The best date-night restaurants in Melbourne

FIRST DATE VIBES The perfect cosy and inviting spot to meet your potential partner for the first time and start getting to know each other over a few glasses of wine.

This Gertrude Street institution is known for its simple but excellently executed bistro menu, and its unfussy and delicious food. The star of the show is the wine list – a mix of local and international producers that are food-friendly or great on their own. You will always order the flat bread with Fromage Blanc, and you will almost always order a second portion. 

SECOND DATE MATERIAL If things went well at your first meet-up, book a table at Osteria Illaria, the perfect balance of casual and cool, and learn more about each other over a bottle of wine, some shared snacks and a delightful bowl of pasta. 

This date night spot seems humble at first glance, but is a great place to suggest for a second date – not as typical as suggesting sister restaurant Tipo 00, but still reliable enough that you know you are in for a good evening. If you want to avoid awkward disagreements about what to order, opt for the chef's menu ($110 per person) and to ramp the date up a notch, add the wine pairing option for $85.  

THIRD DATE FUN By now you are ready to let your hair down a little and get to know each other in a more relaxed environment – Lulie is your third date spot. 

With its prime piece of Johnston Street real estate, Lulie Tavern brings unpretentious good times and rock'n'roll vibes to Abbotsford, and is the ideal spot for a low-key but a-lot-of-fun date. Lulie Tavern is the kind of place you can settle in for the night with your date of choice for the evening – moving between the pool table, stopping for a dance, catching a selection of local bands and DJs and of course eating and drinking plenty along the way. It will also be a great summer date spot, with its rooftop bar Full Moon Fever set to open just in time for sunny times. 

FOURTH DATE CHOICE You're ready to take things to another level, so where better to head than this sexy sky-high venue 139 metres above the ground?

Located on the 40th floor of Oakwood Premier Melbourne, Strato is home to a modern Australian restaurant, two VIP function areas, a bar and an outdoor lounge. And yes, if there's one thing this space delivers on, it's spectacular views across Port Phillip Bay, the Yarra River and the CBD skyline. Entry is via a private elevator from the hotel lobby (fancy, right?), and the vibe here is refined elegance. Feast on a seasonal menu that celebrates locally sourced produce, and enjoy a top-notch cocktail or craft beer as you soak up the 'gram-worthy vista. Your date is sure to walk away impressed – you can thank us later.

FIFTH DATE BRILLIANCE Making it five dates deep in 2024 is no small accomplishment. Celebrate accordingly by booking a spot at swanky hotel restaurant Dolly. 

Snugly situated in the basement of the new Le Méridien Melbourne, Dolly is an immersive restaurant and cocktail bar that transports its guests back in time to the glamour and mystique of 1930s cinema. Though Dolly welcomes casual after-work drinks, the plush 90-seat dining area with its soft mulberry banquette seating invites a longer stay for dinner. Unsurprisingly, the food here is a cinematic affair with stark plating and a penchant for old-world high-society classics. Think freshly shucked oysters with Champagne sorbet, a golden, buttery beef Wellington that reveals O’Connor’s grass-fed eye fillet pink as a peony when you cut into it, and a snow-white Bombe Alaska filled with salted caramel popcorn ice cream – theatrically torched at the table, of course.

SIXTH DATE HANGOUT By this time, you're ready to meet each other's mates, so steady yourselves for the introductions, grab a big table and a couple of jugs and hope that things go well! 

If things are awkward, at least you know the food will be good. The bistro menu is ‘just’ pub food in the same way that truffles are ‘just’ fungus. These are pub classics by name but delivered with balance and finesse by McConnell’s team. Start with some snacks to share that will ruin you for any future bar munchies, but try save space for the fish pie and some dessert. 

SEVENTH DATE SPOT Hey, if you've made it this far, you are no longer trying to impress each other. So get footloose and fancy free, and show your true selves after a couple of bottles of vino and a greasy cheeseburger. 

This may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of a romantic date night restaurant, but nothing gets the party started like BYO bottles of wine to ensure a fun night out. This late-night diner is a great place to just have fun with your date and sink your teeth into juicy carnivorous comfort eats. Leave the serious questions and boring talk for another night: bring your date to Butchers Diner for fried chicken, cheap burgs, lots of lols and plenty of wine – who knows where things will end up? 

EIGHTH DATE CELEBRATE Let's be real, make it eight dates in and you've basically sealed the deal. So dress up, put on a bit of a show and relish in your dating success over baguettes and butter, lots of red wine and the pièce de résistance – the steak frites.

Pucker up for a Parisian party at Entrecôte’s fresh digs in Prahran. A night out here will have you and your date feeling a lil’ bit fancy whether you’re seated at one of the outdoor tables (reminiscent of a Parisian sidewalk) enjoying one of the signature Spritzers, or lounging in the sexy, moody brasserie while downing a Martini.

BONUS! We can only assume things have worked out well for you if you used our guide and won your partner over, so go big and celebrate your one-year anniversary at Gimlet (and hey, it'll probably take you a year to get a booking anyway). 

Walk into the glamorously retooled Art Deco beauty Cavendish House on the corner of Russell and Flinders Lane and you’re whisked to another era, when people dressed for dinner and seafood arrived on silver platters. It is the ultimate spot for a celebration. Splurge on cocktails and caviar, lobster and T-bone. Cheers to you lovebirds!