Mel C tells us what she really really wants when she dines out (spoiler: it’s often steak)

In a plot twist nobody would have seen coming just a few years ago, Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm (aka Sporty Spice) now calls Australia home – at least part of the time – as she and her Aussie husband, model and producer Chris Dingwall, whom she wed in July, divide their time between London and Sydney.

The energetic pop star, DJ, presenter and recent Yo-Chi frozen yoghurt convert took some time out to share some of her food favourites, in Australia and around the world.

My favourite home-town restaurants

A Scandinavian restaurant in Liverpool called Nord is worth a visit. We ordered the tasting menu with paired wines, and after the fourth dish lost track of what I was eating. I’ve dined here with my sister and brother-in-law.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Decimo in London is a Spanish-Mexican restaurant with the best views. The food is incredible, and the cocktails are too. It’s within The Standard hotel on Euston Road, and it overlooks St Pancras – which is where the Spice Girls filmed Wannabe. It’s a very nostalgic place to be sitting there looking out at the Victorian architecture. I recommend the tacos, pork al pastor, the tortillas and patatas bravas. I’m a tequila girl when it comes to cocktails; a Paloma is my cocktail of choice and I won’t turn my nose up to spicy margarita either.

My husband, Chris, took me to Dorian in London for our getting-together anniversary dinner. It’s a beautiful little bistro, so vibey, and has a real neighbourhood feel to it. The tables are super close, which adds to the buzz. We order our steak medium rare – or how the chef recommends, and I am always on the hunt for the best truffle mash, which they do so well here.

The Good Life Eatery in London is an excellent spot for something healthy like acai bowls and protein shakes. They do really good guilt-free desserts like a dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate mousse. If you’re on a bit of a health kick, this is the place.

My husband, being Australian, is very fussy with coffee, so we are always on the lookout for the best in London. You can find one at a Danish spot called Hagen Espresso Bar. Also, WatchHouse is good for coffee too. I always start my day with bulletproof coffee at home, which includes collagen and MCT oil. I’ve been doing that for a few years.

My favourite place to eat in Australia and special food memories

It has to be Restaurant Hubert. It’s where I had my very first date with my husband, and it’s where we got married. Chris and I had been chatting a lot prior but not met before. I had just landed in Sydney that morning and thought, oh my goodness, I’ve been on a plane for 24 hours and now I have to go on a date! He offered to change it. I said no, I’ll power through it.

When we were looking for somewhere to do our legal marriage in Australia, we booked a beautiful private room here. We had 30 guests and it was just perfect.

Pellegrino 2000 is a regular date spot for us. We also like to go to Totti’s and always fight for the bread here and the small side dishes like the burrata with ’nduja and cucumber salad.

Carbon is another favourite spot for Mexican food and cocktails. Neptune’s Grotto is where we go for steak. We often go to Nobu Sydney. The miso cod and eggplant is so delicious, as is the crispy rice.

Being a part-time resident of Bondi, we like to get our coffee at Gertrude and Alice Cafe Bookstore. We also head to The Tinpin Bakery in Bondi and Common Supply – a perfect health spot when you need a little balance or a protein shake. The best eggs that I’ve found in Bondi are at bill’s.

I haven’t spent enough time in Melbourne, but did come down for the grand prix a couple of years ago and ate at Marmont at Crown. It does delicious steak and Mexican-inspired food. I have a few spots friends have recommended that we’ll check out when next in town – from Embla in the city for sharing dishes; Scopri for Italian and I’m super keen to try Andrew McConnell’s Cote Basque and the newly opened Roma.

Favourite food city and places to eat there

Ibiza. La Paloma is a Mediterranean restaurant with a farm-to-table dining concept. They make beautiful salads and serve excellent cocktails. Casa Maca is another favourite – they have a big outside barbecue. You live on bread, aioli and incredible Iberian hams, steaks and it’s all cooked outside.

We ate at Restaurant Sa Capella for the first time this year. It’s a very romantic fine-diner. It’s in an old chapel with moody lighting. Everything you eat here is orgasmic. I recommend the lamb!

I love to stay in Ibiza town. It’s a gorgeous area to walk around, historic and great for shopping. We stay at The Standard – a lovely hotel with a great rooftop bar. We have also stayed at Six Senses in the north of the island, which is a lot quieter and more relaxed. And there’s Soho Farmhouse. The food is amazing and friends recently stayed and said it’s a beautiful spot.

I love cooking when I am home and have the time. I find it very therapeutic. It’s always a roast chicken. It’s my fail-safe dish. I make a great gravy and my roast potatoes are legendary. The secret to my potatoes is to par boil them for 20 minutes first. My mum’s always nervous when I’m making them and asks: “Are you sure they’re not ready yet?” I like the potatoes to be really fluffy and give them a good old shake in the colander. I always use olive oil and loads of salt.

I saw actor Richard E. Grant say in an interview that no pleasures should be guilty, especially when you get to a certain age. But here in Australia, it’s Yo-Chi. They’ve just opened in London and the queues are three hours long — everyone is obsessed and my daughter is too. I eat as much as I can get down my neck just to make my daughter jealous [laughs]. I love the chocolate and classic tart flavours and always top it with nuts and the peanut butter. It’s decadent and delicious.

It was my mum and my grandma that taught me the importance of confidence in everything you do in the kitchen. They were always baking together. It’s advice I have held on to. I also like to go off-piste with savoury dishes, but baking is a science and you have to stick to the method and amounts.

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.