Mate's TableFood stories, local discoveries and news from Mate’s Table.
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Diners, 24-hour chains, and hotel or resort restaurants are your safest bets on almost any public holiday, while independent full-service restaurants are the most likely to close or run limited hours. Before you head out or place an order, check the venue's official listing, its Google Maps hours, or call directly. For a table, reserve ahead; for takeout, confirm the pre-order cutoff.
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Outdoor dining, or al fresco dining, simply means eating outside a kitchen's four walls, on a patio, balcony, sidewalk, or rooftop. The single biggest factor in whether that space actually gets used is scale: the right table size, real shelter from sun and wind, and layered lighting matter more than any decor choice. Get those right and outdoor dining works for a backyard dinner or a full commercial patio program.
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A guest chef series is a limited run of collaborative dinners where a visiting chef takes over another restaurant's kitchen, usually for one night, to cook a menu they built together with the host team. Tickets sell fast, menus rarely bend for special requests, and the best events go to mailing-list subscribers before the public ever sees them. This guide covers where to find them, what past events looked like, and how to actually get in the door.
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For authentic communal dining, The Abyssinian is Melbourne's top pick. For neighborhood charm and bold stews, go with Little Africa. For group feasts built around shared platters, book Mesob. If you need something fast, Sinq's build-your-own bowls win. And for laid-back Fitzroy dining, Yeshi Ethiopian Restaurant delivers. Full details, hours, and booking notes follow below.
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The fastest fixes for a late-night dessert craving are warm cookie delivery, a 60-to-70 second mug cake, or a three-ingredient no-bake cookie. Pick one and you'll be eating within minutes. Some bakeries deliver until nearly 3:00 AM, and if you'd rather not wait on a driver, Matestable's city guides point you toward local spots that stay open after dark for exactly this reason.