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The European, Melbourne, AU-VIC

The European

4.7
4.7
1311 Reviews
$41 to $100
European

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2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 28 times today
  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, The European offers a welcoming ambience with warm, generous and knowledgeable hospitality - a beacon of Melbourne dining at its finest. Located on Spring Street near the Princess Theatre, we offer classic bistro fare with substance and character to perfectly complement our extensive collection of wines, old and new world, available to enjoy with your meal.

We also welcome you on a walk-in basis next door at The City Wine Shop any day of the week, where you may simply pop in for a seat at the bar or grab a spot outside overlooking Parliament House.

We take the best seasonal produce available, cooking simple, classic foods. Nose-to-tail offal dishes are centred within our menu, utilising every part of the animal products in our kitchen. Drawing on our own in-house butcher and farmhouse cheeses matured by our friends at Spring Street Cheese Cellar, there is always something new to try on the menu at The European and City Wine Shop.
Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Location
    159 Spring St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000
  • Phone number
    (03) 9654 0811
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    European, Contemporary European, Mediterranean
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Limited metered street parking along Spring Street and Lonsdale Street
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Peter Sheldon

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,311 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • City Centre

    Good for business meals

  • City Centre

    Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The European is a Melbourne gem, perfect for "fine-dining without pretence." Relish "excellent food and outstanding service" in a "lovely French bistro ambience." A "reliable Melbourne institution," it boasts "a fabulous wine selection" and "a great menu." Despite occasional noise, it's a must-visit with "impeccable" dining experiences.

1,311 Reviews

  1. Jamison

    South Australia3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always an absolute delight. Quintessentially Melbourne. An absolute must on your Melbourne bucket list.

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  2. Robert

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A terrific evening celebrating our son’s birthday. Service, food & wine were outstanding. Great night!

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  3. RozG

    Melbourne5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The European is one of the few top quality restaurants open for lunch and dinner on Sundays. It has a lovely French bistro ambience and the food and wine is always excellent. We had whole flathead served on a butter and caper sauce. The squeeze of lemon gave it great tang as well. We had pomme frites and a salad of radicchio, pear and pecorino. I had a sheep's milk cheese as my "dessert" and my friend had the plum and almond tart which was delicious. We love coming here before or after seeing a play or film. Close to trams and trains, this is the ideal CBD eatery.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Victoria1 review

    3.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The meals were small and expensive for what we had. Very loud but good atmosphere. Good service.

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  5. Adinda

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Honestly nothing to fault for our dining experience here. Place was packed and busy but still top tier service. Our waiter was so friendly and made nice small chats, good wine recommendations. Albeit busy, food came through super quick. The tartare was beautiful, and charred octopus was tender and generous. Nice selection of non-alcoholic options as well! Absolutely loved it and looking forward to coming back here

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Melbourne2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved it. Service was prompt, efficient, and friendly.

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  7. Brian

    Victoria2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Oysters were freshly shucked and delicious, whole Flathead, beautiful but simply prepared and also freshly delicious. A wonderful experience. Can’t wait for a return visit.

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  8. Greg

    Melbourne6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very enjoyable evening Good food Good value Gggggg

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  9. Theresa VIP

    Chicago134 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    This was our first visit to The European. As pescatarians, we found the menu to be limited. Lots of meat options, however. We ordered the polenta chips, fish (Dory) main dish, the gnocchi. and broccolini. The chips, fish, and broccolini were very good. The pomodoro sauce on the gnocchi was disappointing, it did not taste fresh and was applied so heavily that it overpowered the gnocchi itself. There were a number of wines by the glass, but unfortunately not too many options for Australian and New Zealand wines. It was very noisy due to the pre-theatre crowd. Our server was friendly and attentive.

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  10. SUE

    Victoria1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Has to be my favorite Restaurant to go to when in Melb. Going to the Theatre next door and having an amazing expereince at the European does not get much better. The Ambiance of the Rest. and care by the Maitre'd and staff is superb. Well done and Thank you again for a wonderful dinner.

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FAQs

The European is rated 4.7 stars by 1311 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 28 times today
Google Map for The European

159 Spring St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

  • Phone number
    (03) 9654 0811
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    European, Contemporary European, Mediterranean
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Limited metered street parking along Spring Street and Lonsdale Street
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Peter Sheldon
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