ACCESSIBLE DINING IN MELBOURNE
Dining on native ingredients. Drinks on a rooftop with city views. Delicious, world-famous dumplings. There’s a great range of accessible and inclusive restaurants in Melbourne.
Disabled-friendly with easy entries, open spaces, and accessible toilets, these spots are welcoming to all.
Din Tai Fung
Come for the world-famous xiao long bao, stay for pork floss on silken tofu with a century egg. The drunken chicken Shanghai-style is also worth trying, and for dessert, the ‘chocolate lava mini bun’ says it all.
Known for its hand-made dumplings, Din Tai Fung in Emporium Melbourne is an accessible dream. Robots direct you to your table along wide passageways. Tables are a good height for wheelchair users. An obstacle-free ramp leads to an accessible toilet within the restaurant. And, you can order and pay with a tablet at the table or through one of the friendly staff.
Situated on level 4, entry is via lift within the shopping centre. For after-hours access, there’s a lift on the corner of Little Bourke Street and Caledonian Lane.
Farmer’s Daughters
Want to experience regional food right in the heart of Melbourne? Farmer’s Daughters showcases produce from Gippsland, one of Victoria’s most diverse and rich farming regions.
Fresh, seasonal food takes diners on a culinary journey into the countryside. The deli on the ground floor is a casual dining space and produce store. There’s a campfire kitchen in the first-floor restaurant. And the rooftop bar has cocktails infused with native ingredients.
Located on Exhibition Street near Collins Street accessible platform super stops, the entry is step-free and a lift provides access to all levels including the accessible toilet on level 1. Light-filled and spacious, there’s a range of seating, and wheelchairs fit with ease under the dining tables.
Rooftop at QT
Elevate your drinking and dining experience at Rooftop at QT. Entering the all-seasons rooftop terrace via lift, you’ll get breathtaking views of Melbourne’s cityscape. There’s a great range of bar snacks, from burgers to pizza to bao, but it’s the cocktails that are its signature.
With nods to local streets and ingredients, The ‘Russell St. sling’ is a citrus twist on the Singapore classic. And make sure you sample the cocktail with marmalade orange liqueur from the Mornington Peninsula.
There’s a mix of seating options and the low benches are an inclusive height for wheelchair users and their group. The spacious venue is easy to navigate and there are accessible toilets near the lift area.
Pascale Bar & Grill
Situated within Melbourne’s QT Hotel, Pascale Bar & Grill is European bistro meets local ingredients. Highlights include baked flathead from Lakes Entrance, the High Country pork, and Cape Grim beef tartare. Produce from the rooftop garden a few floors up also features on the menu.
Accessing the level one venue by lift, the buzzing and lively open-plan dining and kitchen lets you watch the chefs in action. The spacious table layout is easy to navigate and tables are the ideal height for wheelchair users. A well-lit accessible toilet is located on the same floor.
Movida Aqui
Entering from Little Bourke Street via lift, Movida Aqui sits surrounded by buildings. Arriving onto the open terrace, the beauty and proximity of the Supreme Court dome can make you forget about your hunger. That is until you see the menu.
The Jerusalem artichoke with caviar or the calamari sandwich tapas are hard to resist. And make sure you leave room for the churros with chocolate, paired with a quince or hazelnut Spanish liqueur.
An expansive space, Movida Aqui has an accessible toilet and can accommodate large groups. Dining on the terrace in the warmer weather is also easy with tables a good height for wheelchair users and umbrellas providing shade.
Kata Kita
Squid ink nasi goreng. Tofu bao. Salmon gado gado. Kata Kita offers a modern take on Indonesian classics, combining traditional recipes with local ingredients.
Near Melbourne Central Station on La Trobe Street, it has a wide, barrier-free entry. Two steps with a handrail lead down into the open and airy space. For other access, a platform lift is available for people who cannot use the stairs. The lift can be operated independently but needs to be unlocked by one of the friendly staff. There is an accessible toilet and lots of room between tables.
Aru
Fermenting. Smoking. Curing. Preserving. Inspired by early cooking techniques, Aru’s tantalising sharing menu takes its influences from Indonesia, China, and Australia. Featuring native ingredients, the barramundi with desert lime is one to try. And for dessert, the wattleseed cake with macadamia miso is a must.
With what may be the most beautiful accessible toilet in Melbourne, Aru has been designed with accessibility in mind. A wide automatic door leads into the spacious restaurant. There is a mix of high or low seating at the bar and the dining area has banquettes and chairs with armrests.