Where To Find a Late-Night Feed in Melbourne – From Caviar to Southern Barbecue

Nights out only get better when good food is involved. And while we’re spoiled for choice around Melbourne for exemplary eateries, the pickings are slimmer when the clock is ticking towards midnight. Fortunately for all you after-dark types, there are still top-quality late-night bites around town to keep your evening rolling.

From dainty snacks to full-on banquets, here are some of our favourites.

Gimlet

Andrew McConnell’s Gimlet in the stately Cavendish House building is built around sleek cocktails and an equally elegant menu that leans on the kitchen’s woodfired oven, but the whole thing gets a refresh late at night. When the clock strikes 10 on Friday and Saturday nights, Gimlet wheels out the supper menu: an abbreviated list of late-night-appropriate cocktails and bites like the supper-only Gimlet cheeseburger, a Gippsland strip steak hot off the fire, and – for a little late evening indulgence – caviar service with a side of frozen vodka. Definitely worth staying up (and splashing out) for.

Arlechin

If the appearance of a dish called “midnight spaghetti” didn’t give it away, Guy Grossi’s cocktail bar and eatery Arlechin is geared towards the night owls. Weave your way down Mornane Place and you’ll find the venue tucked away, a dimly lit space of marble bars and industrial chic light fixtures. Grossi’s menu (which is available until the 1am closing time) is peppered with after-dark cravings, like the signature bolognaise jaffle and deep-fried custard with cinnamon gelato, but you’ll also find drink-friendly snacks like oysters with mignonette or the whipped baccala crumpet.

Nana Thai

The end of the night is probably the only time you can avoid having to queue up to get into Nana Thai – but even if you do have to line up, the wait is always worth it. The signature here is called mookata – a Thai-style soup-and-grill hotpot that’s been slow to gain traction outside its home country, though the lines suggest it won’t stay that way for long. A portable stove heats the ring of soup and grill plate – oil the plate with pork fat and grill a choice of protein, with the salty broth for noodles and vegetables. There are also classic northern Thai dishes and a dozen papaya salad variations to work through, but there’s no rush – doors don’t close until 1am.

Leonard’s House of Love

Southside favourite Leonard’s House of Love has long inspired affection from night owls and revellers with its mix of dive bar Americana and log cabin cosiness. While DJs spin till 3am on weekends for the rowdy revellers, the real treat is the late-night menu of burgers and fries – a selection that works especially well alongside Leonard’s classic American beers. Dig into brisket and short rib patty cheeseburgers; fried chicken sandwiches with honey mustard slaw; tater tots and nacho fries – pure midnight snack energy.

Le Bon Ton

American barbecue has had a good run in Melbourne over the past decade, but few have matched Collingwood’s Le Bon Ton. While the drinks pay their respects to New Orleans, the food menu nods to the broader American south. Meats are given the 12-hour treatment over flavourful woods courtesy of Le Bon Ton’s smoker – we’re talking Angus beef brisket, house-made sausage, pork shoulder and ribs – while the sandwich menu features fillings like brisket, fried chicken and chopped pork. Grab a cocktail (the one-sip Sazerac with Hennessy cognac, Gospel rye, strawberry, vanilla and bitters is a winner) and settle in till the 3am closing time on Fridays and Saturdays.

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