The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is coming back to town with plenty of festival favourites over ten tasty days. Look forward to the return of the World’s Longest Lunch, Baker’s Dozen, a reimagining of the World’s Longest Brunch and more. You can also expect some new and exciting events, such as a celebration of dim sims and a progressive dining experience at the MCG. You’ll find plenty of culinary adventures around Melbourne and Victoria. The festival will run from March 21 to 30.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
The festival will kick of with the World’s Longest Lunch on Friday March 21. This spectacular dining experience in Kings Domain will stretch over 600 metres long. Meet other Melbourne foodies and indulge in a three-course menu designed by the one and only Curtis Stone. Tickets also include matched wines.
If you can’t make it to lunch, why don’t you try the World’s Longest Brunch instead? Take a walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens on Sunday March 23, and enjoy brunch at three stops around the garden. Stroll by Tecoma Lawn, Taxodium Lawn and Dog Flat Lawn for some dreamy dishes by Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Think cinnamon buns, sweet and savoury tarts, chive pancakes and more. There will also be a fabulous cake station, offering sweet delights from Julia.
Global Dining Series
20 remarkable guests from all around the world will collaborate with Melbourne bars and restaurants as part of the Global Dining Series. Look forward to 27 events, including:
- Daniel Calvert from Sézanne, currently ranked number one in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, is coming to Australia for the first time. He will join Dan Hunter at Brae for two intimate services.
- The famous St John Restaurant will come for its first Australian residency, and take over French Saloon for a week.
- London restaurant Brat will make its first Australian appearance. Its chef Tomos Parry will take over the Cutler kitchen.
- Konstantin Filippou will join chef Hugh Allen at Vue de Monde.
- Chef Motokichi Yukimura will bring his viral omurice to Ishizuka.
That’s just scratching the surface of all the delicious events happening in the Global Dining Series. See the full list here.
Special Events program
There’s over 160 experiences to look forward to in the Special Events program.
Highlights include:
- SEA LIFE Nights – Dive into SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and explore the space along with free-flowing drinks and canapes.
- Snacks and Tatts – The Beast will serve up its ‘Best of the Beast’ menu, while guests learn all about how to handle a tattoo gun on non-synthetic skin. Learn all about tattooing from the team at Ink and Drink.
- Progressive dining experience at the MCG – see the exclusive members’ reserve, players’ change rooms, culinary centre and the Australian Sports Museum. This five-course meal will end with a rooftop chocolate garden.
- Indonesian Street Food Festival – head to Queen Victoria Market for delicious Indonesian cuisine, as well as workshops and performances.
- The Finders Keepers Food Market – find over 50 independent food and drink makers in this culinary market.
- Moon Dog Bus and Beer Crawl – go on a tasting tour of all Moon Dog breweries. Start with lunch, and end with an afterparty, headlined by a close encounter with a mechanical bull.
See the full list of Special Events here.
In the city
Baker’s Dozen will return to Fed Square for a two-day celebration of the best in cakes and baking around Melbourne. Find delightful treats from favourites like Tarts Anon, Lune, Baker Bleu, Mietta by Rosemary, To Be Frank, Madeleine de Proust and more. It will take place on the final weekend of the festival, running from Saturday March 29 to Sunday March 30.
Celebrate 80 years of dim sims at Dim City. Head to Emporium to try dimmies by author Rosheen Kaul, John Rivera (Kariton Sorbetes) and Eun Hee An (Moon Mart).
A secret laneway will transform into a pasta paradise at Something Saucy. Marco Salzano and Luca Muscato from Super Norma will serve up plenty of tasty pasta.
Pop by Wesley Place for a flavoursome combo of Mexican and Middle Eastern flavours. At Tacos and Toum, you can expect Taco Truck founder Raph Rashid and Tom Sarafian will offer plenty of treats, which you can try for free.
Richard Hart from Copenhagen bakery Hart Bageri will come to Australia for the first time. He will be at Melbourne Quarter, with delectable Danish morning buns, cheesecakes, cardamom buns and more.
Regional events
The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will hit the road, with over 40 regional events happening in Victoria this March. Feast at special events in Kyneton, Mornington, Rutherglen, Queenscliff and more. See what’s happening here.
Tickets for the festival will go on sale to the public at 10am on Thursday November 28. Pre-sales are now available to Melbourne Food & Wine Festival subscribers. To learn more about the festival, click here.