Date Night in Port Melbourne (2026)

Port Melbourne has 70 restaurants and 36 bars — more than enough for months of date nights.

Restaurants for Date Night

#1 Ciao Cielo — 115 Bay Street

the food | ★ 4.3/5 (1,027 reviews) | $$$

What makes it great: Stylish space with large windows, dark wood accents and banquettes, for upscale Italian dishes. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.

The 4.3/5 Google rating (1,027 reviews) reflects what regulars already know.

What locals say: “This place serve such delicious food! We had lunch in the pizzeria which was nice, cost spot next to the open kitchen. We had the confit duck arancini which was very yummy and the…”

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

Hours: We-Su 12:00-22:00; Mo 17:00-22:00 | Phone: +61 3 9646 7697 | Website: Ciao Cielo | Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Hanoi Mee — 140 Rouse Street

Vietnamese

What makes it great: If Port Melbourne had a signature restaurant, Hanoi Mee would be on the shortlist. The rice paper rolls snap when you bite them. The herbs are piled, not garnished. The chilli is there for those who ask. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.

Hours: Mo-Th 17:00-22:00; Fr-Su 11:30-22:00 | Phone: +61 3 9042 7921 | Website: Hanoi Mee

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Marbl — 79 Bay Street

Steak_House

What makes it great: Marbl is not reinventing anything. It is just doing Steak_House properly. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. There is a reason the regulars do not talk about it much. They do not want the wait.

Hours: We-Su 18:00-21:30 | Phone: +61 481 586 102 | Website: Marbl

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Sher Singh Docklands — 807-809 Bourke Street, Docklands

Indian

What makes it great: Sher Singh Docklands is not reinventing anything. It is just doing Indian properly. The biryani is the benchmark dish. If a restaurant nails the biryani — the rice, the protein, the seal, the aromatic lift — it can cook anything. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.

Phone: +61 451 984 484 | Website: Sher Singh Docklands

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Rubira’s at Swallows — 192 Station Street, Port Melbourne

Seafood

What makes it great: You do not end up at Rubira’s at Swallows by accident. You end up there because someone told you to go. Good seafood restaurants do not have freezers. They have relationships with fishmongers. The test of a restaurant is whether you think about it the next day. Rubira’s at Swallows passes.

Website: Rubira’s at Swallows

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Nando’s — 285 Bay Street

Chicken

What makes it great: If Port Melbourne had a signature restaurant, Nando’s would be on the shortlist. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.

Phone: +61 3 9646 0900 | Website: Nando’s

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Pho St — 251 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Vietnamese

What makes it great: Pho St is what happens when a kitchen stops trying to impress and starts trying to be good. The rice paper rolls snap when you bite them. The herbs are piled, not garnished. The chilli is there for those who ask. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.

Hours: Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa,Su 11:30-21:00

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Royal Orchid Thai Cafè — 363 Bay Street

Thai

What makes it great: Royal Orchid Thai Cafè is what happens when a kitchen stops trying to impress and starts trying to be good. The green curry here has actual heat — the kind that builds and lingers, not the kind that disappears after one bite. The menu changes. The quality does not.

Phone: +61 3 9646 6858 | Website: Royal Orchid Thai Cafè

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

Bars for After Dinner

#1 The Cornerstone — 1 Crockford Street

the food | ★ 4.3/5 (637 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: What The Cornerstone does well, it does better than anywhere else in Port Melbourne. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. The kind of place you recommend without being asked.

637 Google reviews and a 4.3 average. The numbers track with the experience.

What locals say: *“Had a great experience at The Cornerstone Pub. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, perfect for a casual meal.

We tried the Vegetable Burger, Mexican-style Chicken Parma, and…”*

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

Google Maps

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 CBCo Brewing — 89 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne

the food

What makes it great: You could walk past CBCo Brewing without noticing it. Regulars prefer it that way. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. CBCo Brewing does not need a rebrand or a renovation. It needs you to sit down and order.

Hours: We 15:00-19:00; Th 12:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-18:00 | Phone: +61 3 8644 4044 | Website: CBCo Brewing

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Westside Ale Works — 36 Alfred Street

the food

What makes it great: Westside Ale Works treats the food like it matters. Because it does. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. The menu changes. The quality does not.

Hours: Th-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-21:00; Mo-We closed | Phone: +61 3 9694 2124 | Website: Westside Ale Works

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Rex Hotel — 145 Bay Street

the food

What makes it great: Every suburb has one restaurant that defines it. In Port Melbourne, the argument starts with Rex Hotel. This is the kind of place that a neighbourhood builds around. Not a destination — a reason to stay local. Worth crossing Port Melbourne for. Worth crossing Melbourne for, honestly.

Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-03:00 | Phone: +61 3 9646 2224 | Website: Rex Hotel

Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026

#1 Railway Club Hotel

the food | ★ 4.6/5 (2,516 reviews) | $$

What makes it great: À la carte dining showcasing grass-fed beef, in a casual pub setting with polished wood decor. A restaurant that respects the ingredients, respects your time, and respects your wallet.

2,516 people have reviewed Railway Club Hotel on Google. The average sits at 4.6. Earned, not gamed.

What locals say: *“The Railway Club Hotel

The lazy afternoon in Melbourne you didn’t realise you needed…!

So after hearing about how wonderful the steaks are at The Railway Club Hotel, I decided to…”*

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

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