Party of five: Five ways to make the most of seeing your friends again, Melbourne

We're not allowed back into restaurants yet, but we've been given the green light to see our nearest and dearest. And restaurants are coming to the table.

Little Black Pig and Sons

Can't go out? This Heidelberg Italian figures they can get in. Get a couple of friends round, and a chef (plus optional waiter) will come around to set up your house with crockery and flowers and cook and serve a menu of yellowfin tuna tartlets, oysters, lobster ravioli and corned duck breast. They can match with wines, dig into their premium cellar and will clean everything before they go. Full service, inside your house. littleblackpigandsons.com

Attica at Home

They lead the lasagne curve, became a bakery, opened a soup kitchen, and now Ben Shewry's team are attempting a logistics-defying 10-course tasting menu outside of the restaurant. At $380 for two, the menu features hand-picked crab with macadamia and sourdough; chewy carrots with pepperberry; wattleseed beef cheek plus a Ripponlea cocktail to start, wines and sake to match the dishes. The menu will be on sale from May 15 for weekends only, delivery from May 22. attica.com.au

A Capitano pizza party

If the 1.5 litre magnums of negroni or bellini being peddled by Carlton's pizza haven Capitano aren't intended to be shared with a group, then we've been in lockdown too long. Add a couple of antipasti platters, a mortadella or brussels sprouts and garlic cream pizza and a piece of their fluffy, crunchy, saucy Sicilian-style pie and you have a low-effort, high-impact responsible party. capitano.com.au

Oysters and bubbles from East 33

It's been a while. Crack the champagne and bust open the bivalves. East 33 has brought their Sydney rock oyster home delivery service to Melbourne. They're offering next-day deliveries of two dozen shucked or unshucked Sydney rocks from their east coast suppliers, starting from $59. Or, get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot added on for $139. east33.sydney/shop

Take a picnic to the Royal Botanical Gardens

Stop pretending your bread is as good as your local bakers. Buy some sandwiches from Falco, Bread Club or the city's longtime sandwich hero, Earl Canteen, which reopened this week and take advantage of the 10-person rule for outdoor gatherings with a socially safe picnic in the Royal Botanical Gardens.