OpenTable Launches a Month of Unmissable Dining Experiences Across Melbourne

• This year's line-up features a range of premium 'One Night Only' collaborations, and for the first time a collection of 'Off Menu' dining experiences at beloved venues for $100 per person or less
  • 71% year on year increase in Experiential dining in Melbourne 2026*

SYDNEY, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In Melbourne, dining out is rarely just about what is on the plate. It is about the places people choose to gather, the menus that feel worth booking, and the kind of experiences that give a night out its own identity.

This August, OpenTable, in partnership with Square, will bring that philosophy to life with Experiences Month, a city-wide dining initiative designed to offer unique dining moments and experiences not typically available.

New data from OpenTable shows Melburnians' appetite for experiential dining continues to rise, with a 71% year-on-year increase in Experience dining in 2026, spanning tasting menus, wine pairings, steak nights and feed-me-style menus.* The number of Melbourne restaurants offering special Experiences has also risen 27% year on year, reflecting growing interest for curated, one-of-a-kind dining moments.

More broadly, dining in Melbourne increased 11% year on year in 2026, driven by a 17% rise in group dining for six or more and a 20% increase in solo dining.**

Drew Bowering, General Manager, Australia at OpenTable, said, "Melbourne is a city that takes dining seriously, and increasingly that means booking experiences that feel timely, special and worth planning around. Experiences Month brings that to life through One Night Only collaborations and Off Menu bookings at some of Melbourne's favourite venues, giving diners more opportunities to discover something new across the city. With 55% of diners seeking more value-led dining in 2026, the Off Menu line-up also brings that value to life, with every offering priced at $100 per person or less."***

The Headliners: One Night Only Experiences:

• Amaru x Sixpenny: A collaboration between two three-hatted restaurants, designed as an immersive fine dining experience that brings the kitchen and dining room closer together. Sunday 16 August. $450 per person, plus $110 per person with a non-alcoholic pairing or $220 per person with a wine pairing.
• Lee Ho Fook x Angler: Chef Joe Hou of Michelin-starred Angler in San Francisco joins Lee Ho Fook for a collaborative menu pairing premium Australian produce with Angler's ingredient-led, seafood-focused approach. Saturday 29 August. $350 per person, plus $180 per person with a wine pairing.
• Circl x Bar Sophia: Greek and Scandi influences come together across snacks and six courses, with Yarra Valley Caviar woven throughout the menu. Thursday 27 August. $165 per person.
• Wine House by Farmer's Daughters x Tulum's Kismet Mezze Bar: A Seasonal Table: Gippsland x Istanbul. A one-night-only collaborative dinner with Tulum's Kismet Mezze Bar, inspired by the Turkish sofra and Gippsland produce, built around four sharing courses. Tuesday 4 August. $90 per person.
• Dessous: Moondrop x Dessous. A cocktail-led flavour exchange, with a non-alcoholic amuse-bouche on arrival, followed by two cocktails and two paired snacks. Sunday 2 August. $85 per person.

Victor Liong, Founder of Lee Ho Fook said, "I find Angler's hospitality inspiring as it has a real sense of place. Joe's approach to premium West Coast seafood feels like a natural fit with the quality of Australian seafood we have here. This dinner will give us a chance to explore his Chinese heritage and flavour memories while in our kitchen, highlighting the connection between two OpenTable Icons under one roof— and it's a lot cheaper than a plane ticket to San Francisco."

The Line-up: Off Menu Dining Experiences:

Alongside the headline events, Melbourne Experiences Month features a strong line-up of "Off Menu" experiences across the city, with value-driven menus available all month long. With every featured experience priced at $100 per person or less, including several offers under $50 per person, the Off Menu line-up gives diners more reasons to book across August.

• MoVida Aqui: Paella Saturdays. A Saturday lunch of aperitivos, tapas, paella, salad and dessert, with Frank Camorra cooking large-format paella on the terrace. 1 & 8 August. $80 per person.
• Reed House: Express Lunch. A midweek lunch built around porterhouse steak, beer battered onion rings, crispy potatoes and garden salad, served with $5 pots of tap beer. Tuesday to Friday in August. $40 per person.
• Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout: The Slowpoke Diner. A Sunday brunch of Slowpoke pancakes, bottomless mimosas and black diner coffee across two sittings. 16, 23 and 30 August. $55 per person.

Frank Camorra, Executive Chef and co-owner of the MoVida group, stated,  "I've always loved cooking paella for family gatherings, it brings everyone together. There's something special about everyone sharing; it slows things down, brings people together and turns a Saturday lunch at MoVida Aqui into a celebration. Diners can join me on the terraza while I cook the paella for tips on cooking when they attend, and I can't wait to share my knowledge with them."

Reservations are now open for OpenTable's Experiences Month, presented in partnership with Square, with limited availability across the programme, so diners looking to secure a booking should act fast.

To discover the full line-up of exclusive Experiences and secure a booking, visit https://www.opentable.com.au/c/experiences-month/

Methodology:

*OpenTable Experience Data: OpenTable looked at the number of Experience Dining reservations for all active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in Melbourne between 1 January and 30 June 2026 and compared them with the same period in 2025.  

**OpenTable Data: OpenTable looked at online seated reservations for active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in Melbourne between Jan 2 - July 1 2025 and compared the online seated reservations for the same active restaurants between Jan 1 - Jun 30 2025.

***Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by WALR among 1,521 Australian respondents, with quotas weighted for major cities. Fieldwork took place between September 3rd–11th, 2025. Data was collected adhering to MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines to ensure ethical and accurate data collection.

About OpenTable:

OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 65,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.9 billion seats a year.  OpenTable's world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.

SOURCE OpenTable