Looking for a cheap eat in your city? Here are some of our favourites across the country.
Café Di Stasio, Melbourne
Café Di Stasio, Melbourne
Café Di Stasio, Melbourne
There’s no shortage of bargain meals to be found in Melbourne at lunchtime, with set-course deals at places like Café Di Stasio offering an ever-tempting midday option. Offerings include mains like the exquisite angelhair pasta with crabmeat and chilli, or a slow-cooked, anchovy-studded lamb, followed by a white chocolate, pistachio and mascarpone tart. Absolute heaven.
Cipro, Sydney
Cipro, Sydney
Cipro, Sydney
For uncomplicated food of the eat-and-run variety, look no further than Sydney’s Cipro, where the pizza al taglio and desserts make for a winning package every time. Pizza bases are light and crisp, while the toppings bounce with freshness. With its café vibe and shared tables, Cipro isn’t the eatery you’d expect from three of Rockpool Bar & Grill’s former top guns, but perhaps a small, casual, family-friendly joint was exactly the break they were after.
Mamak, Sydney
Mamak, Sydney
Mamak, Sydney
The Malaysian rotis at Mamak have been known to work up a hefty queue, but an authentic, tantalising taste of Malaysia awaits the patient customers. Popular regional favorites include the Roti canai ($5.50), chicken or lamb Murtabak ($12), and a range of sweet rotis served with ice-cream ($8-$10).
Lucky Lupitas, Adelaide
Lucky Lupitas, Adelaide
Lucky Lupitas, Adelaide
In Adelaide, the craze for all things Mexican has now moved far beyond food-van fare, to embrace authentic grills and stews at Lucky Lupitas. Single-serve soft corn tortilla tacos ($6.90) come with a choice of braised beef and radish, slow cooked chicken, or guajillo-lime braised duck with orange-panela.
Park Lok, Adelaide
Park Lok, Adelaide
Park Lok, Adelaide
The Chinatown precinct of the Adelaide Central Market remains a magnet for cheap dining. None more so than Park Lok, which boasts a vast and relatively inexpensive menu, with banquet and hotpot options, as well as a range of authentic Chinese dishes such as the brine pork intestine.
Riverfront Esquire, Brisbane
Riverfront Esquire, Brisbane
Riverfront Esquire, Brisbane
It isn’t the first place you’d think to hunt for deals, but Riverfront’s sibling on the same site, Esq, offers unbeatable value, with entrées starting at $8 and desserts from $12. The setting is quietly soigné – unclothed timber, Danish chairs, sculptures made of fish bones – looking across a terrace to the river.
Maha, Melbourne
Maha, Melbourne
Maha, Melbourne
At Melbourne’s Maha, diners are reminded of how head chef Shane Delia’s Maltese roots infuse everything from the dining to the décor. Middle Eastern staples are first-class, and are mixed and matched to create new taste sensations. The bartop weekday lunch menu includes the maha signature 12 hour roasted lamb, which comes with glass of wine and a price tag of less than $20.
MOM Dumpling House, Perth
MOM Dumpling House, Perth
MOM Dumpling House, Perth
You think eating in Perth is expensive? The city’s flourishing Asian food scene says otherwise. Victoria Park is rich in Asian pickings, with its most valuable player being MOM Dumpling House, where the flavours of the north-east rule the roost.
Mocan & Green Grout, Canberra
Mocan & Green Grout, Canberra
Mocan & Green Grout, Canberra
Bespoke modern cuisine built around fine seasonal produce from trusted suppliers, and drawing on influences from the Middle East to South East Asia. Mocan is a café by day, with gourmet offerings such as a range of sandwiches ($9) and Rose Scented Granola with Rhubarb and Yogurt ($9).
Sweet Envy, Hobart
Sweet Envy, Hobart
Sweet Envy, Hobart
What better way to wrap up our cheap eats tour than with dessert? At Hobart’s Sweet Envy, towering macaroon cakes and custom-made creations sit alongside handcrafted cupcakes and freshly churned ice-cream. This snap of pâtissier extraordinaire Alistair Wise’s creation by @sweetbigbessie more than does justice to the shop’s name.
