Unmissable Things To Eat, Drink And Do At The Melbourne F1 This Year
It’s March in Melbourne, and we all know what that means: it’s time for the Australian Grand Prix.
We’re kicking off the 2026 Formula One season at Albert Park’s iconic lakeside track, where revheads are keen to see the impact of brand-new power unit and aerodynamic regulation changes for the first time. Will hometown hero Oscar Piastri avenge his 2025 title loss to McLaren teammate Lando Norris? Will Cadillac make waves in their debut race, led by seasoned drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas? And will the former Sauber team be more competitive under their new Audi team name?
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Until then, we can get VERY excited about the long and exciting list of things to do off-track at the F1 this race weekend. We’ll guide you through the places you can’t miss for food and drinks, as well as some tips for making the most of your time between track sessions. And you can do it all with a humble Park Pass, because everyone deserves to get in on the fun.
Things You Need To Eat And Drink At The 2026 F1
Chin Chin
Image credit: Chin Chin | Supplied
If you’re looking for a proper culinary experience at the Grand Prix, iconic Melbourne restaurant Chin Chin is bringing the Thai-inspired goods. You can find it in the heart of the action in the general-admission Melbourne Junction, and it will be the only dine-in restaurant on offer. What better way to rest your legs?
The pop-up restaurant is bookable online across all four days of the Grand Prix weekend, with American Express cardholders scoring a complimentary takeaway ice cream after dining. Executive Chef Benjamin Cooper says Chin Chin “has always thrived on energy, flavour, and a bit of beautiful chaos”, which sounds like the perfect race-day pitstop to us.
Charrd
Image credit: Charrd | Supplied
Did somebody say “world’s 14th-best burger”? Probably not, but even so, you will find it at Charrd this race weekend.
Brunswick East’s viral hole-in-the-wall burger joint is headed to Albert Park Circuit, slinging single- and double-patty cheeseburgers, a fried chicken sandwich, and iconic fries. Charrd HQ is renowned for its round-the-block lines, so we suggest you get in early if you’re hanging out for a GP burger fix.
Piccolo Panini Bar
Image credit: Piccolo Panini | Supplied
Hawthorn’s hugely viral Piccolo Panini Bar tells us there’s no party without panini, so thank goodness they’re bringing the panini to Albert Park. With over 60K followers between their Instagram and TikTok, you know they must be doing something right (it might also have something to do with their camera-loving staff).
Don’t miss their classic panini (Caprese, Prosciutto, or Cotoletta) alongside some epic F1-exclusive specials. We’ve got our eyes on the Meatballs, but the Calamari Fritti looks just as divine.
Lune
Image credit: Lune | Supplied
If you’ve been a racegoer in the past few years, you’ll know how hectic the queues at Lune’s pop up can be—and for good reason. What better way to enjoy your morning coffee than with a world-famous croissant, designed by a former Williams Racing engineer?
The pastry lineup is out of this world, of course: Pain au Chocolate, Lemon Curd, Almond, and Tim Tam, to name a few. There’s also a ham and gruyere option for all of our savoury lovers.
Suzie Q
Image credit: Suzie Q | Supplied
Suzie Q is Melbourne's answer to Modern Chinese food, and they're bringing just that to the F1 this year. Read: Foccacia Prawn Toast. Need we say more? No, but we will anyway.
The prawn toast is an F1 special, served with house made sweet and sour sauce. It's set to be a standout, but we're daydreaming at the whole menu, honestly. Suzie's Signature Baos give you the option of Taiwanese fried chicken or crispy eggplant, Mrs Q's Classic Fried Rice gives offers a spicy seafood kick with prawns, eggs, chilli and chives, and the Kung Pao Fries might just be the ultimate way to wrap a day sitting trackside.
Pasta Prego
Pasta Prego is famous in Melbourne for filling the gap for properly good takeaway pasta, so we can’t wait to fill ourselves with delicious home-style goodness while watching the on-track action. Check out their special, the Burrata Inchident—an homage to newly married Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, along with the Penne Carbonara, Spiral Alla Vodka, Spiral Bolognese, and the Penne Napoletana. And there’s garlic bread on offer, too (they’re not monsters).
Pinto Tiramisu
Keep the Italian theme rolling with Pinto Tiramisu. The highly rated and so-called ‘best tiramisu in Melbourne’ is raring up for race weekend with their picture-perfect desserts. From their classic and matcha variations to a Grand Prix-only special featuring viral Dubai choc-inspired pistachio, chocolate, and mascarpone, missing out on a dessert fix here would be more tragic than a DNF race result.
Bahari Greek
Masterchef meets Drive to Survive at the Australian Grand Prix this year, it seems. Former Masterchef Australia contestant Phillip Vakos’ Richmond hotspot, Bahari Greek, is grilling flavourful, fresh classics all race weekend. There are three different souvlaki plus mouth-watering feta chips to choose from, but we can’t go past the F1 special: the Oscar Pita-stri. It’s a Greek grazing plate featuring pita bread with tzatziki, cheese, and olives, and it gets points for the name alone, honestly.
Things You Need To Do and See At The 2026 F1
Hot Wheels Experience
Image: Hot Wheels | Supplied
For F1 fans of all ages, Hot Wheels is bringing the adrenaline trackside this year. Find the competitive playground in the heart of the Fan Zone and get involved in the Hot Wheels Lights Out Challenge. Six racers at a time will compete in a Hot Wheels-style F1 race with a real ‘lights out’ start, so you’ll really feel like you’re in the driver’s seat. Plus, every racer will take home a personalised keepsake lanyard.
MECCA MAX Beauty Pit Stop
Beauty lovers, rejoice! MECCA MAX is returning to Albert Park this year with a trackside beauty garage. Fans can get a complimentary express eye makeup service and pick up some stunning limited-edition gifts, featuring their iconically long-wearing Zoom collection.
The Ready Set Zoom! limited-edition eye makeup value set has caught our eye, that’s for sure. It features three bestsellers along with an exclusive Zoom Zip Liner in an aptly named shade (Motor Oil), created just for the Melbourne Grand Prix.
Lakeside Festival 2026
If a whole weekend of full-throttle on-track action wasn’t enough, all ticket holders get exclusive access to world-class music events across all four days of the Grand Prix weekend with Lakeside Festival.
Lakeside is the party hub of Albert Park Circuit, and fans can stick around after the racing is finished each day to see big names including Mallrat, Logic1000, Dameeeela, Basement Jaxx, Rogue Traders, Rita Ora, Shouse, and Duke Dumont live. Topped off with refreshments from Heineken and Pepsi, there’s no better way to finish a big day at the track.
Keep the good times coming with Melbourne’s best restaurants for a post-race feed over here, or keep it local with St Kilda’s best over here.