Jo’burg’s lively suburb of Melville may be compact with narrow, difficult-to-negotiate streets and parking that is as rare as a house without electric fencing, but that doesn’t stop people from coming in their droves to eat at the diverse array of restaurants and cafés that represent cuisine from all over the globe.

Here are six restaurants that provide a taste of what’s on offer in this global village that buzzes 24/7. 

Asian invasion
Soi has had prime position on the corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue since 2001, which is a pretty impressive lifespan for a Melville restaurant. It’s outlasted others because it consistently provides patrons with excellent, authentic Thai-Vietnamese food (pictured top left) that is traditional yet innovative.
Stylishly urban on the outside yet down-to-earth Thai on the inside, Soi doesn’t mess around with the whole chic Jozi décor thing, but rather gets down to the business of eating: the extensive menu offers exotic Asian dishes with starters costing around R30, and mains between R48 and R82. Call 011 726 5775.

Melville’s Portugal
Nuno’s Portuguese Restaurant on 7th Street is a Melville establishment and has been around for the last decade or so. It’s well known for having a festive, unpretentious vibe and serving tasty Portuguese food, such as its famous caldo verde soup (R33), delicious beef trinchado (R59) and popular, “cheapest in 7th Street” half-kilo of LM prawns (R108). You simply haven’t done Melville if you haven’t eaten at Nuno’s. Call 011 482 6990.

Mozambique beach life
Cashing in on Nuno’s success, the owners opened the vibey, young-at-heart Xai-Xai Lounge on the same street. This young, hip, student-style hangout, which is a bar-cum-lounge-cum-restaurant, offers that tantalising Portuguese-African style of cooking that is synonymous with Mozambican beach life. Try the popular Xai-Xai Basket – two chicken wings and chips, four prawn cakes and two queen prawns for around R59 … and wash it all down with an ice-cold Mozambican beer. Call 011 482 6990.

Crossing the border
Drive too fast down 4th Avenue and you’ll miss Café Mexicho, (pictured middle left) an audacious little hole-in-the-wall eatery, where you half expect a laid-back Mexican leaning against the wall strumming a guitar, and where the entrance is quite literally saloon-style swing doors.
This “hot tamale” joint only opened about two months ago and is already being enjoyed by Melville’s more festive crowd. Dig into authentic Mexican starters such as zingy chilli poppers – fresh jalapeno chillis stuffed with mozzarella cheese, wrapped in dough and deep fried (R36), and wolf down a chimichanga for mains: a deep-fried flour tortilla filled with beef mince, topped with cheddar and sour cream and served with guacamole on the side (R59).  Call 083 303 8330.

Chinese, Japanese … Yasuqi please
Yasuqi Cuisine on 4th Avenue is popular because both the Japanese and Chinese menus offer fresh, tasty food that is extremely good value for money. Yasuqi also always runs fantastic specials such as the “eat as much as you can” sushi – R89 a head for lunch and R99 a head for dinner. Mix it up and enjoy delicious Chinese chicken corn soup (R13) and/or two spring rolls (R13) for starters and then move onto something Japanese after that.   Call 011 482 9931/9017.

Bella Italia
Café Picobella (pictured bottom left) Trattoria on 4th Avenue is decorated in a pretty Tuscan style that personifies eclectic Melville – all charm and old meets modern. This Italian eatery serves a fabulous selection of pizzas and pastas, with choices such as the Bianca vegetarian pizza, which is topped with mozzarella cheese, rosemary, courgettes and olives (R41), and lamb meatball pasta in napolitana sauce (R59).
Soak up Jozi’s rays outside on the stoep that frames the front of the restaurant. Call 011 482  4309.