Melbourne’s best restaurants for an unforgettable Mother’s Day dining experience
Harriot – $90pp
Delivering a menu that feels polished and generous, Harriot Head Chef James Kelly’s Mother’s Day menu begins with thick-cut sourdough and house-made butter, rainbow trout paired with kohlrabi and land cress, and a dish of heirloom beetroot, onion and Prom Country curd. From there, guests can choose between Corner Inlet rock flathead served with wild garlic and sprouting cauliflower, Sher Wagyu flank finished with parsley root and radicchio, or polenta ravioli made with kale and comté, before ending on a rich chocolate sabayon tart. If you let the team guide you to the perfect tipple, the only hard decision of the day will be whether to add oysters, scallop vadouvan, or a tuna tartlet to your experience.
Osteria Ilaria – $95pp
A much-loved Italian staple for good reason, nobody goes hungry with Osteria Ilaria Head Chef Jett Alexander at the helm in the kitchen. His generous Mother’s Day menu opens with snacks like porcini mushroom croquettes and Hervey Bay scallops with finger lime and chervil, followed by veal tonnato with caper berries and wild mushroom and fennel ciabatta lathered with cultured butter. Take your pick from mains, spanning potato gnocchi with duck leg and wild garlic, pine mushroom risotto topped with pangrattato, and rainbow trout served with fresh pipis and preserved lemon butter. Be sure to save room for dessert: an airy chocolate mousse topped with biscotti and black olive gelato.
Head Chef Alberto Fava’s Mother’s Day menu leans into some of the neighbourhood pizzeria’s best dishes. With modern plates and fresh produce at the forefront, expect gnocco fritto with pine mushrooms and taleggio, chargrilled bonito with pickled fennel, Moreton Bay bugs topped with caper leaf and witlof, and burratina with walnut pesto and mustard fruit. Then, choose a pizza flavour, served with a crisp, fresh salad, and finish with a layered millefoglie with lemon custard and rhubarb.
Marameo – $65pp
Designed with families in mind, this generous set menu is complete with a dedicated kids menu for the little ones. Guests will feast on a medley of Italian favourites, beginning with house-made rosemary focaccia, mixed silky salumi with gnocco fritto, sweet peppers with stracciatella, and fried calamari with school prawns and tartar. For mains, choose between spaghetti with black truffle and cacio e pepe, saucy squid ink linguine with spanner crab, tomato, chilli and roe, spatchcock dressed with lemon, thyme and garlic, or a premium 250g O’Connor rump cap finished with seeded mustard sauce. Expect the iconic feather-light tiramisu to finish, always a crowd pleaser.
Florentino Dining Room – $175PP
An institution of Melbourne dining, Florentino Dining Room offers a timeless, white-tablecloth setting for Mother’s Day, where classic Italian hospitality meets a sense of occasion. The $175 four-course lunch menu is complemented by live entertainment from Paris Zachariou (Paris & Co), with dishes such as duck liver parfait with porcini cannoli and blackberry, cured sea bream crudo with fennel, and agnolotti d’anatra, before a main of Murray cod with spanner crab and bisque, finishing with tiramisu. The restaurant will also be open for dinner with its regular menu.
Reine & La Rue – $185PP
Set within the grand, heritage surrounds of the former Melbourne Stock Exchange, Reine offers a striking backdrop for Mother’s Day, with soaring ceilings, dramatic interiors and a distinctly European sense of occasion. The $185 four-course lunch menu begins with refined snacks like choux with Ossau Iraty custard and truffle, alongside scallop ‘choucroute’ with smoked sausage, before moving into generous shared courses and a fillet of beef main with horseradish. Dessert is a classic Paris Brest with hazelnut ice cream—designed to be shared at the table. The venue will also open for dinner service as usual.
With limited sittings and high demand expected across the weekend, early bookings are essential, particularly for venues offering exclusive menus or paired experiences. Diners planning will have access to some of the city’s most refined seasonal menus, with availability tightening as Mother’s Day approaches.
