The quintessential tradition in Melbourne’s cultural calendar, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) is set to make a highly anticipated return in March 2024 for another round of one-off dinners, chef residencies, pop-ups and long lunches. Spanning across 10 days, from March 15 to 24, the MFWF program is jam-packed, featuring over 300 events across the city and surrounding suburbs, with Federation Square serving as the festival’s epicentre.
From returning favourites and well-regarded newcomers to culinary talent from around the globe, the festival is a celebration of Melbourne’s diverse culinary scene, confirming its status as the country’s gastronomic capital. Whether you’re a local or from afar, these 5 must-eat and drink events are worth the hype.
The World’s Longest Lunch
From humble beginnings on the turf at the MCG in 1993, the World’s Longest Lunch has transcended into a three-decade-long tradition, now taking place at Melbourne’s Kings Domain on March 15.
Curated by chef and restaurant(s) owner at the forefront of Australia’s contemporary dining landscape, Andrew McConnell (Gimlet, Cumulus Inc and Supernormal), the menu is a conglomeration of his culinary endeavours. Living up to its name, the event will see you through a three-course lunch paired with matched wine and served across more than 600 meters of table winding.
Baker’s Dozen
Image credit: Baker's Dozen | Shelly Horan
Forget travelling near and far to get your daily fix of pastry goods, Baker’s Dozen is bringing together all of the city’s most esteemed bakers and cake artisans in one precinct—Fed Square.
Taking place on March 23 and 24, this two-day event will see returning favourites from last year including Bread Club, Tarts Anon and the gluten-free-friendly Kudo Bakery as well as newcomers Black Star and Holy Sugar among others joining along. This is the one chance of the year to get your hands on Lune’s highly sought-after ‘crullers’ without the long queues.
Global Dining Series
Featuring some of the most compelling culinary talent from around the globe in collaboration with Melbourne restaurants and bars, the Global Dining Series is a true testament to Melbourne’s diverse culinary scene.
In a series of one-off dinners, collaborations and residencies, the collaborations will see Abruzzese chef Sarah Cicolini bring the pastas of her trattoria Santo Palato in Rome to a 10-day residency at Seven Seeds.
From Rome to Bangkok, Garima Aroria, owner and chef of Gaa and the first female Indian chef to win a Michelin star will be appearing at Crown while Sam Tran will showcase the contemporary Vietnamese flavours of his Hanoi-based restaurant Gia, during a two-day takeover at Aru.
Over in the heart of the city, a two day Thai Chinese feast is taking over HER’s BKK. Power duo Sungeun Mo of BKK and Palisa Anderson of Sydney’s Chat Thai, are set to explore this dynamic cooking style—prevalent in Thailand’s south and central regions—drawing inspo from Palisa’s childhood love for Thailand’s Raarn Khao Dtom (Thai Rice Porridge Shop).
Celebrity Sausage
Image credit: MFWF | Melissa Cowan
With some of Victoria's cherished cooks (and entertainers) including Sarah Todd, Dawn Lia and Clare Bowditch putting their unique spin on traditional sausages, Celebrity Sausage is set to impress, taking the iconic Aussie tradition of putting a snag on a piece of sliced white bread to another level.
Celebrity Sausage will see the classic snag sauces go beyond ketchup and mustard, with toppings from cheeses and chutneys becoming the new go-to condiments. The event is presented by Baker’s Delight, so you know the bread is going to be nothing short of top-quality.
The World’s Longest Brunch
Melbournians are renowned for their brunch culture, and who’s to blame them, it’s the perfect rendezvous between brekkie and lunch, so it's no wonder that the MFWF is putting on the World’s Longest Brunch—a three-course feast of Indian flair.
With Harry Mangat, Helly Raichura and Mischa Tropp taking reigns over the menu, you can expect a myriad of Indian flavours, including a modern take on chatt—local snapper marinated in a medley of spices served with cumin-scented papdi crackers, among many other contemporary plates, all showcasing the burgeoning new-wave of Indian culinary talent in Australia.
Cray Cray For Yakimono
Image credit: Yakimono | Supplied
Back by popular demand, the Tokyo-influenced eating house Yakimono makes a return to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Special Events program with a banger crayfish extravaganza series, Cray Cray.
Executive chef Daniel Wilson—who is also starring in the all-Dan chef line-up at Dan’s Diner—is celebrating the mighty crayfish with a flame-licked five-course dinner feast, including specialty sushi and grill-kissed skewers.
Greek And Turkish Mezze Party
Consider this your official invitation to HER BAR's mezze party taking place on Wednesday 20 March. Greek-Australian cook and author Ella Mittas is joining forces with Turkish-born head chef Neda Thomas to host a flavour packed four-course progressive mezze. Enjoy a Turkish Delight Sour when you arrive before Mittas and Neda plate up home-style dishes with female winemaker-led drops to match.
Dan’s Diner
Image credit: Dan's Diner | Kristoffer Paulsen
American retro diners are having a moment in 2024, and for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival this year, none other than Dan Murphy’s is popping-up at Fed Square with Dan’s Diner—complete with an all-Dan chef line-up and daily tipples.
Pop by on select days to witness each Dan take to the diner with their signature culinary moves: Daniel Wilson from neon-electric Yakimono, Dan Hunter from award-winning Brae, and Daniel Puskas from Sydney’s Sixpenny. Heading up the cocktails and boozy beverages is Commis’ Dan Docherty with a curated range of perfect pairings to match all the reboot classic dishes.
Piccolina Gelateria Gelato Classes
One of the very best in Melbourne making exceptional gelato, Piccolina are spilling the beans on all their top secrets so you too can whip up traditional Italian ice-cream like a pro. In the two-hour hands-on class, you’ll churn away making fresh gelato from scratch and walk away with a whole tub of your homemade goods for yourself.
Tequila And Bottomless Taco Fiesta At Afloat Viva Mexico
Image credit: Afloat | Ashley Ludkin
A massive fiesta is taking over Afloat this year with a huge chef lineup behind the scenes. The floating restaurant and bar will be slinging a taco-only menu with six varieties up for grabs, and a colorful cocktail menu packed with tequila and mezcal delights. In the kitchen, we’ve got Sydney-siders El Primo Sanchez bar manager Eduardo Conde and taco chef Alejandro Huerta, Maybe Sammy co-founder Stefano Catino, Ricos Tacos founder and executive chef Toby Wilson; alongside the familiar faces at Afloat, executive chef James Gibson and on the bar, head of cocktails Tom Younger. Your ticket gets you bottomless tacos, cocktail on arrival, and access to all the live entertainment across the night.
Dessert Degustation With Tokyo Lamington And Stokehouse
Image credit: Tokyo Lamington | Supplied
Degustation, but make it sweet. Cult-followed Tokyo Lamington is joining forces with Melbourne institution Stokehouse for a night full of nostalgic pastries. Across five courses, dessert kings and longtime friends, Stokehouse group pastry chef Ash Smith and Eddie Stewart of Tokyo Lamington, will dish up the entire dessert spectrum, starting on the savoury side before leaning heavy into decadent delights.
Tickets on sale now. Head over here for more details on MFWF's stacked 2024 program.
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Image credit: MFWF | Supplied