The best pre-theatre dinners in Melbourne to eat before a show

Eat here: With both Princess Theatre and the Comedy Theatre grazing the edges of Chinatown, there’s no doubt you’ll be eating well before act one. But our fave nearby spot's gotta be Sunda, one of the most exciting restaurants in Melbourne for imaginative, punchy Southeast Asian fare. It's now open from 5.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday, and just a five minutes’ walk from both the Regent and Princess venues. While the menu is a la carte, theatregoers are also free to swing by for a drink and a snack or two at the bar, tucked away on the first level. The tuna tartare donuts with dabu dabu and caviar have been a hit!

If you're after a full pre-theatre menu experience (that includes an energising 12-min walk before the show), check out contemporary Asian restaurant, The George on Collins. For $65 a head, you can get a generous selection of entrees, mains ans sides featuring tasty dishes like sichuan chicken stir fry, Mekhong braised lamb ribs and dragon fruit betel leaf.

Or your could get your dumpling fix at HuTong (you can BYO!), or top Thai joint Longrain will run you through the full sweet-salty-sour-bitter-hot gauntlet. Underneath the Crossley Hotel you can also find down and dirty Mexican eats at Bodega Underground.

Drink here: If salt-rimmed Tecate cans and Margaritas aren’t your things, then might we suggest City Wine Shop up the road or cocktails at Lily Blacks? If you're in a rush, only a two-minute walk to Princess Theatre is the subterranean hotel bar Dolly smouldering with old Hollywood glamour. 

Eat here: Right next door MoVida is the obvious choice, and for good reason. But it’s not unusual to find it packed, so if you forget to make a booking best look elsewhere for sustenance. A quick walk up to Flinders Lane reveals Chin Chin (if you can get in) and Meatball and Wine Bar. If you’re going the spaghetti-and-meatball route mind your clothes – the flick of a saucy pasta strand can be disastrous.

Drink here: Cross the road to Fed Square to enjoy a pint at Beer DeLuxe. If you have a bit more time stroll down to the river for a tipple at Riverland Bar or Pilgrim Bar.

Eat here: Collins Street’s 'Paris end' might be beautiful, but it’s more boutiques than burgers. Think laterally: it’s only a five-minute walk from the Regent Theatre or Capitol Theatre to the Japanese-ish diner Supernormal. There's also the sustainable wine bar and restaurant Parcs just a five-minute walk away from both Regent and Athenaeum, which is open to pre-theatre goers from 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Pop by for a snack and glass of wine or two, adding more as you go, or sample the set menu. It's fancy (yet fun) fine dining at a square $95 a head. 

Drink here: So long as you’re not with a big group of friends, 28-seater Apollo Inn is the hottest new bar from Andrew McConnell's Trader House team (Gimlet, Marion) well worth a look in. If you've got a crew, head to Garden State Hotel instead and try for a spot on one of its four levels. 

Eat here: For just $50 per head, the pre-theatre menu  at Pinchy's offers unlimited servings of the finest Moonlight Kisses oysters from the renowned Moonlight Flat in Batemans Bay, NSW, and unlimited sparkling - a luxury match made in heaven. Enjoy your oysters natural or with Pinchy's zingy spearmint and chilii mignonette. 

If you're catching opera or ballet at Her Majesty's, you'll want a meal just as fancy to make a night of it. Only a 10-minute stroll from the theatre, Nomad offers an elevated pre-theatre menu at $85 per head. Enjoy dishes inspired by Spain and Morocco, like smoked mussels with garlic toum and fresh tuna tartare. We've given the restaurant 5 stars. For something a bit more low-key, a steaming hot bowl of ramen from world-renowned Hakate Gensuke and an icy cold beer or Japanese lemonade will hit the spot. 

Drink here: Just off Lonsdale, wander down a laneway and scurry upstairs to discover Madame Brussels, one of the city's most playful rooftop bars. Jugs of sangria and crowd-pleasing sangas are the order of the day here. Or even nearer at just a hop, skip and a jump away you'll find 1806, a swish cocktail bar with a classic drinks menu divided by era and refined bar snacks.

Eat here: Before catching a gig at 170 Russell, fuel up with a souva at Stalactites. Or get one afterwards – the restaurant and takeaway joint is open until noon on Sundays to Thursdays and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Down by Max Watts, there's Meatmaiden for falling-off-the-bone tender meat, or go for dessert first with La Petite Crêperie just outside the venue and open until late.

Drink here: For quirky basement bar drinks, head to Gin Palace. If you’d rather have a pub atmosphere before the show then there’s the Crafty Squire. Or if you think the best alcohol comes from grapes, head to Embla for a wine bar with a very classy food menu.

Eat here: Whether you’re seeing something at Hamer Hall, State Theatre or Playhouse, your best bet for eating at the Arts Centre is in-house. Many of the precinct’s restaurants like Saké are happy to take note of your showtime at booking so you’re in and out before curtain-up. But you can also make good time if you dine across the river at Arbory Bar and Eatery, where you can find some decent all-day grazing.

Drink here: For a craft beer within walking distance head to Hopscotch. Or sip on a cocktail at Ponyfish Island, the floating bar on the river just across from the centre. You can also pre-order interval drinks at the Arts Centre’s foyer bars. 

Eat here: Before catching the latest play at this historic theatre house, check out Miss Pearl. Serving up contemporary Asian-influenced cuisine and creative cocktails in the heart of Melbourne’s performance arts scene, the bar and restaurant is the perfect spot for just nibbles and drinks or an all-out flavour-packed feast. In Southbank, you're also a hop, skip and a jump away from Crown, giving you carte blanche access to a suite of some pretty swish restaurants. Try Rockpool for primo steaks. 

Drink here: Hop nerds can't go wrong with a quick trip to nearby Belgian Beer Cafe, and if you'd rather zero in on Guiness there's always PJ O'Brien's in Southgate to sort you out. One of the closest bars to Malthouse, Blondie Bar has Asian-style dumplings, an excellent Aussie-forward wine list and some fun cocktails to round out the night, and there's often live jazz and DJs, too. 

Eat here: Before you step inside St Kilda’s grand old dame of a theatre, have an equally fancy dinner first at Stokehouse or Donovans. Not even fire could destroy these St Kilda stalwarts, but if you don’t mind heading a little further away from the theatre, the tacos, share plates and cocktails at Radio Mexico are a fine reward for the short walk. 

Drink here: Vineyard is perfect for a pre-show drink. Or a post-show drink, since it's open till 3am daily. Prefer pubs? Make a beeline for the always vibing Freddie Wimpole's. 

Eat here: Within the triangle made by these three uber-cool live music venues there’s a bunch of places for a cheap and easy feed. For pizza so good you won’t even realise it’s vegan head to Red Sparrow Pizza or to Easey’s for burgers in a former train carriage five storeys in the sky.

Drink here: Head to Paradise Alley for a glass of wine, beer, cocktail or round of pool in an effortlessly cool bar. Drop into Bar Liberty (the 2018 Time Out Bar of the Year) for a damn good glass of wine or head to Marquis of Lorne for a carry on post-gig.