Restaurant
Antara
128 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Find Antara
128 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Directions ↗*Opening hours may differ during holidays.
Book NowAbout Antara
Exhibition Street’s cross-breed bakery and dining room runs on wood fire and laminated dough. Morning regulars stop in for espresso and viennoiserie, but dusk shifts the room into high gear. The kitchen leans hard into the hearth—blistered flatbread, hand-cut wagyu tartare, wood-roasted scallops, and charred rib eye. Theatre-goers gather at the bar for aperitivo hour over strawberry-and-rosella Negronis, while dining tables fill for multi-course meals. The industrial space stays unpretentious and sharp, backed by observant floor staff who clear crumbs between savory courses before plates of baked croissant pudding land.
- Wood-Fired & Hibachi Grill: Solid-fuel hearth cooking anchors the evening menu with blistered flatbreads, charred rib eye, and wood-roasted seafood.
- Bakery-Driven Dining: In-house artisan doughs weave directly into dinner service, from savory anchovy twists to warm croissant pudding.
- Aperitivo & Pre-Theatre: Aperitivo hour draws the pre-show crowd for bespoke cocktails like strawberry-and-rosella-infused vermouth Negronis.
What's On at Antara
Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.
No events or specials listed right now.
Why Dine at Antara
From wood-fired savory courses and in-house laminated pastries to polished service and pre-show aperitivo, experience Exhibition Street's distinctive dining destination—book your table today.
Wood-Fired and Hibachi Open-Flame Craft
Antara utilizes live wood-fire oven cookery and hibachi charcoal grilling to deliver focused char, robust depth, and balanced textures across its evening seafood and red meat plates.
Highlights are dishes prepared in the wood fire oven and on the hibachi grill, especially red meats.
World Foodie Artisanal Bakery Integration in Dinner Menus
Antara blends the expertise of its daytime scratch bakery into the evening dining room, serving laminated viennoiserie twists and house-baked loaves paired with compound butters alongside savory courses.
The Spanner Crab Twist was like a savoury Danish, beautifully balanced.
Mashi_soyo Meticulous, Fine-Dining Polish Without Pretension
Floor staff execute fine-dining level hospitality with understated ease, anticipating diner needs with thoughtful touches like crumb-sweeping between courses.
right down to details of service which included clearing the crumbs between servings!
Amanda Schmidt Attentive, Narrative-Driven Table Service
Servers provide engaging, knowledgeable walkthroughs for every dish, allowing diners to appreciate individual flavor profiles, sauce components, and culinary techniques.
I loved how they went into the details while dropping off the dishes, pulling out each element so we could truly appreciate the every taste.
Jasmine (Jas.eats) Seamless Aperitivo and Pre-Show Dining
Positioned conveniently on Exhibition Street, Antara offers an inventive cocktail program and happy hour share plates timed smoothly for pre-theatre schedules without making guests feel rushed.
Aperitivo/happy hour is amazing. They know their stuff.
Pomelo Versatile Day-to-Night CBD Setting
The dining room balances raw industrial architecture with warm ambient lighting, comfortably facilitating morning coffee visits, energetic aperitivo catch-ups, and immersive evening multi-course dinners.
Antara is both sleek yet warm, such a beautiful fit out as a cafe by day, restaurant by night plus happy hour in between.
dontwaitdate
Most popular items
Guest favorites from the wood-fire hearth and in-house pastry kitchen
Flatbread
their flatbread is a must try.
Julie Valerie Rib Eye
Highlights were the rib eye, flatbread, and empanadas.
Sabrina Potter Wagyu Tartare
Loooooved their wagyu tartare.
Julie Valerie Chocolate Délice
The chocolate délice was also outstanding.
d m
Other favorites
Inventive sips and sweet finishes crafted to round out the dining room experience.
Negroni
the Negroni was a thoughtful twist on the classic, featuring strawberry and rosella-infused vermouth.
d m Baked Croissant Pudding
Baked Croissant was a warm sweet way to finish off dinner. The addition of a condensed milk was a luxury that made me feel like royalty!
Jasmine (Jas.eats) Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc was fantastic. I love a good dessert cocktail.
Julie Valerie Citrus Pavlova
my daughter can’t get enough of the citrus pavlova with champagne ice cream!
Elma P
Beyond the menu
Thoughtful hospitality and culinary precision elevate every course. Book your table for your next evening on Exhibition Street.
Between-Course Crumb Clearing
Floor staff bring white-tablecloth precision to the relaxed dining room by quietly clearing the crumbs between servings before the next course arrives.
Course-by-Course Element Walkthroughs
Waitstaff introduce each plate by pulling out each element so diners can fully register the technique and flavor pairings behind every dish.
Mount Zero Olive Oil Pairings
Degustation menus feature tailored sensory pairings, including savory courses paired with regional Mount Zero extra virgin olive oils to accentuate wood-fired textures and notes.
Informative Beverage Descriptors
Paired tastings and event menus include curated beverage service accompanied by informative descriptors that walk guests through each matching pour.
Before you head over
Essential dining advice on timing, seating, and ordering at Antara—book your table in advance for dinner.
Allow generous time before theatre curtain calls
While the Exhibition Street location is primed for theatregoers, the kitchen and floor staff operate with deliberate, fine-dining pacing—including course walkthroughs and crumb-clearing. Allow at least 90 minutes if dining before a curtain call, or drop in specifically for aperitivo hour drinks and snacks.
Expect close tables and moody industrial lighting
The dining room features an unapologetic, stripped-back industrial aesthetic with dark mood lighting and tables arranged in close proximity. It is ideal for lively group gatherings and culinary catch-ups with friends rather than secluded, whisper-quiet romantic dates.
Prioritize the in-house laminated and wood-fired baked dishes
Standard grilled steaks can sometimes feel conventional, but the savory items incorporating the in-house pastry program—such as blistered flatbreads, laminated anchovy or spanner crab twists, and baked croissant pudding—are unmissable standouts. Lock in a booking ahead of time to secure your table.
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