Correction (5 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Six dinner-focused restaurants across the Melbourne CBD, from Market Lane to Flinders Lane, sorted by what each place’s own pages say. The question here is simple: where do you book when the occasion is a proper dinner?
Each place was checked against at least two sources, mostly OpenStreetMap and the restaurant’s own website. Three of them print menu prices we could copy, and those appear beside the dish. The other three show no price here, because we could not read one.
Hours come with their source named. Several are OpenStreetMap tags only, so check them with the restaurant before you go.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Market Lane Chinese dinner | Flower Drum | see below | not printed here |
| Indian dishes with printed prices | Tonka | Dal tadka | $19 |
| A set-price course menu (check the service) | Maha | TWO COURSES | $58 |
| Steak with sides priced | Rare Steakhouse | GARLIC BREAD (V) | $16 |
| French lunch or dinner, vegan on request | Reine & La Rue | see below | not printed here |
| Italian lunch and dinner service | Tippy-Tay | see below | not printed here |
Flower Drum — 17 Market Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Flower Drum is on Market Lane, and OpenStreetMap tags it as a Chinese restaurant. Its own site prints the address and a telephone number.
We found no hours and no menu prices in the sources we read, so this entry gives neither. Because of that, the recommendation is simply to ring first.
By occasion: a planned dinner, with the booking made by phone using the number on its own site.
Tonka — 20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tonka’s menu prints Dal tadka at $19, a lentil dish that is usually finished with a spice-infused oil. Alongside it the menu lists Butter naan at $13 and India Gate basmati rice at $11.
OpenStreetMap’s tag gives Monday to Wednesday as 12:00 to 15:00 and 17:30 to 21:30, Thursday as 12:00 to 15:00 and 17:30 to 22:30, and Friday and Saturday as 12:00 to 22:30. Sunday is 12:00 to 21:00. That tag may be out of date.
On the menu (copied from tonkarestaurant.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Dal tadka: $19
- Butter naan: $13
- India Gate basmati rice: $11
Price band: the printed sides are modest, with Butter naan at $13 and India Gate basmati rice at $11 on Tonka’s menu.
Maha — 21 Bond Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Maha’s menu prints TWO COURSES at $58 and THREE COURSES at $68. Those are the only course-priced menus on this page, so check which service they apply to when you book.
OpenStreetMap’s tag lists Monday to Sunday, 12:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 22:00. It is the only hours source we have, so it may be out of date.
On the menu (copied from maharestaurant.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- TWO COURSES: $58
- THREE COURSES: $68
Menu highlight: Maha’s menu prints three courses at $68, the longer of its two set options.
Rare Steakhouse — 42-44 King Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Rare Steakhouse’s menu prints GARLIC BREAD (V) at $16, THICK-CUT STEAKHOUSE CHIPS (V / VGN / DF) at $13 and CREME BRULEE at $18. The dessert is a custard under a burnt-sugar crust, in case the name is new to you.
OpenStreetMap’s tag lists Monday to Friday as 12:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 23:00 with a plus sign after the closing time, and Saturday as 12:00 to 23:00 with the same plus sign. That tag may be out of date.
On the menu (copied from raresteakhouse.com.au/menu on 4 October 2026):
- GARLIC BREAD (V): $16
- THICK-CUT STEAKHOUSE CHIPS (V / VGN / DF): $13
- CREME BRULEE: $18
If you only try one: the CREME BRULEE at $18 on the Rare Steakhouse menu, for a closing course that is priced and printed.
Reine & La Rue — 380 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Reine & La Rue’s own site lists lunch from 12:00 to 2:30 pm and dinner from 5:00 until late, Monday to Sunday. It also notes that a “Vegan menu available upon request”, which is worth raising when booking.
We could not read any menu prices for this place, so none appear on this page.
By occasion: a Collins Street dinner where one guest eats vegan, asking for the vegan menu when booking.
Tippy-Tay — 101 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tippy-Tay’s own site lists trading hours of Monday to Sunday, 12:00pm to 2:30pm and 5:30pm until late. That split, a lunch service then a dinner service, is the format of a sit-down restaurant.
OpenStreetMap tags it as an Italian restaurant on Flinders Lane. We did not find readable menu prices, so there are none here.
By occasion: a Flinders Lane dinner, since the site lists dinner service from 5:30pm.
Quick answers
Where can I find a sit-down dinner in Melbourne CBD?
Maha, Reine & La Rue, Tippy-Tay, Tonka and Rare Steakhouse all list evening service in the sources we read. Reine & La Rue and Tippy-Tay state it on their own sites, while the others come from OpenStreetMap tags. Flower Drum lists no hours that we found, so call ahead.
Which CBD restaurants list their menu prices?
Three of the six print prices we could copy. Tonka’s menu prints Dal tadka at $19. Maha’s menu prints TWO COURSES at $58. Rare Steakhouse’s menu prints GARLIC BREAD (V) at $16. Flower Drum, Reine & La Rue and Tippy-Tay show no prices on this page.
Which Melbourne CBD restaurant has a vegan menu?
Reine & La Rue’s site says “Vegan menu available upon request”. Raise it when you book. The other restaurants on this page do not state a vegan menu in the sources we read.
Are these CBD restaurants open on Sunday night?
Maha’s OpenStreetMap tag lists Monday to Sunday, and Reine & La Rue and Tippy-Tay both list Monday to Sunday on their own sites. Tonka’s tag gives Sunday as 12:00 to 21:00. Rare Steakhouse’s tag lists Monday to Saturday only, so confirm before booking a Sunday.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, flowerdrum.melbourne and the places’ own websites. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 4 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Flower Drum: openstreetmap.org/597923767, flowerdrum.melbourne
- Tonka: openstreetmap.org/6089822072, tonkarestaurant.com.au
- Maha: openstreetmap.org/2296836980, maharestaurant.com.au
- Rare Steakhouse: openstreetmap.org/626250404, raresteakhouse.com.au, raresteakhouse.com.au/menu
- Reine & La Rue: openstreetmap.org/12110063101, reineandlarue.melbourne, reineandlarue.melbourne/the-menu
- Tippy-Tay: openstreetmap.org/10718249405, tippytay.com.au
