Jingle bells, cooking smells… dine out all the way! Book a Christmas feast in Melbourne

Teller is a trendy pub and beer garden in Brunswick East putting on a creative modern set menu this Christmas.

Your feast will begin with appellation oysters, ginger charred king prawns and ‘nduja butter. Shared entrees include ham hock croquettes with mustard mayo, and sea bream crudo with pickled fennel, radish and nasturtium.

If your family members have bottomless pits for bellies, Teller will kindly accommodate. Optional add-ons include a selection of local cheeses, charcuterie, and even a whole crayfish.

And we’re just getting started…

For the next course, you’ll indulge in rare breed porchetta with apricots, salt-roasted shallot and cider jus. There’s also chargrilled free range chicken with aji amarillo sauce, plus a small range of comforting sides for mopping up the juices. (Garlicky potatoes, we’re looking at you.)

At meal’s end, traditionalists will happily devour the spiced Christmas pudding with lemon and brandy butter, while those on the more adventurous side can try the raspberry and stone-fruit semifreddo with passionfruit and pistachio. Because who said Christmas lunch had to stick to the classics?

Plant-based eaters, never fear. Teller’s kitchen is also offering a vegan festive feast that promises to be just as innovative and scrumptious.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Christmas Day at Teller ($145 per adult, $55 per child)

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If your crew is less inner-north pub and more elegant restaurant, Sofitel’s classy No35 deserves consideration.

This year, the sky-high restaurant is celebrating the festive season with a small calendar of themed dining events, with a focus on local produce masterfully prepared.

On Christmas Eve, there’ll be a buffet dinner overflowing with A-grade iterations of your favourite yuletide dishes. Highlights include a seafood buffet on ice, roasted meats from the carvery, and an epic range of classic desserts. Don’t go past the fresh gingerbread and apple trifle!

On the big day itself, No35 is pulling out all the stops. The Christmas Day buffet dinner includes a free-flowing classic beverage package as part of the deal, and a generously diverse spread of eats to savour. From traditional classics like honey-glazed ham and roast turkey, to more globally inspired fare like the red curried duck with pineapple and lychee or the seared Bridgewater satay chicken, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s taste buds.

The quality combined with the extravagance of Sofitel’s ambience, will mark your Christmas meal at No35 one to remember for life.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Christmas Day buffet dinner ($285 per adult, $50-$80 per child)

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For those residing southwest of the CBD – or those simply craving a change of scenery, Novotel’s Waterfront Restaurant in Geelong is putting on a spectacular Christmas buffet this year.

Available for both lunch and dinner, the kitchen will host a fresh seafood display, an oyster station, produce from the garden, antipasto and cold mezze and salads.

There’ll also be a carvery (with your favourite festive roasts and sauces), a selection of Victorian cheeses, freshly baked goods and a hot buffet. Here, you can anticipate grilled barramundi, lamb, confit duck, curries, sides and more. It’s all-you-can-eat, and you’ll want to eat it all.

There’s even a seafood paella at the live station, so be sure to make plenty of room for everything that takes your fancy. Dessert lovers will be in heaven with nearly 20 different sweets to choose from, including profiteroles, plum pudding with vanilla anglaise, traditional yule log, German stollen fruit bread, dark chocolate brownies and more.

If you like your Christmas Day feast fresh, Aussie and with gorgeous bayside views, you’ll delight in what Novotel Geelong’s Waterfront has in store this year.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Christmas Day buffet ($249 per adult, $149 per child)

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This year, Albert Park’s iconic Pullman and Mercure are inviting you to a five-star Christmas feast at Windows Restaurant.

With glass-to-ceiling windows and serene views over Albert Park Lake, your family has the choice of either a lunch buffet or a sumptuous three-course dinner on Christmas Day.

The buffet lunch includes fresh seafood, a carvery station and a generous three-hour spread of both hot and cold delicacies. What sorts of dishes will there be? The folks at Pullman are keeping it a mystery, so you’ll have to turn up on the day and see!

Bonuses include free parking, an abundance of desserts and a tasteful Christmas-themed playlist to evoke all that warm and fuzzy yuletide nostalgia.

There’s also a bevvy package (including the full selection of Ate wines from South Australia), and kids can come along for less than half the adult price.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Christmas Day buffet lunch ($320 per adult, $150 – $205 per child)

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Named after one of Melbourne’s most beloved historical female figures in hospitality (the late Eva Erdi), Eva’s Restaurant in the CBD has all the glitz and glam a festive meal demands.

This silly season, diners will be wowed by a series of dishes showcasing some of the best Eva’s kitchen has to offer. There are two and three-course menu options, and a grazing platter for those with smaller, more diverse appetites.

Expect elevated takes on all your festive favourites. Juicy turkey arrives with duck fat potatoes, cranberry jus and chestnut stuffing, and a Humpty Doo barramundi comes showered with chilli and garlic butter pipis.

There’s a chocolate torte with passionfruit and popping candy for those with a daring sweet tooth, and a warm cherry and frangipane tart with clotted ice cream.

The grazing platter menu incorporates a selection of breads, charcuteries and cheese thrown into the mix, with chicken liver parfait and hiramasa kingfish ceviche for starters.

The dessert here is a plum pudding that won’t disappoint – Eva’s is paired with the classic vanilla anglaise and brandy cream.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Christmas grazing menu ($80 pp)

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