Cheap lunch eats in Melbourne's CBD

Its ultimate claim is being open 24 hours, but the quality here doesn’t slip at any hour. In fact, this is the perfect no-frills venue, where you can put away a burger made with cuts of aged beef, snack on skewers cooked yakitori style, cut into a leg of crisp, confit duck or chew on a falafel salad with your top button undone. The time-poor can even get any item takeaway or peruse Butchers Diner's all-vegan vending machine out front.

There's a reason this CBD venue won the Bang for Buck category in our Food Awards in 2013 – top-notch dumplings and efficient service are definitely worth the visit. The boiled mackerel dumplings have become an unlikely signature, with their subtle flavour and mousse-like filling, but ShanDong MaMa's ability to churn out bowls of hand-pulled noodles, knots of spring onion pancakes and lightly tossed sweet-and-sour cabbage salads makes this a CBD must.

Say hello to the newest sandwich wunderkind on the block. King William Takeaway offers a rotating selection of sangas but each one is set to delight. It's offered thick and juicy meatball subs doused in Napoli sauce, roast chook in soft bread rolls, steak sandwiches, bolognese toasties and even three cheese and kimchi toasties. 

Spice lovers, rejoice! Dainty Sichuan now comes in a neat and tidy (but just as spicy) format, specialising in rice noodles cooked in the clay pot the dish is served in. Choose from broths rich with pickled mustard greens, heavy with dried chillies or mild, double chicken stock accompanied by duck, beef, pork, chicken or offal. Just make sure you’re not wearing a white shirt on your visit.

Students and worker bees alike jostle to find a spot in the split-level restaurant – you’ll most likely find yourself sharing a table with someone else, but what Blok M lacks in space and comfort it makes up for with the unapologetically punchy flavours of Indonesian food. Blok M draws from every corner of Indonesia – its balado (a chilli-based spice mixture) dishes are from West Sumatra, while its grilled chicken owes its provenance to Java. 

Fast food pho, banh mi and rice paper rolls aren't new, but using Warialda beef and Milawa chickens is. For ensuring peace of mind that the meat you’re eating comes from ethical sources, Phở Nom gets the thumbs up from us.

Love pita? Love falafel? Eyal Shani's Israeli street food is everything we love and more. Take away is available, but expect a show if you eat in. The staff mimic the hustle of the streets, so don’t be surprised if they break out in dance or shake a tambourine in front of you.

Craft is important to Japanese cuisine, so when Shimbashi started serving bowls of its soba back in 2012, it changed the soba game entirely. Tasmanian buckwheat groats are milled before service each day and hand-cut to make every serving of cold, dipping soba or hot, soupy soba. Sides like gyoza, sliced ox tongue or sashimi are available to beef up your order, but at Shimbashi, simplicity is key.

Sal's is probably the only pizzeria in Melbourne who can lay claim to serving an authentic New York slice. Sal's is a branch of the New York pizzeria established back in the 1970s in Little Neck, Queens and has brought his pie maker, Brian Leo, to Melbourne to ensure a true, New York slice. All the recipes have been developed by Sal himself, using Wisconsin mozzarella, Californian tomatoes and freshly milled flour from New York. Expect flavours like the classic cheese and pepperoni next to Sal's unique Buffalo chicken or meatball topped pies. Pizzas are all available by the slice and can be enjoyed next to garlic knots, pepperoni wheels, mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings with their signature set of dipping sauces. 

Melbourne loves a good sanga, and we’re not starved for delicious and diverse options. In 2019, Dari Korean Café brought Korean-inspired sandwiches into the spotlight. Korean barbecue enthusiasts will love the bulgogi bun: oodles of soy-marinated beef soak a milk bun with its juices, where onion and lettuce cut the richness and a house-made sesame mayo rounds off the whole experience.

Sandwiches are what EARL does. Not just any sandwiches, but ‘restaurant quality’ sandwiches. Think free-range ham, dijon mustard, mayo, cheddar and spinach in a baguette, or a double brie, quince, walnut, crisp apple and rocket number in a baguette. There's plenty of options here including desserts like the soft Callebaut chocolate, walnut and sea salt cookie for the sweet tooths out there. 

Melburnians are no strangers to dining in unusual places, so it’s no wonder some of the best Thai noodles can be found in a car park off Bourke Street for just $10 a bowl. Pick your desired noodle, toppings and choice of a boat noodle or tom yum broth, and you’re in business. Upgrade to a large bowl for an extra $5 and don’t forget to adjust your seasonings with the condiment caddies on the table.

Tahini is a Lebanese diner by the team behind Code Black Coffee and is a must-stop for those mid-week, wrap-fuelled cravings. Grab a falafel or tender shish tawouk wrap to go, or if you have time to sit down, get it as a tablieh that includes the wrap, chips, salad and a dip to match. For $20 or under, this is one spot to hit up if you have a hankering for hummus. 

Good ramen is easy to find these days, but a good tsukemen isn’t. Mugen’s house-made ramen noodles have the best texture of all that we’ve tried, but it’s the thick, umami-laden pork broth that you dip the cold noodles into that makes Mugen unbeatable. Chose from wafu (dashi and soy), curry or sesame flavour, or grab a bowl of ramen in soup. At lunchtime, special dishes like a fried, panko-crusted pork cutlet with curry sauce or a teriyaki salmon fillet paired with rice, soup and salad make a meal for those who aren’t in the mood to slurp.

Say goodbye to those dodgy dollar slices near the station – SPQR offers a slice and a tinnie for $10 any day of the week. The pizza itself is woodfired, and the dough is a true sourdough that has been fermenting for 24 hours. Toppings are as minimalist and perfect as a Margherita or updated with 'nduja and stracciatella. If you have the time, sit down with a whole pizza and tuck into the salads.

It's lunch o'clock in Melbourne CBD and you need some food, stat. Make your midday meal a deadset winner every day of the working week with our handy guide.