Restaurant quality dining at home

While restaurants, pubs and cafes are closed for dine-in during lockdown, there’s never been a more important time to support the hospitality industry. Many of Melbourne and regional Victoria’s best establishments are open for takeaway and delivery, and are relying on the support of loyal devotees to get them through this challenging time. So why don’t you arrange a five-star, chef catered date night, an indulgent feast for your (house)mates or a solo dinner with all the trimmings?

Delicious meals are at your fingertips with Providoor, a new platform from Maha chef Shane Delia. All meals are designed to travel so there’s no risk of lukewarm, soggy deliveries. Instead, you get to make the finishing touches yourself, making the end product even more rewarding.

Not only can you tuck into meals at home from the likes of Tipo 00, Flower Drum, Cumulus Inc, Movida and Supernormal, but you can mix and match to suit all tastes and preferences.  Start out with some hot buttered lobster rolls from the Botanical Hotel, dig into Seco Limeño’s15 hour smoked and braised grass-fed beef cheeks from Pastuso and a French-style pear frangipane tart from L’Hotel Gitan. Or go the whole hog with a premium banquet from Tokyo Tina or Let Lucy (Liu) Choose for $65 per person.

Support one of the world’s best via Attica at Home. Those wanting a more casual affair can try Ben Shewry’s Family Meal – the family lasagne, salad and garlic bread, or the ’stay home souva’ for two. Well known for catering to special occasions, the Attica tasting menu is available on Friday and Saturday nights. No cooking is required for the 10 enjoyable dishes, starting with hand-picked crab with macadamia and sourdough through to a trio of desserts including Daintree chocolate with quandong. Make a night out of it with an assortment of matched beverages including cocktails, white and red wine and sake.

Kisume is now offering takeaway and delivery from both its CBD location as well as Kisume Richmond, for those lucky enough to live within a 4km radius. Enjoy first-class tuna boxes, premium sushi and sashimi as well as a range of mains including mushroom tempura, pork katsu and gyoza.

Prahran favourite, Neptune, is now delivering to southeast Melbourne suburbs. Kick off with a salumi plate, followed by a lamb shoulder dinner pack for two and a cheese selection to finish. Complement with a bottled Neptune Negroni, an old fashioned or pair the lamb with a fruity sangiovese. Pantry staples can also be purchased from the online store, including pasta, pesto and Napoli sauce.

Businesses in Victoria’s High Country recently launched a suite of interactive digital masterclasses. It included a lively lesson in the finer points of making a cracking Tom Kha Gai with local foodie Sally Lynch at the Old Beechworth Gaol and the art of gnocchi making with Katrina Pizzini. Event packs include an interactive cooking class delivered via Zoom as well as all the main ingredients for the meal and recipe cards.