Where To Celebrate Melbourne Lunar New Year 2026
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
Melbourne’s melting pot of cultures makes the city literally one of the best places to live in the world and Lunar New Year every year shows us why.
This year the incredible, bright and delicious Chinese, or Lunar New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, Febraury 17. We’ll be celebrating the year of the horse, which symbolises momentum, fresh opportunities and forward movement.
If you don’t know already, the Lunar New Year is the beginning of the new year based on lunar calendars, rather than the Roman calendar. Every year the event is celebrated by billions of people around the world on the first new moon of their calendar.
Personally, we here at Urban List like to ring in the lunar new year by visiting our fave Chinese spots in Melbourne. These are our top recs for:
- The Best Chinese Restaurants In Melbourne
- The Best Dumplings In Melbourne
- The Best Yum Cha In Melbourne
And if you need a bevvie after your meal these are Melbourne’s Best Bars In The CBD.
Without further ado, here are the best places to celebrate Lunar New Year in Melbourne this year.
Lunar New Year High Tea at Dorsett Melbourne
615 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne | Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 February
Image credit: Dorsett Melbourne x T6 Patisserie | Instagram
To celebrate Lunar New Year, Dorsett Melbourne has teamed up with cult-favourite T6 Patisserie Melbourne to bring back its indulgent Lunar New Year High Tea—an elegant, limited-weekend affair that blends classic afternoon tea with Asian-inspired flavours.
The experience features a generous spread of savoury bites, freshly baked scones and delicate sandwiches, followed by a polished selection of sweets. Expect highlights like mandarin and jasmine mousse, Cantonese-style mango pudding, pork char siu on milk bun and sesame garlic chive prawn toast.
Insider Intel
- This Lunar New Year High Tea runs for one weekend only and spots are limited—book ahead to avoid missing out.
From Here By Mike
Lobby, 1 Hotel Melbourne, 9 Maritime Place, Docklands | Tuesday 17 February
Image credit: From Here By Mike | Instagram
Located in the lobby of 1 Hotel Melbourne, From Here by Mike is a restaurant celebrating the farms, wineries and producers that supply them (drawing from nearby growers and regional Victoria alike) while letting seasonality and provenance lead the way.
To mark Lunar New Year, From Here is offering a special one-day dining menu on 17 February, designed around themes of longevity, abundance, strength and good fortune—an elegant way to welcome the year through food.
Insider Intel
- This Lunar New Year menu is available for one day only—book ahead to secure a table.
Spice Temple Melbourne
Crown Complex, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank | 9 February – 3 March
Image credit: Spice Temple | Instagram
Spice Temple is welcoming the Lunar New Year with a limited-edition banquet that leans into symbolism, seasonality and the joy of shared celebration. Running from 9 February to 3 March, the menu follows traditional New Year cues—each dish designed to mark prosperity, longevity and good fortune around the table.
The banquet opens with Pink Snapper Yu Sheng, a prosperity-packed classic, before moving through celebratory seafood dishes like lobster and scallop dumplings and pipies bathed in Shaoxing wine. A steamed coral trout served with longevity noodles anchors the menu, setting the tone for the year ahead.
Seasonal greens keep things balanced before dessert lands on chestnut moon cake paired with honey ice cream.
Insider Intel
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At $159 per person, it’s a distinctly Spice Temple take on Lunar New Year: respectful of tradition, generous in spirit, and best enjoyed as a shared feast
David's LNY Yum Cha
4 Cecil Place, Prahran | Saturday 21 February, 11.15 am–3pm
Image credit: David's Prahan | Instagram
David’s in Prahran is welcoming the Year of the Horse with a special Lunar New Year Yum Cha lunch centred on shared plates, familiar favourites and time spent properly together. Running for one day only on Saturday 21 February, the celebration leans into generous, classic yum cha.
The menu will feature a mix of much-loved staples and Lunar New Year specials created just for the occasion. Expect dishes flowing steadily from the kitchen, including Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, pan-fried BBQ bao, chilli honey chicken and David’s signature white chocolate dumplings to finish on a sweet note.
There are two seatings available: an 11:15am late-morning sitting for a calmer celebration, and a 1:30pm afternoon sitting complete with a traditional Lion Dance performance at 2:45pm (now sold out). Throughout the afternoon, guests can order from the full drinks list, spanning Chinese teas, wine and beer.
Insider Intel
- The afternoon Lion Dance sitting is already sold out—lock in the morning seating early if you don’t want to miss out.
LNY At ARU
268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Image credit: ARU Restaurant | Instagram
To welcome the Year of the Horse, ARU's Lunar New Year menu centres on a quartet of auspicious dishes designed to symbolise good fortune, abundance, prosperity and wealth—bringing good tidings to the table throughout the festival period.
Available in limited quantities from 16 to 28 February, these celebratory dishes can be pre-ordered with your reservation (48 hours’ notice required). Highlights include an Ora King Salmon Yee Sang for two ($88), layered with julienned vegetables, fried wonton crisps, seaweed, raw Japanese scallops and smoked salmon caviar.
Seafood lovers should look to the whole rainbow trout (500g, market price), grilled and butterflied on the bone, finished with belacan-seasoned capsicum sambal, coriander, jalapeño and green tomato sambal.
Insider Intel
- There’s also prawn and scallop shui jiao, served with smoked soy dressing, chilli oil and brown butter, alongside longevity noodles tossed with spring onion, fried shrimp and garlic chives—an essential Lunar New Year staple.
Miss Mi LNY Banquet
Image credit: Miss Mi Melbourne | Instagram
Miss Mi is welcoming the Year of the Horse with a Lunar New Year dining experience that blends bold Southeast Asian flavours with a playful twist. Running from 16 February to 3 March, the celebration centres on a special set menu designed for sharing—and a few surprises hidden along the way.
Created by Chef Migo Razon, the Lunar New Year set menu draws inspiration from Southeast Asia, with each course symbolising prosperity, abundance, longevity and good fortune. Expect punchy flavours, modern takes on tradition, and a festive start to the meal with a glass of sparkling wine per person on arrival.
The fun doesn’t stop at the plate. Tucked inside a limited number of Lunar New Year desserts are lucky coins, with prizes up for grabs. One gold coin winner will score the ultimate Lunar New Year treat—a Gastronomy Package including a one-night stay for two at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne, a $50 dining credit for Miss Mi or Mövenpick Cafe, dessert of choice and buffet breakfast. Two silver coin winners will each take home a $100 Miss Mi dining voucher—and all winners get to keep their coin as a keepsake.
Insider Intel
- The Lunar New Year set menu is $110 per person for three courses plus sparkling, with Accor+ Explorer members receiving up to 30% off—worth booking direct if you’re eligible.
Stay tuned and we’ll shoot more events your way if you too want to be part of the party and if you’re a venue running an event, hit us up at editormelb@theurbanlist.com.
Main image credit: Miss Mi Melbourne | Instagram
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