10 Best Late-Night Restaurants in Melbourne
Late-night dining in Melbourne can mean share plates and cocktails, a cosy Italian meal, wine-bar small plates or a polished special-occasion dinner. This comparison sorts the listed venues by food format, atmosphere, group suitability and practical booking notes.
Our method for this guide
Before ranking this guide we review each business's track record, what its customers say and how clearly it explains its work. The result is an editorial selection that we update as things change.
Featured positions are clearly marked and only offered to businesses that already earned their place in the guide.
Compare 10 Restaurants Open Late in Melbourne
Lucy Liu Kitchen and Bar
Lucy Liu Kitchen and Bar serves Asian share plates and cocktails in a Melbourne laneway venue with an open kitchen, red neon and striking industrial-style interiors. Ordering several dishes to share is central to the experience, while the menu can also be approached through a seven-plate chef’s selection. Its lively atmosphere suits groups, catch-ups and date nights.
Notable strengths: Laneway entrance, red neon and open-kitchen setting
Group meals built around share platesCatch-ups and date nights with cocktails or wine23 Oliver Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaGimlet
Gimlet is a Melbourne restaurant and bar centred on oysters, caviar, hearty wood-fired mains, cocktails and wine. Its polished dining room and attentive service make it well suited to birthdays, dates and other special evenings, while the concise menu focuses on strong ingredients and technique. Advance planning may be useful for diners seeking a particular dinner time.
Notable strengths: The menu pairs premium seafood and wood-fired mains with a substantial drinks offering
Special-occasion dinners, dates and birthday celebrationsDiners looking for wood-fired mains with oysters, caviar, cocktails or wine33 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaIl Solito Posto
Il Solito Posto is an Italian restaurant in a warm, rustic basement setting with wine-stacked shelves, alongside a casual upstairs café. It suits diners looking for comforting Italian food, wine and a cosy Melbourne atmosphere, including date nights and pre-show meals. The bar is open throughout the day, while the dining room opens in the evening.
Notable strengths: Offers both a rustic basement dining room and an upstairs café
Cosy date nights and pre-show dinnersDiners seeking Italian food with a considered wine selectionBasement/113 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaEmbla
Embla is a Melbourne wine bar pairing an extensive wine menu with gourmet small plates in an industrial-chic setting. It suits diners who prefer sharing dishes and exploring wine rather than a conventional fine-dining format, with fire-cooked food and a distinctive interior adding to the experience. The venue can become loud and feel cramped when busy, and booking is recommended.
Notable strengths: Its format centres on an extensive wine menu and gourmet small plates
Diners seeking wine, small plates and a lively evening settingGroups wanting to share fire-cooked dishes122 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaSupernormal
Supernormal is a Melbourne Asian-inspired restaurant built around communal benches and an open kitchen. Its lively, contemporary setting suits casual meals with friends as well as larger group dining. The menu includes dishes such as Korean rice cakes, raw snapper, scallop, steak, greens, desserts and banquet options, giving diners scope to share across a broad selection.
Notable strengths: Communal bench seating and an open kitchen create an interactive setting
Casual meals with friends in a lively, social dining room180 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaHochi Mama CBD
Hochi Mama CBD is a Melbourne CBD restaurant serving Vietnamese and Asian fusion cuisine in a vibrant, modern setting. Its menu includes sharing-style small and large plates such as bao, duck wonton crisps, tuna tataki, fried rice and whole barramundi. The Feed Me menus let groups try a selection of dishes, making the restaurant particularly suited to birthdays and shared dinners.
Notable strengths: Feed Me menus combine multiple small plates, large plates and sides
Groups wanting a shared Asian fusion mealBirthday dinners and celebratory occasionsDiners who want to sample several small and large plates35 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaMaha Restaurant
Maha Restaurant serves creative Middle Eastern fine dining in a stylish, contemporary setting. Its menu includes dishes such as lamb shoulder with za’atar, fish with sujuk sauce, hummus and Lebanese garlic dumplings, with a Soufra menu and cocktails also represented in its dining offer. It suits special occasions and diners seeking a polished Middle Eastern meal.
Notable strengths: Creative Middle Eastern cooking in a stylish contemporary setting
Special occasions and celebratory mealsDiners looking for contemporary Middle Eastern fine dining21 Bond St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaCumulus Inc.
Cumulus Inc. is a Melbourne restaurant in an old rag-trade building, with a bustling high-ceilinged café-bar, open kitchen and upmarket menu. Its small-plate format suits relaxed dinners, celebrations and team functions, while the lively setting adds energy to a meal. Set-menu dining and a range of fibre-rich options have also suited group occasions.
Notable strengths: Open-kitchen dining in a high-ceilinged former rag-trade building
Small-plate dinners in a lively city settingTeam functions and celebrations45 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaBomba Tapas Bar & Rooftop
Bomba Tapas Bar & Rooftop is a Melbourne restaurant serving Spanish-style dishes from pork belly and paella to tapas, alongside a wide choice of vermouths. Its rooftop bar adds a separate setting for drinks and views, while the dining experience suits celebrations, set-menu meals, brunches and relaxed catch-ups. The menu includes dishes such as scallops, croquetas, gambas, lamb ribs and churros.
Notable strengths: Combines a Spanish tapas menu with a rooftop bar
Groups planning a tapas meal or celebrationDiners wanting Spanish-style food with rooftop drinks103 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaChancery Lane
Chancery Lane is a Melbourne restaurant presenting classic meat and seafood dishes with a wine list in a stylish, moody setting. It suits special occasions and shared meals, with oysters, scallops, ribeye and a three-course menu among the documented dining choices. Staff also support dietary requirements and maintain a considerate atmosphere for diners.
Notable strengths: Combines classic meat and seafood cooking with a curated wine-list experience
Special-occasion dining in a stylish settingGroups wanting meat and seafood dishes to shareDiners requiring support with dietary requirements430 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
The numbers on the map match the positions in the list.
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Dining styles in this selection
- Share plates and group mealsLucy Liu, Supernormal, Hochi Mama, Cumulus Inc. and Bomba Tapas Bar & Rooftop all suit diners who want to share across several dishes.
- Wine-led small platesEmbla centres on an extensive wine menu, gourmet small plates and fire-cooked food in an industrial-chic setting.
- Special-occasion diningGimlet, Maha, Chancery Lane and Cumulus Inc. are described as suitable for dates, birthdays, celebrations or other polished group occasions.
- Italian comfort and pre-show mealsIl Solito Posto offers Italian food in a warm basement dining room, with the evening restaurant service separate from its all-day bar.
- Asian and Middle Eastern menusLucy Liu and Supernormal offer Asian-inspired formats, Hochi Mama blends Vietnamese and Asian fusion, and Maha presents contemporary Middle Eastern cooking.
- Rooftop and drinks settingsBomba adds a rooftop bar and vermouths, while Gimlet, Lucy Liu and Embla bring cocktails or wine into the dining experience.
How to choose your late-night table
- Pick the meal format firstChoose a set or guided menu, shared small plates, tapas, communal dining or a conventional multi-course meal according to how your group likes to eat.
- Match the room to the occasionFor a date or celebration, compare the polished settings at Gimlet, Maha or Chancery Lane with the livelier formats at Supernormal or Embla.
- Consider conversation and energyThe descriptions flag noise or a cramped feel at Embla, Hochi Mama, Maha and Bomba, so consider whether a lively room suits your group.
- Plan for groupsSupernormal may direct large groups to a banquet option, while Hochi Mama’s Feed Me menus and Bomba’s set menus support shared occasions.
- Book when the description advises itGimlet can book out, Embla and Bomba recommend booking, and Il Solito Posto advises booking ahead. Check the venue’s current arrangements.
Frequent questions
Which restaurants are best suited to shared plates?
Lucy Liu, Supernormal, Hochi Mama, Cumulus Inc. and Bomba Tapas Bar & Rooftop all describe menus or formats built around sharing.
Where can I combine dinner with wine or cocktails?
Embla is wine-led, while Lucy Liu, Gimlet, Maha and Bomba include cocktails, wine, vermouths or other drinks in their documented offer.
Which venues suit a special occasion?
Gimlet, Maha Restaurant and Chancery Lane are explicitly suited to special occasions, while Lucy Liu, Cumulus Inc. and Bomba also describe celebrations or group events.
Should I book a table in advance?
The supplied descriptions recommend booking for Embla, Il Solito Posto and Bomba. Gimlet can book out, so advance planning may be useful there too.
