Australia’s diverse and dynamic cultural scene has provided a backdrop of ever changing cuisines, providores, artisans, chefs and beverage suppliers who love good produce and strive to provide excellence for their customers.

Like the ever-changing culinary backdrop so too is this list of new restaurant openings.  As we investigate the diversity of Melbourne’s dining scene we hope the next few minutes shines a light on Melbourne’s excellent Private Dining offerings which are fast becoming a regular request for our team.

Our team are always on the lookout for interesting spaces that are unique and offer that little something different for clients to hold breakfasts, lunches or dinners, activations, meetings and presentations in intimate and inviting environments.

When seeking out your next private dining activation, here are some of our team’s “favorite Melbourne picks”.

Taxi Kitchen
Level 1 Transport Hotel Federation Square, Cnr. Swanston & Flinders Streets

Taxi kitchen is renowned as a contemporary restaurant that overlooks the city.  With a focus on sustainable, locally sourced produce, Executive Chef Tony Twitchett delivers contemporary Australian cuisine with a hint of Asian influence set in an expansive, light filled enclosed terrace space boasting a semi alfresco feel with views overlooking Fed Square and the Yarra River. Taxi offers two Private Dining spaces – The Taxi Platform seating upto 40 guests and The Embassy Room is a semi-private dining area for groups of up to 55 guests.

The Botanical
169 Domain Rd, South Yarra

The botanical is a sophisticated drinking and dining destination, perfectly situated on the edge of the royal botanic gardens.  There are numerous spaces that cater to private dining.  The Main Dining Room is a sophisticated space with Botanical Gardens views. Being the largest private dining space and also the main restaurant, the space boasts its own dedicated AV facilities and private bar. Holding up to 80 guests for sit down functions but can take up to 150 guests for cocktail style functions.

The Botanical’s Private Dining Room is stylish and set within the surrounds of the dining room It comes complete with etched glass, conservatory style roof line, and a wall of wine. The central long table seats up to 20 guests.

The Botanical’s Archer Room; named after the Melbourne Cup winning Archer who was once stabled in the building, is a beautiful bright spacious area featuring a vertical garden which gives a very botanical feel, as well as a fireplace, private bar and access to the courtyard area. The Archer Room seats 40 guests and can take up to 80 guests for cocktail style functions.

The final private dining space is the Alfresco space that features the best of indoors and outdoors via a small space with lots of natural light overlooking the Royal Botanic Garden. Alfresco is dining style only and seats up to 16 guests.

Box Seafood Restaurant
189 Collins Street
This unique, long, sleek, box design that makes up Box Seafood restaurant, towers over 2 levels and prides itself on serving fresh Australian Seafood.

The restaurant has two private dining spaces, either the Flinders end or Collins end. The rooms provide havens from the steady stream of theatre goers and allows one to enjoy the generous nautical extravaganza. Noting that non-seafood eaters are accommodated and The Flinders End dining room seats 35 guests and can take up to 50 guests for cocktail style functions. Whilst the Collins End is slightly smaller seating 26 guests and takes up to 30 guests for cocktail style functions.

Collins Kitchen
Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins Street

Executive Chef, Jason Camillo delivers a contemporary sensibility to Collins Kitchen, combining quality flavours with a bespoke selection of carefully cultivated local produce.

Boasting two individually styled private dining rooms, Collins Kitchen combines luxury, intimacy and a theatrical experience.  The Chef’s Table seats up to 10 guests and is positioned directly off the show kitchen, allowing diners a closer experience of the theatrical show of the chefs.  The Kitchen Room offers a spacious and sophisticated private environment seating up to 14 guests.

San Telmo
14 MEYERS PL, between Bourke & Lt Collins Streets
Melbourne’s very own San Telmo is inspired by its namesake in Buenos Aires.  The warm and welcoming rustic, bohemian environment is a meeting of old world Argentine Bodega, and Melbourne style open-plan dining where the kitchen is an intimate part of the atmosphere.

San Telmo’s private dining space is intimately secluded behind a wall of wine but still allows guests to still experience the ambiance and lively atmosphere of the restaurant. Set menu options take guests on an exciting tour of Argentinian Cuisine and seated groups of up to 16 guests can be accommodated.

Franque
811 High Street in Prahran
Exchange a boardroom for a feast with friends among fine Australian art, gather together around antique Spanish tables under sparkling chandeliers or in the citrus filled sculpture garden.

Franque’s rustic-meets-glamorous Prahran space, comes adorned with European furniture and objets d’art. At Franque, the ethos that, “whenever possible, one should indulge in beautiful experiences; be this a visual feast, or a culinary one” is seen in its approach to style and space and this unique Prahan haven provides a sensory experience limited only by one’s imagination. Renowned Australian chef Guy Mirabella emulates this ethos as guests embark on a menu that is styled to match Franques rustic meets glamorous approach.

This intimate and unusual space is open to a minimum of 10 guests and seats up to 30 guests.  For a cocktail style soiree Franque can accommodate up to 50 guests.

Eau De Vie
1 Malthouse Lane in Melbourne
Some hidden energy and joie de vivre awaits behind a signage-free door that takes you into Eau De Vie. This Whisky bar provides three separate spaces that transports you on a journey through 1920’s American prohibition.

Secretly hidden behind a book case, the Whisky Room odes its name to a large collection of rare and exclusive whiskies. The Whisky Room can be transformed into a private lounge space accommodating group of up to 40 guests.

The Eau-de-Vie Library is home to a feature bar height custom built degustation table, that seats up to 16 guests.

Dinner by Heston
Crown Towers, 130/8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is one of the world’s most exciting restaurants.

Dinner takes its creative inspiration from English historic and nostalgic culinary past and creates an ultra-modern dining experience offering an elegant, sophisticated backdrop in which to enjoy internationally acclaimed award winning cuisine by one of the world’s best.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’s private dining room boasts vast windows framing Yarra River views sweeping across Melbourne’s CBD. A feature wall can section off the space for complete privacy or be left open to enjoy the ambience showcased by the kitchen as the chefs prepare each dish with skill and flair. The private dining room can seat up to 10 guests.

Vue de Monde
Level 55 Rialto, 525 Collins Street
Shannon Bennet’s three chef hat restaurant situated on the 55th floor of the Rialto building should be added to the list of ‘things you must do at least once. Set yourself this strict rule. Never turn down an invitation to Vue de Monde.

Vue de Monde – Rialto is an impressive way to entertain, educate, thank or network – The Dom Perignon Room within Vue de monde, or the Darwin and Lady Nelson rooms at Vue Events can cater for a variety of sit down and cocktail style functions varying from 10 to 230 guests..  With a range of Private spaces available across the Vue Empire each providing a different experience but all featuring Shannon Bennett’s adventurous tastes and attentive staff.

Piggery Café – Burnham Beeches
1 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke

Located 45 minutes from the city of Melbourne. Provides the perfect backdrop for a lingering lunch in the surrounds of Burnham Beeches.  A series of dining options is open for exploration including The Truffle hall, Piggery Café and Granary room.  Seating from 30 to 110 guests and accommodating up to 150 guests for cocktail style functions.

 

 

Jardin Tan
Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Ave, South Yarra

Set within the lush, green embrace of Melbourne’s own Royal Botanic Gardens, Jardin Tan is bright, playful and contemporary and explores the dynamic flavours of French-Indochina in a warm welcoming environment. Choose the Glasshouse away from the main area for seating up to 36 guests or for stand-up cocktail style functions, 40 guests can be accommodated. For larger groups the Hoa Suite and Jardin Hall can be combined with the Botanic room for exclusive hire.

Estelle Bistro
243 High Street, Northcote 

Estelle Bistro has staying power and five years since opening, is proving that Melbourne’s Northside is serious about food. Estelle is the more casual, neighborhood dining venue in the spot next door to the already-established, fine-dining ESP – Estelle by Scott Pickett.  Estelle Bistro’s two upstairs private-dining rooms, The Matilda Room which overlook High Street, and the Harrison Room can be hired separately accommodating approx. 20 guests each or combined to seat 50 guests. The greenery-filled courtyard can also be hired out for an event of up to 40 guests sitting down.

Saint Crispin
300 Smith Street, Collingwood 

Located in the heart of Collingwood, Saint Crispin’s kitchen, run by chefs Scott Pickett and Chris Haydon, prepares a finely considered contemporary menu that’s amended daily according to nature’s bounty.

Upstairs at the Collingwood restaurant is a pair of simple, Victorian-detailed private dining rooms. The Bannear Room and The Thomas Olive Bar Room can accommodate close to 24 guests per room sit down and up to 80 guests for for cocktail style functions if combined.

Grosvenor Hotel
10 Brighton Road, St Kilda East
The Grosvenor Hotel is a St Kilda icon that offers a gorgeous ground floor private dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows retro light fittings, open fireplace & exposed brick. This creates a stylish setting for seating up to 40 guests and up to 80 guests for for cocktail style functions.

Dating back to the 1800s, the pub boasts a variety of other semi-private rooms and large spaces with modern interiors that can accommodate up to 150 guests.

Collins Quarter
86A Collins St, Melbourne
Collins Quarter boasts an inspired blend of 19th and 21st century design within its polished but relaxed quarters. The menu features a distinctly Modern European influence but is passionately prepared with nothing but fresh, local ingredients.
Entering from Collins Street, guests are immediately seduced by sophisticated European elegance of a venue boasting a Pub, an upstairs old worldly private dining space, a Courtyard and 2 alley bars.  The Quarter Past private dining room oozes old world charm and guests are waited on with dedicated attention, but without intrusion and can cater for up to 40 guests.

Kisume – Kuro Kisume
175 Flinders Lane Melbourne
Kisumé, the newest kid on the Melbourne Japanese block, opened on May 15th and is the latest addition to the Chin Chin Family.  Our team are yet to experience this new kid on the Chin Chin block but it is certainly worth a mention. We love Chris Lucas’s restaurants and with Australian chef Shaun Presland heading the kitchen and sommelier Philip Rich taking charge of the wine list, alongside Korean-born sushi master Moon Kyung Soo,Kisume is heading straight to the top of our to do list.

Kisumé is a 3-story contemporary experience that’s built on duality. it’s where the traditionalist and the modern artist meet.

Kisume occupies the basement and ground floor while Kuro Kisumé sits discreetly on the first level. Kuro Kisumé, encompasses the table – a room dedicated to the mastery of omakase seating up to 12 guests and two private dining rooms, offering an uncompromisingly secluded dining experience. Adorning the walls is the work of Japan’s nobuyoshi araki – a famed photographer with an obsession for the sensual and provocative tying in nicely with its name sake Kuro. The two private dining rooms, ‘kiko’ and ‘hanako’ can accommodate up to 16 guests per room and can also be joined to accommodate larger groups.

This list is always changing and our team are always on hand to book your private dining experience, armed with the latest Melbourne dining options.