Christmas lunch in Melbourne: 21 of the best

Melbourne's fave spot for fine Middle Eastern fare, Maha isn't just staying open this Christmas Day; it's dishing  up a special set menu lunch featuring lavish serves of seafood, maple Christmas ham croquettes, a decadent dessert inspired by the wise men's three gifts, and a pork roast recipe courtest of Shane Delia's father. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day bookings are available across two afternoon sittings: 11.30am and 2.45pm. The multi-course set menu is priced at $195 per adult. Make a booking at the website.

This Christmas, why not swap your typical Aussie beach barbecue for a lazy New Orleans meat feast in Le Bon Ton's sunny courtyard? Sink your teeth into the Collingwood icon's signature cuts like smoked pork ribs with honey and apple glaze and smoky barbecue sauce, pulled lamb shoulder with rosemary, and burnt ends of smoked brisket with chipotle sauce. Sink a pint or a cocktail or two and challenge a sibling to a pool tournament. 

Nitty gritty: A three-course Christmas Day lunch is available from noon at $99 per person and $55 per child. Make a booking at the website.

Can’t decide what to cook this Christmas? Leave it in the good hands of chef Scott Pickett and his team at Chancery Lane. The CBD bistro is serving an elegant French spin on your classic Christmas lunch with chicken liver parfait, prawn vol-au-vents duo of Wagyu beef and a festive Paris-Brest dessert. There's also a delicious kids' menu featuring sweet corn croquettes, cheeseburgers and dessert profiteroles, so that the whole family can join in the indulgence. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day bookings are available across two afternoon sittings: 11:30-11:45am and 2:15-2:30pm. The multi-course set menu is priced at $195 per adult and $60 per child (aged 12 and under). The price is inclusive of a 15 per cent surcharge, and any additional purchases on the day will incur a public holiday surcharge. Make a booking at the website.

North and Common sits in what used to be Pentridge Prison’s mess hall. The critically acclaimed restaurant is also serving up some of the most exciting, inventive food around in a striking setting that neither makes light of its dark history nor glorifies it. With chef Abhi Dey at the helm, diners can anticipate a three-course shared style menu of classic Christmas favourites like roast meats, trimmings and Christmas pudding for dessert. There'll also be fun festive cocktails upon arrival!

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day bookings are available from noon. The share-style menu (including a welcome cocktail) is priced at $169 per adult and $65 per child (aged 3 to 11 years old). Make a booking at the website.

The Windsor Hotel’s Grand Ballroom on Spring Street is a magical place to spend Christmas Day. Patrons can dine in the historic dining room under a canopy of stunning moulded ceilings, skylights and chandeliers. Though tickets don’t come cheap, entry secures you access to an opulent five-course feast that includes Tasmanian rock lobster buns, whimsical takes on childhood classics like 'pigs in a blanket', an expertly hand-crafted jellied ham terrine and more. Desserts are also next-level, featuring a selection of quality Victorian cheeses, plus the ultimate Christmas pudding with brandy orange crème and warm eggnog anglaise. There's an alternative food menu to keep the little ones happy, and free-flowing wine, beer and soft drinks are included in your booking cost, of course!

Nitty gritty: the Christmas feast is available across both Christmas Day lunch and Christmas Eve dinner. The lunch costs $468 per adult and $198 per child (aged 3-12), while the dinner costs $329 per adult and $168 per child – view the full menu now and secure a table at the website. Note that there's also an option to book a private Christmas lunch for ten guests and above in the stunning Winston Room. You may enquire with the hotel for more details.

Sausages, schnitzel and beer are a good time any time of the year, but on Christmas Day the Bavarian restaurant and food hall Hofbrauhaus feels particularly like the place to be. Channelling all our cosiest German Christmas fantasies, it's hosting an authentic festive lunch this year with hand-selected German biers and platefuls of hearty eats. Prost!

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day bookings are available from noon until 4pm. The multi-course set menu is priced at $195 per adult. Head to the website for more info. 

For those who've been pining to try out Crowne Plaza's modern bistro Ottie’s, you're in luck! The riverside restaurant will be open for Christmas lunch, dishing up an indulgent feast of fresh seafood, rib eye roast, veggie wellington and more delicious options.

Nitty gritty: Christmas lunch reservations are available from 12:30pm until 2pm at $175 per person and $75 per child (under 12). Make a booking at the website.

Have a very merry Christmas at Rare Hare this Christmas Day, thanks to a tasty Christmas-inspired feast full of everyone's favourites. Think Mooloolaba king prawns, wood-fired Moreton Bay bugs with herb butter, slow-cooked lamb leg with sherry vinegar, a summery berry pavlova, plus more. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day share-style lunch bookings cost $190 per person and $95 per child. Secure a table at the website. 

Ensure your Christmas is the best in the west by booking a spot at the Station Hotel. The Christmas lunch includes a three-course set menu of holiday favourites like honey and mustard glazed ham and Christmas turkey with sage and onion stuffing. Click here to see the Christmas Day menu. Vegan options are available.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings cost $170 adult and $55 per child under 12 years old. Secure a table at the website.

Say Joyeux Noël this Christmas with Bistro Guillaume’s five-course lunch or dinner. Dishes include Oscietra caviar and crème fraîche-topped blinis, Hervey Bay scallops with Café de Paris butter, duck pithivier with truffle jus, spinach, Paris mash and salad, petit fours and a stunning cake for dessert. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch and dinner bookings cost $260 adult and $125 per child, with a glass of Moët and Chandon NV Champagne included on arrival. Secure a table or view a range of other pre- and post- Christmas dining offers at the website.

Located a stone’s throw from Flinders Street, the Duke is an exciting cosmopolitan gathering place for your friends or family this Christmas Day. A three-course share style feast will allow you to sit back, relax and spend quality time with loved ones without worrying about any kitchen disasters. Start with oysters, Queensland prawns and local cold cuts before moving onto the stars of the show – bourbon and apricot-glazed turkey, slow-cooked turkey with cranberry sauce and pan juices and currant, fig, whiskey and chestnut stuffing. Don't forget to load up on the sides and dessert! 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings cost $159 per adult and $49 per child (aged 12 and under). Two-hour sittings will be available at 11am and 2pm, with more info available at the website.

Heading to Geelong for the Christmas break? Keen on a festive road trip? Make sure you stop in for a buffet breakfast or lunch at Tempo Kitchen and Bar. Located in the heart of the waterfront city, this vibrant new eatery is offering epic spreads throughout the morning and arvo hours. For brekky, think fluffy pancakes, gingerbread, crispy bacon, hash browns, Chrissie cupcakes, fresh fruit and more. Lunch dials the feast up a notch with tasty savoury platters, seafood spreads, festive roasts, sweet treats and a kids' corner. If all that's not going to put you in a Christmas food coma, we don't know what will.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day breakfast buffet bookings cost $65 per adult and $30 per child. Christmas Day lunch buffet bookings cost $289 per adult and $149 per child. Across both sittings, children under five years old eat free! There's alternatively an option to book an exclusive dining package for groups of people over ten in Tempo's private wine nook. Find out more at the website.

Fancy the fresh air of regional Victoria instead of the big smoke CBD? Jackalope Hotel's hatted restaurant Doot Doot Doot is the perfect culinary destination for festive revellers who are keen on something a bit more special this Christmas Day. Sip beautiful wines and indulge in a set menu that features multiple courses from the inventive mind of executive chef Michael Wickham. Think kingfish ceviche with miso, pickled nectarine and lavosh; beef tataki with whipped cod roe; lobster with ginger-garlic butter, house-made udon and curry bisque; and more. See the full set menu here.

Nitty gritty: the cost of a Christmas Day lunch booking at Doot Doot Doot starts at $195 per person, from 12:30pm. For more details or to secure a booking, visit the website.

The Conservatory at Crown Casino is renowned for its all-inclusive buffet and there’s absolutely no better time to experience it than on Christmas. Offering a breakfast, lunch and a dinner seafood buffet, the venue's flexibility can accomodate a variety of different types of group gatherings. This venue is also putting on a program of live entertainment to add to the merriment. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day breakfast bookings cost $75 per adult and $37.50 per child; lunch bookings cost $495 per adult and $247.50 per child; and dinner bookings cost either $325 or $425 per adult and $162.50 or $212.50 per child (depending on whether you order the drinks package or not). Secure a table or view a range of other pre- and post- Christmas dining offers at the website.

The Hawthorn Hotel is offering a three-course Christmas lunch complete with a drink on arrival and all your favourite fixings. Get stuck into a king prawn cocktail, glazed ham, garlic and rosemary potatoes, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and more. Click here to see the menu.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings cost $170 adult and $55 per child under 12 years old. Secure a table at the website.

Once you sit down in one of the plush booths at this charming CBD pub, it’s honestly hard to leave – which makes it the perfect venue for a long and lazy Chrissie lunch. This year, Morris House will be dishing up oysters, prawn cocktail, beef wellington with parsnip puree and truffle jus, lobster with garlic butter and scampi caviar and many other delicious eats to choose from. For pre-drinks, see you on the trendy rooftop! It'll be open from 11:30am-5pm.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day bookings are available across two afternoon sittings: 11am and 2:30pm. The four-course menu is priced at $185 per adult and $155 per child (aged 12 and under). Make a booking at the website.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to dine at Nobu, this is it. The Christmas lunch menu is a chance to sample the Japanese restaurant's show-stopping sushi and sashimi, plus Mayura signature Wagyu and New Zealand scampi with umami salsa. You’ll finish with a Christmas grapefruit brioche with caramelised chocolate, sakura soil and trifle ice cream. Friends can't eat meat or seafood? There's an alternative vegetarian menu that looks just as appealing. A glass of Veuve Cliquot Champagne is included in the package. 

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch and dinner bookings cost $260 per adult (inclusive of a free-flowing drinks package) and $130 per child – secure a table or view a range of other pre- and post- Christmas dining offers at the website.

This gorgeous boutique hotel's restaurant, Langlands, is transforming Christmas lunch into a fancier affair. As well as sweeping city views from the 25th floor, behold a lavish nine-course feast that includes freshly shucked Tasmanian oysters, king prawns, Western Plains porchetta, slow-cooked turkey, hasselback potatoes and more. Sweet treats for dessert include pecan pie, egg nog and Chrissy-themed cookies – cute!

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings are from 12:30pm and dinner bookings are from 5:30pm. The nine-course set menu is priced at $130 per person. There are drink package options from $58 per person, including 2.5 hours of free-flowing bubbles, selected beer, wine and mocktails. Make a booking here.

If you can’t decide between turkey and ham on Christmas this year, fear not because the Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn East is offering both! Other festive treats in the three-course meal include roast veggie sides, three starter dishes per person and two heavenly desserts. And make sure you save some space for the end-of-meal cheese selection, featuring blue cheese, brie, smoked cheddar, quince paste, lavosh and muscatels.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings cost $165 per adult and $60 per child under 12 years old. Secure a table at the website.

Get down to the Prahran Hotel this Christmas Day for a rip-roaring shared banquet of seafood, roasts and festive desserts (including mini cherry pavlovas), plus free-flowing tap beer, cider, wine and soft drinks. Though a juicy bourbon and apricot glazed ham with mustard sauce steals the show, the lavish vegeterian menu looks just as finger-lickin' good. Click here to see the full menu.

Nitty gritty: Christmas Day lunch bookings cost $150 adult and $50 per child. Secure a table at the website.