Festive Feasts: Where to Have Christmas Lunch Around Melbourne

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Christmas Day is a time of gathering together and celebrating the year with loved ones, but too often we can get bogged down with the stress of preparing an extravagant spread for our guests.

Book in for a multi-course feast that's prepared for you this year, so you can ditch the time spent in the kitchen and simply sit back and enjoy a hassle-free Christmas Day with family and friends.

The Pass has you covered with a range of festive feasts across their venues in Melbourne, from Italian fare at sunny Tippy-Tay to oysters at the beachy Prince Hotel and Christmas classics at Melbourne's oldest licensed pub.

The Prince

It wouldn't be a summer Christmas without some fresh seafood, so get your fix at this airy art-deco dining room near the beach in St Kilda.

Gather your family at The Prince for share-style plates, including Sydney rock oysters, prawn cocktail and prosciutto with gnocco fritto, before moving on to the main course of corn-fed roast duck and vintage sirloin steak, balanced out with some sides. After lunch, walk it off with a short stroll to the beach for a true-blue Aussie Christmas.

Tickets are $130 for adults and $60 for kids, with two seating times. Book your spot at The Prince's website.

Tippy-Tay

Make this Christmas stand out with a trip to the Amalfi Coast, sans the airport queues and long flights. Vibrant Italian restaurant Tippy-Tay, located in the Garden State Hotel, is serving a four-course menu on Christmas Day, with a cheeky drink on arrival included.

Start with some antipasto, such as salmon crudo, squacquerone cheese with tomato and gremolata, and Akoya oysters with a peach and finger lime mignonette, followed by two pastas, a roast flounder and lamb shoulder. If that's not enough, you'll also be treated to a classic Christmas trifle and pavlova before you leave.

The set menu is $150 per person and $75 for kids. Book your spot at Tippy-Tay's website.

State of Grace

For something more low-key, head to CBD bar State of Grace for a casual — but hearty — three-course lunch of modern Australian plates.

Expect dishes such as a seafood platter with rainbow trout carpaccio and oysters, stracciatella with pickled mushrooms and crispy fruit loaf, roasted porterhouse with red wine jus, pan-seared barramundi with sauce vierge, and cannoli and Christmas pudding for dessert. A vegetarian menu is also available. Close out the day at the rooftop bar with festive drinks and city skyline views.

The set menu is $165 for adults and $55 for children, with two seating times. Book your spot at the State of Grace's website.

Village Belle

Known for its beloved Sunday roast, you can look forward to standout Christmas classics at this laidback St Kilda pub.

The Village Belle's Christmas offering is full of familiar family favourites, including oysters, Queensland prawns, a tomato and mozzarella salad and cold cuts, followed by bourbon and apricot-glazed ham, slow-cooked turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing. For dessert, there's mince pies, cherries, and a loaded strawberry and passionfruit pav.

The set menu is $125 for adults and $50 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book your spot at the Village Belle's website.

The Smith

For al fresco vibes without the risk of getting caught in any unpredictable weather, pull up a seat at The Smith's light-filled atrium with a retractable roof.

The menu has a real mix of surf and turf, from prawn cocktail and oysters to pork terrine, honey and mustard-glazed ham, and turkey with sage and onion stuffing. The Smith have swapped out the pavlova for a cosy Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, as well as a tasteful cheese selection.

The set menu is $145 for adults and $45 for kids, with two seating times. Book in at The Smith's website.

Yarra Botanica

Skip the meal prep and cleaning duties, and ring in Christmas with a glass of bubbly overlooking the Yarra River instead at the Yarra Botanica.

The pontoon bar is serving their full food and drinks menu all day, but you can also opt out of any decision making with a $95 set menu, which includes a glass of sparkling. The share-style menu includes prawn cocktail, lamb chops with coffee-infused jus and curry leaf cream, cherry-infused meatloaf with cherry jus and burnt onion, and lamingtons and pavlova to finish.

Book a table at the Yarra Botanica's website.

Imperial Hotel

One of the advantages of a summer Christmas is that you can celebrate in the sunshine. Head up to the Imperial Hotel's rooftop for lunch and tipples paired with panoramic views across the city skyline.

Downstairs, the Bourke Street pub is serving a range of festive plates with a three-course, share-style feast. If you'd rather pick and choose, the Imperial Hotel will have its usual à la carte offerings available on the rooftop.

The set menu is $140 for adults and $40 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book a table at the Imperial Hotel's website.

Bridge Hotel

Keep Christmas casual this year at the charismatic and eccentric pub that is the Bridge Hotel. The Richmond institution features five themed spaces, a loft area and cobblestone laneway running through the venue.

Come for a three-course feast of festive faves — think oysters, prawns, ham, turkey, mince pies and pavlova — and stay for 20 beers on tap and drinks in the laneway.

The set menu is $120 for adults, $60 for kids 15 and under, and free for kids under four. Book your spot at the Bridge Hotel's website.

The Duke of Wellington

Since Christmas is so steeped in tradition, why not celebrate at Melbourne's oldest licensed pub? Don't let the recently renovated fitout fool you — The Duke of Wellington has been slinging drinks on Flinders Street for over 160 years.

Enjoy a merry three-course spread at the pub's rustic Public Bar or elegant Dining Room, before closing out the day with drinks out on the rooftop.

The set menu is $159 for adults and $49 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book your spot at The Duke of Wellington's website.

Tables are filling fast so book in now. Find out more about The Pass at the website.