If you’re planning to travel to Melbourne for the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival in early November, you’ll want to be aware of some of the top places you can enjoy the best meals. After all, the carnival isn’t just about horse racing, but all the partying and trappings that go along with the event, and one of the greatest indulgences is all the fantastic food on offer.
Melbourne is a city renowned for incredible dining experiences for all budgets, so if you’re coming from interstate or overseas to join in the festivities, here are a few suggestions to try during Melbourne Cup week.
Hochi Mama
Located right in the heart of downtown Melbourne CBD is a fantastic Asian tapas restaurant called Hochi Mama. It’s very conveniently located if your accommodation also happens to be in the city centre.
Specialising in Vietnamese cuisine with a few surprising twists, sharing some tapas with your friends during Melbourne Cup week for lunch or dinner will surely get your mouth watering.
Not only that, if you want a cold beverage with your meal, Hochi Mama has a very special selection of cocktails, as well as beer and wine.
Rosetta
Located just across the Yarra River in fashionable Southbank is Rosetta, a high-class Italian restaurant, decked out with chandeliers, mahogany and marble. It really is in a class of its own and worth dining in at least once on your Melbourne adventure.
If you adore authentic Italian food then you’re sure to be impressed with Rosetta. Open for lunch 6 days a week and dinner 7 nights a week, the place is truly Melbourne Cup heaven during the first week of November each year.
After being trackside to watch the Melbourne Cup 2019 horses battle it out, head to Rosetta for an evening of fine dining matched by an equally impressive beverage menu.
Imperial Hotel
If fine dining is not your thing and you fancy a meal in a place that’s a little more low key, then check out the menu at the Imperial Hotel. Located centrally in the CBD, the Imperial Hotel is the third oldest pub in Melbourne, so it has plenty of history and has hosted many a Melbourne Cup party.
The great thing about dining out on a hearty pub meal is you can stick around after dinner and drink practically anything you like from a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, liqueurs and spirits.
It even boasts a trendy rooftop bar, where you can take in the cityscape by night while enjoying drinks and food with friends.
Munich Brauhaus
Fancy dining out German-style during the peak of the Melbourne Cup Carnival?
Well, that’s exactly the experience you’ll get when you pay a visit to Munich Brauhaus, located right near the city proper, opposite the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Whether you go for lunch or dinner, you’ll be spoilt for choice with the number of mouth-watering offerings to select from.
How about some tasty Hungarian sausage chased down with an icy cold authentic German ale? Schnitzel is a classic German dish, and so is a delicious dessert of Apple Strudel.
If you like sampling the cuisine of different cultures, then Melbourne is certainly the place to do it, so add Munich Brauhaus to your list of eateries to try.
The Botanical
Fancy a champagne breakfast or a fantastic four-course lunch on Melbourne Cup day? Then head to The Botanical to really spoil your palate as you celebrate.
Located in trendy South Yarra, you’re in for a real treat when you choose to dine at this very popular bar and bistro. Whether you choose breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can drink to your heart’s content after watching the great race, with your stomach satisfied by an array of local and international cuisine. There really is something on offer to suit everyone’s taste buds.
The Takeaway
So there you have just a select few tantalising suggestions to get you started. When travelling to a new destination it’s always handy to gather some insider knowledge of where to go, and this is especially true of restaurants and eateries.
Melbourne is definitely the place to be for food.
