Restaurants and cafés open on Christmas Day

Time: 11am until 11pm.

Thai Tide fed the masses whole mud crab during lockdown, now it's feeding you this Christmas with the option of ordering anything off its regular in-house menu. Call 9650 7987 to book.

Time: Noon or 1pm for a three-hour sitting.

Join Sunda for a six-course Christmas degustation with a native Australian and Southeast Asian twist. Throw your glazed ham and roast turkey assumptions out the door and prepare yourself for one of the most exciting Christmas feasts you'll ever have.

Time: 11.30am and 2pm sittings.

The Duke of Wellington is serving a set Christmas lunch menu this year featuring an 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. Vegetarians can feel at home too with a separate menu subbing the ham for eggplant and the turkey for pumpkin. 

Time: 11.30am to 2pm, 5pm to 11pm.

Hot pot might be the best way to bring people together, especially during a time like Christmas. Panda Hot Pot is open to provide you with its regular menu featuring a range of hot pot options suited to those looking to numb their mouths with Sichuan peppercorns or looking to keep things mellow with a milky pork bone broth. Phone the venue to book your spot or reserve online.

Time: Noon to 3pm.

Grab a stein full of pilsner and dig into some wienerschnitzel or crisp pork knuckle bigger than your head at Hofbrauhaus's temporary Docklands location. The restaurant and bier garten plans to offer its regular menu with some specials. Stay up to date via its website or Facebook page to find out if will accept walk-ins or if it's fully booked.

Time: 10am to 8.15pm.

Tim Ho Wan is open this Christmas and will offer its regular menu which includes its renowned barbecue pork buns. There are traditional dumplings and pan-fried turnip cakes that you can eat to your heart's desire, but there is no booze. Fret not though as the food will easily make up for this. Walk-ins only.

Time: 11.30am to 1.15pm, 2pm to 3.45pm.

The multi-level restaurant and hidden cellar bar is offering two set Christmas lunch menus. One set lunch will take place on the rooftop with a tasting plate and bubbles on offer, while the other will be indoors and serve up a more formal four-course menu. Bookings are imperative via its website. 

Time: 5pm until late.

Immerse yourself in a Szechuan hot pot at Da Long Yi which originated in Chengdu, China. Share it with friends or family and prepare yourselves for a spicy, lip-smacking feast. Phone 9041 8191 to reserve.

Time: 11.30am to 1.15pm, 2pm to 3.45pm.

If you're after a laidback Christmas experience, head to the pub, or the Wharf Hotel specifically. The venue will offer a three-course lunch for children and adults alike. Reserve via the website. 

Time: 11am to 2.30pm, 5pm until midnight.

Chef David will pass the hot pot baton on solely to its brother venue David's Hot Pot and will instead offer items off its à la carte menu like Sichuan wagyu beef skewers or a plethora of grilled meats or seafood options this Christmas. Call 8797 2666 to reserve.

Time: 11.30am to 11.30pm. 

Chongqing and its adjacent Sichuan Province are hot pot grandmasters. Here, specially designed tables are fitted with a sunken hot pot receptacle that houses an ornate steel pot. The pot is then often subdivided into at least two (sometimes nine-plus) different 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.

Time: 11.30am to 2.30pm. 

With its roots in Phuket, Jiyu does hot pot like you've never had it before: Thai style. Lovers of a hot and sour Tom Yum soup will be happy here, as will those who crave a creamy coconut broth. Be sure to try its signature seafood hot pot, you'll thank us later. Book your spot via its website or phone 9639 3669.

Time: 10am to 2pm.

Sleep-in on Christmas day then head to Café Lafayette for a Christmas brunch. Expect colourful, Japanese-influenced foods like its take on an eggs Benny that features braised pork belly on a mentaiko potato croquette, or its rainbow latte art that was made for the 'gram. 

Time: 11.30am to 1.15pm, 2pm to 3.45pm.

The rooftop bar and pub is dishing up an extravagant three-course set lunch menu on Christmas day. Think honey and mustard glazed ham or King Ora salmon en croute with all the trimmings. There are even oysters with a shallot vinaigrette. The event is children friendly and bookings are essential via its website.

Time: 11.30am to 1.30pm, 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

The bar and pub is turning off the sports on its TVs and instead diverting its attention to a specially curated set three-course lunch menu this Christmas. Celebrate in two-hour sittings and expect the likes of its own spin on the classic prawn cocktail featuring a brandy spiked sauce and fresh Queensland prawns, or the obligatory Christmas pudding soaked in cognac served with vanilla bean custard. Book via its website.

Time: 8am to 2pm.

Colombian café Cento Mani is yet to confirm whether it will open for breakfast and lunch on Christmas Day. Phone 7021 1039 to enquire.

Time: 5pm to 11pm.

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 garlic naan. The venue's extensive menu will be available all night too so you can plan in advance. Phone 9419 5307 or book online.

Time: 11.30am to 1.15pm, 2pm to 3.45pm.

Upscale Hawthorn pub, Auburn Hotel is offering a set three-course lunch menu on Christmas Day with a separate menu dedicated to vegetarians too. Choose from whatever main you feel like on the day like the Christmas turkey with a sage and onion stuffing and a juicy chipolata. Or prepare yourself for the cheese selection to end your meal with featuring blue cheese, brie, smoked cheddar, quince paste, lavosh and muscatels. Reserve online.

Time: 11.30am to 2.30pm with sittings every 30 minutes.

Go on a culinary journey to Thailand this Christmas with Bangpop in South Wharf. Attend one of the multiple sittings that go for two hours at a time 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.

Time: 11.30am to 3.30pm with sittings every 30 minutes.

Sit down for a three-course lunch at Meat Market. Check out views of the Yarra in South Wharf as you saunter over to the raw bar containing Coffin Bay oysters and more, or enjoy your choice of main including cider-brined free-range organic turkey with macadamia and apricot stuffing. There are multiple sittings and each lasts for two hours. 

Time: 11am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 4pm, 5pm to 7.30pm, 8pm to 10.30pm.

Put a French spin on your Christmas this year with Bistro Guillaume. Its five-course set menu could come with a glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne, Fraser Isle spanner crab, Lakes Entrance John Dory with smoked mussel and kombu butter, Mayura Station wagyu with pommes Anna and a truffle vinaigrette, La Luna Holy Goat with honeycomb and brioche and a classic pav to top it off with. Reserve online.

Time: Open. Phone venue.

Treat yourself to a Turkish feast this Christmas. Arda Turkish Cuisine is known for its succulent kebabs, mixed grill platters guaranteed to please everyone and Turkish pizzas. Wash it down with a cold pint or wine from its list. Phone 9530 0193 to reserve.

Time: 5pm until late. 

Proving that breakfast is never boring in Melbourne, 100-seater cafe, Grand Lafayette mashes up Eastern flavours with Western approaches in brunches that are sometimes too pretty to eat. Popular dishes include matcha French toast, wasabi scrambled eggs, gua bao and their clear, flavoured raindrop cakes. Coffee is from Five Senses and there is a wide selection of mocktails available with breakfast. Keep an eye out for their dinners, with an all-you-can-eat menu of Japanese favourites including baked scallops, karaage chicken and miso baked salmon on offer. Book online or call 9510 0501.

Time: 11.30am to 1.30pm, 1.45pm to 3.45pm, 5pm to 11pm.

Christmas lunch at Merrywell won't be your usual cheeseburger and shake affair, but a set four-course share menu upstairs which is yet to be announced. Dinner will offer its usual à la carte menu though so you can still get your fix of Americana fare. 

Time: 11am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 4pm, 5pm to 7.30pm, 8pm to 10.30pm.

Head to Nobu's nightclub-esque food hub occupying three levels at Crown Melbourne. The menu that usually features sushi and sashimi, baby tiger prawn tempura and beef tenderloin with wasabi salsa will instead opt to offer a set two-course lunch menu with two sittings, and a set dinner menu, too. Reserve online.

Time: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 9.30pm.

The upmarket Chinese restaurant will offer its tanks of live seafood, with its cellar stacked with marquee names (if you fancy a Domaine de la Romandee-Conti 2008, it’s yours for $32,880) and a menu stuffed with eyebrow-lifting dishes such as the Imperial Treasure seafood claypot of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw and more (it’s $398 – order ahead). Book online.

Time: Noon onwards (lunch only).

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 asparagus, shallot and sauce Bordelaise or pan roasted Huon salmon with smoked potato, peas and preserved lemon. Book online.

Time: 11am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 4pm, 4pm to 7.30pm, 8pm to 10.30pm.

Conservatory is Crown’s upmarket buffet restaurant, but it's putting away the bain maries this Christmas and instead opting for an à la carte-style set menu. Reserve online.

Time: Noon to 1.30pm, 1.30pm to 3pm, 3pm to 4.30pm, 5pm to 6.30pm.

Gradi is famed for its Margherita and now you can have as many pies as you'd like on Christmas, or sample anything off its regular à la carte menu. Each sitting will run for one and a half hours at a time and bookings can be made online for sittings until 6.30pm. The venue will accept walk-ins after 6.30pm.

Time: 11.30am to 1.30pm, 2pm to 4pm. 

Partake in a three-course set lunch menu with bubbles on arrival at Middle Park Hotel. The venue will accept bookings online.

Time: 11.30am to 1.15pm, 2pm to 3.45pm.

Don your finest Santa hat and make your way down to College Lawn in Prahran. The sunlit, astroturf-decked pub is offering a set three-course lunch menu suited to all ages. Book online.

Time: 11am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 3.30pm, 5pm to 7pm, 8pm to 10pm.

Crown Melbourne’s upmarket Chinese restaurant has a set five-course menu in store for your festivities. Book online.

Time: Open. 

The latest incarnation of the Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda, one of Melbourne’s most famous pubs, is far too big and sprawling to simply pop by for a pint. With many different dining areas there's no doubt they will have a stellar line-up in store for Christmas. Sign up to its newsletter for updates on its plans. 

Time: 11.30am to 1.30pm, 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

The Exchange has long held a reputation and the odd award for its parmas, but the pub has a set three-course lunch menu fit for both adults and kids in store for Christmas. Reserve via the website. 

Time: Tentatively opened. 

Brunch enthusiasts are advised to phone Two Birds One Stone on December 10 to ensure it's open on Christmas Day. Phone 9827 1228. 

Time: 11.30am to 4.30pm.

The Smith is a smart and elegant all-day eatery with obligatory open kitchen, bar area up front, restaurant out back and double function rooms upstairs. The venue will offer a family-friendly set menu feast. Book online.

Time: Noon.

QT Melbourne's signature restaurant will offer one sitting on Christmas Day with a three course à la carte menu featuring the likes of ocean trout confit, scotch fillet with béarnaise sauce and honey and lavender roasted carrots. Reserve your spot online.

Time: 11am to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm.

Enjoy feeling like you've arrived at a friend's place and receive bubbles on arrival with a three-course set lunch menu at contemporary pub Newmarket Hotel. The family-friendly venue near St Kilda's foreshore is accepting bookings now online. 

If the thought of cooking another Christmas meal for the family results in sweaty palms and flashbacks to dishes piled high, maybe it's time to consider treating yourself to a merry Christmas lunch at one of Melbourne's finest restaurants. Each of these venues is putting on something special at price points to suit all budgets.