Correction (9 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 5 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
This page answers where to book a sit-down dinner for two in and around St Kilda. It covers five places: two in St Kilda, one in Balaclava, one in Windsor, and one on the St Kilda Road side that is listed under a Melbourne address.
Each place was checked against its own website plus the Australian Good Food Guide or OpenStreetMap. Prices appear only where a venue publishes them, and where we could not read one, the table says so. We also did not find published accessibility details in what we read, so ring ahead if step-free entry matters.
Plan B is built in. Where a venue lists a lunch or earlier sitting, we say so, because the first table you want is not always the one that’s free.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin fusion with a rooftop bar | Rufio | Kohlrabi Ceviche | $22 |
| Japanese dinner for a big occasion | Machi | Grilled King Fish Head | $40.80 |
| Turkish dinner or Saturday lunch | Tulum Restaurant | see below | not printed here |
| Set-menu date night with cocktail | The Commons Collective | Date Night at The Commons, two-course set meal and cocktail on arrival, per person | $65 |
| Mostly vegetarian Polish menu | Borsch, Vodka & Tears | see below | not printed here |
Rufio — 188 Carlisle Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
Rufio describes itself on rufio.co as a Latin fusion restaurant and rooftop bar on Carlisle Street. Its site says the menu is vegan friendly and completely gluten-free, which takes two common dinner snags off the table. The listed hours run Wednesday to Friday from 5pm until late and Saturday and Sunday from 12pm until late, and the listing names no Monday or Tuesday opening. The menu prints Kohlrabi Ceviche at $22 and Tiger Prawn Tostada at $18.
On the menu (copied from rufio.co/dine on 5 October 2026):
- Kohlrabi Ceviche: $22
- Tiger Prawn Tostada: $18
- Sweet Potato Empanada: $18
- 300g Wagyu Rump: $58
Exit plan: rufio.co lists Saturday and Sunday from 12pm until late, so a daytime start leaves you room to be home at a sensible hour.
Machi — 14 Inkerman Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
Machi serves Japanese food on Inkerman Street, and its printed prices say this is a dressed-up night rather than a quick bite. The menu lists Uni Risotto, described as creamy risotto made with uni, snow crab and mentaiko, at $40.80. Machi’s site lists Monday to Friday from 5pm until late, and Saturday and Sunday add a 12pm to 2.30pm sitting.
On the menu (copied from machi.com.au/menu on 5 October 2026):
- Grilled King Fish Head: $40.80
- Uni Risotto: $40.80
- Smoked Dry Aged Miso Duck: $49.80
Stage: Anniversary or milestone territory, since the menu prints Smoked Dry Aged Miso Duck at $49.80 and Grilled King Fish Head at $40.80, with the weekend lunch sitting as your plan B.
Tulum Restaurant — 217 Carlisle Street, Balaclava VIC 3183
Tulum Restaurant is on Carlisle Street in Balaclava, and AGFG tags it Romantic, which is a listing’s word rather than ours. Its own site lists dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm until late, plus Saturday lunch from 12pm to 3pm, with Sunday and Monday closed. The site also links a Dessert Menu, handy if you want to end the night on something shared. We could not find a menu with prices we could read, so call ahead about cost.
Say this: When you book, ask whether the Saturday lunch table or the late dinner suits your plans better, because the site lists both.
The Commons Collective — 17 Moubray Street, Melbourne VIC 3004
The Commons Collective is at 17 Moubray Street, listed with a Melbourne 3004 address on the St Kilda Road side, so it sits outside St Kilda proper. Its whats-on page lists Date Night at The Commons, a two-course set meal and cocktail on arrival, at $65 per person on Thursday and Friday evenings. The same page says the packages run from October until April and that online bookings open two months ahead. A happy hour in the Rose Garden and Beer Garden is also listed if you want a drink first, and its whats-on page carries the exact nights and times.
On the menu (copied from thecommonscollective.com.au/whats-on on 5 October 2026):
- Date Night at The Commons, two-course set meal and cocktail on arrival, per person: $65
- Bottomless Brunch in Conservatory, per person: $80
Split or splurge: A fixed-price night helps when you want no bill surprises, since Date Night at The Commons is listed at $65 per person.
Borsch, Vodka & Tears — 173 Chapel Street, Windsor VIC 3181
Borsch, Vodka & Tears is on Chapel Street in Windsor, and its site calls it a romantic Bohemian enclave. That is the venue’s own description, not a verdict from us. The site also says the majority of its dishes are deliberately vegetarian or vegan, which suits couples who eat differently. Its hours list Tuesday to Thursday from 5pm until late, Friday from 05:00pm to 02:00am and Saturday from 12:30pm to 02:00am.
Talk-ability: We did not find a noise level on its site, so ask when you book whether a quieter table is on offer.
Quick answers
Where can I book a set-menu date night near St Kilda?
The Commons Collective lists Date Night at The Commons, a two-course set meal and cocktail on arrival, at $65 per person, listed for Thursday and Friday evenings. It is on the St Kilda Road side under a Melbourne address, so it is just outside St Kilda proper. Its whats-on page says the packages run from October until April and that online bookings open two months ahead.
Which date night restaurants near St Kilda cater to vegan or vegetarian eaters?
Rufio’s site says its menu is vegan friendly and completely gluten-free. Borsch, Vodka & Tears says on its own site that the majority of its dishes are deliberately vegetarian or vegan. We did not check the other three places for dedicated meat-free menus, so ask them directly.
Which St Kilda date night restaurants are open late?
Rufio’s site lists Wednesday to Friday from 5pm until late. Machi’s site lists Monday to Friday from 5pm until late. Tulum Restaurant lists dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm until late. Borsch, Vodka & Tears lists Friday and Saturday running to 02:00am.
How much does a sit-down dinner for two cost around St Kilda?
We only quote what menus print, item by item. Rufio’s menu prints 300g Wagyu Rump at $58. Machi’s menu prints Uni Risotto at $40.80. The Commons Collective lists Date Night at The Commons, a two-course set meal and cocktail on arrival, at $65 per person. We could not find prices we could read for Tulum Restaurant or Borsch, Vodka & Tears, so call ahead.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 5 October 2026: the places’ own websites, the Australian Good Food Guide and OpenStreetMap. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 5 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
- Rufio: rufio.co, agfg.com.au/rufio-119971, rufio.co/dine
- Machi: machi.com.au/menu, agfg.com.au/machi-35690
- Tulum Restaurant: openstreetmap.org/13616131124, tulumrestaurant.com.au, agfg.com.au/tulum-restaurant-57605, tulumrestaurant.com.au/contact
- The Commons Collective: openstreetmap.org/1018916071, thecommonscollective.com.au/contact, thecommonscollective.com.au/whats-on
- Borsch, Vodka & Tears: borschvodkaandtears.com/happy-hours.php, agfg.com.au/borsch-vodka-tears-20489, borschvodkaandtears.com
