Best Late-Night Eats in Melbourne
We’ve got nothing against a cheeky late-night kebab or a greasy fast-food burger. But Melbourne being the late-night city it is, there are plenty of other worthwhile options after 11pm – even if you’re in the mood to sit down. Here are our go-tos, from midnight ramen joints to clubs serving pizza and fried chicken.
Related pages:
Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
Best Hangover Food in Melbourne
Best Burgers in Melbourne
Restaurant
BKK
Small, lively and theatrical, this barbeque-powered restaurant is a top spot to try dishes from all over Thailand. Best of all, it’s firing until 1am every night.
Restaurant
Ling Nan
Offering no-nonsense Cantonese dining in the heart of the CBD, Ling Nan has been satisfying Melbourne’s late-night cravings for around three decades. New location, same must-order XO pippies.
Restaurant
Butchers Diner
The cheeseburger at this cool little diner is excellent and costs less than $10, so you might want to reconsider that midnight Macca’s run. There are also steak sangas, snacks and a whole lot more on the menu.
Restaurant
Gimlet at Cavendish House
On Friday and Saturday, Gimlet’s supper menu is hard to beat. Expect oysters, caviar, cheeseburgers and fancy steaks from 10pm.
Bar
Arlechin
The only thing more joyous than a plate of spaghetti at midnight might be something like, say, a piping-hot jaffle filled with bolognaise sauce. Believe it or not, this classic spot serves both.
Restaurant
Supper Inn
A Melbourne institution that’s open until 2.30am every night. Come here for affordable and filling Cantonese food without the frills.
Restaurant
Cambodia’s Kitchen
A sibling duo are behind this snug Cambodian restaurant, and they want to help Melburnians get better acquainted with dishes from their homeland. Visit for stir-fried “pin” noodles, fragrant rice-noodle soups and more, served until late.
Bar
Bar Ampere
Snacks, cheese and charcuterie until 3am every night. Also, heftier items such as kransky rolls filled with bacon, mustard and sauerkraut; and very good burgers.
Restaurant
Stalactites
It’s hard to imagine the CBD without this Greek institution. Its classic giros platters and souvlaki have been lining the stomachs of late-night revellers since 1978, and not much has changed. They’re available until 2am every Friday and Saturday.
Restaurant
Dragon Hot Pot
Melbourne’s undisputed malatang king has locations all over the city, but only this one will numb your tongue and clear your sinuses at 2am in the morning.
Restaurant
Shujinko
Shujinko’s kitchen used to run at full steam, 24-hours a day. Trading hours are a little more conservative these days, but you can still drop in for a bowl of the city’s best tonkotsu ramen every Friday and Saturday till 11pm.
Restaurant
Bodega Underground
This subterranean cantina’s full menu of tacos and sides is available until 1am on weekends. And it stays up pretty late during the rest of the week.
Bar
Leonard’s House of Love
If you’re really into burgers, tick Leonard’s off the list. This ’70s log cabin-themed burger bar serves some of Melbourne’s best. Expect American-style burger combos centred around beef, chicken, mushroom and vegan pattys. It’s also dog-friendly, so your furry friend might be begging tableside for a bite.
Bar
The Toff in Town
Open late for Thai-inspired drinking food all week long. Think DIY Betel leaf “bliss bombs”, drunken noodles, jungle curries and more.
Restaurant
Pizza Pizza Pizza
New York-style slices served on paper plates until 11.30am on weekdays, and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bar
1806
Charcuterie and cheese until late, plus expert cocktails beyond that.
Restaurant
Two Wrongs
A late night list of tacos, "hell yeah" share plates and Mexi-inspired bowls to keep you in check.
Bar
Beneath Driver Lane
Moody blues and dark spirits rule at this cavernous, below-ground bar. Descend the stairs on Driver Lane for an extensive cocktail list, short-order French snacks and fancy toasties served till extra late. Or proceed to the intimate whisky cellar for a private tasting.
Restaurant
Nana Thai
There are still constant queues during the dinner rush at this buzzing Thai diner. The pay-off is some of Melbourne’s best (and spiciest) Thai food, including more than a dozen kinds of papaya salad, a crowd-pleasing tom yum with instant noodles and mookata, the signature hotpot-barbeque hybrid.
Restaurant
Bowltiful CBD
The entirely halal diner specialises in Gansu cuisine from northern China. In particular, deeply comforting Lanzhou beef noodle soups with a clear, consommé-like broth and hand-pulled wheat noodles available in nine different widths.
Bar
Franklin’s Bar
Find easy-drinking cocktails, blistering pizzas and veteran hospitality at this neighbourly bar in a converted warehouse. Franklin’s has a 3am license, so there’s plenty of time to explore the selection of whiskies, cocktails and Victorian beers.
