The Best Restaurants for Your Next Long Lunch in Melbourne

Time is not of the essence. So clear your schedule, because we’re going to lunch.

We’re talking luxurious, languorous and long, with service and a lengthy wine list to match. Melbourne is rife with restaurants that are open from noon til late, allowing you to properly catch up and converse as waves of great food and drinks keep rolling across the table in front of you. From glitzy European bistros to cosy wine bars serving small plates with big flavours, these are the best places in Melbourne to book a long lunch with the gang.

The European

Perched opposite the grand Victorian architecture of Parliament House, The European is a Melbourne institution, beloved by locals and visitors alike. Stepping into this iconic bistro is like being transported to old-world Europe, where the culinary traditions of rural France, Italy, and Spain come to life. The European’s ambiance is as inviting as its menu, with mirrored walls, Bentwood chairs, vintage posters, and warm wood paneling creating a timeless elegance.

Open from midday to late, Tuesday through Saturday, The European is dedicated to serving honest, simple food crafted from the finest produce Australia and Europe have to offer. The menu is a celebration of classic flavours, offering everything from fresh oysters and artisanal salumi to rich steak au poivre and perfectly prepared whole market fish. Each dish reflects a commitment to tradition and quality, making it a quintessential destination for those who appreciate the art of a leisurely meal.

On a sundrenched weekend, settle in for an indulgent multi-course feast. It’s the perfect place to savour the day, making it one of Melbourne's premier spots for a long, leisurely lunch, where every moment feels steeped in history and charm.

161 Spring Street, Melbourne 

Lucia 

Lucia is our top choice for the best long lunch in Melbourne, offering a truly dreamy dining experience with a Parisian flair. Open daily from 12pm to 10pm, it’s the perfect spot for impressing clients or celebrating with family.

Head Chef Jordan Clavaron’s Mediterranean menu, infused with Michelin Star elegance, seamlessly combines traditional flavours with modern twists. Start with oh-so fancy cubed butter and bread, then enjoy Fremantle octopus skewers, whole fish of the day adorned with salmon roe, or the impressive dry-aged rib eye. 

The light-dappled space, featuring banquette seating and floor-to-ceiling windows, exudes refined European charm. With personable staff in cream jackets and an extensive wine list curated by Head Sommelier Simone Garro, Lucia is the ultimate venue for a leisurely lunch that effortlessly transitions into dinner.

11 Eastern Road, South Melbourne

Lucy Liu

Step through the red-lit hallway off Oliver Lane and discover Lucy Liu—a vibrant gem perfect for your next long lunch in Melbourne. This bustling venue blends street food with refined Thai and Chinese flavours, offering an immersive dining experience.

Watch the open kitchen’s theatrical cooking while you savour a menu of dumplings, buns, and hearty mains like pork hock, beef rendang, and steamed cod. For an indulgent treat, let the chefs surprise you with five or seven curated plates.

Pair your meal with fine wines or creative cocktails from the lively bar, which stays open late. Lucy Liu Kitchen and Bar is ideal for a leisurely, flavour-packed lunch that sets the tone for a memorable day in the city.

23 Oliver Lane, Melbourne 

Park Street Pasta & Wine

No one does a long lunch in Melbourne quite as well as Park Street Pasta & Wine. This South Melbourne gem is serving up mouthwatering bowls of smaller plates and pasta that are the perfect excuse alone to sit down with a friend over a glass of wine and catch up as you indulge in these delicious plates. To make it the perfect long lunch, pick the 'Chef's Selection' menu and be walked through some of the master's favourite dishes. To finish, make sure you get the pistachio crème brulee, it's creamy heaven in a bowl. Trust us, you won't regret it.

268 Park Street, South Melbourne

Daughter in Law

Bright and modern, Daughter in Law is steadfastly “inauthentic” India - a badge they wear with pride. It's often jam-packed, so book a table and make sure you book in advance if you want a guaranteed delicious long lunch in Melbourne.

Their playful menu includes naan pizzas topped with tandoori chicken or masala paneer, beef tartare seasoned with green mango powder and their signature sweet and spicy General Tso’s cauliflower. It's the perfect place for a unique long lunch in Melbourne.

37/41 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Botanical Hotel

Botanical Hotel may be one of the most underrated places to have a long lunch in Melbourne. This spot in South Yarra is perfect all year round; sit out the front and soak up the sun while you sip on cocktails and share a meal with your friends, or cosy up next to the fireplace in the winter with your hot date.

The food here is also phenomenal, with oysters shucked to order and fresh produce galore. You need to try the angel hair pasta with spanner crab and the dry aged duck breast - trust us, you won't regret it. And with an impressive wine wall spanning across one side of the restaurant, you'll be sitting and sipping all afternoon long.

169 Domain Road, South Yarra

Pier Farm 

A new Amalfi-inspired menu combined with Pier Farm's breathtaking harbour views? Yes, please!

Pier Farm offers a truly special waterfront dining experience, perfect for special occasions and weekend long lunches with family and friends. Expect a stylish lineup of seafood delights on the revamped a-la-carte menu, featuring drool-worthy dishes like prawn spaghetti, crab ravioli, woodfired pizzas, kingfish crudo, and more.

Don’t miss the catch of the day or the impressive Bombe Alaska for dessert!

Tuesday to Sunday, lunch service 12.00pm to 3.00pm, dinner service 5.30 to 9.00pm

34 The Strand, Williamstown

Hazel

Aleksis Kalnins has hopped aboard as new Head Chef at Hazel in the city, having previously spent four years at Head Chef at Matilda 159 in South Yarra. His thoughtful take on Hazel's vision is a must-try long lunch in Melbourne's CBD. 

Gather the girls and fall in love with their oysters with nasturtium, housemade charcuterie, beef tartare, and the aged cheddar with brioche, which is melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The wood roasted pork belly, with charred leek and wild garlic is vibrant and comforting, best paired with the lemony kipfler potatoes and simple farm leaf and radish salad.

Tuesday, 5.30pm to 10.00pm

Wednesday to Saturday, 12.00pm to 3.00pm, 5.30pm to 10.00pm

164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Farmer's Daughters

Respected Melbourne chef Alejandro Saravia has brought his vision to establish an embassy for Gippsland in the heart of the CBD. All areas of the striking three-level Farmer's Daughters champion the true essence of Gippsland, celebrating the diversity and richness of produce from the region. You'll find the restaurant on the middle floor, where the food is more formal; best suited to long business lunches, formal dinners, and special occasions. The open kitchen is fuelled by charcoal and wood, bringing a sense of theatre to the rustic yet elegant dining room.

Open daily, 11.30am until late

6/80 Collins Street, Melbourne

Pepe’s Italian and Liquor

An Italian restaurant with a New York soul. Pepe’s Italian and Liquor pays homage to the great restaurants of the mid-20th century in New York and Melbourne, with its moody, luxe interiors, high ceilings and an extensive cocktail list from yesteryear. Sit down, settle in and prepare to swill and slurp to your heart’s content. Start with plates of mortadella, casino clams or polpette al sugo and slowly work your way across to their selection of classic Italian American dishes like the hard-to-beat spicy rigatoni alla vodka. 

Open daily, 12.00pm until late

275-285 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 

Builders Arms Hotel

This landmark watering hole is a staple on Fitzroy’s iconic Gertrude Street. If you want top notch food in a sophisticated dining environment with local pub charm, Builders Arms is the spot. It's the perfect place for a relaxed long lunch in Melbourne with friends or family that will make you feel like you’re sitting around a kitchen dining table with a few bottles of great wine.

Feast on seasonal share plates such as whipped cod roe and flat bread, Spencer Gulf king prawns, curry leaf and curry butter or whole flounder and finish up with an affogato with your choice of Whisky, Nocello or Baileys.

Daily, 12.00pm to 11.00pm

211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Carlton Wine Room

Carlton Wine Room’s mission is simple: to serve food that works with wine. And this is something they do exceptionally well. Head to the beautiful, light filled dining room with a group of friends for one of the best long lunches in Melbourne and prepare to watch the afternoon sun turn to dusk in front of your very eyes, as you clink glasses and pick at shared plates that change with the seasons.

Tuesday to Thursday, 3.00pm to 11.00pm

Friday to Monday, 12..00pm to 11.00pm 

172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton

Gimlet at Cavendish House

Fêted restaurateur Andrew McConnell’s (Supernormal, Marion, Cumulus Inc) Gimlet is a study in elegant excess. Located in the art deco Cavendish House, this isn’t the kind of place to dine quickly and dip, because you’ll want to take time to enjoy the excellent food, décor and service.

Be transported to another era via soaring ceilings, French marble bars, shiny chandeliers and deep burgundy booths, and settle in for the long haul as you order top notch seafood and steaks cooked on their woodfire grill. Keep the drinks coming from the cocktail bar and before you know it, hours will have flown by.

Open daily, 12.00pm until late

33 Russell Street, Melbourne

Di Stasio Citta

If there’s anyone that knows how to properly do a long lunch in Melbourne, it’s the Italians. Di Stasio’s no-expense-spared CBD outpost offers not only impeccable food but a big hitting wine list, personality-driven service and high art meets brutalist décor.

Twirl your fork around slippery prawn linguine and pillowy four cheese gnocchi, and before you know it you’ll be saying “why not, let’s go for a whole bottle”. Sitting on a prime stretch Spring Street, Citta’s is a favourite for long, boozy business lunches and some light after work mischief.

Open: 11.30am until late daily

45 Spring Street, Melbourne

France-Soir

This restaurant is a household name when it comes to long lunching in Melbourne. A proper Parisian brasserie transplanted in the heart of South Yarra, France-Soir is the darling of the Melbourne dining scene and one the best French restaurants in town. Close-set, linen draped tables are filled from noon to midnight with long business lunches, romantic dates and rockstar regulars. Native French waiters weave around the round pouring from their cellar of over 3,000 fine wines, engaging in charming chit chat and serving bistro classics like steak frites, escargot in garlic butter and confit duck. 

Open daily, 12.00pm until late

11 Toorak Road, South Yarra

Entrecote

This aesthetic French bistro is made for all day dining, be it in their provincial garden-inspired courtyard, relaxed brasserie or lavish main dining room. Kick off proceedings in style with an ice cold martini or champagne and caviar bumps, before moving onto their menu of fine French classics.

There’s cheesy gougères and garlicky escargot to snack on, but they’re best known for their signature steak frites – a hefty portion of grass-fed Black Angus steak lathered in buttery tarragon sauce and served with zingy salad and fries.

Open daily, 12.00pm until late

142-144 Greville Street, Prahran 

Stokehouse

An iconic restaurant for Melburnians and visitors alike. The sunlit dining room at Stokehouse is the perfect setting for modern Australian cuisine. With exceptional views of the sea and relaxed fine dining charm, it’s no surprise diners like to linger longer at Stokehouse.

With dishes that explore the freshest regional produce and of course, stunning seafood, you and your crew will have no trouble whiling away the hours in the dining room. Enjoy unparalleled ocean views and soak up the restaurant’s beachy-luxe interior as you pass around oysters and toast to all that is good in life.

Open daily, 12.00pm until late

30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda

Chancery Lane Bistro 

Catering to the midweek inner city crowd and business power lunchers, the eminently fancy Chancery Lane is open from noon on Tuesdays to Fridays. With an opulent yet moody interior – think lots of marble, brass and gold detailing– this is your setting for gorgeously reimagined European classics. Start in style with caviar and buckwheat blini (plus all the classic condiments), before moving onto fresh seafood or a charcuterie platter. From there, it’s a choose your own adventure between premium grilled meat, modernised French favourites and dainty desserts.

Tuesday to Friday, 12.00pm until 10.00pm

Saturday, 6.00pm until 10.00pm

430 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Cumulus Inc.

A light-filled contemporary eatery serving up award-winning fare, Cumulus Inc. is well-loved within the Melbourne foodie scene. Acclaimed chef Andrew McConnell is a jack-of-all-trades, plating up deceptively simple breakfasts and a completely sophisticated yet wholesome lunch. Make sure you wander upstairs to sister bar Cumulus Up for one of its signature cocktails afterwards. 

Open daily, 12.00pm to 11.00pm

45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 

We’ve got even more dining delights to share. Check out our list of must-book CBD restaurants you have to try at least once, favourite decadent high teas and top cosy Sunday roasts. Feel like a night in? Make it delicious with these top-notch food delivery options for at-home feasting.