Your guide to Christmas Day dining in Melbourne

Before you know it, the big day will be here. Discover the best Melbourne restaurants open for lunch and dinner on Christmas Day 2026.

A restaurant with red bikes parked outside.

The best Christmas day dining

A children's themed three-tiered platter of high tea treats, alongside a teddy bear, drinks and Christmas baubles.
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Le Petit FestiviTea

Little ones can join the festive celebrations with a high tea just for them.

A curated spread of Christmas dishes displayed on a wooden table.

Christmas Day Dining at Langlands

Celebrate the festive season with Langlands' Naughty but Nice Christmas dining experience.

A fine dining steak and vegetable dish served with wine and water at a table in a restaurant.
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Christmas Dining at Eureka 89

Enjoy a festive Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal with your loved ones at Eureka 89.

Christmas decorations on a table and champagne being poured into a glass.

Christmas Day Lunch at Blacksmith Bar and Grill

A delicious premium buffet featuring all your favourite Christmas classics with city views.

Customers wearing party hats, dining at tables in an indoor venue.

Christmas Day Lunch at BangPop

Enjoy Christmas Day by the Yarra with Thai food, fun and festive cocktails.

A festive table setting with lit candles, pine cones and holly in amongst the plates.

Christmas Day Dining at Alluvial

Celebrate the festive season with a buffet lunch or dinner at a luxury heritage hotel.

A hotel buffet with a line of bain-marie with lids open against a deep red background.

Christmas Day Buffet Lunch at Stamford Plaza

A festive Christmas Day buffet lunch in Melbourne with seafood, Santa, gifts and family cheer.

A Christmas buffet including seafood, ham and turkey plus a gingerbread house and a statue of a reindeer.

Christmas Day Lunch at Allegro

Celebrate the festive season with a special Christmas Day buffet lunch at Allegro Restaurant.

Christmas buffet with meat, seafood and cakes.

Christmas Day Lunch at Dock 37

Celebrate the magic of Christmas with an indulgent buffet luncheon.

Large group of people sitting under the shade of a large tree in a park setting.

Melbourne Social Club Christmas Day Lunch

Join a relaxed festive picnic lunch in Queen Victoria Gardens and meet new people this Christmas.

A dining table in a club laden with a Christmas feast including platters of roasted vegetables, ham, roast turkey, salads, and glasses of wine.

Christmas Day Dining at Elevate Club Lounge

Celebrate Christmas Day with a festive buffet above Melbourne.

The interior of JUNI restaurant, with tables all set for service and two chefs in the kitchen.

Christmas Day Lunch at JUNI

Celebrate Christmas Day at JUNI with a six-course long lunch.

A festive dining setup featuring a Christmas dining experience on a table, with banquette seating.

Christmas Day Lunch at LCSK

Celebrate with family and friends for a festive four-course lunch at Little Collins St Kitchen.

A Christmas buffet with yule log, small cakes, trifle cups and a sign saying NOEL.

Christmas Day Dining at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins

Celebrate Christmas Day with festive dining at No35, Sofi’s Lounge and the Grand Ballroom.

Three women sharing a table of food and laughing, a large red mural on the wall beside them

Christmas Lunch at Miss Mi Restaurant & Bar

A Christmas Day dining experience with Christmas cocktails and bon bons.

Transport Bar exterior at Fed Square with multilevel dining.

Christmas Day Dining at Transport Public Bar

Celebrate with a festive roast, cocktails and live music at Fed Square.

DJ at a turntable with a record playing.

Christmas Day Dining at Transit Rooftop Bar

Celebrate on the rooftop with seafood, festive cocktails, DJs and city views.

Gold Christmas bauble suspended from the branch of a Christmas tree.

Christmas Day Lunch at Taxi Kitchen

Celebrate with a five-course festive lunch and cocktail on arrival.

A long table set for a a meal with wine glasses and plates, in a timber-lined and dark-curtained room in a restaurant.

Christmas Day Lunch at Ludlow

Spoil yourself this Christmas with a lovely festive lunch by the river.

A lavish, traditional Christmas feast spread out on a wooden table, featuring a large roasted centrepiece ham surrounded by festive dishes like fresh seafood, salads, desserts, and cherries.

Christmas Day Dining at Bossley

Celebrate Christmas with a festive feast featuring the finest Melbourne produce.

People wearing party hats seated at tables inside a cruise boat cabin decorated with Santa boots and other Christmas decorations.

Christmas Day Lunch Cruise

Celebrate Christmas Day in comfort this year on a three-hour lunch cruise.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River

Christmas Day Buffet Breakfast at Stamford Plaza

Toast Christmas morning with complimentary bubbles at Stamford Plaza Melbourne's breakfast buffet.

More of the best spots for group catch-ups

A couple sitting in a bar at night

The best restaurants for group dining in Melbourne

Catch up with friends at these group-friendly local venues.

A group of friends sharing drinks at a table outside a restaurant.

The ultimate guide to bottomless dining in Melbourne

Eat and drink your heart out with unlimited brunches, lunches and cocktails.

People dining in a laneway outside an old cottage-style city pub.

Melbourne’s best old-school pubs and bars

Sip your way back in time and soak in the atmosphere at these historic establishments.

A table set with Thai dishes and someone lifting noodles from a bowl of soup.

Melbourne’s best dinners under $20

Find Melbourne's best cheap eats and pub deals for your next dinner out.

A busy restaurant with people dining and drinking at a bar surrounded by purple neon lights

The best new restaurants in Melbourne

Find Melbourne's best new spots for drinking, dining and all-round good times.

A person grilling meat in a restaurant

Where to find the best Korean BBQ in Melbourne

Feast on the best flame-grilled pork belly and bulgogi with friends and family.

A couple on a sunny city rooftop bar with a circular window cut out of a brick wall.

Melbourne's best rooftop bars

Schedule in a rooftop sesh at these sun-soaked rooftops.

People dining in timber booths at a retro style diner.

Melbourne's best old-school diners

Craving a slice of nostalgia? Kick it oldschool at these classic diners and retro eateries. 

Last updated on Fri 23 Oct 2026

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Interior of Central Club Hotel showing curved art-deco bar, soft lighting and patrons eating and drinking at high bench tables and the bar area.

Central Club Hotel

Great craft beer and delicious market-to-table food, opposite the Queen Victoria Market.

People seated outside drinking and eating in the late afternoon sun, at St Andrews Beach Brewery at Melbourne Park.

St Andrews Beach Brewery

Located in Melbourne Park, with indoor and outdoor dining, and a diverse family-friendly menu.

A person brushing the tops of uncooked pies with a pastry brush.

Naughtons Hotel

Historic pub providing warm hospitality, quality drinks and farm-to-table dining.

A waiter presenting a plate to two diners.

Ludlow Bar and Dining Room

Enjoy this modern Southbank riverside pub, dining room and large beer garden terrace.