The ultimate guide to late-night dining in Melbourne

Some of Melbourne’s restaurants and bars are best visited well after dark. Whether you’re in need of sustenance after a show or a night owl just getting started, here are a few of our finest late-night venues.

Bar Margaux 

Who doesn’t love a clandestine, late-night bar serving cocktails and French comfort food? Hidden behind a nondescript staircase behind a door that simply says ‘MGX’, you’ll find just that. Bar Margaux is sultry and sophisticated, serving seasonal wines and substantial supper dishes. Saddle up at a counter table or slide into an intimate booth. The Euro-style dishes are available right up until doors close at 1am Thursday to Friday, and 3am on Saturday. 

Kafeneion

Kick-ons at the Supper Club are a time-honoured Melbourne tradition. Especially now that Greek pop-up restaurant Kafeneion has found a permanent home at this institution. Open until the wee hours, supper is served until 1am. Feast on hearty soups and tasty Greek share plates. We're talking creamy dips, feta, hand-cut chips, dry cured beef and baklava for dessert.

Arlechin

Guy Grossi's beloved laneway wine bar is back in business and there's nowhere we'd rather go for late-night snacks. It wouldn't be Arlechin without the bar's famous bolognese jaffles and midnight spaghetti, available until the bar closes at 1am. The unique, subterranean space doubles as a wine cellar for fine diner Grossi Florentino. Which means the boutique selection of Italian, French and Australian wines is second to none!

Yum Sing House

Karaoke, Cantonese food and 1960s kitsch. Yum Sing House has all the good stuff in spades. When the night demands party-vibes, seek out the unassuming door on Sutherland Street. Start with cocktails then head upstairs to the secret karaoke room. Feast until 3am on snacky staples like bao buns, loaded fries and crispy chicken.

Stalactites 

When it comes to eating Greek in Melbourne, it doesn’t get more old school than Stalactites Restaurant, which opened in 1978. At some point in most Melburnians’ lives, a big night out has been capped off here. Call in for souvlaki, moussaka, baklava or Greek coffee. Stalactites is open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2am on Friday and Saturday.

Her Melbourne

Her Melbourne is a vertical laneway celebrating food, drinks, music and art. Enter the moody ground floor bar and knock back negronis and pommes frites, or soar up to the rooftop for a Med-style escape under the stars. Her stays open until 3am Friday and Saturday nights. The late-night menu kicks off from 10pm, slinging BBQ plates from Thai restaurant BKK downstairs. Think flame-licked pork skewers, fried chicken wings and red curry fish cakes.

Butchers Diner 

Night owls will love the all-day menu at Butchers Diner, where the rolls, burgers, grills and roasts use premium Aussie meat. Grab a seat at the long communal table and trade stories about your night with new friends. The diner is open until midnight Tuesday to Thursday and 1am Friday to Saturday, because it’s never too late for a burger. 

Bodega Underground

Did you know there’s a pocket of Mexico City in a basement on the edge of Chinatown? Moodily lit but bright with conversation and Mexi-kitsch decor, Bodega Underground is about good times. The taqueria's gluten-free Mexican menu is served until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Snack on late-night combos like a paloma and street corn or a mezcal negroni and fish tacos. Keep your energy levels high with espresso martinis and churros for dessert.

Panda BBQ

Who knew there was panda-themed BBQ restaurant hidden beneath a late-night pool parlour? Up on level two of the unassuming 202 Bourke Street building, Panda BBQ is a cheap eats sensation. It's open until 3am for your midnight munchies, although the kitchen closes a little earlier. Try crispy and flavourful sticks of lamb, chicken wings or pork ribs with green chilli. Then pose by neon signs, swinging chairs and giant panda plushies.

Cookie

Curtin House was one of Melbourne’s first so-called ‘vertical laneways’. But the tenant that put it on the map was Cookie. A bar, Thai restaurant and club rolled into one, this venue is worth the stairs. Perfect pad Thai and sticky beef ribs are served with hand-picked gin, margaritas and Trappist monk inspired beer. On weekends the kitchen closes around 10.30pm but stick around until midnight and enjoy the disco. 

Dragon Hot Pot 

Warm up from the inside with a big hearty bowl of hot pot. Using a century-old recipe, Dragon Hot Pot simmers its broth for over 12 hours to get that rich flavour. Choose your level of spice then customise your meal with more than 100 fresh ingredients. Satisfy your cravings for noodles and spicy soups right up to 2.30am on weekends and 1.30am Monday to Thursday. 

Gimlet at Cavendish House

Old world glamour and modern dining collide at Andrew McConnell's latest endeavour. You'll find Gimet inside the Chicago-style 1920s building Cavendish House. The late-night supper menu is available Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm to 1am. Dine on strip steak and French fries. Or enjoy fresh oysters and the caviar service. For a nightcap try the namesake gimlet cocktail.