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Melbourne’s Best Lasagne Nights to Book This Winter
Layers of ragù, béchamel and bronzed cheese are taking over Melbourne’s pubs and wine bars, one weekly lasagne special at a time.
Melbourne has reached the baked-pasta stage of winter, when scarves become permanent, red wine counts as central heating and dinner must arrive with structural integrity. Enter the city’s lasagne nights: bubbling corners, bronzed cheese, deep ragù and enough béchamel to make the walk home feel almost reasonable. Some belong to pub tables and midweek specials, others to long Sunday sessions with nowhere else to be. All understand the assignment.
This is food built for cold evenings, second glasses and the firm belief that one more layer could fix nearly anything.
The Lasagne Verde alla Bolognese at North Fitzroy Arms
North Fitzroy Arms is treating winter like Bologna would: one tray, one day, no shortcuts. Every Saturday from midday, the pub is baking a single Lasagne Verde alla Bolognese, made with hand-rolled spinach pasta, traditional ragù, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg-laced besciamella, then serving it until the tray gives out. It is a small act of restraint in a city not short on lasagne, but this is the purist’s version: no pre-portioned squares, no microwave rescue mission, no sauce ladled over the top to disguise a crime.
Sitchu Tip: Order a bottle of red to match.
Where: North Fitzroy
When : Saturdays now extended into the month’s ahead, from midday until sold out.
Cost: $$
Best For: Date night, group catch-ups, weekend plans, wine lovers, locals.
Need To Know: It’s Saturday lunch with Bologna education. $35.
Lasagne Sunday’s at Gracie’s Wine Room
Gracie’s Wine Room is making a very delicious argument for handing Sunday over to lasagne and red wine. All winter, the South Yarra bar is serving $18 slabs layered with slow-cooked bolognese, béchamel and fresh parmesan, finished with a bronzed, bubbling top. A near-identical gluten-free version keeps the brief intact, while vegetarians get pumpkin, sage and ricotta. Sunday plans, effectively, have been made for you.
Where: South Yarra
When : Sundays all winter, from opening until sold out.
Cost: $
Best For: Date night, group catch-ups, weekend plans, wine lovers, locals
Need To Know: Gluten-free and vegetarian versions available.
Lasagne Wednesday’s at Dr Morse Bar & Eatery
Dr Morse understands that lasagne is too important to be held back until dinner. Every Wednesday from midday, Chef Brian serves a generous, Nonna-style slab, heavy with beef ragù and béchamel, for $25. Five dollars secures a glass of Italian red, while $10 Negronis make it all too easy to stick around a nightcap longer. Take a table in the beer garden or near the fireplace and allow lunch to occupy considerably more of the afternoon than planned.
Where: Abbotsford
When : Wednesdays, from 12pm
Cost: $
Best For: Easy lunch, group catch-ups, locals
Need To Know: The lasagne will set you back just $25.
Railway Hotel
Railway Hotel has long-cracked the Wednesday-night formula: hot lasagne, cold wine, $22. Inside its wood-panelled, wonderfully time-warped Fitzroy North rooms, the pub serves a heaping slab of layered comfort with bubbling cheese and a glass of house vino from 4pm to 9pm. It is a generous portion, so arrive hungry, claim a cosy nook and let pasta handle all the world’s problems.
Where: Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North
When : Wednesdays, from 4pm to 9pm
Cost: $
Best For: Mid-week dinner, group catch-ups, locals
Need To Know: This one is a classic.
Still hungry? Keep the carb agenda moving with our guide to Melbourne’s best Italian restaurants, spanning handmade pasta, red-sauce classics and long lunches, then head to the city’s best pizza for blistered crusts, late-night slices and the next meal worth planning around.
