Chinatown
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Neighborhood: Central Business District
Full of discovery and delight, Melbourne’s laneways tease the imagination long after you’ve put your weary feet up to rest. They weave through the heart of the city: cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques, throbbing with conversation and espresso coffee. You never quite know what you’ll find around the next corner: cobblestone alleys, old beer barrel hoists and even vats of simmering organic soup. There is the air of Berlin in the street art, a touch of Paris in the umbrella-shaded cafes and, reminiscent of Rome, eateries tucked away in the most unlikely of places. Perhaps you might want a break and cross the Yarra River to Southbank - walk along the promenade, bask in the sun at a waterside bar and decide whether to go to the nearby casino or book a ticket at the Melbourne theatre company.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
877 reviews
Excellent
258
Very good
380
Average
208
Poor
23
Terrible
8
westoz
Perth, Australia108 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
A yum cha restaurant in little Bourke St - a pot of Chinese tea ($3.50pp) 2 serves of dim sum (only 3 pieces in each) and 1 serve of sticky rice - total bill $43 !! This is outrageous price gouging at its worst. How pathetic, goodbye little Bourke street forever
Written October 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,585 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
This is one of Australia's original and most interesting Chinatowns. Melbourne's Chinatown has flourished for over 100 years. Numerous restaurants have come and gone, but Chinatown has always bounced back. Chinatown is a community center for the city's Chinese population. It's a great place to explore, you can get anything from a bowl of noodles to a top-notch meal. Chinatown is located in Little Bourke Street, between Swanston Street and Spring Street.
Written August 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,585 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Melbourne's Chinatown is one of the oldest Chinese communities in the world' Chinatown dates from the 1850s, during the Great Australian Gold Rush. These days, Chinatown has things as the Australian Chinese Museum and the statue of Dr Sun Yat-sen, founder of Modern China. But Chinatown never ceases evolving. For many restaurants, it's a case of here today and gone tomorrow. For every expensive restaurant that trembles, a dumpling outlet opens. Don't be surprised if you see a long queue at a new restaurant, it's the way things work in Chinatown.
Written May 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,585 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Melbourne's Chinatown is the oldest Chinese settlement in the Western World. Chinatown has been a community hub since the 1850s. Although Chinatown is well-known for its cuisine, it is in constant flux; here today, gone tomorrow. Restaurants range from the up-market Flower Drum to dumplings, a bargain for locals and visitors. Chinatown takes in Little Bourke St, from Swanston St to Spring St.
Written December 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy
1 contribution
Feb 2020
There are a lot of old buildings here that look very historic. They feel like Chinese buildings. The square buildings are very beautiful and Chinese characters on them.I couldn't resist the temptation to go in every one of them.
Written June 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C...
Victoria, Australia87,358 contributions
Chinatown in Melbourne dates back to the gold rush in Australia... the 1850s - it is also the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world. The area is known for its restaurants, buildings, and meetings.
It started life as a place for the Chinese immigrants to meet but quickly they established a community there. Although there is a dark part of its history that makes it interesting that it survived, when Australia introduced its 'White Australia Policy' in 1901... the community emerged from this dark period in around 1947 when the immigration laws changed.
These days it's an important part of the Melbourne scene and visiting this area is interesting. I remember as a small child I felt like I was entering another world with the beautiful lanterns, colours and unique buildings.
It started life as a place for the Chinese immigrants to meet but quickly they established a community there. Although there is a dark part of its history that makes it interesting that it survived, when Australia introduced its 'White Australia Policy' in 1901... the community emerged from this dark period in around 1947 when the immigration laws changed.
These days it's an important part of the Melbourne scene and visiting this area is interesting. I remember as a small child I felt like I was entering another world with the beautiful lanterns, colours and unique buildings.
Written December 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saronic
Zurich, Switzerland28,818 contributions
Nov 2019
A fascinating feature of many large cities outside China are the 'Chinatown's' established by Chinese immigrants. The one in Melbourne started with the the gold rush in the 1850's, just about the same time as the one in San Francisco with the California gold rush. While the Chinatown in San Francisco got destroyed with the 1906 earthquake and has since been rebuilt, the Chinatown of Melbourne now can call itself the longest continously inhabited Chinatown outside Asia.
Located along the eastern part of Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Spring Street it is now to a great extent an area of eating places, not just of China, but several other Asian culsines as well. Still the typical symbols of a Chinatown are there, such as the red lanterns hanging above the street and the 'Paifang', the typical gateways with Chinese inscriptions at the entrances.
The 'Facing Heaven' archway on Cohen Plaza, not far from the Chinese Museum, is the most noteworthy of all the five here, a replica of a Ming Dynasty arch with two Imperial Guard Lions beside it.
Located along the eastern part of Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Spring Street it is now to a great extent an area of eating places, not just of China, but several other Asian culsines as well. Still the typical symbols of a Chinatown are there, such as the red lanterns hanging above the street and the 'Paifang', the typical gateways with Chinese inscriptions at the entrances.
The 'Facing Heaven' archway on Cohen Plaza, not far from the Chinese Museum, is the most noteworthy of all the five here, a replica of a Ming Dynasty arch with two Imperial Guard Lions beside it.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,585 contributions
May 2021
Chinese people have lived in Australia for centuries, but the real influx began with the Great Australian Gold Rush in 1851, when Chinese miners arrived to seek their fortune. Chinatown has always been a community centre, one can see such things as the Kuo Min Tang Hall and the Chinese Christian Mission. Of course, restaurants great and small have always been a feature of Chinatown, from the illustrious Flower Drum to humble noodle shops. Chinatown is in Little Bourke St, running from Swanston St to Exhibition St.
Written May 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,585 contributions
Jan 2022
Lunar New Year is always a joyous time in Chinese communities. It's time to celebrate the old year and bring in the New Year. Times have been tough in Chinatown, it's time to welcome a prosperous and happy New Year. For the younger ones, it's time to get gifts of money, the "Red Envelopes." Of course, everyone will sit down to a bounteous feast, and hope that next year everyone's luck is better.
Written January 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller
Melbourne, Australia17,413 contributions
Jan 2023
My wife and I visited this place recently to have lunch and to see the Chinese New Year decorations.
Chinatown is gradually recovering from the slump caused by the six lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully, it will thrive once again by the end of this year.
Chinatown is gradually recovering from the slump caused by the six lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully, it will thrive once again by the end of this year.
Written January 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is Chinatown and nearby attractions in Melbourne CBD (eg Flinders) more crowded on a weekend or weekday?
Written May 16, 2023
I would say that all Melbourne attractions are more busy on weekends. We went to Chinatown on a week day in the morning and it was deserted. Chinatown is more busy in the evenings when all of the restaurants are open. Flinders was busy and very crowded, but that was over Labour Weekend and the Moomba festival was on! I imagine the station area is always busy as it is a major hub.
Written May 17, 2023
Is there any gluten free restaurants in Chinatown?
Written May 28, 2016
I strolled around this morning on my way to work and I did not see any restaurants advertising gluten free offerings. I looked at a few menus that were in windows and saw nothing of a gluten free nature
This does not mean that there are no gluten free restaurants in Chinatown Melbourne, but they are certainly not obvious an a 15 minute visit
Written May 29, 2016
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