Best restaurants in Kensington – The full list
Kensington is one of Melbourne’s most charming inner-city dining suburbs, with a village feel that makes it different from nearby North Melbourne, Flemington and the CBD. Around Macaulay Road, Bellair Street and the streets near Kensington Station, you can find Italian restaurants, historic pubs, African and Middle Eastern food, specialty coffee, brunch spots and easy takeaway dinners.
This guide focuses on five Kensington restaurants worth knowing: Rick’s Place, Hardimans Hotel, Sahara Restaurant, The Premises and Bubba Pizza Kensington. Each one suits a different kind of meal, from Italian dinners and pub food to halal-friendly feasts, brunch, coffee and pizza nights.
1. Rick’s Place
Rick’s Place is one of Kensington’s strongest choices for Italian food with a modern Australian edge. Located on Macaulay Road, it brings a warm, neighbourhood restaurant feel to the suburb and works well for dinners, dates, group meals and casual catch-ups where you want something more polished than takeaway but still relaxed.
The menu direction is Italian-inspired, with pasta, seafood, meat dishes, drinks and options designed to suit different dietary needs. Rick’s Place is especially useful for mixed groups because it offers halal-certified meat, along with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. That makes it easier to organise a table where people have different preferences without choosing somewhere too plain.
The appeal is comfort and flexibility. You can use Rick’s Place for a quiet dinner, a birthday meal, a casual drink and bite, or a more complete Italian-style meal with shared starters, mains and dessert. It has enough atmosphere for an occasion, but still feels local rather than overly formal.
Rick’s Place is best for Italian dinners, seafood, pasta, date nights, group meals, halal-friendly dining and anyone looking for a warm Kensington restaurant on Macaulay Road.
Address: 507 Macaulay Road, Kensington
Menu: View the Rick’s Place menu on Happy Menu
2. Hardimans Hotel
Hardimans Hotel is one of Kensington’s landmark venues. Sitting on Macaulay Road, it has the kind of historic pub presence that gives the suburb character. It works for casual drinks, pub meals, family dinners, group catch-ups, birthdays and nights when you want something easy but still full of atmosphere.
The food direction is classic pub dining with a more polished local feel. Think burgers, steaks, wood-fired pizza, drinks, beer, wine and meals that suit a broad range of diners. That makes Hardimans especially useful for groups because not everyone has to want the same kind of meal. One person can order a full pub classic, another can keep it lighter, and the table can settle in for drinks.
Hardimans also works well because of its location. It is close to Kensington Station and sits right in the heart of the suburb’s village strip, making it an easy meeting point for locals and visitors. The pub format gives it flexibility: lunch, dinner, drinks, functions and casual events can all fit the same venue.
Hardimans Hotel is best for pub meals, craft beer, burgers, steaks, pizza, family-friendly dining, group catch-ups and anyone looking for a classic Kensington local.
Address: 521 Macaulay Road, Kensington
Menu: View the Hardimans Hotel menu on Happy Menu
3. Sahara Restaurant
Sahara Restaurant adds African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours to Kensington’s Macaulay Road dining strip. It is a strong choice for diners who want something generous, spice-driven and halal-friendly, especially when the group wants food that is made for sharing.
The menu direction is built around warmth and comfort: grilled meats, slow-cooked dishes, rice, bread, dips, salads, falafel, wings and richly spiced mains. It suits the kind of meal where the table orders several dishes and builds a spread rather than everyone choosing one plate and leaving quickly.
Sahara works particularly well for family meals, group dinners and casual celebrations because the food has a generous, communal feel. The halal focus also makes it useful for diners looking for a reliable halal restaurant in Kensington without sacrificing atmosphere or variety.
Sahara Restaurant is best for African and Middle Eastern food, halal dining, grilled meats, shared plates, family dinners, group meals and anyone wanting bold flavours on Macaulay Road.
Address: 465 Macaulay Road, Kensington
Menu: View the Sahara Restaurant menu on Happy Menu
4. The Premises
The Premises is one of Kensington’s key cafe names. Located on Bellair Street, close to Kensington Station, it gives the suburb a reliable brunch, coffee and daytime dining option. It is the kind of cafe that works for locals, commuters, weekend brunch seekers and anyone who wants a proper Melbourne cafe experience without heading into the CBD.
The appeal here is coffee and daytime food. The Premises is especially useful for breakfast, brunch, lunch, casual meetings and relaxed catch-ups. It has the neighbourhood cafe feel Kensington does well: friendly, walkable, easy to reach and good for both quick visits and slower meals.
The menu sits in modern Australian cafe territory. Think coffee, eggs, brunch plates, sandwiches, sweets, seasonal dishes and lighter lunch options. It works for mixed groups because cafe menus usually cover a range of appetites, from a simple coffee and pastry through to a fuller brunch plate.
The Premises is best for specialty coffee, brunch, breakfast, lunch, casual meetings, weekend catch-ups and anyone looking for a strong cafe near Kensington Station.
Address: 202 Bellair Street, Kensington
Menu: View The Premises menu on Happy Menu
5. Bubba Pizza – Kensington
Bubba Pizza Kensington is the easy pizza option on this list. Located on Gower Street, it is built for takeaway, delivery, casual dinners and nights when the group wants something fast, familiar and satisfying. It gives Kensington a practical pizza choice that works for families, students, locals and anyone after a low-pressure meal.
The menu is built around classic and gourmet pizzas, with sides, desserts and drinks rounding out the order. Bubba Pizza is especially useful for nights when you do not want a formal restaurant booking but still want something more substantial than a snack. It also works well for group orders because pizza naturally suits sharing.
This is not trying to be a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant, and it does not need to be. Its role is convenience, choice and comfort. You can order for pickup, delivery or a casual dinner, and the menu gives enough variety for different tastes, including vegetarian-style options.
Bubba Pizza Kensington is best for takeaway, delivery, family pizza nights, casual dinners, group orders and anyone looking for an easy pizza option in Kensington.
Address: 1 Gower Street, Kensington
Menu: View the Bubba Pizza – Kensington menu on Happy Menu
Final word
The best restaurants in Kensington Melbourne cover a useful mix of meals and occasions. Rick’s Place is the Italian pick for pasta, seafood and flexible dietary options. Hardimans Hotel is the historic local pub for drinks, burgers, steaks and group meals. Sahara Restaurant is the halal-friendly African and Middle Eastern option for shared feasts and bold flavour. The Premises is the Bellair Street cafe favourite for coffee, brunch and daytime dining. Bubba Pizza Kensington is the easy Gower Street choice for pizza, takeaway and casual dinners.
Together, they show why Kensington is such a useful Melbourne dining suburb: compact, local, easy to reach and strong for everything from morning coffee to relaxed dinners and group-friendly nights out.