Coda & Tonka: two Melbourne favourites we keep going back to...

If you spend much time on Flinders Lane, you already know: Coda and Tonka are bona fide Melbourne institutions. Led by owners Mykal and Kate Bartholomew, Coda has been part of the city’s dining heartbeat since 2009, tucked in the basement of 141 Flinders Lane and loved for its buzzy laneway energy and consistently hat-worthy cooking. 

A few steps away (via Duckboard Place), Tonka channels modern Indian vibrancy, spice, smoke and crunch, delivered by a tight, passionate team with one of the CBD’s liveliest dining rooms.

Coda’s menu leans modern and produce-led, the kind of food that’s equally at home with a glass at the bar or a long, lingering dinner. Tonka, meanwhile, celebrates Indian flavours with a contemporary lens, big on brightness, texture and shareability. Both venues trace their origins to a collaboration with chef Adam D’Sylva, whose name is woven through the story of each restaurant.