Odds-on favourites
Whether you want to celebrate victory or dull defeat, these Melbourne hotspots have it covered. By Larissa Dubecki.
Best for a race-eve dinner
DONOVANS
Celebrating its 21st birthday this year, Melbourne institution Donovans (donovanshouse.com.au) guarantees glamorous pre-race vibes with its luxe Hamptons-style fit-out, which suits the St Kilda foreshore location perfectly. The food – equally fabulous – marries a classic aesthetic with prime produce and the wine list is a zinger.
Best for a race-day breakfast
BRUNETTI
Before heading to the track, tick off the most important meal of the day at Brunetti café’s show-stopping digs on Flinders Lane (brunetti.com.au). Once you’re fortified with strong Italian coffee and the Colazione Completa (translation: the complete breakfast), it’s a short walk to Flinders Street Station for the trip to Flemington Racecourse.
Best for a group FLOWER DRUM
Australia’s best Cantonese restaurant (flowerdrum.melbourne), on Market Lane, is an enticing prospect any time but you’ll add to the experience by bringing along a crowd to better enjoy roast whole suckling pig designed for eight to 10 people and graze on chef Anthony Lui’s exquisite menu.
Best for a cocktail
LONGSONG
Appropriately, Longsong (longsong. com.au), on Little Bourke Street, was originally a stable (horses were walked
up a ramp to the first-floor eyrie) but the modern translation is the result of a no-expense-spared overhaul that has transformed it into a dinner-anddrinks hotspot. Claim your turf in the bar for cocktails crafted from locally made artisan spirits or go for the Don Who Leo, a grapefruit, tequila and citrus punchbowl made for four.
Best for a party vibe WHITEHART
The laneway bar goes upmarket at Whitehart (whitehartbar.com.au), on a lane of the same name, as a two-storey wonderland built around an upcycled shipping container. No fascinator is too frivolous for this fashionable crowd buzzing about the indoor/outdoor setting to the tunes of resident DJs.
Best place to watch the races THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON
The city’s oldest pub (dukeofwellington. com.au), which opened on Flinders Street in 1853, has secured its place as the spiritual home of sports fans, thanks to a slick renovation, easygoing fare and front-bar TV screens that mean you don’t have to travel to the course. TIPO 00
Venturing out alone? There’s no better pit stop than this Little Bourke Street pasta specialist (tipo00.com.au), where the king of carbs is treated with due reverence. Grab a seat at the bar for a plate of pappardelle with braised rabbit and a glass of nebbiolo.
Best for a post-race feast MATILDA 159 DOMAIN
Expert cooking over flame at Matilda 159 Domain (matilda159.com) will bring an elemental end to your race day. The striking South Yarra restaurant – the newest from chef Scott Pickett – anchors the United Places boutique hotel and is the home of shareable brilliance, from smoked spanner crab with grilled flatbread and prawn butter to the one-kilogram rib eye and whole golden-skinned duck.
Best for celebrating a big win CUTLER & CO.
If Lady Luck has smiled on you, splurge at Andrew McConnell’s award-winning flagship fine-diner (cutlerandco.com.au), in Fitzroy, where a recent makeover has created one of the sultriest dining rooms in the city, with modern Australian food to match. Plan B? Stay in the front bar and toast your good fortune with the superb wine list and platters of fruits de mer.
Best for night owls THE MAYFAIR
Want to keep the swellegant feeling going? Look no further than the Sofitel on Collins Street, where this restaurant-slash-supper club (mayfairrestaurant.com.au) channels a Rat Pack spirit with semicircular leather booths, soft lighting and more crisp white linen than you can poke a form guide at. The late-night menu, served from 10.30pm, features bistro classics such as oysters, steak frites and croque madame with ’nduja.
Best for the morning after ENTRECÔTE
Know thy customer is the first rule of this chic Parisian bistro in South Yarra. Whether you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed or sheepishly shady, Entrecôte (entrecote. com.au) has the answer. Team the brekkie burger and fries with a cheeky Breakfast Martini (made with marmalade vodka) or a Berocca chaser.