Anchovy

Anchovy sits on Bridge Rd in Richmond and is chef Thi Le's degustation-focused modern Vietnamese restaurant, drawing on Vietnamese technique and produce filtered through a fine-dining sensibility. The menu changes seasonally but regularly features a grilled prawn and betel leaf dish, a duck jungle curry, and a banana blossom salad, each reworking traditional Vietnamese flavours into a tighter, more considered plating style than typical Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne's inner suburbs. Service is largely built around a set degustation format rather than a broad a la carte menu, giving the kitchen room to move through a longer sequence of smaller dishes. The dining room is small and intimate, with limited covers, creating a quiet, focused atmosphere suited to a longer dinner rather than a quick meal. The wine and beverage list is curated to match the kitchen's Vietnamese-influenced flavours, leaning toward aromatic, food-friendly wines rather than heavy reds. Anchovy opens only for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, and given its small size and reputation, reservations are required and should be made well ahead, particularly for weekend sittings.