Where To Find The Best Hot Pot In Melbourne For 2026
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
Whether it’s a fiery Sichuan broth in winter or a bubbling table spread in the middle of summer, hot pot is a year-round obsession. It’s one of Melbourne’s most beloved dining formats for a good reason—built around rich broths, premium ingredients and the joy of cooking as you eat.
Across the city, you’ll find every style imaginable, from traditional Chinese and Chongqing hot pot to Thai, Cambodian and modern malatang spots where you build your own bowl. Whether you’re after all-you-can-eat feasts, late-night hot pot sessions or spice-heavy broths that bring the heat, Melbourne has no shortage of excellent options.
We’ve rounded up the best hot pot in Melbourne for 2026, including the city’s top Sichuan restaurants, malatang specialists and communal hotpot destinations worth booking now.
Wong's Late Night Hotpot
208-210 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD | 111 Kingsway, Glen Waverley
Image credit: Wong's Late Night Hotpot | Instagram
For a hot pot fix after dark, Wong's Late Night Hot Pot is in a league of its own. Open until 2am in the CBD, this cult favourite brings genuine Chongqing hot pot to Melbourne with fiery broths, small-bowl dining and a transportive fit-out inspired by old China’s hustle and bustle.
The draw is the broth, with each soup base individually stir-fried until fragrant before hitting the table, ready for premium meats, seafood, vegetables and all the classic hotpot add-ons. There’s a serious focus on authenticity here, from ingredients sourced from origin to the traditional sesame oil and garlic sauces that pull it all together.
Insider Intel
- Don’t skip the Sichuan and Chongqing snacks on the side—and if you’re after the full experience, book a late sitting for a post-midnight feast.
Tan Hotpot
130 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Tan Hotpot | Instagram
If you’re serious about hot pot, Tan Hotpot deserves a spot on your list. Bringing the theatre and warmth of communal dining to the CBD, this Bourke Street favourite is known for rich broths, premium ingredients and, notably, being Melbourne’s only duck blood hot pot restaurant.
The format is all about building your own feast—choose a broth, then load up on everything from premium sliced meats and seafood to mushrooms, tofu, taro, cabbage and seasonal vegetables. There are tomato and mushroom soup bases for plant-based diners too, plus a generous spread of vegan proteins including fresh tofu, bean curd and tofu skin, making it a standout for mixed groups.
Insider Intel
- Reservations are wise, and if you’re going plant-based, flag it when ordering so staff can guide you through the vegan-friendly broth and refill options.
David's Master Pot
Various Locations
Image credit: David's Master Pot | Instagram
For those chasing some of the best hot pot in Melbourne, David's Master Pot has become a go-to for good reason. The Sichuan favourite has built a cult following around its malatang format, where diners grab a bowl, load up with ingredients from the open fridge and pay by weight before it all lands in a rich, spice-heavy broth.
The real draw is the broth itself, simmered with more than 20 herbs and spices, Sichuan peppercorns and Angus beef tallow for over 12 hours, delivering the kind of warming, numbing hit hotpot devotees chase. From noodles and tofu to seafood, meats and greens, the mix-and-match format means every bowl is unique. There’s also traditional shared hotpot, with multiple soup bases and at-table cooking for groups.
Insider Intel
- If you like building your own bowl, go hungry—the sheer range of ingredients makes restraint near impossible.
Dragon Hot Pot
Various Locations
Image credit: Dragon Hot Pot | Instagram
After a recipe that's been honed for years, Dragon Hot Pot and its various outposts around town consistently serve up some of the best hot pot in Melbourne.
It's a deep menu but you can't miss, be it a signature bowl or going the DIY route, both ensure a hefty mix of meat, seafood and vegetables swimming in a hearty broth.
Insider Intel
- There's also an optional spice level that ranges from mild to the namesake 'dragon hot'.
Nana Thai Hot Pot & BBQ
169 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Nana Thai Hot Pot & BBQ | Instagram
With lines out the door, Nana Thai Hot Pot & BBQ has shaken its former clandestine car park location for a simple shopfront on Bourke Street.
Now notorious in Melbourne, there's a lot happening on Nana's menu, the option to grill-your-own meat is a popular go-to and plates swing in with all manners of chicken and pork, but the hot-pot is the star.
Insider Intel
- Expect a serious download of familiar Thai flavours: fish sauce, lime and chilli run throughout the menu.
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Panda Hot Pot
100 Victoria Street, Carlton | 1060 Dandenong Road, Carnegie
Image credit: Panda Hotpot | Instagram
Located in Carlton and Carnegie, both Panda Hot Pot venues are visually stunning, with backdrops of intricately decorated ceilings, ornamental tables, and even a suspended dragon on entry (in Carlton).
Their signature Sichuan spicy soup is a good place to start; simmered for over 12 hours with a secret spice blend straight from Sichuan, you can then toss in countless additions like their thinly sliced premium beef, pureed prawns or fresh veggies.
Insider Intel
- Their late-night hotpot deal is worth a visit alone—head in after 8:30pm and you can score a cheeky 32% off most of the menu.
Soi 38
38 Royal Lane, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Soi 38 | Instagram
With plastic red and blue tables, framed prints licked with the spicy oil that permeates the room, and steaming bowls of soup, Soi 38 is an all-sense experience. Housed next to a ticket machine inside a CBD car park, it became an instant Melbourne classic.
Inisder Intel
- Lunch is the time to go for hot pot, where a slew of different soups from spicy chicken to the famed Tom Yum encircle the restaurant.
Haidilao Hot Pot
Various Locations
Image credit: Haidilao Hotpot | Instagram
Originating in Jianyang back in 1994, the Haidilao experience is second to none. An unsurprising inclusion in the best hot spot in Melbourne list, their accommodating service excels in both those experienced and unfamiliar with hot pot, with wait staff patiently guiding you through the ordering process.
Insider Intel
- You can enjoy hand-stretched noodles tableside, or opt for one of the many broth options off the menu and even go DIY.
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