The Best Late-Night Eats in Melbourne: Where to Go After Midnight

Melbourne prides itself on good food and hospitality, and that doesn’t stop when midnight rolls around. After the gig’s finished or the bar’s closed, you might find yourself hungry — and you’re in the right place.

If you’re out on a late one, there’s no need to settle for unfulfilling fast food or convenience-store snacks on the ride home. Whether you’re craving gourmet burgers, spicy hotpot, toasties, steaks or even tartare and caviar, you can eat and drink well into the small hours in Melbourne — in some cases, right up ‘til sunrise.

Black Kite Commune

Not only one of the city’s best laneway cocktail bars, with an excellent array of Australian spirits, Black Kite Commune’s also a swish little spot for a late-night repast. Slip in at midnight and order a venison-and-beef burger with a nice martini, or a wallaby party pie with wine, or Champagne and saltbush croc bites. It’s quite an interesting menu.

30 Russell Place, Melbourne

Spleen

Spleen is your dive bartender’s dive bar, home of the Miami Vice slushie (strawberry daiquiri and pina colada), with pool upstairs and hot jaffles served ‘til 4:30 in the morning, Monday to Saturday. Simple and effective.

41 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Seven Star Pocha

There’s something for everyone here: Korean street food like tteokbokki, corn cheese and kimbap, a full Korean fried chicken menu, bibimbap and signature specialties such as raw marinated soy crab. The Chinatown Seven Star Pocha is open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. But if you find yourself out even later, the Healeys Lane location is your saviour, staying open until 3:30am.

Shop H/535 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne and 113 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Heartbreaker

The CBD’s finest rock-and-roll bar, built for a very good time. Expect pool tables, a jukebox and glow-from-every-angle neon, making it an entertaining date spot if you want to look your best. Heartbreaker is also home to hole-in-the-wall favourite Connie’s, serving New York-style pizza by the slice and mozzarella sticks into the early hours. Connie’s trades until midnight Sunday to Tuesday, and until 2am to 3am Wednesday to Saturday.

234A Russell Street, Melbourne

Ling Nan

When you need much more than a snack, head for a Cantonese feast at Ling Nan. Open ‘til 1:30am, it’s easy to see why this one is a favourite of the city’s chefs, complete with lazy susan, lobster tanks and BYO drinks.

207 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Wong’s Late Night Hotpot

It’s in the name. Open until 2am, Wong’s has Chongqing style hotpot. Their signature spicy Sichuan soup base is a good little wake-up (and they have milder options like tomato or pork bone). Add on some beef slices, tripe or homemade tofu, and top it off with a refreshing bingsu ice dessert.

208-210 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

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Bar Ampere

All roads lead to Bar Ampere, an aperitif-leaning, walk-in-only cocktail joint open ‘til 3am. Order a biere picon (lager and amaro, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it) and snack on steak tartare, cheese kransky sandwiches and polpettes until close.

16 Russell Place, Melbourne

Stalactites

Serving since 1978, Stalactites is an institution. It may not be open 24 hours anymore, but it’s still pumping right up ‘til 2am on Friday and Saturday, and midnight the rest of the week. You can grab traditional Greek eats like giro, souvlaki or homestyle meals — a nourishing end to the night.

177/183 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Butcher’s Diner

A hole-in-the-wall diner with a proud dry-ageing cabinet display, Butcher’s Diner is open until a respectable 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, 1am Monday to Thursday. This is your go-to for late-night diner-style dishes with a gourmet edge, like a Coney Island chilli dog, poutine, steaks, cheeseburgers, and fried chicken, plus daily specials (Saturday’s French dip is a crowd favourite).

10 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Joomak

Out late with a group? Hustle into this lively underground warren and keep the party going with Korean food, soju and makgeolli (rice wine). Joomak is open til 2:30am, Monday to Saturday, serving up big sharing dishes of kimchi pancakes, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and more.

Basement, 407/409 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Daphne

This fun little neighbourhood bar from the Etta team doesn’t just serve a cracking martini, Daphne also has a late-night supper menu featuring the house burger, steak, oysters, a Midnight Pasta and a fun little finisher of gelato and fries — last supper orders at midnight, Fridays and Saturdays.

52 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Chapelli’s

I see your midnight pasta and raise you 4am lasagne. Their motto is “We Never Close”, so it’s a safe bet whatever time you find yourself out late on Chapel. Chapelli’s is one of Melbourne’s last all-nighters, a place you can experience the wonder of “pasta any time of day”.

571 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Supper Inn

No frills, just the kind of Cantonese dishes that have made them a beloved fixture of Chinatown since the 70s: suckling pig and congee, pipis and Chinese doughnuts, fried rice and steamed oysters are yours ‘til 2:30am.

Level 1/15 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne

China Bar

With venues scattered throughout the city, chances are you’ve stumbled across a China Bar at some point. It’s a reliable fix for your cravings, with a selection of fried rice, dumplings, noodles, roast duck, BBQ pork, and stir-fry dishes.

Various locations

Dragon Hot Pot Russell Street

A choose-your-own-adventure of soup. Pick your broth type (recommendation: the specialty malatang), your spice level, noodles and other ingredients like meat and veg. Weigh and pay, then they cook to order, and your bowl is ready in a flash. Dragon Hot Pot on Russell is open until 1:30am Monday to Thursday, and 2:30am Friday to Sunday.

213 Russell Street, Melbourne

Gimlet at Cavendish House

The famous Gimlet cheeseburger (among other things) can still be yours at midnight on a Friday and Saturday. This supper sensation is one of the city’s most iconic late-night dishes — and one of Melbourne’s best burgers, no question.

33 Russell Street, Melbourne

Pizza Pizza Pizza

So good they named it thrice. This Meyers Place by-the-slice New York pizza shop (with a hidden speakeasy through the back) has been going for almost 10 years. Still one of the best spots for a late-night pizza in the city. Grab your pepperoni and dig in, street-side.

16 Meyers Place, Melbourne

Sao Bar & BBQ

A real lifesaver in times of hunger, Sao is open ‘til 5am. If you feel like a late-night (or early-morning) platter of sizzling wagyu, fried rice, pipis and fried chicken, this is the Korean BBQ to remember. Plus, beer, soju and cocktails are still on the cards.

550a Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

The Melbourne Supper Club

Tucked above the European, The Melbourne Supper Club (currently housing Kafeneion) has an infamously good menu. Whatever you’re feeling, you’ll be happy here: oysters and caviar, bougie sausage rolls and party pies or terrine and foie gras with farmhouse cheeses. Last orders are at 3am, but you have until 4am to finish your supper and make a dent in the wine list.

First Floor/161 Spring Street, Melbourne

Nana Thai

Ever popular (as attested by the lines), Nana Thai serves Thai-style hotpot and BBQ until midnight, every night. They have a full menu of papaya salads, stir-fried and deep-fried dishes, soups like spicy Tom Yum, best washed down with sweet Thai tea.

169 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Bowltiful

One that will fill you up and wake you up. Bowltiful, open ‘til 2am, specialises in halal Lanzhou noodles: Freshly hand-pulled noodles (choose from 9 types of thickness) served dry or brothy, with lamb, chicken, beef or veg toppings and as much chilli crisp oil as you can handle.

249 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Apollo Inn

You arguably haven’t done Melbourne right if you’ve never ended an evening with a slice of Apollo Inn’s creme caramel. And it’s still available at midnight.

165 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Beneath Driver Lane

One of Melbourne’s favourite hidden bars, Beneath Driver Lane is a subterranean spot (as the name suggests), famed for cocktails, whisky and a speakeasy vibe. Will there be jazz? Possibly. Snacks? Definitely. Whether you’re after Scotch whisky and a scotch egg or Champagne and croquettes, the supper menu will see you through — even ‘til 3am on Friday and Saturday.

Basement, Shop 3, Driver Lane, Melbourne

This city does late nights better than most places do days. Wander home from a gig, chase one more drink or let the evening stretch — there’s always a good late-night bite in Melbourne. Keep this list close and roam into the night well-fed. And for more delicious finds, explore our guides to new restaurants and Melbourne’s most-lauded burger spots.