The best New Year's Eve dinners in Melbourne to feast on

CBD

The following CBD restaurants are open on New Year's Eve.

Our very own delicious slice of Gippsland in the CBD, Farmer’s Daughters, is keeping it simple and sophisticated this year with an NYE chef's set menu on the deli level. Complete with the restaurant's legendary soda bread, this is one meal that'll have you launching into the 2025 with a happy, full belly. Seatings are available from 5.30pm onwards and cost $100 a head. Get more info and make a booking online. Prefer something a bit more party-oriented and with city views? The restaurant's rooftop bar is also hosting two NYE summer sessions (choose from 6pm or 9pm), where guests can enjoy two hours of bottomless Gippsland wines, beers and summer cocktails, and dine on a seasonal shared grazing menu including some of Farmer’s Daughters most loved items. Tickets for this option are $135 a head. Head to the website to make a booking.

Usher in 2025 Scandinavian-style at Freyja, with the chef's selection of six courses. You've got the option to add on generous beverage upgrades (both alc and non-alc), and before the clock strikes twelve, you'll have the chance to make your way up to the 35th level for Champagne and fireworks with views over the river. Book online.

Ring in 2025 with Chin Chin this New Year’s Eve. There’ll be rivers of drinks, DJs spinning tunes all night and loads of Chin Chin's most famous dishes available – think crispy duck pancakes, twice-cooked barbecue lamb, yellow toothfish curry, black sticky rice ice cream and lots more. Choose between a $110 or $130 per person menu – cheaper than last year's event! Book through the website.

Indulge at Chancery Lane for your last meal of the year with a decadent European feast from celebrated chef and restaurateur Scott Pickett. Housed in Melbourne’s historic Normanby Chambers building, this restaurant delivers classic European dishes with a twist. For the first sitting from 6pm, Chancery Lane will be offering a $140 four-course menu (with additional sides), and for the second sitting from 8.30pm, a $165 five-course feast. Wine matches are optional and cost $70 for the first sitting and $85 for the second sitting. Book through the website.

With new places constantly mushrooming in the city, it’s nice to hark back to an oldie but a goodie. Enter Longrain, a popular destination ever since it opened in 2005. Feast on a $100 banquet featuring the restaurant’s classic dishes as well as new favourites – plus dessert, of course. For more info, visit the website.

Keen to get glammed up and celebrate the New Year in luxe style? Society is the place to be. The swanky dining room is offering guests a beautifully presented dinner, featuring dishes like Wagyu beef croustade and Hokkaido scallops, while the famous tableside dessert trolley will also be making an appearance. Or from 10pm, you can head to the Lounge where libations like Martinis and Champagne will be making the rounds, and roving canapés will circulate until the clock strikes midnight. Check out the pricing, menus and booking portal here.

If you love your NYE parties loud and racuous, you can't go wrong with a table at this 900-seat traditional Bavarian bier hall. Amidst the spectacular fireworks lighting up the city, go large with a next-level celebration feast that includes three hours of cocktails, vino, beers and tasty canapés, or settle in for a traditional German feast in the main dining room. For more info on all the NYE food and drinks available at this beloved South Wharf party venue, check out the website.

Welcome the New Year in one of the most beautiful dining rooms in Melbourne. Luci is offering a $135 four-course dinner, featuring baked scallops, arancini, crab and asparagus tortellini, poached rockling, dry-aged duck breast and more. The meal concludes with your choice of three decadent desserts. Book online.

It wouldn't be a silly season round-up without including one of our favourite CBD party venues: Her Bar. This New Year's Eve, the swanky establishment is hosting multiple offerings – think romantic dinners with steak frites, Champers and mini Martinis on the ground floor; fiery Thai feasts at BKK and sexy summer soirées on the rooftop. Book through the website.

What about a groovy Italian-style dinner party? Marameo is putting on a $98 (what a steal!) set menu fit for a principessa. With funky DJs, cocktails and delicious eats all night long, what else could you need? Your NYE resolution to eat less carbs can wait until January 1. Book through the website. 

You can expect a stunning multi-course meal, white tablecloths, warm service and a touch of Venetian glamour at Il Bacaro’s New Year’s Eve celebration – priced at $155 per person. Specially curated by executive chef David Dellai, you have multiple options for every course – we're talking calamari or venison tartare for entrée, spaghetti with Moreton Bay bugs or Angus short rib with marrow for main, and agave nectar cheesecake or chocolate fondant for dessert, plus much more. Il Bacaro’s sommeliers will be on hand to assist you in finding the perfect drop from its collection of more than 300 rare and premium wines. Book through the website.

It's always a good time to visit Cumulus Inc, but never more than on New Year's Eve. To take things up a notch on December 31, join everyone upstairs for the chef's selection menu featuring Spencer Gulf prawns, Fremantle octopus and Mooloolaba swordfish. ⁠Check out the full menu and reserve a table via the website.

North

The following northside restaurants are open on New Year's Eve.

↑ Back to top

Booked a babysitter for NYE or don't want any little rascals around? Then check out Johnny's Green Room in Carlton, which is hosting a fun adults-only party this year, complete with sweeping city views of the fireworks, an excellent food menu from Karen Martini, free-flowing bubbly (yep, there's a Champagne tower) and live entertainment. From 7pm to 1am, you can let your hair down and party to your heart's content. We'll see you up top for a midnight pasta. Get tickets here.

Lygon Street's Lagoon Dining will open its doors on New Year's Eve and offer a Chinese-inspired 'Feed Me' menu that will showcase seven of its signature dishes plus dessert. Priced at just $78 a head, the meal is set to excite with plenty of spice and the signature creativity Lagoon is known for. Reserve via its website.

It’s hard to escape the influence of Scott Pickett if you’re dining in Melbourne. Bid au revoir to 2024 with an exuberant French feast that delivers a melange of Pickett’s loveliest dishes right now, with matched wine pairing packages available. Find out more and book at the website.

Esteemed Northcote favourite Estelle offers what it’s best known for – a quintessential modern Australian feast – this New Year’s Eve. The menu features Murray cod, Wagyu, Loddon Estate duck and more. There are two sittings available, and you can get the full rundown on the menu, pricing and drinks pairings at the website.

South and East

The following southside and eastside restaurants are open on New Year's Eve.

↑ Back to top

Love a good patio party? With its industrial warehouse vibes a wine list that spand over 100 different bottles, Lilac is the place setting this NYE. DJs will be on from 2pm until late, and a cracking cocktail list will keep the good times pumping. Think Spritzes, milk punches, glittery blue Cosmo riffs and more. And for food? Alongside the Lilac grilled cheese gilda and lamb skewer, the bar will also have a one-off menu on the night. Think barbecue snacks cooked over fire and coals in the courtyard like king prawn skewers with Thousand Island dressing and parsley, zucchini flowers with walnut XO and chicken meatballs with a honey soy glaze. This event is open to all with dishes and drinks available to purchase a la carte. No tickets are required but bookings are recommended.

Months after opening, Tombo Den is about to host its very first New Year’s celebration and we wanna be there to pop that cherry! Inspired by late-night Tokyo and buzzy izakaya bars, this cool new Chapel Street haunt is offering your choice of two exclusive menus (for $77pp or $95pp), plus a premium line-up of sake, cocktails, beer and wine. From sushi to ice-cream sundaes, the food's sure to impress – and with a fun soundtrack 'til late, so will the vibes. View menus and book online here.

Riverside views: tick. Delish seafood: tick. Once again, Saké Restaurant and Bar in Hamer Hall will provide NYE revellers with a contemporary Japanese-inspired experience by the river. A minimum spend of $169 per person applies to all bookings made after 7pm on December 31, and you can choose to either sit inside or on the atmospheric outdoor terrace. Get all the details now and book at the website.

Kew favourite Mister Bianco had a gorgeous revamp and location move in 2023, and if you haven't done so already, New Year's Eve is the perfect night to head in and check it out. The indulgent four-course menu of Sicilian-style crowd-pleasers is ideal for an intimate NYE date night and family gathering. Graze on stuzzichini for the table, pasta, a main dish and glorious desserts to share. There are two sittings available, and you can find out all the details at the website. 

Keen to celebrate NYE by the beach but don't want to drive out of town? Consider Stokehouse – one of our fave St Kilda institutions. As the sun sets on 2024, the elegant seafood restaurant is dishing up a luxe five-course dining experience ($395 per head), plus elevated snacks and Champagne on arrival. With breathtaking bay views and live entertainment, this glamorous affair is sure to start 2025 on a high note. Book a spot now. You've also got more affordable options at Stokehouse Pasta and Bar, featuring live DJs, Spritzes, kids menus and more. Click here to get more info.

There's no swankier lair to kick off your New Year’s Eve than the glamorous and impressive dining room at Yūgen. This year, the subterranean restaurant is hosting their enigmatic 'Descend' NYE party and you'll want to make a booking asap to get your name on the list. Enjoy a signature cocktail on arrival before tucking into modern Asian-inspired canapés as DJ Dne spins a mix of disco, deep house and progressive beats. Live dancers and a saxophonist will set the vibe to keep you dancing all the way to midnight. To find out all the dinner and booking options available, click here.

Forget the noise and craziness of the city and indulge in a luxe NYE escape to Sorrento instead. With its incredible views over Port Phillip Bay, Audrey's is the perfect destination. This year, the acclaimed restaurant is hosting a swanky dinner, or you can head up to the functions space at the Continental Sorrento for its Viva La Playa party. At this Tulum beach club-inspired celebration featuring entertainment, live cooking stations and a four-hour all-inclusive package with premium drinks, you're encouraged to dress in your finest cocktail attire. Check out details of the full experience here.

West

The following restaurants in Melbourne's west are open on New Year's Eve.

↑ Back to top

Station Hotel's famous steaks and modern pub classics ensure there’s something for every foodie, making it the perfect venue for a relaxed yet indulgent NYE celebration. The a la carte menu will be available throughout the evening, alongside kitchen specials and you'll also get a complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival. For more info, check out the website.

Grazeland is Melbourne’s ultimate foodie playground, a permanent food vendor park located in Spotswood with views of the Yarra River and CBD skyline. It's the best destination in the west to ring in the New Year with a bite and a boogie, thanks to unbeatable views of the fireworks, endless offerings of delicious food and drink and a hot live entertainment line-up.