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Restaurant

The Boiling Crab | Melbourne CBD

4 Tattersalls Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Recommended by 66 people

Updated

Find The Boiling Crab | Melbourne CBD

4 Tattersalls Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 448 038 172
HoursMonday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Tuesday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Wednesday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Thursday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Friday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Saturday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM Sunday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About The Boiling Crab | Melbourne CBD

Melbourne's rowdiest hands-on feast dumps steaming bags of Cajun-spiced shellfish straight onto paper-lined tables. Ditch the cutlery—aprons and plastic gloves are the only tools provided here. Groups pack the Tattersalls Lane booths to crack sweet blue crab, peel king prawns, and drag crusty bread through garlic butter and spicy Shabang sauce.

  • Tabletop Boil Service: Steaming boil bags are poured directly onto paper-covered tables, meant to be cracked and eaten with gloves and bare hands.
  • Customizable Sauces & Heat: Diners select blue crab, king crab, or prawns tossed in signature Cajun, garlic, or Whole Shabang sauce at dialed-in heat levels.
  • Group-Friendly Combos: Portioned combos with potatoes and sweet corn make messy feasting easy to share across partitioned group booths.
RestaurantSeafoodRestaurant

What's On at The Boiling Crab | Melbourne CBD

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Choose The Boiling Crab

Why diners choose The Boiling Crab in Melbourne CBD for tactile, communal seafood feasts

  • Tabletop Bag-Dumping Boil Service

    Diners receive aprons and gloves as boiling bags of seasoned seafood are emptied straight across butcher paper on the table for interactive, hands-on feasting.

    You’re given a pair of gloves and an apron, as on service the boiling bag is emptied onto your, covered, table and you just tick in!!!

    David May

  • Uninhibited Hands-On Feast

    Guests can abandon formal dining etiquette and enjoy cracking crab claws, peeling prawns, and dipping sides straight into the sauce with their hands.

    Loved cracking into the crab and soaking up all the delicious sauce with the corn and potatoes.

    World on a plate 🤤

  • Tailored Sauces and Heat Levels

    Combo boils allow guests to customize their catch with proprietary sauces like Cajun or Whole Shabang, selecting their preferred level of spicy heat.

    Boiling Crab offers a lot of options but my recommendation is the shabang sauce with mild spice level for the just right tangy zesty spicy flavour.

    Naiyanat Sornratanachai

  • Rich Buttery Cajun Flavor Profiles

    Shellfish selections like blue crab and king crab are drenched in rich buttery garlic blends designed to saturate complementary sides like bread and corn.

    The Cajun sauce had the perfect balance of buttery, garlicky, and spicy goodness, coating every bite beautifully.

    Julie Clarke

  • Feasts for Group Celebrations

    Large combos of king crab and shellfish provide abundant, shareable spreads suited for celebrating milestones and birthdays together.

    We celebrated our friend’s birthday today and we ordered the King crab combo. It was more than enough for 5 people and it was filling.

    Frangelico Valencia

  • Spacious Dining Layout for Gatherings

    The venue layout provides dedicated booths and separated table blocks that give parties their own comfortable, private space to gather and dine.

    The restaurant was big and each table had separated blocks, so it gave kind of privacy as well!

    vvs diamond

Signature hands-on seafood boil combos tossed in bold Cajun and Whole Shabang seasonings

  • Bangin Combo

    I ordered the Bangin Combo and everything was fresh, flavourful, and cooked perfectly.

    Abi Farhan

  • Mix Seafood with blue crab

    The Mix Seafood with blue crab in Cajun sauce at The Boiling Crab Melbourne was absolutely delicious!

    Julie Clarke

  • King Crab Combo

    We celebrated our friend’s birthday today and we ordered the King crab combo.

    Frangelico Valencia

  • Live Mud Crab Combo

    We Ordered the Ltd Live Mud Crab Combo for 3 People and was bloody happy enjoyed our dinner very much will come again anytime.

    Agnes Betham

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to make a reservation before visiting?

Booking in advance is highly recommended, especially on weekends and holidays when walk-ins may be turned away due to full capacity. If arriving without a reservation, expect a possible wait for seating and food during busy periods.

How does the seafood boil dining experience work?

Meals are served hands-on: you are provided with bibs and gloves while seasoned seafood bags are poured directly onto covered tables for cracking and sharing. Dedicated handwashing stations and clean restrooms are available on-site.

How spicy are the sauces?

Be cautious when choosing your spice level. Reviewers note the heat is genuinely intense, with even the mild option delivering a noticeable kick, so it is best not to overestimate your spice tolerance.

How large are the combo portions, and can I take leftovers home?

Seafood combos are generous, with options like the King Crab or Banging combo comfortably feeding groups of two to five depending on the size ordered. If you have leftovers, takeaway containers can be requested at no extra charge.

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