Best Restaurants in Collingwood — 8 That Earn the Hype (2026)
Collingwood’s dining scene has officially outgrown “hidden gem” territory. Smith Street was once the scrappy underdog to Brunswick Street and Lygon Street, but in 2026 it’s a destination in its own right — the kind of strip where a French bistro sits across from a Latin American grill, a Japanese noodle shop shares a block with a wood-fired pizza joint, and somehow they all coexist without stepping on each other’s toes. The restaurants here don’t trade on pretension. They trade on execution, personality, and the kind of kitchen ambition that comes from being in a suburb where your neighbour is probably also a chef. The competition keeps everyone honest.
Last updated: 17 March 2026 | Collingwood Vibe Score: 83/100 ⚡️
1. Smith St Bistrot — The French Corner
The vibe: Scott Pickett’s Smith St Bistrot is the most unabashedly French restaurant on this side of the city. White tablecloths, a zinc bar, and a menu that reads like a love letter to Parisian brasseries — think steak frites, duck confit, and a daily specials board that usually features something involving butter in three forms. It’s the kind of place where you dress up slightly but not absurdly, where the wine list leans Burgundy and Bordeaux, and where the waiters know when to appear and when to disappear.
This is Collingwood’s answer to the “fancy dinner” question. You don’t need to trek to the CBD for a proper French meal anymore. Smith Street has it covered, and the vibe here is warmer and less stuffy than most of the city’s French institutions.
Order this: Steak frites with béarnaise ($38) and a glass of Burgundy ($18–24) Address: 167 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Wed–Thu 5:30pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–10pm, Sun 12pm–9pm Insider tip: Book ahead for Friday and Saturday — this place fills up. The bar seats are first-come for walk-ins, and they’re often available on weeknights. The set lunch on Saturday is genuinely great value if you can swing it.
2. Le Bon Ton — The Southern Smokehouse
The vibe: Le Bon Ton brings New Orleans-style Southern cooking to Collingwood with a confidence that says “we know this sounds unlikely, and we don’t care.” The space on Gipps Street is large and lively, with an open kitchen smoking meats low and slow, a bar mixing serious cocktails, and a room that fills with the kind of happy chaos that only good food and strong drinks can create. The menu is all Louisiana — gumbo, jambalaya, pulled pork, fried chicken, cornbread — executed with proper technique and genuinely excellent produce.
It’s loud, it’s generous, and it’s the kind of restaurant where the table ends up sharing everything because the portions encourage it. Date night, group dinner, “I’m homesick for the American South” night — Le Bon Ton covers all bases.
Order this: The smoked brisket ($32) with a side of mac and cheese ($12) and a Sazerac ($22) Address: 52 Gipps Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Tue–Thu 5:30pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–11pm, Sun 12pm–9pm Insider tip: The Sunday brunch menu runs a Southern-themed spread that’s a brilliant alternative to the usual avocado-toast circuit. Think biscuits and gravy, fried chicken and waffles, and bloody marys with enough Tabasco to wake the dead.
3. Pincho Disco — Latin American Fire
The vibe: Pincho Disco is Collingwood’s home of Latin American cooking turned up to eleven. The Josper grill is the centrepiece — premium produce cooked over flame with the kind of intensity that gives everything a smoky, charred edge. The menu is Argentine-meets-Peruvian-meets-Mexican, with empanadas, ceviche, and grilled meats that arrive at the table still crackling. The cocktail list matches the energy: pisco sours, mezcal margaritas, and drinks with enough chilli to make your eyes water.
The three-level space means you can have wildly different experiences depending on where you sit — the ground floor bar for drinks and small plates, the middle level for a proper dinner, or the rooftop in warmer months. It’s one of the most versatile venues in the inner north.
Order this: The empanadas ($16 for three) followed by the grilled lamb shoulder ($42) and a pisco sour ($21) Address: 60 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Tue–Thu 5pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–11pm, Sun 12pm–9pm Insider tip: Happy hour on weeknights (5pm–6:30pm) has $12 pisco sours and discounted empanadas. It’s one of the best pre-dinner deals on Smith Street. If you’re coming from Richmond, cross the Yarra via Victoria Street and it’s a straight 10-minute walk north.
4. IDES — The Fine Dining Rebel
The vibe: IDES is Collingwood’s most ambitious restaurant, full stop. Chef Peter Gunn — formerly of Attica — runs a tasting-menu-only operation on Smith Street that treats Collingwood’s industrial postcode as the perfect backdrop for some of Melbourne’s most inventive fine dining. The room is minimal and intimate, the courses arrive in unexpected progressions, and the entire experience is designed to make you rethink what’s possible from a kitchen in a converted shopfront.
This isn’t a casual Tuesday night dinner. This is a “book three weeks in advance and prepare to be surprised” dinner. The degustation changes seasonally, the wine pairings are thoughtful, and the bill will be significant — but so will the memories.
Order this: The degustation menu ($165 per person, wine pairing additional $95) Address: 92 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Mon–Sat 6pm–10pm, Sun 2pm–4pm and 6pm–10pm Insider tip: Bookings are essential — this place seats maybe 30 and fills up fast. If you can’t get a table, the bar area sometimes has walk-in availability on weeknights. If you’re visiting from Fitzroy, IDES is a 5-minute walk from the top of Brunswick Street.
5. Thin Slizzy — The Pizza Redemption
The vibe: Thin Slizzy took over the Johnson Street space that was once home to the much-loved (and much-mourned) Lazer Pig, and rather than try to replicate what came before, it carved its own identity as one of Melbourne’s best pizza restaurants. The bases are thin, blistered, and properly Neapolitan — chewy in the centre, crisp at the edge, with a sourdough starter that the kitchen guards like a family recipe. The toppings go well beyond margherita (though the margherita is excellent), with seasonal specials that show genuine creativity.
The room is relaxed and unpretentious — a neighbourhood pizza joint that just happens to make pizza this good. The wine list is Italian-leaning and well-priced, which is exactly what you want when you’re three slices deep and reaching for another glass.
Order this: The margherita ($18) and a seasonal special (ask what’s on, $22–26) Address: 98 Johnson Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Wed–Thu 5pm–9:30pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–10pm, Sun 12pm–9pm Insider tip: Johnson Street between Hoddle and Wellington is the quiet stretch — easy to miss if you’re coming from Smith Street. Park on Johnson and walk in. The half-and-half option lets you try two pizzas, which is the move for couples.
6. Wabi Sabi Salon — The Japanese Veteran
The vibe: Wabi Sabi Salon has been a Collingwood institution for over 14 years, which in this suburb’s restaurant lifespan is basically geological. The narrow, intimate space on Smith Street serves Japanese food that prioritises simplicity and quality ingredients over spectacle. After a recent renovation and menu refresh, the restaurant feels renewed without losing the character that made locals loyal in the first place. The sake list is extensive, the dishes are beautifully presented, and the room — once you’re seated — feels like a secret you’re glad you found.
This is not izakaya-style sharing plates. This is refined, individual Japanese dishes — sashimi, tempura, noodles, and seasonal specials — served with care in a space that rewards patience.
Order this: The chef’s selection sashimi ($28) and a tokubetsu junmai sake ($16) Address: 299 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Tue–Sat 5:30pm–10pm Insider tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The front tables are brighter and more social; the back section is darker and more intimate — request the back if it’s a date. If you’re comparing Japanese options, Richmond has more casual izakaya-style spots, but Wabi Sabi is the refined alternative.
7. Ladro — The Melbourne Pizza Icon
The vibe: Ladro has been doing proper wood-fired pizza in Melbourne since before it was fashionable, and the Smith Street location remains one of the best. The space is a proper restaurant — not just a pizza takeaway with tables — with a serious wine list, a warm room, and the kind of consistent execution that comes from more than a decade of doing one thing very well. The menu goes beyond standard Neapolitan with creative toppings and seasonal specials, but the classics are all excellent.
Ladro walks a line between neighbourhood trattoria and destination dining that few Melbourne restaurants manage. You can rock up in jeans on a Wednesday for a quick pizza and wine, or book a Saturday for a proper multi-course Italian dinner with friends. Both experiences feel right.
Order this: The Ladro pizza with speck, fontina, and potato ($24) and a glass of Montepulciano ($16) Address: 224 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Mon–Thu 5:30pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–11pm, Sun 12pm–9:30pm Insider tip: The Smith Street front windows are perfect for people-watching on warm evenings. If you want that table, book and specifically request it. The lunch special on weekdays is one of the best value meals on the strip.
8. Hope St Radio — The Wine Bar With Food
The vibe: Hope St Radio operates out of the Collingwood Yards complex — a converted multi-use space that also houses galleries and creative studios — and it’s become the unlikely social heart of the arts hub. The restaurant is part of a broader venue that includes a wine bar, a radio station (yes, literally), and an event space, but the food program is serious enough to stand on its own. Think seasonal Australian produce, European-influenced techniques, and a wine list that leans natural without being preachy.
The room is beautiful — warm wood, exposed structure, and enough natural light to make everything look good. It’s the kind of place where you end up staying three hours because the wine keeps coming and the food keeps being excellent.
Order this: The seasonal vegetables with house bread ($18) and a glass of skin-contact wine ($16) Address: 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Wed–Thu 5pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–11pm, Sun 12pm–9pm Insider tip: Collingwood Yards is a complex, not a single storefront — look for the entrance off Johnston Street and follow the signs. It’s near the Fitzroy border, making it a great dinner option if you’re already exploring Fitzroy’s dining scene. The events calendar is worth checking — live music, DJ sets, and food events happen regularly.
The Bottom Line
Collingwood’s restaurant scene in 2026 is mature, diverse, and doesn’t need anyone’s permission to be taken seriously. You’ve got fine dining at IDES, French brasserie at Smith St Bistrot, Southern smoke at Le Bon Ton, and Latin fire at Pincho Disco — all within a few blocks. The best part? None of these restaurants feel like they’re in competition. They each have their own lane, their own crowd, and their own reason to exist. That’s the sign of a healthy dining ecosystem.
Your Collingwood Vibe Score this week: 83/100 ⚡️ — Eight restaurants this good within walking distance? That’s electric.
Related reads: Date Night in Collingwood · Cheap Eats in Collingwood · Fitzroy Restaurant Guide · Richmond Dining Scene
Know a spot we missed? Let us know. MELBZ — We Know Your Suburb Better Than You Do.
