Restaurants and cafés open on Christmas Day

Get footloose and fancy-free this Christmas Day at the Espy. This year your Christmas lunch depends on where you want to sit; the Espy ground floor is hosting a modern take on the classic Aussie Christmas feast ($165 per person and $65 for kids), and there will be fresh seafood starters followed by traditional meats with plenty of vegetarian options. Mya Tiger, on the upper floor, is serving a festive Cantonese banquet including a take on a 'traditional' Char Siu roast ham ($175 per person and $65 for kids). Or keeps things casual at the main bar, which will be serving pizzas, snacks and plenty of frothies, with bookings and walk-ins both welcome. Find all of the details on the website. 

If you feel like getting a lil' fancy this Christmas, look no further than the Prince Dining Room. Dishes will include kingfish crudo and turkey pie with fermented cherries, grilled Wagyu rump cap and market fish topped with brassicas chimichurri. Finish on a sweet note with an Aussie classic: mango and passionfruit pavlova. Book online to secure your spot. 

Enjoy a Christmas like no other with Melbourne's beautiful Yarra River as the backdrop. Arbory Bar and Eatery has sittings available for groups of six to 14 guests this Christmas Day. General table reservations come with a minimum spend of $85 per person, however for something really exciting, go for the Christmas Picnic Package which starts at $142 per person. Whichever you prefer, get in quick as tables are likely to book out.  

Hot pot might be the best way to bring people together, especially at a time like Christmas. Panda Hot Pot is open to provide you with its regular menu, which features a range of hot pot options. You can numb your mouth with an overload of Sichuan peppercorns, or keep things mellow with a milky pork bone broth – the choice is up to you.

The Duke of Wellington is serving a set Christmas lunch menu this year featuring the obligatory ham (with a bourbon and apricot glaze) and turkey (slow-cooked with a currant, fig and chestnut stuffing), plus cold cuts, prawns, oysters and Christmas pudding. The generous three-course share-style feast is available for $140 per person, and $40 for children under 12 (for two courses). Vegetarians will feel at home, too, with a separate menu subbing the ham for eggplant and a vegetarian Wellington. There are two sittings available (11am and 2pm), but with limited capacity you better get in quick.

Grab a stein full of pilsner and dig into some wiener schnitzel or crisp pork knuckle bigger than your head at Hofbrauhaus's Market Lane location for lunch this Christmas. Tables are filling up fast, so rally the crew for a rowdy festive feast. 

There’s always a lot going on at Her, Lonsdale Street’s popular four-concept mega-venue, and Christmas Day is no exception. Her Bar is offering a five-course menu including caviar service alongside a seafood platter. You can also expect the popular duck frites, with traditional Christmas desserts to finish. The Christmas Day menu is available for $125 per person, with the option to add matched wines for an additional $70. Book ahead to avoid disappointment. 

Whether you're looking for a more formal four-course lunch in its upstairs dining room or a casual three-course experience by the riverside, Pure South Dining in Southbank has you covered. Each offering is paired with premium beverages and you can choose from a list of mains that includes King Island grass-fed beef Wellingtons served with carrots, leek and pepper sauce or pan-roasted Huon salmon with Jerusalem artichoke and mushroom broth. Book online.

The Conservatory is Crown’s upmarket buffet restaurant and this Christmas they are stuffing the bain maries full of the traditional favourites – including sumptuous seafood and turkey with all the trimmings. Be sure your family is well-fed no matter what time of the day, with breakfast, lunch and dinner sessions available. Reserve online.

The multi-level restaurant and hidden cellar bar is offering a set Christmas lunch featuring family share platters full of your favourite dishes. There are two sittings available at 11.30am and 2pm, with the set menu going for $150 per person ($65 for kids). And no one will be excluded this festive season, with State of Grace's plant-based Christmas Day lunch menu on offer, too. Bookings are imperative via the website. 

For those craving a decent North Indian feed there's Punjabi Curry Café: a spice-laden haven where you can mop up a smoky chicken tikka masala with a hearty helping of garlic naan. The venue's extensive menu will also be available all night, so you can plan in advance. Phone 9419 5307 or book online.

Celebrate Christmas Day overlooking the stunning waterside views only found at Martha’s Table. Leave the cooking to someone else and enjoy a delicious five-course Christmas lunch with matching wines, designed and prepared by Martha's Tables' expert chefs. Bookings are essential and can be made via the website.

This rooftop bar and pub is dishing up an extravagant three-course set lunch menu on Christmas Day. Think honey and mustard glazed ham or turkey with all the trimmings. There are even oysters with a shallot vinaigrette, or king prawn cocktails. The event is kid-friendly and bookings are essential via the website.

Put a French spin on your Christmas this year at Bistro Guillaume. The five-course set menu – available for Christmas lunch or dinner – includes a glass of Moet and Chandon NV Champagne and costs $250 per person and $125 for children. But with the price tag comes some top-quality food – think lobster salad, chicken with black truffle, a selection of French and Australian cheeses, and meringues with passionfruit and raspberry. Reserve online.

This bar and pub is turning off the sports and diverting its attention to a specially curated three-course lunch menu this Christmas. Celebrate in 90-minute sittings and enjoy festive takes on Aussie classics like prawn cocktails with brandy-spiked sauce, fresh Queensland prawns, the obligatory mince pies and everyone's favourite, the pav. Book via the website.

For a next-level Christmas feast head to Nobu's nightclub-esque food hub at Crown Melbourne. The menu that usually features sushi and sashimi, baby tiger prawn tempura and beef tenderloin with wasabi salsa will instead offer a five-course lunch and dinner banquet, too. The set menu will include a selection of sushi and surf and turf options, such as Mayura Station signature 9+ Wagyu striploin and southern rock lobster, making the $250 price tag ($125 for children) more palatable. Reserve online.

Upscale Hawthorn pub, the Auburn Hotel, is offering a three-course set menu on Christmas Day. Expect all the usual suspects, including ham, turkey with a sage and onion stuffing and a juicy chipolata. And make sure you save some space for the end-of-meal cheese selection, featuring blue cheese, brie, smoked cheddar, quince paste, lavosh and muscatels. Be sure to reserve your spot online – there are four sittings available, with lunch going for $145 for adults and $45 for kids. 

Go on a culinary journey to Thailand this Christmas and book a table at Bangpop in South Wharf. Attend one of the multiple two-hour sittings and receive a drink of your choice upon arrival. Taste the likes of crisp pork belly with mustard greens and dried chilli, or a rich beef Massaman curry. There's also a vegan menu. Book online.

Partake in a three-course set lunch menu with bubbles on arrival at Middle Park Hotel. The venue will accept bookings online and there are two sitting available at 11am and 2.30pm. Save the hassle and stay out of the kitchen this Christmas and head to this boutique pub where everything is taken care of. 

Crown Melbourne’s upmarket Chinese restaurant has a five-course set menu in store for your festivities. Take things up a notch with the likes of abalone and Szechuan duck, spanner crab and wok-tossed baby lobster – yum. Book online.

The Smith is a smart and elegant all-day eatery with an obligatory open kitchen, bar area, restaurant and double function rooms. The venue is offering a family-friendly set menu feast, with two sittings available at 11am and 2.30pm. Book online now so you don't miss out. 

Christmas lunch at the Merrywell this year won't be your usual cheeseburger and shake affair. Instead, enjoy a set four-course share menu upstairs with a glass of Chandon sparkling wine on arrival. The spread includes a selection of bread and butter, cold platters, hot platters and desserts to share, going for $120 per person and $55 for kids. There are two sittings at 11.30am and 1.45pm. Book now!

If you're after a laidback Christmas experience, head to the pub – or the Wharf Hotel, specifically. The venue is offering a three-course platter-filled lunch for children and adults alike. It costs $135 per person or $50 for kids, and also includes a two-hour basic beverage package. Sittings are available at 11am or 2.30pm, and you can make a reservation via the website.

The Exchange has long had a stellar reputation for its parmas, but this Christmas the pub is offering a set three-course lunch menu fit for both adults and kids. Make a reservation via the website. 

Here at David's Artisan Hot Pot, specially designed tables are fitted with a sunken hot pot receptacle that houses an ornate steel pot. The pot is then subdivided into at least two different (sometimes nine-plus) broth regions, with the fiery hot mala variety – usually, a beef stock that grunts with tonnes of chillies and Sichuan peppercorns – a must-order. Patrons then order plates of raw ingredients off the menu, concoct themselves a custom sauce from the DIY sauce station, and get to business. Bookings are essential online.

Enjoy feeling like you've arrived at a friend's place when you receive bubbles on arrival at Newmarket Hotel. The family-friendly venue near St Kilda's foreshore is currently accepting bookings for its three-course set lunch menu online. Choose between an 11.30am or 2.30pm sitting, and leave the Christmas hassle to someone else. 

Tim Ho Wan is open once again this Christmas and will offer its regular menu, which is chock-full of goodies like its renowned barbecue pork buns, traditional dumplings and pan-fried turnip cakes. You can eat to your heart's desire, but just note that there is no booze. Fret not though as the food will easily make up for this.