The European

4.7

1295 Reviews

$41 to $100

European

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 35 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

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
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
Phone number
(03) 9654 0811
Website
https://www.theeuropean.com.au/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Peter Sheldon
Private party facilities
Looking for an iconic space for your next event? Spring Street Events looks after all the events within the much-loved family of businesses, including the European, Melbourne Supper Club, Siglo, French Saloon, Kirk’s, the Spring Street Grocer & Cheese Cellar. Feel free to visit our website: https://springstreetevents.com.au/ for more information.
Private party contact
Jess and Sara: (03) 9654 0811

Location
159 Spring St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000
Neighborhood
Melbourne CBD
Cross street
Bourke Street
Parking details
Limited metered street parking along Spring Street and Lonsdale Street
Public transit
35, 86, 96 Tram - Parliament Stations
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wine

What 1,295 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
4.3Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

Melbourne
Great for fine wines
City Centre
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The European offers an "exceptional dining experience" with consistently "superb food and service." Its authentic "European atmosphere" and extensive wine list make it a popular choice for Melbourne diners. Despite occasional noise, patrons appreciate the "friendly and attentive staff" and the restaurant's charm, perfect for pre-theatre meals and special occasions.

1,295 Reviews

S
Steve
VIP
Melbourne
16 reviews
2.0
16 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
This is the first time in years that we didn't enjoy dining at "European" maybe very low dining guests, Sunday Lunch last, caused the chef problems with holding roast food fresh and juicy. My roast flathead and accompanying fries where over cooked and dry. maybe sitting to long on low heat before serving ? Still not good. On top of that the 15% Sunday surcharge really hurt the pocket. Steve K
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A
Anthony
Melbourne
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We were meet at the door led to table sat down and asked straight away what we wanted to drink which we like very much. They could have had a better variety of Aussie beers other than that service and meals were top notch
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I
Ivana
Victoria
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such a lovely place. Great service. Delicious food. Lovely atmosphere. Highly recommend
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T
Tomy
Sydney
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, wait staff were across the menu in detail. Highly recommend.
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C
Carl
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our server [Will] remember us from over a year ago when we visited the European and was accommodating to seating us in our preferred seat just outside the wine shop on the mezzanine level. Jenny the wine expert for the night was also very helpful and lovely and the food was flawless as always [especially the striploin]. Well done on the execution of your machine establishment! Very impressive and can't wait to come back again.
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K
Kerrie
New South Wales
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 10, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I booked a table with a request to be seated outside if the weather was suitable. It was perfect under the umbrellas, relaxing and a lovely atmosphere for a luncheon. The service staff were attentive. We chose a selection of sharing plates and a salad. It was delicious and a great choice, Thank you to the European team
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P
Peter
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Fantatasic server, liked the portion sizes, loved the food, and a great wine selection.
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I
Irvine Australia
Melbourne
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great tradition and ambience. Never changes. Food tasty, service excellent. Very enjoyable .
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C
Chris
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Seriously interesting food. Canoe of bone marrow eg with a nod to St Johns in London (this was better than the one I had there). Excellent wine list unsurprisingly Great service unobtrusive but attentive
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J
Jon
Victoria
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always delivers - great food and wine and brisk but very friendly service
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The European is rated 4.7 stars by 1295 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 35 times today

159 Spring St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

Cross street
Bourke Street
Neighborhood
Melbourne CBD
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
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
European, Contemporary European, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Limited metered street parking along Spring Street and Lonsdale Street
Public transit
35, 86, 96 Tram - Parliament Stations
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Peter Sheldon
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wine

Website
https://www.theeuropean.com.au/
Phone number
(03) 9654 0811
Private party facilities
Looking for an iconic space for your next event? Spring Street Events looks after all the events within the much-loved family of businesses, including the European, Melbourne Supper Club, Siglo, French Saloon, Kirk’s, the Spring Street Grocer & Cheese Cellar. Feel free to visit our website: https://springstreetevents.com.au/ for more information.
Private party contact
Jess and Sara: (03) 9654 0811

The European

Make a reservation

Private dining

Additional information

Menu

What 1,295 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The European restaurant rated?

Is The European currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information