Private dining gets a makeover in Melbourne, with karaoke, Netflix and show kitchens

Small is proving to be big business in the restaurant industry, with a boom in private dining prompting restaurants of all shapes and sizes to add spaces with quirky touches like a BYO record policy or free karaoke.

Intimate groups of 25 to 30 people are contacting Simon Blacher's casual southside restaurants Tokyo Tina and Moonhouse for everything from end-of-financial year bashes to 21st birthdays.

"I know moving forward, any restaurant that we open will definitely have a private dining option associated with it," says Blacher.

Armadale wine bar Auterra says the biggest demand for its new 12-seat private dining space is from groups of friends simply catching up.

Melburnians are cottoning on to the benefits of private dining rooms, flocking to them for dinner party vibes that feel more COVID-safe and don't come with any of the hard parts of hosting.

They're an attractive prospect right now for restaurants, too. The exclusive rooms, which typically offer set menus and beverage packages, are easier for venues to staff and usually attract consumers who are in the mood to spend.

In the last 12 months, Blacher's Commune Group has added two private dining areas to its portfolio of venues.

One of these is an offshoot of popular Windsor restaurant Tokyo Tina. Called Tokyo Private, it has its own entrance on Chapel Street and is built for fun, with a karaoke machine included in the price.

Blacher says when it opened last October it had five to eight bookings per week, and sometimes up to 10. While that's plateaued slightly over winter, it's still doing an average of three functions a week, "which is still fantastic".

Private rooms may once have been associated with exclusive or pricey restaurants but some operators, including Commune Group, are showing they can come in all shapes and sizes, with quirky touches to boot.

In Thornbury, neighbourhood trattoria Umberto added a private room last year that comes with a TV for movie nights, a card table, a record player and a buzzer for service. The venue asks you to be a member to book the room, but at $330 a year, that's not as exclusive as it sounds.

"The membership growth has exceeded our expectations," says co-owner Carla Barbieri. "We're approaching capacity and anticipate taking applications for a waiting list."

Blacher has also been pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm for both Tokyo Private and an exclusive space upstairs at his latest venue Moonhouse in Balaclava.

He acknowledges that COVID caution may be a contributing factor in people booking events away from the main dining room. Some diners have more peace of mind if everyone in their group has done a RAT before dinner, for example.

But overall Blacher thinks it's a festive spirit and desire for smaller celebrations that's driving demand.

"Sitting down with a select group of friends rather than everyone you've ever met is a trend we're seeing [for celebrations]," he says.

In these days of timed bookings, getting a table together for a whole night of uninterrupted fun is also another factor in the popularity of private dining.

Auterra's general manager Gareth Burnett says since the Armadale wine bar opened its upstairs private dining room in May, the most common bookings are for birthdays or intimate catch-ups among friends.

But, with spring in sight, he says festive season inquiries are coming thick and fast.

The latest and greatest private dining rooms in Melbourne

Umberto

Celebrating your big moments your way is the idea behind the Rosarno Room, located upstairs and hidden behind a peep hole at this modest neighbourhood trattoria. Pop your own vinyl on the record player, stream your favourite film via Apple TV or get the card table out. There's even a buzzer for service. "It's like the idea of a clubhouse but not like the old, stuffy ones we may picture in our minds," says co-owner Carla Barbieri. The catch is that you must be a member to partake, a privilege that costs $330 a year. But can you really put a price on street cred?

917 High Street, Thornbury, 03 9484 8654, umberto.com.au

Auterra

It's not called a secret hideaway for nothing. From the fireplace and sheer drapes right down to the glass cabinets filled with crockery, this 12-person space feels like sitting down to lunch at home with your nearest and dearest. The best part is you're not doing the cooking. Soaring ceilings, an inlaid brass tabletop and a gilt mirror add a luxe touch, as do the private bathroom and kitchen. But mismatched chairs and napkins in bright hues inject some fun. Marron doughnuts and soft-serve with whisky caramel continue the high-low theme.

1160 High Street, Armadale, 03 8529 2660, auterrawinebar.com.au

Tokyo Private

Groups of between 14 and 28 can book out this understated space next door to Tokyo Tina - and it's all yours for as long as your heart desires. The no-timed-bookings policy is a rarity these days, while the karaoke system is a kitschy (and free!) touch. Food is a likeable mix of mod-Australian meets Japanese: think katsu prawn buns or umeboshi-glazed duck, washed down with Kirin Ichiban lager and whisky highballs. You can also play your own music via Spotify and kids are welcome.

66 Chapel Street, Windsor, 03 9525 2774, tokyotina.com.au

Society

By far the ritziest option on this list (and perhaps in Melbourne), Society's Green Room comes with a private entrance and its own kitchen, chef and sommelier, so you truly will be getting something no one else in the restaurant has. Tucked upstairs and decked out with metres of timber, stone and glass, the 20-seat room has hosted athletes, celebrities and anyone else who loves the VIP treatment. With a price tag starting at $4500, file this one under special occasion.

80 Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 8618 8900, societyrestaurant.com

Moonhouse

Sweeping art deco curves define this iconic Balaclava building, recently reborn as a contemporary Cantonese restaurant. That's particularly true upstairs where private events take place across a cocktail bar and dining room. A crescent-shaped booth for eight people in the bar is perhaps the best seat in the house, tucked into a nook of the building with views of Carlisle Street in either direction. In the neighbouring room, a long table for 30 can play host to feasts of wontons, beef with black bean and luxe items like mud crab. A separate entrance and bathrooms add to the exclusive feel.

282 Carlisle Street, Balaclava, 03 9088 8022, moonhouse.com.au

Rocco's Bologna Discoteca

Creating sumptuous spaces is the ninja skill of Rocco's owners, who also operate Poodle further along Gertrude Street. Private dining here might look like an intimate 20-person table in one half of the upstairs ballroom with chequerboard floors. Larger events can spread over the entire room and adjoining Vince's Bar, giving you access to an outdoor terrace and your own bar star. Two fireplaces, timber joinery, mosaic tiles and fun spins on Italian dishes spell out good times galore.

15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, 03 9046 2000, roccosbologna.com