The Specials Board: These Are Melbourne's Must-Try Food and Drink Specials for May
New month, new flavours — these are the standout new dishes and deals to check out this month.
May may not be the most exciting month on the calendar — it's getting cold, there are no public holidays, and not many major events to look forward to — but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Many restaurants around town are offering up unmissable deals and exciting specials to encourage you to get off the couch and get out and about.
From free-flowing drinks to pizza specials, limited lunch deals to all you can eat feasts, these are the best specials going around town in May.
Lisbon Nights, Bar Marmelo
HYDE Melbourne Place is one of Melbourne's most happening hangouts, and its drop-in drinking hole, Bar Marmelo, has launched a new happy hour, Lisbon Nights, celebrating Portugese culture, food and drinks. From Tuesday through Saturday, between 4 and 6 pm, grab $9 aperitifs and $14 cocktails, highlighting classic Portugese drinks such as port and tonic and Madeira with ginger beer.
Express Lunch, Stokehouse Pasta & Bar
Head to the beach for a lunchtime special this May, with Stokehouse Pasta & Bar offering up a great deal. Between Monday and Friday, grab an Express Lunch set for $45 that includes an entrée to start, a pasta from a rotating selection, and a glass of wine or a house drink. With views of St Kilda Beach, it's an easy way to make a weekday lunch memorable.
Free Flowing Weekends, Ombra
Ombra, Bourke Street's salumi, cicchetti and pizza bar, has launched a Free Flowing Weekend special to get you into the CBD outside of the weekdays. For $68 per person, work your way through 90 minutes of a shared-style meal and free-flowing drinks, including spritz cocktails, beer, and wines. Snack on focaccia and giardiniera, mortadella and straciatella, before moving on to rigatoni alla vodka and your choice of pizza. Finish sweet with Venetian carrot cake with limoncello and marscapone.
Bologna Nights, Figlia
Brunswick East's Figlia has introduced a Monday night special to help make the long week ahead less daunting. Every Monday, Executive Chef Alberto Fava brings a taste of the Emilia-Romagna region to Melbourne with mortadella, prosciutto, lasagne and bolognese. For $30, choose between a wood-fired pizza or a hearty bowl of pasta, alongside a glass of wine, and enjoy a great start to the week.
Sipper Club, Mr Mills
Mr Mills at HYDE Melbourne Place has launched a hot new offering. Mr Mills' Sipper Club includes a cocktail and a paired snack for $18. The special, which runs from Tuesday through Saturday between 5 and 9pm, showcases mini versions of the bar's signature cocktails. Pair a green apple and bergamot margarita with a swordfish gilda, a 50/50 Dirty Martini & Tonic with a bikini (a jamón and cheese toastie), or an artichoke clarified Bloody Mary with an oyster and fermented chilli.
Midweek Lunch Special, Lucia
South Melbourne's Lucia is making leisurely lunches more affordable with their midweek lunch special. Between Tuesday and Friday, grab bistro classics such as a Caesar salad for $23, a burger with provolone and special sauce for $25, and veal cotoletta for $30. Pair it with a glass of wine or a martini and make midweek much more exciting.
Tuesday Date Night, Ruzias
Hidden in plain sight along busy Balaclava Road is Ruzia's, a suburban wine bar that locals are proud to call their own. The open, warm and informal space lends itself to convivial dining, chitchat amongst neighbouring diners and with staff, and to settling in for a simple yet deeply satisfying meal of salty snacks, Eastern European delights, and plenty of generously poured drinks. Its newly introduced $45 Date Night is a sure-fire way to make Tuesdays special, featuring Baker Bleu bread, signature meatballs, a warm cinnamon doughnut with ice cream for dessert, and a glass of wine.
After Dark, Juni
One of the CBD's best Southeast Asian restaurants, Juni, has welcomed a playful new deal this month. Introducing a fresh take on a traditional happy hour, Juni's After Dark special kicks off at 9pm every night and lasts late into the evening. For $38, snack on a selection of bite-sized dishes such as Szechuan-spiced salmon gravlax with whipped tobiko and finger lime, prawn and chive dumplings with red chilli vinegar and lamb skewers with cumin and crispy chilli oil. The moreish mouthfuls are designed to be enjoyed alongside a curated list of $15 cocktails.
All You Can Eat Yum-Cha, Cha Ching
Cha Ching is an energetic, playful modern-Asian diner on Flinders Lane, popular for group catch-ups and celebrations. And it has just introduced a stomach-stretching, all-you-can-eat yum cha experience. Available on Saturday and Sunday, the 90-minute feast features a lineup of menu favourites, including prawn har gow, xia long bao, truffle chicken wontons, Korean fried chicken, and DIY Peking Duck pancakes, for just $59 per person. If you're looking for fun, upgrade to the drinks-inclusive package with unlimited cocktails, prosecco, wine and beer.
Images: Supplied.
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