Quiet Restaurants in Melbourne

by Dan Cunningham and Holly Bodeker-Smith

Updated 4 months ago

Going out to a restaurant is about more than just the food and service. This guide is for the times when company and conversation are the most important part of the meal. These places have the sorts of dining rooms where you don’t have to strain your voice to be heard, where the background music isn’t actually foreground music and you don’t have to lean in to hear what someone’s trying to say to you. But just because they’re quieter than average doesn’t mean they’re compromising on atmosphere.

These are some of the best places to talk (and eat) in Melbourne. They’re worth keeping in mind next time the parents are in town, or you want to settle in with someone for a well-overdue catch-up.

Looking for something specific?

Navi
Restaurant
Typically, it’s living room lights that shine through the curtains on sleepy Gamon Street. From behind one gauzy grey set, though, comes the glow of Navi. Chef Julian Hill combines rigorous European technique with native ingredients. The 25-seat dining room is quiet and intimate – but far from stuffy.
Ides
Restaurant
It’s a small, 36-seater; dimly lit, with widely spaced, grey-leather-topped tables. The quiet, grey-carpeted room contrasts starkly with the energetic and inventive food chef Peter Gunn plates up.

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Oster
Restaurant
Even as the dining room fills up, the volume – from tables and speakers – stays down.

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Grossi Florentino
Restaurant
The grand dining room cites the Renaissance era, with dark wood tables, tall leather upholstered chairs, black marble and large murals plastered across the walls. It’s a Melbourne institution, and the effortless food and service make it the perfect place to focus on conversation.

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Etta
Restaurant
Etta isn't necessarily quiet. It's quite a tightly-packed 80-seat dining room. But there's the good kind of noise here, which isn't a problem. You won't hear loud music punching through your eardrums while you're trying to talk – just the sound of other tables having a good time.

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Park Street Pasta & Wine
Restaurant
The dining room here is small, but it's not packed with tables. Even when Park Street is at capacity, there'll be a sense of privacy at the table. All the pasta is made in-house every day, and the menu changes every two weeks.

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Donovans
Restaurant
Although it’s usually pretty busy, it's always pretty easy to have a conversation here. That's thanks in part to the furnishing: carpets and couches throughout insulate the room and quieten things.

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Minamishima
Restaurant
This intimate, 40-seat restaurant is the first solo outing for talented Japanese sushi master, Koichi Minamishima. Whether you're at the long bar, in a private dining room or in the elegantly understated, low-lit dining room, this is one of the best (and quietest) dining experiences Melbourne has to offer.
Scopri
Restaurant
Nicholson Street's a very noisy road, but inside Scopri, none of that comes through. It's a warm restaurant dedicated to the Italian region of Piemonte. It's an oddly-shaped dining room, but that's actually a strength. All of the nooks and crannies cut noise out and make conversation at your table much easier.
Bottega
Restaurant
This Italian restaurant is part of a strip of restaurants on a busy part of Bourke Street. Inside, it's full of energy, and noisy from conversation, not music. If you're in a group, grab one of the booths. They're private, and they're in a quieter part of the dining room.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Restaurant
The Melbourne outpost of Neil Perry's popular steakhouse chain has long been a favourite for business lunches and dinners alike. It's no wonder why. It's softly lit, and tables are set far apart from one another for intimacy and privacy. You won't feel like you're being eavesdropped on here.