Where To Eat Around Chapel Street, Before or After Circus Fire Spectacular at Fringe

Chapel Street has long had a reputation for its nightlife, and this October, the area is leaning into its after-hours energy with a series of live performances at Prahran Square. Best of all, they’re free to attend, and easy to combine with dinner or a night out.

Circus Fire Spectacular, presented in collaboration with Melbourne Fringe, is the headline act, lighting up the square across four nights from October 15 to 18. Performed by internationally awarded ZAP Circus, led by husband-and-wife duo Tarrabelle Murphy and Rusty Hammond, the show brings together fire stunts, special effects, live acrobatics and comedy.

If music is more your thing, head to the square on October 24 for an afternoon of jazz presented alongside Melbourne International Jazz Festival. The program spans big band jazz, afrobeat and vinyl DJ sets, with five hours of free music from 1pm to 6pm.

And if you want to extend the evening, there are plenty of places around Chapel Street to make a night of it. Here are a few spots to hit before or after your event.

Freddy’s Pizza

This Chapel Street favourite is an old reliable for woodfired pizzas, pasta and Italian-inspired snacks and sweets. Pop into Freddy’s for a few crocchette, some antipasti, or grab a few slices to share – but whatever you do, don’t skip the cocktails, which make use of the venue’s house-made liqueur line, Tommy’s Booze.

Otakoi

Tucked down the end of Chapel, Melbourne’s first and only Ukrainian restaurant is worth seeking out for hard-to-come-by dishes such as beetroot and herring salad, chebureky (mince-filled hand pies) and medivnyk, a honey layer cake. There’s also a range of sweet and savoury varenyky, with fillings ranging from onion and potato to pork and sour cherry. Pair them with vyshnivka, a Ukrainian cherry liqueur, to start or end the night.

Studio Amaro

Open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, with a moody energy that’s easy to get sucked into, Studio Amaro is a good place for a nightcap or late-night bite. As the name suggests, amaro is a focus, with more than 35 on offer, but you’ll also find cocktails and a local-meets-Italian wine list.

Coil

Chapel Street’s newest late-night venue starts out as a bar in the early evening before transitioning into a club once the sun goes down. The dance floor is a phone-free zone with a one-of-a-kind sound system, while the front bar is better suited to mingling. Pop in early for happy-hour specials or visit later for rotating local and international DJs, with flat-fee entry generally running between $15 and $20.

Kori Ice-Cream

There’s nothing like a scoop to round off a spring night. Chapel Street is brimming with ice-cream shops, but Kori is one of the latest, bringing Japanese-inspired ice-cream to the neighbourhood. Choose from 24 rotating flavours and limited-edition collaborations, sometimes accompanied by DJs spinning vinyl to give the shop more of a listening-room feel.

Mr Latino Cantina

Formerly a food truck, this Chilean sandwich and snag spot now has a permanent home on Chapel Street. Empanadas make for an easy grab-and-go option, with plenty of vegetarian options, but the signature is the churrasco: grass-fed sirloin cooked over fire, paired with tomato, avocado, mayo and herby pebre sauce, all sandwiched into a roll.

Seed

Seed is a Chinese restaurant, but don’t expect noodles and dumplings. Its menu draws on China’s south-eastern Yunnan region, known for a diverse climate that produces everything from wine and tropical produce to cheese. Here, you’ll find dishes like passionfruit beef tartare, spicy chicken salad and Yunnan rose jelly. Bring friends so you can try a bit of everything.

Ivy Piano Bar

If you want to keep the spirit going after the jazz, head to Ivy Piano Bar. It hosts live music Wednesday through Sunday, including musical tributes, drag performances and improv-driven open jazz sessions. Come in late for the music or visit between 3pm and 8pm for happy-hour drinks and share plates.

This article was produced by Broadsheet in partnership with City of Stonnington.