Established in 1975, Flower Drum continues to be Melbourne’s most celebrated Chinese restaurant, imparting a charmingly old-fashioned ambience through its dark wood, lacquerwork and crisp white linen. The sumptuous Cantonese food – including plenty of seafood at 'market price' – is delivered with the kind of old-world service you rarely see these days.
An oversized seafood soup dumpling is $22, but might just be Melbourne's best, while noodles fashioned from barramundi meat are one of a kind. Expect to find $55 bottles of wine on the list through to champagne vintages for more than $6000.