Some of Melbourne’s best restaurants are harnessing RISING’s lunar energy with their Moon Bites pre-show snack and drink offer. Step into the warmth to enjoy exclusive RISING menus offering drinks (alcoholic or non) and small bites. Or settle in for a three-course feast. All participating restaurants are in the festival’s walkable footprint. So, you can sit for stint and open your senses, then head out for whatever happens next.

Also, this year the Night Trade festival haunt is alley bound. That means much-loved eateries in and around Capitol Arcade will be open late, slinging festival fuel (think: toasties, hot chips and handmade Nepalese dumplings).

Moon Bites

ARU

268 Little Collins Street

A hatted restaurant on Little Collins serving southeast Asian flavours with a modern Australian twist.

Moon Bites Menu, $65 per person

• Wyrrung Spritz—Arvo Aperitivo, Rosella, Cacao Husk and Dandelion Gin, Lemongrass Cordial, Sparkling

• Forbidden Rice sourdough, smoked miso butter

• Lechon on toast, pork belly rillette, pickled Shallots, chicharrón, Davidson plum, chinese doughnut

• Short-rib skewer, betel leaf, spring onion, crying tiger, native pepperberry

• Squid noodle, lapcheong nduja, desert lime, curry leaf

Book now

ARBORY BAR & EATERY

1 Flinders Walk, Flinders Street Station

Arbory is an all-day outdoor bar and eatery located between Flinders Street Station and the Yarra River. It's the ideal place to welcome the evening with The River Sing, the large-scale audio work that laps the river at dusk.

Moon Bites, $85

Mulled wine and fondue for two

Three-Cheese Fondue (Swiss Gruyère, Fontina and Truffle Pecorino) with sliced French baguette, crudités, pretzels and pickles, for your dipping pleasure served with mulled wine for two. Dip and sip.

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Big Esso

Fed Square, 25/2 Swanston Street

Located in the heart of Fed Square, Big Esso is a celebration of contemporary Indigenous culture. The seasonal menu incorporates incredible native flavours and is designed to be shared. They're putting together three-course Moon Bites menus with optional drink pairings. We've listed just one of the three-course feasts available below. Vegan and vegetarian options available.

Moon Bites Menu, $75 per person, $120 with drinks

Vegan and vegetarian options available

Entrée

• Island damper with chestnut and cinnamon myrtle and golden syrup butter paired with a Mulline Sauvignon Blanc.

First course

• Lemon aspen kingfish namas, palm hearts, tiger's milk paired with an Applewood Coral Gin and tonic.

Main course

• Kebi ebur (brown quail) with muntrie bordelaise sauce paired with a Hedonist Grenache.

Book now

BKK

Level 3, 270 Lonsdale Street

On level two of Her you’ll find BKK. It's a turbocharged Thai BBQ canteen serving Bangkok-inspired street food.

Moon Bites Menu, $35 per person

Choose between one of the following alongside any of tap cocktail range.

• Wok-fried pork and prawn noodles with egg and chinese broccoli
• Pink noodle soup with fermented bean curd, squid, fish balls and white fungi garlic
• Chilli oil egg noodles with grilled char siu chicken

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Dom’s Social Club

1/301 Swanston Street

Head up Swanston then up the stairs for Dom’s—a no frills, three-level pizza parlour (complete with rooftop bar) from the crew that bought you Peaches, Cheek, Dexter and Takeaway Pizza.

Moon Bites Special, $35

• Saintly Lime or Watermelon Vodka Soda
• Red wine braised beef cheek pizza with cauliflower cream base, pickled shiitake mushrooms, fennel fronds, lemon zest, fior di latte & pecorino

Book now

HER

270 Lonsdale Street

Her is a European–inspired restaurant and bar serving diverse wines, seasonable plates and modern cocktails late into the night.

Moon Bites Menu, $40

A pasta of your choice cooked to order and paired alongside their tap cocktail range.

• Baked rigatoni, cherry tomato sugo, parmesan & burrata
• Spaghetti, clams, garlic, parsley
• Casarecce, pork and fennel sausage ragu, napoli and rosemary

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Parcs

198 Little Collins Street

A little restaurant and wine bar on Little Collins designed around sustainable dining.

Moon Bites Menu, $60 per person

• Marigold Highball—Pennyweight Fino white nectarine, saison mariaold amaro, bitters

• Heritage wheat sourdough glazed in vegetable treacle with potato peel butter and some pickles

• Tuna cured in bull kelp, mushroom and black garlic

• Cockerel, grilled autumn leaves, cashew and parmesan rind

Book now

Victoria by Farmer's Daughters

Federation Square, Tenancy 26/2 Swanston Street

Victoria by Farmer's Daughters celebrates the produce, people and places of the state of Victoria. They’re in Fed Square, right in the middle of the festival footprint. Their Moon Bites offering is a culinary sojourn you can enjoy before explore the constellations of First Nations art at The Blak Infinite, right outside their door.

Moon Bites Menu

Choose your starter and main from the options below accompanied by sides, a small treat and a glass of Victorian wine or beer for $79 per person or a non-alcoholic offering for $69 per person.

To start

• Pasture raised chicken and smoked bacon terrine, black garlic chutney, sorrel
• That’s Amore buffalo mozzarella, wood roast pumpkin, golden raisin agrodolce
• Smoked Portarlington mussels, chickpea, fennel & dill

Add on

• Potato rösti - Cured Bass Strait scallop, cold climate avocado $10
• Cheese and preserved pine mushroom, shallot relish $10

Main

• Grilled market fish, shiitake and oyster mushroom broth, smoked scallop salsa
• Biodynamic Mount Zero grains, romanesco, Maffra cheddar
• Koonwarra roasted chicken, grilled cucumber, fava bean, sorrel

Sides

• Spud Sisters hand cut chips, mojo verde mayonnaise
• Leaf salad, toasted sunflower vinaigrette

Book now

Night Trade Eats

KIM SING

Dim sum, noodles, rice dishes, stir fries and more. Expect plastic seats and plentiful portions to eat.

UNION KIOSK

A coffee shop serving jaffles, coffee, pastries and sweets. Famously tasty. Totally vegan. They're pressing a special winter warmer jaffle for RISING with mushroom, hashbrown, truffle butter, rocket and bechamel for $16.

THE ALLEY EDITION

The spot for hot chips, hot drinks and finger food. Simple yet delicious.

LOS AMANTES

Brunswick’s favourite taqueria serves up Mexican street food at The Howey for Night Trade.

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