In recent years, my appreciation for food and the craft behind what I consume has increased tenfold. Food has gone from something that I simply consume to stay alive to something I am deeply curious about, celebrate and earnestly try to enjoy. Much of this has to do with food related content on YouTube which have been mainstays of my midnight bedtime procrastination, principal of which being Eater’s Mise En Place , Matty Matheson’s Dead Set on Lifeor anything Lucas Sin. A future blog post will be a compilation of all my favourite food-related video series.
Through consuming aforementioned media, I have been first and foremost educated on the history behind what I eat, of which is equal parts complicated and painful, and beautiful and to be celebrated. Furthermore, being able to see what goes into each and every dish I eat allows me to appreciate food more than just what my tastebuds tell me.
Which brings me to this post! 2025 was a year of culinary adventure, so I’d like to take the time to reflect and highlight some of my favourite new eats from last year. These are not necessarily in any particular order and are located in both Melbourne and Sydney so I apologise if you aren’t local to those areas.
These are just restaurants that I visited for the first time in 2025.
If you want to see some of my favourite all time food spots, checkout food.nathanlepham.com!
The Hardware Club
Photo courtesy of The Hardware Club
Located upstairs at 43 Hardware Lane Melbourne, The Hardware Club is one of those places where you may pass by often, especially if you frequent the opposing Max on Hardware, but never think twice about it. Which makes it all the more special when you visit for the first time, making feel like you’ve entered a special sort of club reserved for those on a wineful date night or a special gathering.
At The Hardware Club, you’ll find a tight selection of Italian dishes alongside a long list of cocktails, beers, non-alcoholics and wines that are best left up to the professionals. And that’s in additional to the rotating list of specials you’ll find hand-drawn on the blackboards.
Our favourites include the Spaghetti Assassina and the no-longer-available flatbread. If you’re looking for ambient, cosy table for two, or larger table for an intimate gathering, checkout The Hardware Club. 4.5/5.
3 Brothersss Indian Restaurant
Our order of naan, rice, beef vindaloo and garden salad (not pictured).
Despite having a “local spot”, a go-to Indian spot in the CBD was something I had desired for a while. So like anyone too lazy to scour the depth of food-recommendation TikTok, searched for “best indian melbourne cbd”, only to find 3 Brothersss Indian Restaurant at the very top. It was a place I had passed by many times on the tram home, located with a storefront on the Elizabeth St side of Queen Victoria Market, and despite its proud store logo on its window, I was surprised to see it was in fact a restaurant, and not a barber.
At 3 Brothersss, you’ll find a wide variety of dishes, ranging from street foods, curries, biryanis and sixteen different types of breads. I encourage you to ask the friendly waitstaff what they recommend, or more importantly, a dish that people don’t order enough, and I’m sure you’ll land on something new and delightful, in place of your usual Tikka Massala or Butter Chicken.
Recommended to us the time we went was the beef vindaloo which was the perfect companion to a warm spring night, although you might find yourself battling the wind or sometimes violent sounds of the city, by virtue of 3 Brothersss outdoor, and beautifully illuminated seating. 4/5.
GOGYO Fitzroy
Photo courtesy of GOGYO Fitzroy
My partner knows I love ramen, so much so that I’ve made it an endeavour of mine to try (and mentally rank) every ramen spot in Melbourne (perhaps a future blog post?). So it was a treat when I was treated to a birthday dinner at GOGYO in Fitzroy the sister restaurant to the chain IPPUDO (the Melbourne incarnation of which I am unfortunately not a fan of). I am delighted to say that I don’t share the same sentiment when it comes to it’s younger, yet more mature sister.
Dining at GOGYO was a delight, with it’s moody and ambient interior, and bustling live kitchen, a front row seat to which is only a bar seat away. Despite being known for their kogashi (charred miso) ramen, I opted for my usual when it comes to a new ramen spot, their tonkotsu ramen, being the standard I measure restaurants against each other. Coming in two varieties, Classic and Modern, I opted for the former.
GOGYO’s Classic Tonkotsu has quickly become my unofficial favourite ramen in Melbourne so far, although a comprehensive ranking is yet to materialise. To start, we also treated ourselves to Grilled Miso Scallops which was the perfect way to start the night. If you’re looking for a bougier ramen, without the wait of the overhyped, and frankly lacklustre Mensho Tokyo Ramen Melbourne, you’ll find a new favourite in GOGYO. 5/5.
Kaiza Newtown
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Five of the six courses of the Kaiza Express set menu. Omitted is the edamame starter.
Out and about on the streets of Newtown, Sydney, a group of friends and I, in town for the Enactus Australia National Competition, found ourselves stumbling upon, Kaiza, a Japanese-Vietnamese fusion restaurant, offering a range of a-la-carte dishes, at the time, various donburi and those looking for a bit more of a guided adventure, two tasting menus, the six-course Kaiza Express (89pp).
Our large table split into two contingents, the more fiscally responsible donburi-enjoyers, and my corner of my table travelling on the Kaiza Express. All six courses found themselves thoroughly enjoyed, with the melt-in-your-mouth Mix Sashimi on shokupan, and *Crispy Fried Rice being highlights.
Only open for two dinners a week, future, unplanned attempts to visit have fallen flat, but the next time I find myself in Sydney on a Wednesday or Thursday night, revisiting Kaiza and embarking on their Kaiza Voyage will be a sure thing. 5/5.
A1 Bakery
Photo courtesy of A1 Bakery
Despite being a long-time beloved institution for locals and non-locals alike, I was only introduced to the family-owned, Lebanese bakery by means of catering for a Farrago Magazine Media Collective, and only becoming a regular patron upon my workplace’s resituating near A1’s original Brunswick location. With plentiful seating and expeditious takeaway, A1 is a delight for anyone craving a good bread, pie or pizza, in addition to various platters and wraps.
My usuals include the Hummus w/ Lamb, with “no nuts, please”, which is paired amazingly with a side of chips, as well as the flavoursome zaatar. The meat pizza is a nice cheap eat, too. Just remember to ask for lemon and chilli. Surprisingly, I have yet to try any of their wraps, a popular accessory to many walking down Sydney Rd.
If you’re looking for a cheap eat, you can’t really go wrong with A1. The coffee is pretty good, too! However, I have but A1 on a bit of a banlist for myself for at least the next month or two. I’ve been too many times in recent memory and maybe it’s time to switch up my lunch breaks. 4/5.
Good Days Hot Bread
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Left: XO Roast Pork banh mi, Right: Meatball banh mi.
Speaking of lunch break bites, a guilty pleasure of mine is Good Days Hot Bread, offering an elevated take on your common banh mi. Initially, the thought of a $15+ dollar banh mi required a bit of an adjustment, a deviation from the usual $10±2 bread rolls I had become accustomed to. However, Good Days gives banh mi the care and respect it deserves, and each bite is worth each dollar.
Of the five different varieties offered, I have opted thus far to try their XO Roast Pork and Meatball rolls, the former being a classic and benchmark across all banh mi spots, and the latter being a personal childhood favourite of mine. Both rolls had excellent presentation, making me feel a bit guilty for ruining their complexions. However, I must comment that the trend of placing the proteins of the rolls towards the outside of the roll rather than the inside in order to appear more “Instagrammable”, at risk of falling out is not one I approve of.
In summary, Good Days Hot Bread offers banh mi the likes of which I have never seen before, and is definitely a fun eating experience. However, I wouldn’t call it a spot to regular like you would other bakeries. I have to commend the excellent attention given to each individual ingredientand staying true to the freshness that I look for in a banh mi. The Viet Iced Coffee is great too, not too sweet. 4.5/5.
Honourable Mentions
Because I realised writing about ten different restaurants was going to be a bit too arduous of a task for what was meant to a nice, short blog post.
NOMAD Melbourne - 5/5 Pretty crazy experience, to be honest. If you ever have a really special occasion, consider dining at NOMAD.
Bun Bun Bakery 4.5/5 Although sceptical, Bun Bun Bakery does actually live up to the hype. Don’t know if I’ll find myself in Springvale too often however.
La Herradura Coffee Stable - 4/5 Such a cute breakfast spot introducing me to Latin American cuisine. Still on the lookout for a banger arepa in Melbourne, though.
The Bank Hotel - 4/5 Smash burger and excellently buttery flatbread was the perfect start to King St Crawl.
Terra Cotta Roasters Darlington - 4/5 Great coffee, cute suburban nook and the Roaster’s Eggs will be a dish I will be endeavouring to recreate.