Christmas Lunch Melbourne 2026: Best Restaurants Open on Christmas Day
Looking for somewhere to have Christmas lunch in Melbourne in 2026?
Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026, and Melbourne restaurants are already beginning to release their Christmas Day menus, buffets and special dining packages.
The good news is that there’s considerably more choice than simply having turkey at a hotel buffet.
You can spend Christmas overlooking the Yarra, have a five-course French lunch in Carlton North, enjoy a traditional Christmas feast at a Melbourne pub, cruise along the river, or escape the city altogether for a long Christmas lunch in the Yarra Valley.
We’ve researched Melbourne’s Christmas Day 2026 restaurant offerings and, importantly, we’ve tried to separate confirmed 2026 events from restaurants that have offered Christmas lunch previously but haven’t yet released this year’s details.
Where we have found confirmed 2026 pricing, we’ve included it.
Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December 2026
Information last checked: 18 August 2026
Christmas Day menus, availability and conditions can change, so always confirm the final details directly with the restaurant before booking.
Christmas Lunch Melbourne 2026: Quick Comparison
| Restaurant | Location | Style | 2026 Adult Price | Child Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamford Plaza | Melbourne CBD | Seafood & Christmas buffet | $275 / $335 with drinks | $145 | Families & buffet lovers |
| Punch Lane | Melbourne CBD | Chef’s tasting menu | $250 | Check venue | Foodies |
| Malin | Carlton North | 5-course French | $250 + surcharge | Check venue | Fine dining |
| BearBrass | Southbank | 3-course riverside lunch | $140 | $50 | Families & views |
| Spirit of Melbourne | Southbank | Christmas lunch cruise | $325 | $165 | Something different |
| P.J. O’Brien’s | Southbank | Traditional 3-course lunch | $105 | $35 | Value & relaxed dining |
| Ludlow | Southbank | 3-course riverside lunch | $195 | $50 | Yarra views |
| Vatutto | Ivanhoe | Festive restaurant lunch | $295 | Check venue | Northern suburbs |
| SkyHigh | Mt Dandenong | Christmas lunch with views | $190 | $100 | Families & views |
| Yarra Valley Lodge | Chirnside Park | Buffet + drinks | $279 | $60 | Families & winery country |
| Tokar Estate | Coldstream | 4-course lunch + wines | $285 | $95 | Wine lovers |
| Victoria Hotel | Woodend | Traditional Christmas lunch | Check venue | Kids menu | Country Christmas |
Prices are based on published 2026 information available when this guide was updated. Always check the restaurant’s current booking page before paying.
Best Christmas Lunches in Melbourne CBD 2026
Stamford Plaza Melbourne – Melbourne CBD
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
If your family’s idea of Christmas lunch involves seafood, turkey, ham and a table where everyone can choose exactly what they want, Stamford Plaza has one of the most comprehensive Melbourne CBD Christmas buffets announced so far.
The Christmas Day buffet runs from 12.30pm until 3.30pm.
Adults can choose between $275 without the alcoholic beverage package or $335 including the three-hour beverage package.
Children aged 4–12 cost $145, while children three and under dine free.
The seafood selection includes oysters, tiger prawns, mussels and smoked salmon. There’s traditional roast turkey and maple-glazed ham, plus beef cheek, barramundi, chicken, pasta, vegetables and a substantial dessert selection.
Santa is also scheduled to appear and guests receive a small gift and Christmas bonbon.
For a family with different tastes and several generations at the table, that’s one of the advantages of a buffet: nobody has to agree on what everyone is eating.
Address: 111 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Time: 12.30pm–3.30pm
Adult: $275
Adult with beverage package: $335
Children 4–12: $145
Children 3 and under: Free
Phone: (03) 9659 1182
View Stamford Plaza’s Christmas Day Lunch
Punch Lane – Melbourne CBD
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
If Christmas lunch for you is more about the food than Santa, decorations and an enormous buffet, Punch Lane offers a very different experience.
The Melbourne institution is offering a Christmas Lunch Chef’s tasting menu for $250 per person.
There are two sittings, at 12pm and 2.30pm, each running for approximately two hours.
At the time of our update the full menu had not yet been released, which is exactly the sort of detail we think should be made clear rather than filling the gap with last year’s menu.
Dietary requirements can be advised when booking.
Drinks are additional, and beverage purchases attract a 15% public holiday surcharge.
If you’re celebrating Christmas as a couple or with a smaller group of adults and would rather have a serious restaurant experience than a family hotel buffet, Punch Lane could be one to consider.
Address: 43 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Adult: $250
Sittings: 12pm and 2.30pm
Style: Chef’s tasting menu
View Punch Lane Christmas Day bookings
ESQ at QV – Melbourne CBD
2026 Christmas Day event announced – full details coming
ESQ has already created its Christmas Day 2026 event page, but at the time of our update the venue was still planning the event.
That means we aren’t going to publish a previous Christmas menu or old price and pretend it applies to 2026.
You can currently join the restaurant’s waitlist for first access when reservations are released.
This is worth watching if you’d like a central CBD Christmas lunch but aren’t ready to commit to one of the packages already on sale.
Join the ESQ Christmas Day 2026 waitlist
Christmas Lunch Southbank & the Yarra River
BearBrass – Southbank
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
For families who want to be beside the Yarra without paying $300-plus per adult, BearBrass is one of the more appealing options we’ve found.
The restaurant is serving a three-course Christmas lunch for $140 per adult, with a $50 children’s menu for children 12 and under.
The meal includes a shared entrée followed by a choice of main and dessert.
Bookings begin from noon.
The big attraction here is location. You’re dining on Southbank overlooking the river and city rather than sitting inside a hotel ballroom.
It should particularly suit families who want Christmas lunch to feel special but still reasonably relaxed.
Address: 3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank VIC 3006
Adult: $140
Children 12 and under: $50
From: 12pm
Phone: (03) 9695 4038
View BearBrass Christmas Day Lunch
P.J. O’Brien’s – Southbank
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Not everybody wants a luxury Christmas buffet.
For a much more traditional and relatively affordable Christmas Day meal, P.J. O’Brien’s is offering a three-course Christmas lunch for $105 per adult.
Children 12 and under can have a two-course kids’ menu, including a main, dessert and soft drink, for $35.
Lunch begins from 12.30pm.
If you’re looking for somewhere where Dad can have a pint, the family can sit down together and nobody needs to dress as though they’re attending a wedding, an Irish pub Christmas has plenty going for it.
Location: Southbank
Adult: $105
Children 12 and under: $35
From: 12.30pm
Phone: (03) 9686 5011
Ludlow Bar & Dining Room – Southbank
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Ludlow provides another riverside alternative.
The restaurant is offering a three-course Christmas lunch for $195 per adult, while children 12 and under are $50.
It’s more expensive than BearBrass or P.J. O’Brien’s, but its Yarra location and restaurant atmosphere will appeal to families looking for something between a casual pub and a major hotel buffet.
Adult: $195
Children: $50
Location: Southbank
Phone: (03) 9699 1676
Spirit of Melbourne Christmas Lunch Cruise – Southbank
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Here’s one for families who don’t want to spend Christmas Day sitting in a conventional restaurant at all.
The Spirit of Melbourne Cruising Restaurant is running a Christmas Day lunch cruise along the Yarra.
Adult tickets are $325, teenagers aged 13–17 are $185, and children aged 2–12 are $165.
This isn’t the cheapest Christmas lunch in Melbourne, but you’re paying for the experience as much as the meal.
For visitors spending Christmas in Melbourne, or a family that wants to do something completely different this year, cruising through the city while having lunch certainly ticks that box.
Departure: Southbank Promenade
Adults: $325
Teens 13–17: $185
Children 2–12: $165
Phone: (03) 8610 2600
Fine Dining Christmas Lunch Melbourne
Malin – Carlton North
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Malin is one of the most interesting options for serious food lovers.
The Carlton North restaurant is holding its annual Christmas Day Long Lunch, now in its third year.
The experience centres around a five-course tasting menu inspired by modern French cooking and costs $250 per person.
An optional wine pairing is also available.
One important detail: a 15% public holiday surcharge applies, so factor that into the real cost.
Unlike some Christmas events, reservations don’t require prepayment, although special cancellation conditions apply.
We’d look at Malin for an adult Christmas celebration where food and wine are more important than Santa, buffets or children’s entertainment.
Location: Carlton North
Adult: $250 plus 15% public holiday surcharge
Style: Five-course modern French tasting menu
View Malin Christmas Day Lunch
Vatutto – Ivanhoe
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
For families in Melbourne’s north-east who don’t want to travel into the CBD, Vatutto in Ivanhoe is accepting bookings for Christmas Day.
Its special festive lunch is priced at $295 per person.
Full payment is required, with the restaurant stating that payment must be completed by 16 November.
That’s worth paying attention to because Christmas Day restaurant cancellation and payment conditions are often much stricter than they are for an ordinary lunch.
Location: Ivanhoe
Adult: $295
Payment: Prepaid Christmas Day experience
View Vatutto Christmas Day bookings
Christmas Lunch South Yarra
Botanical Hotel – South Yarra
✓ Christmas Day Lunch 2026 announced
Botanical Hotel has confirmed that it will hold a Christmas Day Lunch in 2026.
For families in South Yarra, Toorak, Prahran and surrounding suburbs, this is one to watch closely as Christmas approaches.
Botanical’s normal restaurant offering focuses on modern Australian cooking, premium Australian beef, seafood and an extensive wine list.
At the time we checked, the venue was promoting its 2026 Christmas Day event, but we couldn’t verify enough published pricing information to responsibly quote a package price here.
Address: 169 Domain Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: (03) 9820 7888
Christmas Lunch in the Dandenong Ranges
SkyHigh Mount Dandenong
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
If the idea of spending Christmas Day overlooking Melbourne sounds better than heading into the CBD, SkyHigh Mount Dandenong has confirmed both lunch and dinner for 2026.
Christmas lunch costs $190 per adult and $100 for children aged 5–17.
Christmas dinner is slightly cheaper at $180 for adults and $90 for children.
The obvious attraction is the setting.
For families coming from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, this gives you a destination Christmas without committing to a long drive into regional Victoria.
Address: 26 Observatory Road, Mount Dandenong VIC 3767
Lunch adults: $190
Lunch children 5–17: $100
Phone: (03) 9751 0443
Christmas Lunch Yarra Valley 2026
If you’re prepared to travel, the Yarra Valley has some of the strongest confirmed Christmas Day offerings we’ve found for 2026.
These aren’t simply restaurants that happen to be open. They’re full Christmas experiences.
Yarra Valley Lodge – Chirnside Park
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Yarra Valley Lodge is putting on a three-hour festive buffet with a three-hour beverage package.
Adults cost $279, teenagers aged 13–17 are $139, and children 12 and under are $60.
The buffet combines traditional Christmas dishes with Yarra Valley produce, including seafood, oysters, free-range roasts, local cheeses, seasonal vegetables and Christmas desserts.
Christmas bonbons are also included.
This is one we’d seriously consider for an extended family because the resort environment gives you room to breathe and there’s accommodation on site if you don’t want to drive home after lunch.
A 50% deposit is required when booking, with the balance due by 7 December. Cancellations within 14 days incur a 100% cancellation fee.
Address: 2 Heritage Avenue, Chirnside Park VIC 3116
Adults: $279
Teens 13–17: $139
Children 12 and under: $60
Phone: (03) 9760 3333
View Yarra Valley Lodge Christmas Day Lunch
Tokar Estate – Coldstream
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
Tokar Estate is one of the premium options in this guide, but it also includes quite a lot.
The $285 adult package includes a four-course shared menu and four hours of free-flowing Tokar Estate wine and non-alcoholic drinks.
Teenagers aged 12–18 are $195, including the non-alcoholic beverage package, while children under 12 are $95 with their own menu.
Lunch starts at 11.30am and concludes at 4pm.
The menu is reassuringly Christmassy: canapés, shared entrées, roast turkey, pork belly, summer sides, Christmas pudding and pavlova.
A $100 per-person non-refundable deposit is required.
Dietary requirements need particular attention here. Tokar says the menu is fixed but allergy or intolerance alternatives may be possible with at least 14 days’ notice.
Address: 6 Maddens Lane, Coldstream VIC 3770
Adult: $285
Teen: $195
Child under 12: $95
Time: 11.30am–4pm
Phone: (03) 5964 9585
View Tokar Estate Christmas Day Lunch
Christmas Lunch Outside Melbourne
Victoria Hotel – Woodend
✓ Confirmed Christmas Day Lunch 2026
For something more traditional and considerably further from the city, the Victoria Hotel in Woodend is holding its ninth annual Christmas Day lunch.
Bookings are available from 11.30am, and the hotel has separate standard, vegetarian/vegan and children’s menus.
Large families have another interesting option.
The hotel’s Mountain Shed can be privately hired for up to 40 guests, with a $4,000 minimum spend.
That could actually make sense for a very large extended family wanting their own Christmas celebration without hosting it at someone’s house.
Address: 67 High Street, Woodend VIC 3442
Phone: (03) 5427 2721
View Victoria Hotel Christmas Day 2026
Best Christmas Day Buffets Melbourne 2026
If Christmas isn’t Christmas unless you can go back for another plate, there are already some good buffet choices.
Stamford Plaza Melbourne
$275 adult without alcoholic beverage package
$335 with three-hour alcoholic beverage package
$145 children 4–12
Free for children under four
The buffet includes oysters, prawns, mussels, smoked salmon, turkey, ham, beef, barramundi and desserts.
Yarra Valley Lodge
$279 adults
$139 teenagers
$60 children
Includes the three-hour buffet and three-hour beverage package.
These prices demonstrate why you need to compare what’s actually included.
A cheaper headline price isn’t necessarily a cheaper Christmas lunch once drinks, surcharges and extras are added.
Christmas Lunch Melbourne Under $150
Christmas Day restaurant dining isn’t cheap, largely because venues face public holiday staffing costs and often provide special menus.
But there are still some relatively accessible options.
P.J. O’Brien’s – $105 adult
BearBrass – $140 adult
Those are two of the strongest confirmed options we’ve found below $150.
If you’re feeding six or eight adults, the difference between a $105 lunch and a $285 lunch becomes substantial very quickly.
Christmas Lunch Melbourne $150–$250
This is where you’ll find more premium restaurant experiences.
Current confirmed options include:
SkyHigh Mount Dandenong – $190
Ludlow – $195
Punch Lane – $250
Malin – $250 plus public holiday surcharge
This price range gives you the choice between destination dining, riverside restaurants and serious fine dining.
Premium Christmas Lunch Melbourne $250+
If Christmas lunch is the major family event of the year and budget isn’t the main consideration, the premium end of the market is already well represented.
Stamford Plaza – $275 or $335
Yarra Valley Lodge – $279
Tokar Estate – $285
Vatutto – $295
Spirit of Melbourne Cruise – $325
Before dismissing or choosing a restaurant based solely on price, check whether beverages are included.
Tokar Estate, for example, includes four hours of wine and non-alcoholic beverages in its $285 adult package, while Punch Lane’s $250 price doesn’t include drinks.
Best Christmas Lunch with Kids
Christmas lunch becomes a very different calculation when you’re paying for two adults and three children.
Look carefully at children’s prices.
Among the confirmed 2026 offers we’ve found:
P.J. O’Brien’s: $35 for children 12 and under.
BearBrass: $50 for children 12 and under.
Yarra Valley Lodge: $60 for children 12 and under.
Tokar Estate: $95 for children under 12.
SkyHigh: $100 for children aged 5–17.
Stamford Plaza: $145 for children aged 4–12, while children three and under are free.
Don’t just look at price, though.
For young children, a buffet can be much easier than expecting them to sit through a five-course tasting menu.
Taking Grandparents Out for Christmas Lunch?
Christmas is often one of the few days of the year when three or even four generations sit around the same table.
That means accessibility deserves as much attention as the menu.
Before booking, ask about:
-
wheelchair access
-
accessible bathrooms
-
stairs and lifts
-
distance from parking to the restaurant
-
comfortable seating
-
buffet accessibility
-
noise levels
-
seating duration
-
dietary requirements.
For an elderly relative with mobility issues, a wonderful menu isn’t much consolation if getting from the car to the table becomes an ordeal.
Are Restaurants Open on Christmas Day in Melbourne?
Yes, many Melbourne restaurants open on Christmas Day, particularly hotels, pubs, tourist restaurants and destination venues.
But don’t assume that a restaurant’s normal Friday trading hours apply on Friday, 25 December 2026.
Christmas Day is a restricted trading day in Victoria, although restaurants and cafes can trade.
Many restaurants operate exclusively on prepaid Christmas packages, fixed menus or limited sittings.
Others close completely.
That’s why booking is particularly important.
What Should You Check Before Booking Christmas Lunch?
Christmas Day bookings often have much stricter conditions than ordinary restaurant reservations.
Before paying, check:
Is there a public holiday surcharge?
Are drinks included?
Is payment required in advance?
Is the deposit refundable?
What is the cancellation deadline?
How long do you have the table?
Can dietary requirements be accommodated?
Is there a separate children’s menu?
Is the restaurant wheelchair accessible?
Is parking available?
And perhaps most importantly:
What happens if someone in the family becomes sick on Christmas morning?
Some Christmas packages become completely non-refundable within 14 or even 30 days of the event.
For a family spending $1,000 or more on lunch, that’s worth understanding before entering the credit-card details.
How We Research Our Melbourne Christmas Lunch Guide
There’s an important difference between a restaurant that usually opens at Christmas and a restaurant that has actually announced its Christmas Day 2026 offering.
For this guide, we look for:
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confirmation of Christmas Day 2026 trading
-
current menu
-
adult price
-
children’s price
-
drinks inclusions
-
sitting times
-
booking conditions
-
dietary information
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restaurant contact information.
Where a restaurant hasn’t released its 2026 details, we try to say so.
We don’t think it’s particularly helpful to show you a Christmas menu from 2024 or 2025 without clearly identifying it as historical information.
This guide will continue to be updated as more Melbourne restaurants announce their Christmas Day 2026 plans.
A Note from Brighton Savoy
Brighton Savoy has a long history with Christmas Day dining.
For many years we welcomed Melbourne families for Christmas celebrations, so we understand just how different Christmas Day restaurant service is from an ordinary lunch.
Families aren’t simply looking for good food.
They’re bringing children, grandparents and relatives who may only see one another a few times a year. They need enough time at the table, appropriate dietary choices, good service and confidence that the venue can actually deliver what has been promised.
Brighton Savoy is not hosting a Christmas Day lunch in 2026.
Instead, we’re using our hospitality experience to help Melbourne families compare other Christmas Day options around the city and Victoria.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Christmas Day in Melbourne in 2026?
Christmas Day is Friday, 25 December 2026.
What restaurants are open for Christmas lunch in Melbourne in 2026?
Confirmed 2026 options already include Stamford Plaza Melbourne, Punch Lane, Malin, BearBrass, P.J. O’Brien’s, Ludlow, Vatutto, SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, Yarra Valley Lodge and Tokar Estate.
More restaurants are expected to announce their Christmas Day programs as December approaches.
Where can I have a Christmas buffet in Melbourne?
Stamford Plaza Melbourne has confirmed a Christmas Day buffet in the CBD, while Yarra Valley Lodge is offering a three-hour festive buffet outside central Melbourne.
How much does Christmas lunch cost in Melbourne?
Based on confirmed 2026 offerings we’ve researched, adult prices currently range from approximately $105 to $335 per person.
The price varies substantially depending on whether you’re booking a pub lunch, fine-dining tasting menu, buffet, beverage package or Christmas cruise.
Where is the cheapest Christmas lunch in Melbourne?
Among the confirmed special Christmas Day packages we’ve researched, P.J. O’Brien’s at Southbank is one of the more affordable at $105 per adult, with children 12 and under at $35.
Which Christmas lunches include alcohol?
Tokar Estate’s $285 adult package includes four hours of Tokar Estate wines and non-alcoholic beverages.
Yarra Valley Lodge’s $279 adult package includes a three-hour beverage package.
Stamford Plaza offers both a $275 package without alcoholic beverages and a $335 package including its three-hour alcoholic beverage package.
Always check exactly which beer, wine and spirits are included.
Where can I have Christmas lunch with children?
Stamford Plaza, BearBrass, P.J. O’Brien’s, SkyHigh, Yarra Valley Lodge and Tokar Estate all publish children’s pricing for their 2026 Christmas events.
For very young children, we’d pay particular attention to seating duration and whether the restaurant is serving a buffet, children’s menu or lengthy tasting menu.
Do restaurants charge a surcharge on Christmas Day?
Some do.
For example, Malin states that its Christmas Day Long Lunch is subject to a 15% public holiday surcharge, while Punch Lane says beverage purchases attract a 15% public holiday surcharge.
Don’t assume the advertised menu price is necessarily the final amount you’ll pay.
Do I need to book Christmas lunch in advance?
Yes.
Christmas Day is completely different from an ordinary Friday lunch.
Many venues offer limited sittings and require deposits or full prepayment.
The best-known restaurants and family-friendly buffets can sell out well before December.
Where can I have Christmas lunch outside Melbourne CBD?
The Yarra Valley is particularly strong in 2026.
Yarra Valley Lodge and Tokar Estate both have confirmed Christmas Day packages, while SkyHigh Mount Dandenong provides another destination option closer to Melbourne.
For something further afield, the Victoria Hotel in Woodend has confirmed its ninth annual Christmas Day lunch.
Where Will You Have Christmas Lunch in Melbourne This Year?
The biggest change we’re seeing with Christmas lunch in Melbourne in 2026 is just how varied the options have become.
You can still have turkey, ham, seafood and Christmas pudding at a traditional hotel buffet.
But you can also have a five-course French lunch in Carlton North, sit beside the Yarra at Southbank, spend four hours drinking Yarra Valley wine at a vineyard or cruise through Melbourne while someone else worries about the washing up.
Our advice is simple.
Choose the Christmas lunch that suits your family rather than automatically choosing the most expensive one.
If you’re bringing young children, children’s pricing and flexibility might matter most.
If Granddad is coming, accessibility and comfortable seating could be more important than the wine list.
And if Christmas lunch is an adults-only affair, this might be the perfect excuse to book somewhere you wouldn’t normally visit.
Whatever you choose, book early, read the cancellation policy and check what’s actually included in the advertised price.
We’ll continue updating this guide as Melbourne restaurants release more Christmas Day 2026 menus, prices and booking information.
