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Food

5 Best Melbourne Restaurants for Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas comes with all kinds of ups, downs and to-do lists. By Christmas Eve you would have shopped ‘til you dropped, wrapped yourself ragged and food prepped to pop.  So why not reward yourself and enjoy some Santa sanity for a few hours by being merry in a Melbourne restaurant or two. 

Rather than worrying about cooking a big family meal at home, take them out to these top-rated Melbourne restaurants – as voted by restaurant booking service dimmi.com.au. 

All of these restaurants are rated by diners, for diners, and are judged to be the best for parties and groups, special occasions, fine dining and more.

Here are the very best Melbourne restaurants open for business for Christmas Eve dinner:

THE LOCAL

Port Melbourne

Sitting right near the water in Port Melbourne, The Local lives up to its name. With delicious and affordable pub grub, nightly happy hour and even private function rooms available for bigger parties, you can go as fancy or as laidback as you like.

Duck in for a quick dinner for two or with the family, or book a function complete with hors d'oeuvres and a set menu.

Best for: Cheap eats, neighbourhood gem

SPICE TEMPLE

Southbank

One of the latest ventures from celebrity chef Neil Perry, Spice Temple is tucked away in Southbank, right by the Yarra River. Inside, lanterns illuminate the sleek and thoroughly chic setup.

The Spice Temple offers a Chinese menu like no other, focussing on Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Xinjiang cuisines. Leave the kids at home for this one, and book an intimate Christmas Eve dinner for two.

Best for: Fine dining, special occasion

THE RAILWAY CLUB HOTEL

Port Melbourne

A steakhouse like no other, The Railway Club Hotel takes their beef very seriously. They’ll tell you all about the cut, where it comes from and the weight of the steak – and will serve it up with hand cut chips and one of seven different sauces.

Also on the menu are mouth-watering sides, including beer-battered Spanish onions, grilled field mushrooms with Parmesan, truffle oil and shoe-string fries, with black garlic aioli. Just make sure you bring your appetite.

Best for: Neighbourhood gem, special occasion

RUYI

Melbourne CBD

For a Christmas Eve dinner in Melbourne, Ruyi is conveniently located in the middle of the CBD. With a Chinese menu, contemporary dining is taken to new heights.

Ruyi features an affordable menu with signature dishes - such as salt and pepper soft shell crab, handmade wonton in chilli sauce and wagyu beef served with mixed mushrooms, truffle paste and asparagus. They’re all crowd-pleasers, and this little restaurant that could has managed to separate itself from the saturation of other eateries in Chinatown.

Best for: Service, fine dining

MELBOURNE PUBLIC BAR & RESTAURANT

South Wharf

This is another Melbourne restaurant made for parties, groups and functions. Melbourne Public has a standard menu with both pub classics and fine dining, as well as a set menu for larger groups.

Noted for their service and located right on the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne Public has rapidly become a new hotspot for great dining in the city. If you’re looking for a Christmas Eve dinner for the family, this is your place.

Best for: parties and groups, service.

Get in quick and book your Christmas Eve dinner with dimmi before the silly season gets into full swing.