The Specials Board: These Are Melbourne's Must-Try Food and Drink Specials for July

Once we hit July, Melbourne's restaurants and bars know they have to pull out all the stops to encourage patrons to brave the cold and head out for a midweek meal or a couple of beverages come the weekend. Sure, it may be easier to stay in, and there is admittedly a lot of great series worth streaming at the moment; it also feels really great to put in a little effort and do something special for yourself, your significant other, or your mates this wintry season. So, use our handy guide of the best specials and deals floating around Melbourne this July, and get out of your seasonal slump.

From comforting apple pie dessert specials, to boozy weekend brunches, personalised bloody mary stations to special events honouring a whole Bluefin Tuna, there is an eclectic mix of exciting specials around at the moment, so put your adventurous hat on (over your woolly beanie if you have to) and make the most of all that Melbourne has to offer, regardless of what the weather report has in store.

Hon Maguro Week, Warabi Melbourne

This July, elevated Japanese restaurant Warabi, located within the design-forward W Hotel, is celebrating the delicacy of Southern Bluefin Tuna with a week-long series of events. The program features live demonstrations, exclusive dining opportunities, and hands-on masterclasses that honour and respect the fish in its entirety. Whether you splurge on a tuna omakase, showcasing the best of the coveted fish across ten courses, or engage in a sushi-making masterclass, these strictly limited experiences are not to be missed this July.

Apple Pie Bowl, Piccolina

A firm neighbourhood favourite across town, Piccolina has several stores across the suburbs and the CBD. It's all about the authentic Italian gelato here. Think varieties like fior di latte, stracciatella, pistachio and lemon, plus refreshing granitas like watermelon, mint and lime. This winter, not only is the team spruiking a seriously creamy Italian hot chocolate — topped with the likes of whipped cream, toasted pink marshmallows, and graham cracker crumble — but it's also serving a limited-edition apple pie dessert. This modern take on the classic dessert features layers of fior di latte gelato, apple-and-cinnamon compote, pie-crust crumble, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and caramelised puff pastry, all served in a bowl.

Saturday Loose Lunches, Mr Miyagi

Modern Japanese diner Mr Miyagi has held its own on Chapel Street for many years now, known for ever-popular dishes such as its salmon nori taco and tempura broccoli, as well as fun and fruity cocktails. Its value-driven set menus are a great option for group dining, and a way to encourage your mates out of the house this winter. Check out Mr Miyagi's Saturday Loose lunches, which, for $69 per person, include a generous set menu and free-flowing drinks for an hour and a half. And because, let's be honest, you probably don't have many other plans this weekend, why not upgrade to the two-and-a-half-hour package for just an extra $20?

Mike's Weekend Brunch, 1 Hotel Melbourne

Even if you're not jetsetting to Europe this winter, you can still experience the joy of one of the true delights of a holiday without leaving Melbourne: hotel brekkie. 1 Hotel Melbourne's acclaimed restaurant, From Here by Mike, has introduced Mike's Weekend Brunch to give you that indulgent, leisurely, holiday feeling without having to get on a plane. From 11.30am, grab generous brunch servings alongside the star of the show, the build-your-own Bloody Mary Atelier. Skilful mixologists will concoct your perfect, personalised drink, with everything from horseradish and celery to peppercorns and chilli, and a fiery hot sauce that'll be enough to take the edge off the winter chill.

Tuesday Happy Meal, Marmont

Crown Melbourne's dynamic diner Marmont, with views over the Yarra and an always-vibing soundtrack, has a line-up of stellar specials on offer this winter. On Monday, snag the Monday Chicken Special, which includes a half-roasted chicken with aji verde sauce for just $25 per person. On Tuesdays, nab a hint of nostalgia with a Tuesday Marmont Happy Meal featuring a fish sandwich, chips and a martini of choice. And if you're heading in after work, don't miss $2 oysters between 4 and 6pm during the week.

$35 Steak Night, Wally's

Albert Park staple Wally's, a cosy wine bar loved by locals and visitors alike, is inviting you in from the cold this winter with a steak special. Every Thursday from 5pm, head in and grab premium steak frites for $35. Rotating cuts are served with golden fries, salad and a sauce of your choice, all paired perfectly with a wine from Wally's quality list. This Thursday night special is the ideal way to celebrate as we near the end of the week.

Weather Priced Cocktails, Stokehouse Pasta & Bar

Seaside spot, Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, is leaning right into the winter blues with its Weather Priced Cocktails special. Throughout winter, the St Kilda restaurant is pricing its cocktails to match the day's minimum temperature. Choose between a negroni, a martini, and a limoncello spritz (max two per guest) and hope the temperature keeps dropping outside. A 12-degree afternoon? That's a sweet $12 spritz. A rough 3-degree evening? Believe it or not, score your drink for just $3.

$2 Oyster Happy Hour, Cha Ching

Flinders Lane's dynamic Asian-fusion restaurant, Cha Ching, is encouraging city workers to stick around for a couple of drinks after work with their weeknight happy hour. Running between 4 and 6pm, you can score $15 cocktails, $8 beers, and oysters for just $2 a pop. While you're at it, why not settle in for a taste of its signature dishes, including Korean fried chicken, wagyu cheeseburger spring rolls, five-spice crispy pork belly, and soft-shell crab curry.

Caviar Degustation, La Madonna

Sure, this may not classify as a money-saving deal, but it certainly is special. Next Hotel Melbourne's La Madonna French-Italian restaurant is offering an exclusive, five-course caviar degustation this winter. Each dish showcases sustainably produced Anna Dutch Caviar. Try the likes of an oyster raviolo with leek velouté, tuna tartare with basil coulis, lemon-butter spaghetti, and lobster with champagne sauce, all with caviar, of course.

$45 Portugese Steak Lunch, Marmelo

It might be cold and gloomy in Melbourne, but at Ross and Sunny Lusted's Marmelo, they are channelling the warmth and vibrancy of long Iberian lunches with their weekday special. Available from Tuesday through Friday from noon to 2.30pm, sample the Marmelo Bife à Portuguesa, a Portuguese take on steak and chips. A wood-grilled eye fillet is topped with whipped anchovy butter, a fried egg, and served with thin-cut potato crisps. Whether it's a quick corporate lunch or a leisurely midday celebration, the team at Marmelo will take care of you.

Exclusive Wine Release, Bistro Guillaume

Well, there's one easy way to warm up this winter, and that's with a comforting glass of wine. And with Bistro Guillaume's La Cave Privée special, you can make it a seriously special glass at that. The renowned French restaurant is offering a taste of rare collection French wines drawn from Crown Melbourne's exclusive cellar. Through Coravin, you can taste certain exclusive drops by the glass, and also access a range of perfect condition wines by the bottle. The quantities are extremely limited; once a wine is finished, it will not return.

Winter Roast Specials, The Waterside Hotel

Warm the cockles of your heart with a hearty winter roast this winter at The Waterside Hotel. The multi-level, dynamic CBD drinking and dining destination is showcasing a rotating menu of classic roasts on Saturdays and Sundays. You might get to sample a roast pork and fennel porchetta with baked potatoes and carrots, a roast chook with buttered leek mash, or a slow-cooked lamb shoulder with creamy polenta. Whatever main is on the menu, you can be assured that it'll be served with everyone's favourite aspect of a roast: gravy and Yorkshire pudding. You can supplement your roast with the full á la carte menu, so why not plan your next weekend around this great special?

Mini Martini & Snack Deal, Various Locations

To celebrate World Martini Day this month, Four Pillars is teaming up with some of Melbourne's most beloved restaurants for this year's Martini Collective. A great way to kick off an evening out on the town, head to one of six select venues for a mini martini made from Four Pillars' Olive Leaf Gin, paired with a signature snack. At Carlton Wine Room, said snack is the famous anchovy, fried bread, ricotta and pickled cucumber creation; at Maison Bâtard, try a steak tartare tart with confit egg yolk; and at Bar Bellamy, a Comte custard tartlette is paired with pickled radish, grapes and gooseberries. Find further details here.

Club Ramen, Tokyo Tina

One of Melbourne's most continually buzzing Japanese restaurants, Tokyo Tina from the Commune Group, is beating the winter chill with its Club Ramen special. Every Wednesday evening, Tokyo Tina is serving a selection of made-to-order, hearty and warming ramen, until sold out. The chashu pork ramen is rich and decadent with garlic oil, soy egg and chashu pork scotch; the creamy tantanmen ramen with minced chicken, soy milk, sesame paste and itokiri togarashi is a riot of flavours; and the vegetarian kakiage ramen with an umami shiitake dashi, bamboo, and nori is an excellent meat-free alternative.

$15 Soups & Bowls, Hanoi Hannah

Perennially popular modern Vietnamese eatery, Hanoi Hannah, with outposts in Elsternwick and Windsor, is offering an unmissable deal this June. For just $15, you can wrap your grubby hands around a steaming bowl of soup to warm you up from the inside out. The crowd favourites phos (mixed mushroom, poached chicken, tender beef, and chargrilled chicken) can be supplemented with extra protein, veggies, and noodles. For the same price, you can also snag a fresh and vibrant vermicelli bowl topped with spring rolls, lemongrass beef, crispy tofu, or chargrilled chicken. In this economy, it's not that common to find a generous lunch for just $15, so don't miss out on this deal this June.

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.

Slowpoke Residency, W Melbourne

Collingwood's fave rooftop cheeseburger has checked into W Melbourne. During July, Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout is bringing the beloved Slowpoke cheeseburger and hashbrown fries to the hotel's subterranean cocktail bar, Curious — as well as its in-room dining menu. Pair your burger with one of two bespoke cocktails made exclusively for the collab: a rye whiskey highball with pear liqueur, dill pickle brine, lime and ginger beer, or the aptly named Pickle-tini. Indulge in the in-room experience and you'll also score a token redeemable for a complimentary drink, fries or burger back at Slowpoke's Gipps Street home.

Feature image: Peter Dillon. 

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