Everyone has a fond memory of their first date, family dinner, or boozy brunch at an all-you-can-eat buffet. These experiences can have taken place anywhere from Smorgy's to Pizza Hut to one of Melbourne's finest. Memories made at an all-you-can-eat buffet are especially memorable because of the abundance of food and the abundance of opportunities available to guests.
Our list of the best Melbourne buffets should be your first stop if you're in the market for a new kind of dining experience and happen to be in the area. Also, the golden rule of buffets is to always leave room for dessert, no matter how full you are.
First of all, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, could you please explain what a buffet is? The first known examples of buffets can be located in Sweden, where the main course was a smorgasbord, a seemingly endless array of appetisers. The eating pattern's meteoric rise to fame can be attributed in large part to the fact that it facilitates the enjoyment of numerous cuisines and dishes. When do you feel ready to begin?
It's hard to find someone who doesn't like having an endless supply of food at their disposal. Several excellent all-you-can-eat restaurants can be found in Melbourne, and we're going to give you a rundown of the best of them today.
Fill Up To The Brim With Melbourne’s Best All-You-Can-Eat
Below is a list of the top "All you can eat" restaurants that offer unlimited meals for a single price. Here is a list of the best all-you-can-eat eateries we've found so far, though there are many more out there and we're always on the lookout for more.
Prepare to be stuffed to the gills with Melbourne's best unlimited food options.
To get the most out of a buffet, you need to learn the strategies employed by the pros. Eliminate the bread and dips from your diet. When entertaining, it is customary to pile two servings of food onto a single plate (smoked salmon and hash browns are two of our favourite foods to do this with). It's always disappointing to hear, "I can't fit the cheesecake," after you've already served dessert, so remember to leave some room. We try to watch our language carefully.
Endless Sushi | Gaijin
SOUTH YARRA
Right on, let's have a conversation. The all-you-can-eat sushi nights at Gaijin, a fusion restaurant in South Yarra, are wildly popular among locals.
The best part about sushi buffets is that you can eat several kilogrammes of it without feeling guilty. Particularly if you're eating at a sushi bar that specialises in raw fish (think of all that Omega 3).
Luxe Buffet | Melba
SOUTHBANK
Both the Melba at The Langham and the Conservatory at Crown are strong contenders for the title of best dinner buffet in Melbourne.
Do yourself a favour and just order appetisers and drinks if you're going to spend more than $89 on dinner at Melba. A visitor may not leave the restaurant with less than ten full plates.
Unlimited Veggo | Crossways
CBD
The seven dollars and ninety-five cents you'll spend to ascend a flight of stairs on Swanston Street and reach Crossways will be the best money you've ever spent.
If you're looking for value in Melbourne, it's hard to believe so many Melburnians are passing up this establishment when even meatheads agree it's the best.
All of Crossways' staple dishes are vegetarian, vegan, and wheat-free. You can get satay vegetables with tofu, red kidney beans and rice, Malaysian curry, Thai curry, and poppadoms, among other things, depending on the day you go.
To all my vegetarian friends: you're not forgotten. The Hare Krishna Temple of Melbourne sponsors the Crossways Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant, where vegetarians and vegans can eat meat-free meals.
Because it costs less than ten dollars, it's a great option for those on a tight budget, vegetarians, and starving college students. If you have a concession card, you can get in for just $5.95.
Vegans and vegetarians like myself can't deny that CBD is a great deal. Hot bowls of Malaysian curry with poppadoms, satay vegetables with tofu, and red kidney beans might be on the menu any given weekday.
Breakfast With A View | No35
CBD
As far as Melbourne's hotel breakfast buffets go, the Sofitel No. 35 has the best view. In addition to one of the best breakfasts in the city, the 35th-floor location affords guests a breathtaking panorama of the Central Business District. Place to make omelettes? Absolutely. Pancakes made to order are also available.
Sugar-free preserves and gluten-free bread are just two examples of how we cater to those with dietary restrictions, and the comprehensive ingredient lists provided for every dish are another great resource. Crunchy, golden, and refilled to your heart's content, now is the time to indulge in hash browns.
Make sure to leave room for the sweet finish. There is a decent selection of pastries and cakes available if you want to make those jeans explode.
Bottomless Japanese Grill | Takumi
CBD
An Endless Japanese Grill | Takumi CBD A meal at the popular Japanese restaurant Takumi costs $50 during the week and $55 on the weekends, and it comes with an unlimited supply of food. Someone please tell me who the unsung hero of this seemingly endless menu is. after being cooked over an open fire. To name a few: tender squid, karubi beef, and, for the adventurous, thinly sliced ox tongue.
Steamed rice, salad, mushrooms, pumpkin, capsicum, eggplant, and miso are all fair game as well. If you'd like to add shrimp, scallops, and salmon to your order for an extra $15, you can do so as an upgrade.
The single caveat is that... You have 90 minutes to wolf down as much food as possible. At that point, you can leave if you like.
All-You-Can-Eat High Tea | Grand Hyatt
CBD
Indulge in a Classic English High Tea at the Grand Hyatt Central Business District.
Darjeeling tea and finger sandwiches available at all hours? We think this is a reasonable plan of action.
Bottomless Brunch | Fargo & Co
RICHMOND
Fargo & Co. is a chic bank-themed bar and restaurant in Richmond. Every Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy a bottomless brunch with unlimited mimosas, prosecco, mimosas, Moscato, and spritz, as well as your choice of brunch food.
Easy On The Wallet | Kitchen Workshop
SOUTHBANK
In Melbourne, one of the best options for those looking to gorge themselves on a wide variety of delectable buffet fare without breaking the bank is Kitchen Workshop, a popular all-you-can-eat restaurant. The Kitchen Workshop has a great selection of sweets, and their salad bar and roast counter are always well-stocked.
And because the friendly folks at Crown know we can't resist a bargain, you can help yourself to free coffee, tea, and soda whenever you drop by.
Infinite Yum Cha | David's
PRAHRAN
If you haven't been to David's before, think of it as the more refined and elegant sibling of the Oriental Teahouse. Moreover, David's bottomless dumplings remain a favourite, despite OTH's temporary suspension of their yum cha service.
And the dumplings, which are perfect little flavour parcels doused in black vinegar and chilli, are a cut above the usual fare found in Chinatown. Wear loose, comfortable clothing because you will be eating several plates.
B'Churrasco
Carnivores should congregate here. Potentially gluttonous, but unquestionably hedonistic carnivores. Costing $58 on the weekends and around public holidays, the all-you-can-eat menu features 12 different types of meat, each of which is served from enormous skewers at your table.
Tokosan
The trendy Prahran bar and restaurant offers unlimited sushi, gyoza, and takoyaki for just $29 per person on Tuesdays.
The dishes are served yum-cha style, where each diner selects their own meal from a variety of small plates.
Conservatory
When it comes to buffets, Crown's Conservatory is where the elite dine. Seafood, sushi, Indian food, salads, and contemporary favourites from Australia are all on the menu at least three times a day, so you can choose how adventurous you want to be with each meal.
Don't forget to save room for dessert; the dessert bar features a magnificent chocolate fondue fountain into which you may dip anything you like. Remember to give yourself plenty of breathing room.
Shinbashi Yakiniku
Monday evenings at 6:30, there is already a line for both regular tables and the more traditional floor seats, which require guests to remove their shoes (slippers provided).
Little Collins St Kitchen
There are two things that we always look for in a good buffet: fresh seafood and a sundae bar. You can get both at the dinner buffet at Little Collins Street Kitchen. The prawns are the restaurant's main draw, as they are consistently delicious, plentiful, and limitless.
After being cooked, they are simply served on ice with their shells as decoration. If you get up to return to the buffet, the staff will have already replaced the shell bowls with fresh ones and removed any used dishes.
Okami Greensborough
If you're looking for an all-you-can-eat restaurant, Okami isn't like those others where the food sits in bain maries for who knows how long before being brought to the table. Each dish is made to order and served to the customer at their table via table service.
Those who wish to indulge without breaking the bank will appreciate the fixed price per person of $29.80, which allows them to order anything from the set menu.
Tokyo Japanese Restaurant
This downtown Japanese eatery is decked out in an overwhelming number of red lanterns and posters from the old country, but the focus is on the simple pleasures of udon, gyoza, and sushi.
In addition to their regular a la carte menu, Tokyo Japanese Restaurant also offers bento boxes, and savvy diners know to head there after 5 p.m. to take advantage of their all-you-can-eat special.
San Antone by Bludso's BBQ
San Antone's chicken wings are smoked for two hours and served straight from the pit every Monday night, giving you the perfect opportunity to play wingman (or wingwoman). Smoked chicken wings in a bucket with buttermilk ranch sauce and chips are available for $25. It turns out that there are ten wings in the bucket.
Even better, if you're still hungry after your food has been delivered, you can place as many additional orders as you like without incurring any additional costs. Hot Louisiana sauce, mild house barbeque, hothouse barbeque, or "naked" are just some of the sauce options available to you (sans sauce).
The Langham’s Melba Restaurant
At $67 for lunch and $97 for dinner, Melba's Buffet is the most visually appealing restaurant in town. Start with the raw seafood, like oysters, prawns, and sushi, and then move on to the antipasto. After that, you can try some of the freshly made dumplings and stir fry at the wok station, which are both staples of Asian cuisine.
The steak could be cooked to order, or you could order a curry with naan bread from the tandoor oven. There won't be room for the roast and the hot Yorkshire pudding if you do that. In contrast, perhaps the most anticipated part of any meal is the dessert. It's a good thing the chocolate fountain can accommodate everyone who wants to dip their strawberries in it.
A run at the right time can help you score some delicious seafood. On Mondays, you can get crab, on Tuesdays, lobster, on Wednesdays, oysters and bugs, on Thursdays, sushi and sake, on Fridays, ribs, and on Saturdays, waffles made from scratch.
Melba is currently testing a new late-night buffet supper on Friday and Saturday nights from 10:30 pm to 1:30 am.
When Deepak Mishra, the executive chef, went looking for Singaporean laksa after work and came up empty, he decided to give the night owl session a try. You can get excellent laksa, toasties, curries, fries, and other comfort food for $29.50 per person.
Brekky + High Tea At The Grand Hyatt
Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins St, Melbourne,
Gourmet Traveler has recognised the $45 per person breakfast buffet at Collins Kitchen as the "Best Hotel Breakfast" for three consecutive years.
There is an open bottle of Chandon NV Sparkling Brut available for an additional $20.
The restaurant is completely booked for Mother's Day, but there are still tables available on the Saturday before the holiday.
Places to go for the Best Buffets in Melbourne with Kids
Your family and you have a wide variety of options when it comes to deciding where to eat. The most exciting part is that some of them do not set you back an arm and a leg.
You can expect to pay a fair price at a high-end, all-you-can-eat buffet. However, some eateries and pubs offer weekly deals and discounted menu items for kids, making it feel more like a family buffet when you go out to eat.
If you're in Melbourne, you should stop by one of the few buffets there. These buffets offer everything from unlimited chicken wings to unlimited sushi.
Sirocco Restaurant
Don't forget that the Holiday Inn Melbourne's Sirocco Restaurant serves a complimentary full breakfast buffet to all hotel guests every morning. If you happen to be staying at the Holiday Inn Melbourne. Taste the fresh eggs from the farm, the best coffee, and more. The Sirocco Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast service every day of the week.
Address: 575 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
The Cliveden Bar
Cliveden Bar provides a full breakfast buffet to its patrons every weekday morning. The breakfast options here are tried and true crowd pleasers, so take your pick. Each day of the week, breakfast is served at 6:30 a.m., while on the weekends, it starts at 7 a.m.
Sunday through Thursday evenings, beginning at 6:00 p.m., there is a dinner buffet available for your enjoyment. It's worth noting that the seafood buffet is only available on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 6 o'clock.
Address: 192 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002
DoubleTree, Hilton
Guests of the DoubleTree can choose from a wide selection of dishes at Platform 270, including a complimentary breakfast buffet. On the menu, you'll find a wide variety of hearty, traditional breakfast foods that are sure to satisfy and revitalise everyone in your household.
Address: 270 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Hotel Grand Chancellor
A hearty breakfast buffet is available each morning in the Footlights Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Traditional breakfast fare, healthier alternatives, and freshly baked pastries are all available. Breakfast is served daily at 6:30 AM (Monday through Friday) and 7:00 AM (Saturday and Sunday).
Address: 131 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Conclusion
Content Summary
Conclusion
Hardly anyone would complain about having an inexhaustible supply of food available. From Smorgy's to Pizza Hut, Melbourne is home to a wide variety of all-you-can-eat restaurants. Even if you think you're full, you should always save room for dessert at a buffet. To all my vegan and vegetarian friends, I highly recommend Crossways Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant. On the 35th floor of the Sofitel No. 35, guests can take in a panoramic view of the city's financial district.
Admission is discounted to $5.95 for those who have a valid concession card. Meals at Takumi cost $50 during the week and $55 on the weekends. You have 90 minutes to wolf down as much food as possible. Sweets are plentiful, as are salad fixings and roasts at The Kitchen Workshop's ever-stocked salad bar and roast counter. The aristocracy eats in the Conservatory at the Crown.
We serve 12 different kinds of meat on huge skewers as part of our unlimited food menu. There is no guessing how long food has been sitting in bain maries at Okami. After 5 o'clock in the evening, at Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, the bento boxes are an all-you-can-eat special. Smoked chicken wings in a bucket with buttermilk ranch sauce and chips are available for $25. In terms of decor, Melba's Buffet is unrivalled.
You can find weekly specials and kid-friendly menu discounts at some restaurants and bars. Holiday Inn Melbourne's Sirocco Restaurant serves a complimentary breakfast buffet. The $45 breakfast buffet at Grand Hyatt has been named the "Best Hotel Breakfast" by Gourmet Traveler. Sirocco Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast service every day of the week. At Cliveden Bar, you can get a hearty breakfast buffet on weekday mornings. The Footlights Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Chancellor serves traditional breakfast fare, healthier alternatives and freshly baked pastries.
Content Summary
- Whether it was a first date, a family meal, or a boozy brunch at an all-you-can-eat buffet, everyone has a story about a meal they'll never forget.
- The unlimited food and entertainment options at an all-you-can-eat buffet make for some truly unforgettable memories.
- If you are looking for a new dining experience while in Melbourne and want to try something different, you should start with our list of the best buffets in the city.
- The city of Melbourne is home to a number of fantastic all-you-can-eat restaurants, and we're going to give you a rundown of the best ones today.
- If you're looking for a place that will feed you until you're full for one flat rate, check out this list of the best "All you can eat" restaurants.
- Get ready to stuff your face with some of the best unlimited food Melbourne has to offer.
- One must acquire the skills of the professionals in order to get the most out of a buffet.
- Crossways only serves vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options for their staple dishes.
- Crossways Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant is a vegetarian and vegan eatery supported by the Melbourne Hare Krishna Temple.
- The Sofitel No. 35 has the best view of any Melbourne hotel breakfast buffet.
- Crown's Conservatory is where the rich and famous go to eat buffets.
- Both are included in the dinner buffet at Little Collins Street Kitchen.
- If you're looking for an all-you-can-eat restaurant in the Greensborough area, look no further than Okami. Unlike at other restaurants, their food doesn't sit in bain maries for hours on end before being served.
- If you want to eat cheaply, you should go to Tokyo Japanese Restaurant after 5 p.m., when they have an all-you-can-eat special that includes bento boxes in addition to their regular a la carte menu.
- Melba's Buffet, with the best decor, is the most expensive restaurant in town, charging $97 for dinner and $67 for lunch.
- Oysters, prawns, and sushi should lead the way for raw seafood, followed by antipasti.
- Location: The Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia The Grand Hyatt Serves a Delicious Breakfast and Delicious Afternoon Tea Collins Kitchen's $45 per person breakfast buffet has been named the "Best Hotel Breakfast" by Gourmet Traveler for three years running.
- Tips for Finding Family-Friendly Buffets in Melbourne
- A large number of restaurants are available for you and your loved ones to choose from.
- At a high-end, all-you-can-eat buffet, the price is reasonable.
- Some restaurants and bars, on the other hand, offer family-friendly specials and discounts on children's menu items on a regular basis, turning a meal out into something closer to a buffet.
- One of the few places to get a good buffet in Melbourne is in Melbourne.
- These buffets feature an extensive selection, including free-flowing chicken wings and sushi.
- Every morning, all guests of the Holiday Inn Melbourne can enjoy a complimentary full breakfast buffet at the hotel's Sirocco Restaurant.
- And if you're staying at the Holiday Inn Melbourne, which you very well might be.
- Breakfast is served at the Sirocco Restaurant daily at 6:30 a.m.
- This is the same address as the DoubleTree and the Hilton in East Melbourne, Victoria: 192 Wellington Parade.
- At Platform 270, the hotel's restaurant, guests of the DoubleTree can enjoy a variety of dishes, as well as a free breakfast buffet, each morning.
- The hotel's Footlights Restaurant serves a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning.
FAQs About Melbourne Restaurants
These are the best ways to approach all you can eat buffets in restaurants so that you can spend less and eat more:
- Find buffets with the best deals.
- Choose buffets that suit your food tastes.
- Aim for restaurants with varied cuisine.
- Have a buffet meal for lunch rather than dinner.
- Eat breakfast before going to a buffet.
When you go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, you pay a single fixed price regardless of how much you consume. It doesn't matter if you eat one plate or ten plates: Each bite incurs an extra marginal cost to the restaurant, but no extra cost to you.
An all-you-can-eat restaurant (AYCE) is a type of restaurant in which a fixed price is charged for entry, after which diners may consume as much food as they wish.
At the Buffet
- Browse. Look at all the selections before eating. Don't be overwhelmed.
- Set a Game Plan. Plan what you want to eat before nomming on everything in sight.
- Eat Slowly. Enjoy that food.
- Keep moving. Walk around for quicker digestion.
- Eat and Repeat. And, of course, end the day off with that soft-serve ice cream.
It sounds like a pretty good deal, but how do these restaurants make any money? The way buffets typically work is each person pays the same fixed price for access to a line of self-serve dishes. You grab a plate, fill it with food, eat, and repeat—as many times as you want.