Port Melbourne is one of Melbourne’s most appealing dining suburbs because it has a strong local feel while still being close to the bay, the CBD, South Melbourne and Docklands. Around Bay Street, Graham Street and Raglan Street, you can find historic pubs, polished gastropubs, Greek street food, steakhouse dining, Italian restaurants and relaxed neighbourhood venues that work for everything from casual lunches to special occasion dinners.
This guide focuses on five Port Melbourne restaurants worth knowing: The Graham Hotel, The Clare Castle Hotel, Skewer’d, The Railway Club Hotel Steakhouse and Ciao Cielo. Each one suits a different kind of meal, from refined pub dining and seafood to Greek skewers, serious steaks and elegant Italian dining.
1. The Graham Hotel
The Graham Hotel is one of Port Melbourne’s most polished local dining options. Located on Graham Street, it brings together the warmth of a neighbourhood pub with a more refined gastropub feel. It is the kind of place that works for a quiet lunch, a proper dinner, a family meal, a date night or a relaxed drink that turns into something more substantial.
The appeal is in the balance. The Graham has the comfort and familiarity people want from a local hotel, but the food and setting feel more considered than a standard pub. Diners can use it for classic pub-style meals, modern Australian dishes, steaks, seafood, wine and drinks in a venue that feels smart without being too formal.
It is especially useful for mixed groups because the restaurant can suit different moods. Some people can order a full meal, others can come for drinks and snacks, and the venue still feels appropriate for both. That flexibility makes it one of Port Melbourne’s most dependable all-rounders.
The Graham Hotel is best for gastropub dining, date nights, family meals, relaxed lunches, local drinks, steaks, seafood and anyone looking for a polished Port Melbourne venue away from the busiest parts of Bay Street.
Address: 97 Graham Street, Port Melbourne
2. The Clare Castle Hotel
The Clare Castle Hotel is one of Port Melbourne’s classic pub restaurants, with a long local history and a strong reputation for seafood, steaks and elevated pub food. Located on Graham Street, it has the feel of a proper neighbourhood institution: comfortable, generous and built around food that suits both locals and visitors.
The menu goes beyond basic pub dining. Pub classics are part of the appeal, but The Clare Castle is also known for seafood, fresh fish, oysters, steaks and its signature Moreton Bay bug dishes. That makes it useful when the group wants the comfort of a pub but the meal still needs to feel special.
The Clare Castle works especially well for long lunches, family dinners, birthday meals, casual celebrations and anyone who wants a relaxed restaurant with substance. It is also a good choice for diners who like seafood but do not want a formal bayside seafood restaurant.
For Port Melbourne, The Clare Castle fills an important role: a classic hotel with enough polish to make dinner feel like the main event, but enough warmth to still feel like a local.
Address: 354 Graham Street, Port Melbourne
3. Skewer’d
Skewer’d brings a casual Greek option to Bay Street, giving Port Melbourne a place for souvlaki, skewers, pita, plates and easy meals that suit both dine-in and takeaway. It is the kind of restaurant that works when you want something satisfying, fast-moving and full of familiar Mediterranean flavour.
The food is built around grilled meats, yeeros-style plates, pita, Greek-style fries, salads, dips and shareable sides. That makes Skewer’d especially useful for casual lunches, quick dinners, beach-adjacent meals, takeaway and low-pressure catch-ups on Bay Street.
It is also a practical choice for groups because Greek food is easy to share. A table can order skewers, plates, dips, chips and pita, or each person can keep it simple with their own souvlaki or plate. The format is flexible, filling and easy to understand.
Skewer’d is best for Greek street food, souvlaki, skewers, casual dinners, takeaway, lunch, group snacks and anyone looking for a relaxed Bay Street meal.
Address: 151 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
4. The Railway Club Hotel Steakhouse
The Railway Club Hotel Steakhouse is one of Port Melbourne’s most serious steak destinations. Located on Raglan Street, it has built its name around quality cuts, a traditional steakhouse feel and the kind of dining room that works when steak is the reason for the booking.
This is the restaurant to choose when the meal needs to be substantial. The menu is centred on beef, with steak cuts, seafood, sides, sauces, wine and classic steakhouse accompaniments. It suits diners who want a more focused experience than a general pub meal, while still keeping the relaxed Port Melbourne character.
The Railway Club Hotel Steakhouse works well for birthdays, business dinners, date nights, group meals, family celebrations and anyone who wants a traditional steakhouse without heading into the CBD. It has a more old-school dining appeal than many newer restaurants, which is part of its charm.
For Port Melbourne, it fills a clear role: a dependable, meat-focused restaurant for people who want steak, wine, service and a proper sit-down meal.
Address: 107 Raglan Street, Port Melbourne
5. Ciao Cielo
Ciao Cielo brings elegant Italian dining to Bay Street, inside Port Melbourne’s former courthouse. It gives the suburb a more refined restaurant option than a casual pub or takeaway stop, with a setting that feels memorable before the food even arrives.
The food direction is Italian, with a focus on strong flavours, local Victorian produce, pasta, wood-fired pizza, wine, cocktails and dishes that suit both relaxed meals and more special occasions. It is the kind of restaurant where the table can keep things simple with pizza and drinks in the garden, or settle into the main dining room for a fuller Italian dinner.
Ciao Cielo works especially well for date nights, birthdays, long lunches, family celebrations, group bookings and private events. The venue’s mix of heritage character, dining room, garden marquee and pizzeria-style energy gives it more flexibility than a standard Italian restaurant.
For Port Melbourne, Ciao Cielo adds polish and occasion to Bay Street. It is best for Italian food, romantic dinners, group celebrations, wine, cocktails, wood-fired pizza and anyone looking for a restaurant with a strong sense of place.
Address: 115 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Final word
The best restaurants in Port Melbourne cover a useful mix of meals and occasions. The Graham Hotel is the polished gastropub for modern Australian food, drinks and relaxed dinners. The Clare Castle Hotel is the classic pub restaurant for seafood, steaks and Moreton Bay bugs. Skewer’d is the Bay Street Greek option for souvlaki, skewers and casual meals. The Railway Club Hotel Steakhouse is the serious steakhouse for premium beef and traditional dining. Ciao Cielo is the elegant Italian choice for pasta, wood-fired pizza, wine and special occasions.
Together, they show why Port Melbourne is such a useful dining suburb: local, bayside, easy to reach and strong for everything from quick Greek meals to proper steakhouse dinners, long pub lunches and polished Italian nights out.