNE, VIC 3000
open
Tuesday to Friday, 5 pm-late
Saturday 12 pm-late
reservations
phone
email
instagram
address
60 Lygon Street,
BRUNSWICK EAST, VIC 3057<?p>
open
dinner Monday to Sunday : lunch Saturday and Sunday
aperitivo hour Monday to Friday 5-6 pm
reservations
phone
email
Instagram
address
331 Lygon Street,
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
open Wednesday – Saturday from 5.30 pm
reservations
phone
email
Instagram
address
336 Bridge Road,
RICHMOND, VIC 3121
open
Tuesday to Saturday 6pm – 10.30 pm Closed public Holidays
reservations
To make your reservation, please call us on 61 3 9429 5180 or 61 466 333 915 between 12 pm and 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
Please click here sushi counter reservations and their summer holiday arrangements
phone
email NOT AVAILABLE
Instagram NOT AVAILABLE
address
4 Lord Street,
RICHMOND, VIC 3121
open
lunch Tuesday – Friday 12 pm
dinner Tuesday – Friday 5.30 pm – Saturday 5 pm
reservations
phone
email
Instagram
address
115 Collins Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
open
lunch Saturday and Sunday 12.30 pm
dinner Wednesday – Sunday 7 pm
reservations
phone
email
instagram
address
1135 Burke Road,
KEW, VIC 3101
open
Monday – Saturday lunch 11.30am – 4pm
dinner 5pm – 9.30 pm
closed public holidays
reservations
phone
email
Instagram
address
361 Little Bourke Street,
MELBOURNE, VIC 3000
open
Wednesday – Friday 5 pm – late
Saturday lunch 12 pm – 2 pm – dinner 5 pm – late
reservations
phone
email
instagram
address
Rear of 205/207 Moorabool Street,
GEELONG, VIC 3220
open
lunch Friday and Saturday 12 pm – 2.30 pm
dinner Tuesday – Saturday 5.30 pm – 9 pm
reservations
phone
email
Instagram not working
address
9/11 Pakington Street,
Geelong, VIC 3218
open
lunch Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm
dinner Thursday – Sunday from 6:00 pm
phone TEXT ONLY
email
instagram N/A
gallery
address
70 Princes Highway,
BEEACNSFIELD, VIC 3807
[corner of Souter Street]
open
lunch, Friday through to Monday, from 12.30 pm
reservations
accommodation
phone
email
instagram
address
178 High Street,
Heathcote, VIC 3523
open
dinner Thursday to Saturday 6.30 pm
late lunch Saturday 3 pm
reservations
accommodation
phone
email
instagram not available
address
3/850 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road,
HURSTBRIDGE, VIC 3099
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favourite MELBOURNE RESTAURANTS
Not a new list by any means but still relevant, in particular il Bacaro where authentic Italian remains supreme and a wine list to match… click here
We have 42 years history at the highest level
in the food and wine industry and the passion for our craft remains undiminished…
read more