We look at Melbourne's cheapest barista coffee, hot lunch and and all you can eat restaurant.
Melbourne’s cheapest barista coffee
Otherside Coffee
- Small coffee – $3.40
- Large coffee – $3.80
Otherside, nestled in the heart of Melbourne on Collins Street, offers a caffeine fix with an all-day coffee priced at a very modest $3.40 – calling out to “those feeling disenfranchised by the coffee industry”. Their signature blend, the Little Temperance is bold yet balanced and a testament to their meticulous approach to roasting and brewing. Given they also sell plenty of their coffee beans through their website, you can trust its high-quality stuff. Certainly worth the extra $1.40 over your 7-Eleven regular.
Melbourne’s cheapest home-made cafe lunch
Heart of Carlton
- Pastas, baguettes, toasties, curries – $5
- Orange juice, coffees – $4
- Slices, cakes – $2
Mum-and-pop Elgin Street cafe Heart of Carlton boast of their 1970s prices and at this point, they’re probably the cheapest inner-city cafe in Australia. They’ve been serving fantastic, hearty and humble, home-made lunch dishes for decades now. What’s more, they play live music courtesy of a local pianist on Tuesdays and if you’ve got a knack for the ivories, you’re welcome to entertain the guests yourself.
Melbourne’s cheapest lunches and dinnersĀ
Udon Yasan
- Noodle bowls for around $5
- Both lunch and dinner, open very late on weekends
A Japanese canteen-style, self-serve noodle restaurant, open late on weekends, which has a massive range of cheap eats with plenty of items on the menu under $5. Their star attractions are the noodle bowls that start at under $5 and include the likes of teriyaki chicken, with a range of additional add-ons that are also very cheap.
Melbourne’s cheapest all-you-can-eat dinners
Om Vegetarian
- All-you-can-eat curry – $9.50
Om Vegetarian, on Collins Street, offer a special $9.50 all-you-can-eat thali meal. It’s a range of vegan curries, and is available all day, every day, boasting a medley of seasonal delights like vegetable, chickpea, and lentil curries, served with fragrant basmati rice and piping hot naan bread straight from their tandoori oven.
Honourable mention: Kim Soju
- 30mins $19.90
- 60mins $21.90
- 90mins $25.90
Korean BBQ has taken Melbourne by storm so it’s little surprise that to see Kim Soju on Queen Street take the honours for Melbourne’s cheapest all-you-can-eat dinner for BBQ lovers, offering 30-minute sessions for just $19.90. That’s unlimited noodles, vegetables, meat and seafood, plus they offer a range of similarly priced takeaway deals as well.
The best cheap meal-deals every night of the week
We’ve also compiled the best cheap eats in Melbourne in this master list of affordable restaurants, because saving money doesn’t have to mean staying in. Whether youāre on a budget or just trying to dedicate less of your paycheck to eating out, you donāt have to resign yourself to eating homecooked meals seven days a week with this list of the best cheap eats in Melbourne.
There are ample meal deals around town! Weāve hunted down the best spots around Melbourne to eat for cheap every night of the week, so you can wine and dine yourself with nothing but pocket change.
To read it, head here.
