Melbourne has long been a favourite of visiting international chefs. They are amazed by the culinary diversity of restaurants, the hidden foodie gems and the professional hospitality received wherever they go. And our local chefs think they are pretty lucky to be here too.
“If you want diversity, great food, comfortable, relaxed and buzzing environment. I would say
Melbourne.”
Heston Blumenthal, The Fat Duck (Bray, UK)
“I would rather eat in Melbourne, than Paris” …
“We like the chefs. We like how they cook. We consider them friends.”
Anthony Bourdain, chef, author, and television personality (New York City, USA)
“Great food scene here, great ingredients and really exciting place to be actually.”
Brett Graham, The Ledbury (London, UK)
“Melbourne is Australia’s culinary engine room”
Gordon Ramsay, chef and restaurateur (UK)
“It’s our isolation from the rest of the world that gives Melbourne an original identity. That coupled with a genuine love of food and a closeness to our growers makes Melbourne one of the most diverse
and interesting places to eat on the planet.”
Ben Shewry, Attica (Melbourne, Australia)
“When you eat at Attica, you really get the sensation that you’re tasting Australia.”
René Redzepi, Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
“The single best thing I have had to eat while in Australia is the fried eggplant at Dainty Sichuan.”
David Chang, Momofuku restaurants (New York, USA; Toronto, Canada; Sydney, Australia)
“Melbourne reminds me why I do what I do, why I enjoy all this food-related stuff.”
Heston Blumethal - via Gourmet Traveller magazine
“[Melbourne Food and Wine Festival] is simply one of the best food festivals in the world. I would have gone back even if they didn't invite me.”
David Chang - via Broadsheet

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival breathes life into Melbourne every year. It gives Melbournians a chance to relish in what makes Melbourne great and unquestionably the world’s best food and wine city.
Shane Delia, Maha (Melbourne, Australia)
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has long been considered a ritual on the international calendar – a chance to meet, share ideas, experiment with flavours and get inspired – it is a high-voltage cultural experience.
Guy Grossi, chef and media personality (Melbourne, Australia)
“You can find most of what you would want in this city - it’s varied, and relaxed too. You would probably find most of the ethnic kitchens of the world here, as well as a vibrant, active scene of local
chefs who have developed their own style.”
Kenneth Nars, food writer (Finland)
“There’s so much diversity, so many different cuisines and type of restaurants here to enjoy. There are always new places popping up too so there’s lots of fun, a great atmosphere, lots of choice and
everything I’ve tasted has been delicious.”
Ali Kurshat Altinsoy, food writer (Copenhagen, Denmark)
“Melbourne is unique in that it has a broad range of different food styles and high quality in each of
those styles.”
Ben Devlin, Esquire (Queensland, Australia)
“It’s wonderful coming back to Victoria. I went to Luxembourg, one of Andrew McConnell’s restaurants, and it was just delicious. It was unpretentious, easy, just fantastic, and that’s what
Victorian restaurants are about. It was worth coming to Melbourne just for that.”
David Thompson, Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand – born Sydney, Australia)
“I love coming to Melbourne. It’s so much fun. There are so many little bars, so many laneways. I just
love wandering around because Melbourne has that great city culture.”
O Tama Carey, Berta (Sydney, Australia)
“For a European, coming to Melbourne is going to the other side of the world but still finding some roots: it’s different but not unfamiliar. Food is in the air like love is in the air. It’s a very warm and
friendly city that can manage to transmit the taste of things.”
Andrea Petrini, French chairman of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, (France)
“It’s progressive, dynamic and interesting. It’s good to see people focusing on produce and suppliers,
expressing what’s local, getting in touch with what’s happening from the farm to the table.”
Brent Savage, Bentley Restaurant and Bar (Sydney, Australia)
“It’s diverse and there’s a real sense of quality and pride. It’s a very dynamic scene and just growing stronger and stronger. Melbourne is blessed with great talent. I’m always amazed with Andrew

McConnell, with all the different types of places he opens and they’re all well-loved. Having Ben
Shewry and Attica here is amazing, bringing global recognition to the Melbourne food scene, as is
having Dan Hunter at Brae.”
Peter Gilmore, Quay (Sydney, Australia)
“People are crazy about food here and they know what they are talking about. I am impressed. What I
like here is it’s very open – it’s not fusion, it’s very open and I like it.”
Iñaki Aizpitarte, le Chateaubriand (Paris, France)
“There’s great diversity, with good examples of so many styles. You can send people to almost any
cuisine and there’ll be some representation of it that has integrity and is impressive.”
David Moyle, The Stackings (Hobart, Tasmania)
“There’s always been an exciting food scene in Melbourne. It’s a city of substance, with lots of next gen chefs doing cool stuff. There’s casual dining done incredibly well - no tablecloths, graffiti outside,
a casual but professional environment – as well as legendary places like Flower Drum and Attica.”
Darren Robertson, Three Blue Ducks (Sydney, Australia)
“The people are really nice and friendly and I love the weather – that you can have four seasons in
one day. It surprises you all the time.”
Dan Pepperell, 10 William St (Sydney, Australia)
“I can talk about the passion and the love and the attention to detail but I just love the sense of humour. People are pushing themselves, thinking about the earth, recycling, not wasting, having gardens and being thorough, but at the same time not taking themselves too seriously. It humanises everything. That’s why I’ve been eating jellybeans and ham sandwiches alongside organic muesli and
nuts.”
Roy Choi, Kogi (Los Angeles, USA)
Visit www.piecesofvictoria.com/eatdrinkvictoria for more information about Victoria’s food and wine.
ENDS
CONTACT: ZOE SHURGOLD 0415 254 418 OR zoe.shurgold@tourism.vic.gov.au