The European

4.7

1307 Reviews

$A41 to $A100

European

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2 people

27 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 38 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
$A41 to $A100
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
Area
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
Patio/Outdoor Dining

What 1,307 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

Diners' Choice Awards

City Centre
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The European offers a delightful dining experience with "prompt, efficient, and friendly" service. Known for its "refined & well-constructed flavours," the restaurant excels in delivering "superb food" and "attentive" service. Its charming ambiance and extensive wine list make it a favored choice, especially for pre-theatre dining.

1,307 Reviews

A
Adinda
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
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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OT
OpenTable Diner
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Loved it. Service was prompt, efficient, and friendly.
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B
Brian
Victoria
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 18 February 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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G
Greg
Melbourne
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on 16 February 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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T
Theresa
Chicago
133 reviews
3.0
133 reviews
Dined on 8 February 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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S
SUE
Victoria
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 7 February 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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D
Danni
Melbourne
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 7 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent service, our meals were delicious. Great pre or post theatre experience
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R
Richard
Victoria
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 7 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
In a word - delightful! Quality ingredients, refined & well-constructed flavours, all skillfully cooked & presented. Staff were very welcoming and made effort to ensure you were well looked after. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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I
Ivan
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 6 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
An overall enjoyable experience with attentive staff and excellant food choices.
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I
Ian
Brisbane
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 5 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always terrific, Great place Strongly recommend this restaurant
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FAQs

The European is rated 4.7 stars by 1307 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

27 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 38 times today

159 Spring St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

Cross Street
Bourke Street
Area
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
$A41 to $A100
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
Patio/Outdoor Dining

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 booking

Private dining

Additional information

Menu

What 1,307 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is The European restaurant rated?

Is The European currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information