Marco Pierre White reveals his favourite Melbourne restaurants

Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
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How many people in the world are there who are recognisable by only their first name? Cher, Oprah, Jesus – any others? Well, in the food world, there’s Marco.

Known as one of the first celebrity chefs, and a pioneer of the UK restaurant scene, Marco Pierre White is a name synonymous with both food and personality.

 

It’s been a decade of back-and-forth trips to Australia for the now 57 year old who first made his mark on our national culinary scene in the early 2000s. And now, the godfather of modern cooking is returning to celebrate Good Food Month in Melbourne.

 

When I first received the call-up to interview the great man himself, I was admittedly nervous. My mother fawns over celebrity chefs like they’re The Beatles, and like many young Australians, I grew up watching MasterChef Australia,  – where Marco Pierre White was often a guest-judging (and fear inducing) fixture.

 

Almost overnight he became a household name at many dinner tables around the country. And after chatting to him, it seems the love is mutual.

 

“Since travelling here a decade ago, Australia has become one of my favourite places," he says.

 

“Australians are in love with food. Everyone from household cooks to five-star chefs have had somewhat of a gastronomic revolution. For me, to come from England, it’s a long way. And when I go to Melbourne, or Sydney or Perth, I remember why I love it so much."

 

This time around, it’s Melbourne.

 

Marco is set to host three events at Melbourne’s Good Food Month, happening throughout June at various venues around the city.

Marco is set to host three events at Melbourne’s Good Food Month

1. An Evening with Marco Pierre White: one of Australia’s most highly awarded chefs, Phil Wood, will honour Marco by recreating dishes from White Heat.

 

2. Young Chefs Lunch with Marco Pierre White: Melbourne’s next generation of culinary superstars present an extraordinary lunch.

 

3. Sunday Best with Marco Pierre White and Andrew McConnell: Together, Marco Pierre White and one of Melbourne’s greatest, Andrew McConnell, are going to elevate the Sunday Roast in the way only these two super chefs can.

 

Like us, you might be wondering, where does such a famed chef choose to dine when he’s in Melbourne?

 

“Well, I’m a creature of habit you see. When I like something I keep going back to it. I go to certain restaurants for certain things."

 

So behold, Marco Pierre White’s Melbourne restaurant bucket list…

1. Tipo 00

Named after a finely ground flour used to make pizza and pasta, Tipo 00 is an Italian staple of the Melbourne CBD.

 

Housed in a laneway, this intimate, sophisticated space serves clean, simple Italian within an open kitchen and marble bar.

 

According to Marco, you should stop here for a “bowl of pasta or risotto."

 

“I also have the prosciutto, and the haloumi."

 

Noted

Tipo 00
The marble bench of Tipo 00
Head to Tipo00 for some Marco approved pasta or risotto

2. Flower Drum

In China, ‘Flower Drum’ is known as a traditional dance famous for its beauty and elegance.

 

In Melbourne, it’s known as a classic Chinese restaurant, described by Marco as “authentic, pleasant, and an excellent experience from start to finish."

 

Like many, Marco is enthralled by both Gilbert Lau’s Flower Drum and Lau’s Family Kitchen – the St Kilda restaurant owned and operated by Lau’s sons, Jason and Michael.

 

“A good dining experience is about the food, yes. But every person I’ve ever looked up to, all my heroes, it’s not about the food, or the cooking process, it’s about the story. Without the story, what are we?"

 

Talking Flower Drum specifics, “I tend to have the braised ox cheek."

 

“I have the duck. I have the lobster with spring onion, ginger and noodles. And then I have toffee bananas. Every time I go."

Flower Drum famous peking duck
Won ton soup

3. Añada

Marco describes Añada, a Fitzroy institution, as “a typical Spanish cafe, with a simpler, more casual dining feel."

 

“Gertrude Street is my favourite place to eat in Melbourne, without a doubt," and when in town, he always makes a point of dining at this snug little eatery.

 

The tapas menu focuses largely on the peasant food of Andalusia in southern Spain, and the flavours of the Muslim Mediterranean.

Share plates at Anada
Share plates at Anada

4. Cutler and Co

Another Gertrude Street hangout, Cutler and Co is located inside an old metal works factory, paying homage to Melbourne’s first industrial area.

 

Opened in February 2009 by chef Andrew McConnell, the restaurant reflects a passion for exceptional produce and memorable dining experiences.

 

In the restaurant you’ll find diners feasting on upscale modern Australian fare, and if you look hard enough, maybe Marco Pierre White? The trick to finding him?

 

“Well, I always sit with my back to the restaurant."

Simplistic elegance at Cutler and Co
Light-filled interiors

 

Don’t miss Marco Pierre White at Melbourne’s Good Food Month. Head here for tickets and more information.

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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

    Angela SaurineBy Angela Saurine
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    From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

    Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

    Budj Bim cultural landscape  

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

    eel tank
    The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

    Dumawul walkingtour
    Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

    Kooyoora walking tour
    Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Kingfisher Cruises  

    Kingfisher Cruises
    Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

    wawa biik 

    Taungurung leaders
    Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

    Bataluk Cultural Trail  

    Bataluk Trail
    Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

    Healesville Sanctuary  

    echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
    Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

    The Grampians 

    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.