Melbourne is a good city for a night out with an escort. It is compact, the trams run late, and many of its bars and restaurants are a short walk apart.
This guide gives ideas for an evening in the city and the inner suburbs: laneways, rooftop bars, the river at Southbank, a show, and a late night on Chapel Street. Each one works for a dinner date booking. Ruby’s Melbourne escorts take dinner date bookings in all of these areas.
Plan a Melbourne date night
A good evening has a simple shape. Meet for a drink, have dinner, then choose one more stop: a show, a walk or a late bar. Three stops is plenty.
Getting around
The CBD has a Free Tram Zone, so short trips inside the city cost nothing. Walking is often quicker. The laneways, Southbank and the theatre district are all close together.
What to wear
Melbourne weather changes quickly. Bring a jacket, even in summer. Smart casual suits most bars. Some rooftop bars have a dress code, so check before you go.
Booking your escort
For a longer evening, book three hours or more, so dinner never feels rushed. Our page on a dinner date escort in Melbourne explains how these bookings work. Tell reception the plan when you enquire, so your escort can dress for it.
Where to meet
Most dinner dates start in one of two ways. She meets you at your hotel, and you go out together. Or you meet at the first bar, and end the evening at your hotel or home. Agree which with reception when you book.
If you meet at a venue, arrive first and get a table. Text reception when you are seated, so she can find you without searching the room.
Laneways and Flinders Lane in the Melbourne CBD
The CBD laneways are the classic start to a Melbourne evening. They are narrow, lit at night and full of small bars and places to eat.
- Degraves Street and Centre Place, off Flinders Street, for coffee or an early drink.
- Hosier Lane, opposite Federation Square, to see the street art before dinner.
- Flinders Lane, with a long run of restaurants between Swanston and Spring streets.
Flinders Lane works well for dinner. Many of its restaurants take bookings, and a few keep walk-in seats at the bar. Book a table for two ahead on Friday and Saturday nights.
Ask for a table, not bar seats, if you want to talk. Mention a quiet corner when you book. Shared plates suit a date well, because they give you something easy to talk about from the first minute.
Federation Square, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, is an easy place to meet first. It is a short walk from the lane, and everyone can find it.
After dinner, walk to a small bar a lane or two away. Many sit behind plain doors or up a flight of stairs, which suits a quiet second drink.
A simple laneway evening
- Meet for a drink in a small bar off Flinders Lane.
- Walk to a restaurant on the lane for dinner.
- Walk through Hosier Lane and across to Federation Square.
- Finish with a nightcap on a rooftop, or head back to your hotel.
Everything on that list is on foot, so you never need a taxi between stops. If it rains, the arcades between Collins Street and Bourke Street keep you dry, such as the Block Arcade and Royal Arcade.
Rooftop bars in Melbourne
Melbourne has a rooftop bar for most moods. These are well-known places to start or end a date night.
- Rooftop Bar on Curtin House, Swanston Street. Casual, with a rooftop cinema in the warmer months.
- Lui Bar, 55 floors above Collins Street. Cocktails, a dress code and views across the city. Book ahead.
- Madame Brussels, on Bourke Street. Named after the brothel keeper of 1800s Melbourne, with a garden-party style.
- Naked for Satan, on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. Spanish-style snacks and a terrace over the street.
Sunset is the busiest hour on any rooftop. Arrive early, or book where you can. In winter, many keep heaters and blankets out.
Rooftops are loud on warm weekend nights. For a first date, a weeknight or an early evening gives you room to talk. Siglo, above the Spring Street end of the city, is a calmer terrace with views over Parliament House.
Want to know more about Madame Brussels and the city's red-light past? Our guide is St Kilda still a red light district? tells the story.
Dinner on the river at Southbank
Southbank faces the city across the Yarra River. Its promenade runs from Southgate past Crown, with restaurants and bars along the water.
A riverside table suits a first dinner date. The view does some of the talking, and the walk afterwards is easy.
- Southgate, beside the river, for restaurants with views of the city.
- The Crown promenade, for a longer walk with bars and restaurants along the way.
- South Wharf, further west, for a quieter dinner near the convention centre.
Before dinner, the National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road is a short walk from the river. Its Great Hall has a stained-glass ceiling you can lie under and look up at.
If you prefer a view from above, the Melbourne Skydeck in Eureka Tower stands just back from the river. A walk across one of the footbridges brings you back to Flinders Street.
Southbank also has many hotels, so the evening can end close to where you are staying. Our page on escorts in Southbank covers bookings in the area.
A show at the Arts Centre or the Palais in Melbourne
A show gives a date night a fixed point. It also gives you both something to talk about over a late drink.
Arts Centre Melbourne
On St Kilda Road, beside Southbank, under its tall spire. Opera, ballet, theatre and concerts at Hamer Hall. A dinner in Southbank before the show is a short walk.
The theatre district
At the east end of the CBD, the Princess Theatre, Her Majesty's and the Regent Theatre stage big musicals. The Forum on Flinders Street hosts concerts and comedy.
Music on Southbank
The Melbourne Recital Centre, a block from Hamer Hall, hosts chamber music and smaller concerts. Its halls are intimate, and a concert there rarely runs late, which leaves time for a late supper.
Booking tickets
Book seats together, in your name, and check the start time before you book your escort. Tell reception the show, so she can dress for it. Leave time for dinner before, rather than rushing between them.
The Palais Theatre, St Kilda
Built in 1927 near the beach, the Palais hosts concerts and comedy. Pair it with dinner on Acland Street or Fitzroy Street.
Festivals
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival fills the city each autumn. Summer brings outdoor cinema, including Moonlight Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Buy tickets early for both.
Chapel Street late in South Yarra and Prahran
Chapel Street runs through South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor. It stays busy late, with bars, restaurants and clubs along its length.
It suits the second half of an evening. Have dinner in the city or South Yarra, then take a tram to Chapel Street for drinks.
Chapel Street is busiest on Friday and Saturday nights, when some bars have queues and door staff. On a weeknight it is calmer, and easier for a first date. Prahran Market, near the Prahran end, is a pleasant start to a weekend afternoon date.
- South Yarra, near Toorak Road, for cocktail bars and late dinners.
- Prahran, around the market, for smaller bars and wine rooms.
- Windsor, at the southern end, for a more relaxed late drink.
Many visitors stay in the boutique hotels around South Yarra. Our page on escorts in South Yarra and Prahran covers bookings there.
Date night in Melbourne through the seasons
Summer from December to February
Long, light evenings suit rooftops and riverside tables. Outdoor cinema runs in the warmer months, at Moonlight Cinema in the Royal Botanic Gardens and on the Curtin House roof. The Australian Open fills the city in January, so book dinner early.
Autumn from March to May
Autumn is festival season. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival both fall in these months. The Grand Prix at Albert Park brings crowds to the hotels and restaurants for one long weekend.
Winter from June to August
Cold nights suit small bars, wine rooms and a long dinner. Many restaurants keep a fire going. Bring a coat, and choose a venue close to your hotel.
Spring from September to November
The AFL Grand Final fills the city in late September. The Spring Racing Carnival follows, with the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November. Restaurants and hotels book out during Cup week, so plan well ahead.
Melbourne date night manners
Dinner date bookings are relaxed when both people feel at ease. A few simple manners help.
- Book the restaurant in your name, for two.
- Meet at the venue or the bar, as agreed with reception.
- Treat her as your date. Introduce her by her first name, if at all.
- Settle the booking payment privately, before you go out or once you return.
Let her guide how close you are in public. Some escorts like to hold hands on the walk to dinner. Others keep it subtle until you are back in private. Follow her lead.
Pay for dinner, drinks and tickets yourself. They are separate from the booking rate. Keep your phone away at the table, as you would on any date.
Some clients prefer the warmth of a girlfriend experience in Melbourne, where the evening feels like a date from the first drink. Ask reception which escorts enjoy it.
When you have a plan, send an enquiry with the date, the time and the first stop.
