Many of Melbourne’s best restaurants boast intimate, private spaces, perfect for a special meal away from the crowds. Long banquet tables in cosy rooms are perfect for birthday dinners or business lunches while sunny, standing-room courtyards might host an end-of-year party or a big celebratory bash. Some restaurants let you book out the main dining area, perfect for a wedding reception or a big Christmas party. With set menus, canapés and grazing boards, restaurants with the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne are well-practiced when it comes to hosting special occasions.
Book a private room in an elegant pub or a light-filled atrium at an old world gastropub. One of Melbourne’s best Italian restaurants has an underground cellar bar and a European restaurant features a cosy room perfect for smaller gatherings. There are two different restaurants in the historic Pentridge Prison and one lets you book cosy cells. A Greek spot has a rooftop booth that transports you to the Mediterranean while a Chinese-Peruvian joint in Brunswick has a relaxed outdoor terrace. A wine bar in the CBD offers multiple private dining options while a unique bistro lets you book an underground cheese cellar.
Private rooms book out well in advance – secure yours at the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne through OpenTable today.
Keep scrolling for the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne
For special occasions – book one of the private dining options at Mount Erica Hotel in Prahran
Mount Erica Hotel is an elegant pub that’s perfect for special occasions. Think dark wood-panelled walls, paintings of Australian wildlife and a crackling fireplace. For private dining there are two options. The function room with high bar tables and courtyard access fits up to 40 people standing. It’s perfect for cocktail parties and birthdays. For sit-down events, the private dining room seats up to 45 people and is separated from the rest of the restaurant by a retractabale door and a fireplace. For big events you can book the whole courtyard which fits up to 80 standing and 120 if you book the courtyard and the function room. Leafy and laid-back, it’s almost fully sheltered by a translucent roof so you can relax in any weather. The menu includes classic pub favourites including sirloin steak with bearnaise sauce and chips (available for just $24 on Tuesday Steak Nights) and a Sunday roast that rotates week to week. For big functions, there’s a two-course set menu (with optional bonbons during December), a canapé menu and grazing boards with cured meats and house-made dips.
For one of the best gastropubs in Melbourne – check out Lamaro’s Hotel in South Melbourne
A gastropub with a luxurious, old world vibe, Lamaro’s Hotel offers some of the best pub dining in Melbourne. There are two different private dining rooms: the airy atrium with a large skylight for natural light (seats up to 22) and the cosy wine room with built-in cellars and leather chairs (seats up to 24). For larger functions, you can also book out the main dining room, bar lounge and The Birdcage, a heated outdoor area that seats up to 45 guests. Book one of the feed me menus and enjoy a communal dining experience featuring hand-picked local produce. Try wood-fire-grilled scallops with roast pork belly and the creamy wild mushroom risotto. Finish off with a shared selection of cheese and petit fours or a decadent chocolate mousse with hazelnut praline. If you’re not after a sit-down meal, you can book canapes including panko prawns, satay chicken and mini black Angus sliders.
For Italian cooking at one of the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne – check out Cecconi’s in Melbourne CBD and Toorak
Sleek and modern, Cecconi’s in Melbourne CBD and Toorak takes a sophisticated, restrained approach to dining. The main private dining room on Flinders Lane sits up to 30 guests in a wood-panelled room with hanging glass chandeliers that were handmade in Italy. For smaller gatherings, velvet curtains split the space into two separate rooms that seat up to 15. The subterranean cellar bar also features a semi-private dining space that can seat up to 20 diners at one table or 24 at two tables. In Toorak, the opulent private dining room offers complete privacy and seats up to 26 diners. The Venetian-inspired menu uses seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, hand-rolled pasta and classic Italian flavours. The set group menu features some of Cecconi’s best dishes. Start with 30-month aged galloni prosciutto and crispy calamari with garlic aioli. For your mains enjoy Fremantle octopus with a parsnip puree or a tender eye fillet with roast potato and a red wine jus.
📍 CBD — Check availability
📍 Toorak — Check availability
For an excellent sharing menu – book at Ripponlea Food and Wine in Ripponlea
Ripponlea Food and Wine’s vibrant and luxurious dining space has helped make it a popular destination for special occasions. With four private dining spaces, this European restaurant can host a wide range of events. The Back Dining Room (seats between 12 and 20) and the front dining room (seats up to 27) are perfect for big sit-down dinners or leisurely lunches. For smaller, more intimate gatherings, the Private Dining Room seats between six and nine diners around a round wooden table under a glimmering chandelier. These rooms offer the shared dining menu and the two or three-course set menu. The shared dining menu will see plates of crispy potato rosti, lobster spaghetti and grilled chicken brought to the centre of the table for everyone to enjoy. The set menus offer diners the choice between dishes like crispy calamari and creamy burrata or fried gnocchi and beef short rib. For a standing event that packs a glamorous punch, book The Cocktail Bar with green velvet booths and a long dark wood bar. This venue offers a canapé menu featuring eggplant chips, mini plates of lobster spaghetti and fish and chips, alongside raspberry sorbet and lemon meringue tarts for dessert.
For a romantic evening at one of the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne – visit Olivine in Coburg
Housed in the former HM Pentridge Prison, Olivine is a unique wine bar that’s maintained the historic feel of its 170-year-old setting. Dimly lit, with bluestone walls and cosy booths perfect for an intimate date night, Olivine’s best feature is it’s private cells. Step through the wooden cell door and into a cosy, colourful space where you can relax and enjoy each other’s company. Olivine’s novel-like wine menu – winner of the Three Glasses Award for Best New Wine List is handily split into different sections based on taste and texture. Choose something bright and energetic like a Yarra Valley chardonnay, or a complex, nuanced bottle of bianco viura from Spain. Alternatively, visit the cellar to find your perfect bottle. Pair your drinks with small plates of kingfish crudo, pork and pistachio terrine and appellation rock oysters with a watermelon mignonette.
For one of the best restaurants with private dining in Melbourne for large groups – check out North&COMMON in Coburg
Within the bluestone walls of the former Pentridge Prison lies North&COMMON, awarded one hat in The Age Good Food Guide 2024. With a produce-driven menu and a carefully curated wine list, this sophisticated neighbourhood restaurant is perfect for any occasion. The whole restaurant can be privately booked, giving you full access to the high-ceilinged, earthy-toned dining space flooded with natural light. You can also go beyond the glass walls and book the outdoor yard, which includes heating and an operable roof so you can use it all year long. The restaurant can accommodate 70 diners seated and 75 standing, while the Yard adds up to 120 standing or 60 seated. Plus, if you book the yard alone, you and your guests will have access to a private entrance and a private bar. Groups of 20 or more can book the four-course sharing menu featuring fire roasted artichoke with sauerkraut and cauliflower, and a tender lamb rump with baked labneh and wild rice. Alternatively, book the $59 two-course locals nenu featuring a chef’s selection of the restaurant’s top dishes. During Thursday dinners and Saturday lunches you can even add a tour of Pentridge Prison to your booking.
For a transportive private dining experience – book at Golden Fleece Hotel in South Melbourne
Golden Fleece Hotel takes you from South Melbourne to the Mediterranean coast, with a unique dining space inspired by Greek islands. The main dining space features stone-like tables, alcoves decorated with vases and plants, and mosaic-tiled stairs leading up to a sunny rooftop. This rooftop features the Booth of Sikinos a spacious booth with a retractable roof awning where you can take in the view in relaxed privacy. Taking up roughly half the rooftop, it seats up to 12 people. The menu here includes classic Greek dishes and mezze share plates that pair perfectly with refreshing cocktails. Book the Santorini soiree mezze experience and graze on Mediterranean mezze plates while you sip bottomless cocktails like crisp limoncello spritzes or smooth espresso martinis for one and a half hours. Try fried feta with pistachios and honey or creamy kotopita chicken parcels. For something heartier, you can’t go wrong with the lamb souvlaki or Yiaya’s pastisio, a Greek-style lasagna with bucatini, bolognese and kefalogravieta.
For a fun night out at one of the best private dining rooms in Melbourne – book your spot at Casa Chino in Brunswick
Pastel shades and patterned tiles help Casa Chino feel relaxed, inviting and just a little bit magical. Especially on the leafy outdoor terrace strung up with fairy lights, which can be booked for private use. Accommodating up to 40 diners seated or 75 standing, this lush alfresco space is the perfect spot to share Chifa dishes – a blend of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine – alongside specialty cocktails and Victorian wines. Plus, it has its own sound system, so you can hook up your music and get the party started. For big celebrations book the Birthday Fiesta menu which includes a complimentary magnum of Dal Zotto prosecco. Share plates of appellation oysters, duck bao buns and guava cheesecake bites. You can also add on the bespoke birthday cocktail carafes for $39.
For one of the best restaurants for celebrating a birthday – book at Punch Lane Wine Bar & Restaurant in Melbourne CBD
Opened in 1995, Punch Lane Wine Bar & Restaurant is one of Melbourne’s best-loved laneway restaurants. The seasonal menu featuring local produce always offers fresh flavours. Groups of 10 to 20 can book the chef’s tasting menu featuring the best, seasonal dishes. While it’s always changing, expect dishes like crunchy salt cod croquettes, Ora King salmon crudo with white strawberries and tender dry-aged Aylesbury duck. A popular option for birthday celebrations big and small, Punch Lane has several private dining options including Punch Lane @ Juliet Melbourne Exclusive, an underground cocktail bar that fits up to 100 guests standing or 65 seated. Book behind the bar for a semi-private space for between 15 and 50 diners, perfect for a cocktail party. Juliet also has a soundproof room with an in-house AV system and a projector, perfect for big meetings. Open till late from Tuesday to Sunday, all of these spaces have a relaxed, moody vibe, perfect for partying the night away.
For corporate events – don’t miss The European in Melbourne CBD
The European on Spring Street serves up bistro dishes with a nose-to-tail philosophy. With an in-house butcher, seasonal produce and cheeses matured just a few doors down at Spring Street Cheese Cellar, this restaurant brings a unique touch to every dish. It has four different private dining options each suited to a different occasion. Book the Melbourne supper club for up to 10 diners and relax in a leather suite lit by shaded lamps and a large, circular bay window. Alternatively, head down the spiral stairs to the underground The Cheese Cellar which seats up to 28 diners. For larger events the tea room has a Gentleman’s Club feel and seats up to 80 while the rooftop space can accommodate up to 150 guests standing and offers views of Spring Street and St Patrick’s Cathedral. With a sophisticated, welcoming atmosphere and the space to accommodate large groups these rooms are perfect for corporate lunches or business dinners. The bistro menu includes whipped cod roe and caviar, grilled ox tongue and a house cut of beef with frites. With the City Wine Shop next door, The European also has one of Melbourne’s best wine lists curated by the specialised wine team.
From intimate dining rooms to large function spaces, the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne can help you host any special occasion. Enjoy private waitstaff, canapé menus and private bars. From Mediterranean vibes to elegant wine bars, and glamorous pubs to sleek bars, these restaurants have something for everyone. With spaces hosting over 100 diners, any and all occasions are catered for.
Make your next birthday, meeting or date night extra special – book one of the best restaurants for private dining in Melbourne OpenTable today
Looking for regular tables at Melbourne’s best restaurants? Check out these guides:
- The 10 best restaurants in Melbourne CBD to try right now
- The 11 best rooftop bars and restaurants in Melbourne with dazzling views
- 9 excellent Mexican restaurants to try in Melbourne
- 10 of the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne to try right now
- The 8 best Korean restaurants in Melbourne to try ASAP
- 10 of Melbourne’s best Asian restaurants to book right now
- 12 special occasion restaurants in Melbourne for any celebration
- The 10 best steak restaurants in Melbourne
- The best brunch in Melbourne can be found at these standout restaurants
- 10 of the best restaurants to try in Southbank Melbourne
