Giddy up, Here Are The Best Spots To Spend Melbourne Cup In The Shire
Put on your best frock and head to one of these Shire venues
Meadow Music Room, Cronulla
The Shire is turning it up for The Melbourne Cup this year with free-flowing luncheons, multi-course banquets and loads of bubbles. So dress to impress and head to one of these Shire-based venues to celebrate the race that stops a nation.
Rydges Cronulla
Prefer your Cup Day with canapés, live sax and sea breeze? Rydges Cronulla is taking over The Alley with a $75pp package featuring six chef-selected canapés and a sparkling wine or Peroni on arrival. Keen to level it up? $125pp adds a 3-hour beverage package. There’ll also be sweepstakes, lucky door prizes and best-dressed awards. With a DJ on deck, a live sax bringing the energy and the bar staying open long after the final race, this one’s for the crew keen to keep the party going.
Meadow
Perrier-Jouët Champagne Hour, live sax and an after party to finish? Meadow clearly isn’t doing Cup Day by halves. Champagne will be flowing from 12:00pm to 1:00pm before the afternoon rolls into roaming canapés, live DJs, more sax and all the racing action. And when the final race is run, nobody’s calling it. Meadow is teaming up with Bobbys for an exclusive after party, keeping the music, drinks and celebrations going well into the night.
Parc
Celebrate Melbourne Cup at Cronulla’s stylish Call Me Mumma. For $200pp, you’ll be treated to a premium 5-course food and drinks package from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. Keep one eye on the track with live coverage of every race, plus sweepstakes, best-dressed competitions and expert insights from Corey Brown.
Doltone House Sylvania Waters
Doltone House is going all out for Cup Day, kicking things off with a Cavallo Campari Rosso Spritz and canapés before moving into a delicious 3-course lunch with unlimited drinks. There’ll be live race coverage across the big screens, sweepstakes and prizes for best-dressed, best headwear, best tie and one lucky door winner. If your Melbourne Cup brief involves good food, flowing drinks and a reason to dress up, this one ticks plenty of boxes.
Cronulla RSL
Fashion, Flemington and sweeping South Cronulla views. Cronulla RSL is serving up all three at its Melbourne Cup luncheon, featuring a 3-course menu, racing live on the big screen, entertainment, sweeps, Fashions on the Field and lucky door prizes. Tickets are $120pp, with festivities running from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
The Botanical Highfield
Cocktail on arrival and a glass of Moët? We’re listening. The Botanical is following it up with a premium 4-course shared menu, race insights from Corey Brown, sweepstakes, best-dressed competitions and a photo booth for good measure. The whole package comes in at just $100pp. Giddy up.
Hurricanes Cronulla
Hurricane’s Cronulla is making a long lunch of Melbourne Cup with a 3-course shared menu from 12:00pm and champagne on arrival. The race will be playing out on the big screen while a live DJ takes care of the soundtrack, with best-dressed prizes also up for grabs. At $145pp, you’ll want to saddle up for this one.
Jensens
Caviar on Cup Day? Jensens knows the brief. One of the Shire’s most iconic spots for Melbourne Cup is back with a 3-course set menu, indulgent caviar station and live entertainment from 12:00pm. Once the plates are cleared, the DJ takes over alongside roaming entertainment, sweepstakes, best dressed and plenty of prizes. It’s one of their biggest days of the year, so tables won’t hang around.
Summer Salt
Ocean views and Melbourne Cup make a convincing double act at Summer Salt. From 12:00pm, enjoy a 3-course set menu with sides and a glass of Champagne for $115pp, while the Flemington action plays out on the big screen. There’ll also be sweepstakes and best-dressed prizes, all with one of the Shire’s best backdrops doing its thing. Seats are limited, so we wouldn’t sit on this one.
Pinos
A prosecco tower and freshly shucked East 33 oysters on arrival is one way to start Cup Day. Pino’s is backing it up with a seasonal set menu of pasta, your choice of main and their signature tiramisù for $155pp. Racing will be live across the venue, with sweeps, prizes and plenty of atmosphere thrown in. Bookings are open now.
Retro Cronulla
Beachside Cup Day for under $100? Retro Cronulla is making a strong case. From 11:30am, $99pp gets you complimentary Aperol spritz and prosecco, roaming canapés, frozen margarita shots and all the racing live on screen. Come dressed to impress too, because there’s a $500 bar tab up for grabs for best dressed. Bookings are essential, so get the group chat moving.
The Founders Room at Wanda SLSC
Get your butts down to the Founders Room for Melbourne Cup, where $97pp gets you a drink on arrival and roaming canapés. Max Smidt will be taking on MC and live music duties from 12:00pm to 4:00pm, with best-dressed prizes adding a little friendly competition. Coming with a crew? Tables of 10 are $900, and the first 15 booked score an outdoor table. They sold out last year, so don’t sleep on it.
Rocksalt
Cocktail on arrival and BYO bubbles? Rocksalt Menai has our attention. For $110pp, you’ll get a 3-course set menu while the races roll across the big screens, plus sweeps and raffles along the way. Bringing your own wine or Champagne is just $7pp corkage. Consider Cup Day sorted.
Union Place Hotel Jannali
Union Place Hotel is taking Cup Day to its sunbathed, leafy terrace, and there are a few ways to play it. Go for the 3-course meal at $70pp, opt for a 3-hour beverage package at $80pp, or combine the two for $140pp. Live music, sweeps, TAB facilities, a spritz pop-up and best-dressed prizes will keep things moving. Prefer your own little HQ? Private booths are available for an extra $100, complete with a personal TV for the races.
The Prince Hotel
A similar package to Highfields, The Prince is keeping things luxe with a premium 4-course shared menu, cocktail on arrival and a glass of Moët for $90pp, with the option to tack on a 2-hour drinks package for another $40pp. Watch the races live, get involved in the sweepstakes and bring your A-game for the best dressed competition. Your outfit could end up paying off.
St George Sailing Club
St George Sailing Club is going big for Melbourne Cup, with member tickets at $159 and non-member tickets at $169. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of bubbles or beer on arrival, an array of culinary delights, sweeps, a best dressed competition with prizes and live entertainment ready to take you from racing to dancing. Get in quick.
Pippis
Bottomless by the water sounds like a pretty solid way to spend Cup Day. Pippis is pouring for 1.5 hours with a $99 bottomless package, with all the racing playing out on the big screen. Once the package wraps, stick around and make an afternoon of it by the water. Dress up, grab the crew and lock in a table because bookings are essential.
Alphabet St.
Our Cup Day tip? Arrive hungry. Alphabet St is putting on a Thai feast for $110pp, starting with an Apple Martini on arrival before working through a menu featuring Kingfish Sashimi, Charcoal Fish Bao Buns, Crispy Whole Fish and Wagyu Beef Massamun Curry. Mango Pearl Sago with Salted Coconut Ice Cream rounds things out, while live race coverage, sweeps and best-dressed honours keep the Cup Day spirit going. This is one lunch worth getting frocked up for.
Bobby’s
Clear the afternoon, and leave the evening open. Bobbys is turning Cup Day into a proper occasion with a $230pp seated long lunch, kicking off with Perrier-Jouët Champagne Hour from 12:00pm to 1:00pm and welcome canapés. A 2-course set menu follows, featuring the likes of Burrata, Trofie Pesto alla Genovese and Ribeye with Green Peppercorn Butter. DJ Gigi Rose, roaming sax and entertainment from Black Ties Magic will keep the afternoon lively, alongside live racing, sweeps and best-dressed prizes. Still going strong? Your ticket also gets you access to the exclusive after-party at Meadow.
