Date Night in Ashburton (2026)

Ashburton has 37 restaurants and 21 bars — more than enough for months of date nights.

Restaurants for Date Night

#1 Coriander Thai — 305 High Street, Ashburton

Thai

What makes it great: Ask anyone on High Street where to eat and Coriander Thai comes up before you finish the question. The green curry here has actual heat — the kind that builds and lingers, not the kind that disappears after one bite. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.

Hours: Tu-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr 16:00-23:00; Su 16:00-22:00; Mo closed | Phone: +61 3 8596 4313 | Website: Coriander Thai

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 So Pho So Good — 25 High Street, Glen Iris

Thai | Outdoor seating

What makes it great: So Pho So Good treats Thai like it matters. Because it does. This is the kind of Vietnamese food that Vietnamese families eat — not the version adjusted for a different palate. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.

Phone: +61 3 9885 2846

In summer, the courtyard is the whole point. In winter, the inside is better than you expect.

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Spudbar — 174-176 High Street, Ashburton

Baked_Potato

What makes it great: Nobody goes to Spudbar for the decor. They go for the fact that it has not changed in years. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. A restaurant that respects the ingredients, respects your time, and respects your wallet.

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 J.J Sushi — 279 High Street, Ashburton

Sushi

What makes it great: J.J Sushi has been doing this since before Ashburton got its reputation. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. There is a reason the regulars do not talk about it much. They do not want the wait.

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 QT Kitchen — Shop 2/10-12 High St, Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia

the food | ★ 4.8/5 (1,030 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: Fashionable operation serving reimagined Vietnamese dishes, plus wine & cocktails. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.

1,030 Google reviews and a 4.8 average. The numbers track with the experience.

Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.

Website: QT Kitchen | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Baba Sus — 15 Bardolph St, Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia

the food | ★ 4.5/5 (574 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: This well-lit, contemporary cafe with rustic-chic decor dishes up elevated breakfast & lunch fare. Baba Sus does not need a rebrand or a renovation. It needs you to sit down and order.

Rated 4.5 by 574 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.

Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.

Website: Baba Sus | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Curry Claridges — 57 High Street

Indian

What makes it great: The first thing you notice at Curry Claridges is the warmth — not just the temperature, but the room itself. The tandoor here is not decorative. The naan arrives blistered and puffed, pulled seconds ago. That is the difference. Not the flashiest option in Ashburton. Possibly the best.

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton — 190/192 High St, Ashburton VIC 3147, Australia

the food | ★ 4.7/5 (154 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton treats the food like it matters. Because it does. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. The menu changes. The quality does not.

154 people have reviewed Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton on Google. The average sits at 4.7. Earned, not gamed.

Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.

Website: Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

Bars for After Dinner

#1 State of Grace — 27 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

the food | ★ 4.6/5 (3,063 reviews) | $$$

What makes it great: Restaurant and cellar bar with kitsch decor including a mounted giraffe, for Modern European food. The menu changes. The quality does not.

The 4.6/5 Google rating (3,063 reviews) reflects what regulars already know.

Not cheap, but the quality justifies the spend. This is a deliberate night out.

Website: State of Grace | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Two Doors Brewing — 257 High Street, Ashburton

the food

What makes it great: Ask anyone on High Street where to eat and Two Doors Brewing comes up before you finish the question. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.

Phone: +61 439 303 583

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton — 190/192 High St, Ashburton VIC 3147, Australia

the food | ★ 4.7/5 (154 reviews) | $$

154 people have reviewed Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton on Google. The average sits at 4.7. Earned, not gamed.

Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.

Website: Oydis Bar & Dine | Ashburton | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 HER — 270 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

the food | ★ 4/5 (1,586 reviews) | $$$

What makes it great: The queue outside HER tells you everything before you walk in. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.

1,586 people have reviewed HER on Google. The average sits at 4. Earned, not gamed.

Not cheap, but the quality justifies the spend. This is a deliberate night out.

Website: HER | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 The Black Sheep Hawthorn — 546 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia

the food | ★ 5/5 (206 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: The Black Sheep Hawthorn is what happens when a kitchen stops trying to impress and starts trying to be good. This is the kind of place that a neighbourhood builds around. Not a destination — a reason to stay local. This is not destination dining. This is your neighbourhood doing what it should.

206 people have reviewed The Black Sheep Hawthorn on Google. The average sits at 5. Earned, not gamed.

Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.

Website: The Black Sheep Hawthorn | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

Date Night Budget Guide

Style	Estimated Cost (2 people)
Casual dinner + drinks	$80–$120
Mid-range restaurant + cocktails	$120–$200
Fine dining + wine	$200–$400+

Last updated: March 2026. This guide is refreshed when OpenStreetMap data changes — new openings, closures and corrections are reflected automatically. Found something wrong? Let us know.

Sources

OpenStreetMap Contributors — openstreetmap.org — accessed March 2026
ABS Census 2021 — abs.gov.au/census
REIV Quarterly Median Prices — reiv.com.au