As usual, it’s the exclusive Birdcage enclosure that’s the hottest ticket in town at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival. So who’s cooking and which marquees are set to make headlines this year?

Get ready to rendezvous

This year’s Birdcage Enclosure theme is “Rendezvous”. VRC Executive General Manager Experience and Events Luke Kinniburgh says it’s a fitting theme for such a sociable and special setting.

“The ritual of rendezvous is part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s DNA, and The Birdcage Enclosure is a place like no other to do it,” Kinniburgh says.

The Birdcage build across 18,000 thousand square metres began in July, with finishing touches completed on the morning of Derby Day. More than 2000 people work across the precinct, including some of Australia’s top caterers and food suppliers including The Big Group, Food & Desire and Curtis Stone Events. In other words, it’s huge. And that’s just a part of what’s on offer at Flemington.

So giddy up, here are the Birdcage and non-Birdcage food and drinking venues worth racing to for your very own rendezvous.

LANDMARK by Lexus

It’s second time lucky for Atlas Dining chef Charlie Carrington, as he joins a pack of culinary masters feeding thousands in the extravagant Birdcage enclosure.

The innovative chef, who’s visited 55 countries, accepted the challenge to cook trackside in 2021 before the pandemic quashed everyone’s plans. His lofty menu has nods to Asian, Middle Eastern and Australian cuisine.

The aim is to impress all who traverse the sophisticated stoop of LANDMARK by Lexus — an imposing three-level structure with unrivalled trackside views.

“Basically, they’ve got the resources to go hard, so it gives you endless possibilities to create something magical,” says Carrington.

An all-white dining space designed by interior designer Brahman Perera will greet guests. By procuring local ingredients with a sustainable bent, Carrington hopes to elevate trackside meals.

“We’re working with Backyard Honey. We actually went out to their incredible hives in Abbotsford, which just blew my mind.”

On the menu will be Tasmanian lamb chop with smoked eggplant, cos and spring vegetables with dried fruit jus and a milk and honey dessert with a liquid nitrogen flourish to finish.

Level three will host a six-metre cicchetti bar serving Italian savoury bites including baccala mantacato crostini (salt cod crostini), Fontina cheese and potato croquette and mortadella.

Gareth Whitton of Tarts Anon will provide a sugar-hit with specialities such as Lemon Meringue Tart and St Honore tart – a baked coffee custard laced with St Remio espresso and hazelnut caramel.

Secret bars

Is it the year of the secret bar? Maybe, as this year the number of so-called secret bars in The Birdcage have trebled.

Last year’s hidden hit returns as Club Rosado: by Don Julio. The location of a concealed door divulged only to the chosen few encouraged to make a call at The Rosado Phone Box to discover its whereabouts.

Champion bartender Orlando Marzo will dispense Glitterati — a signature cocktail made with Don Julio Rosado (reposado tequila finished in Ruby Port wine casks from the Douro wine region of Northern Portugal), pink grapefruit, lime and agave syrup topped with a sparkling rose wine.

Guests will snack on glitter-sprayed tostadas with candied grapefruit, salmon and guacamole.

The Penfolds Secret Bar will offer select passersby a chance to throw a pair of dice to win their way through The Red Room door for a glass of red or white.

G.H. Mumm marquee

G.H Mumm, who recently appointed Anthony Puharich, co-founder of artisanal butcher Victor Churchill, to create a fresh menu after the champagne house cut ties with Melbourne fine diner Reine & La Rue, has incorporated an invite-only secret cellar housing exclusive vintages.

The G.H. Mumm “Now Boarding” theme has a luggage carousel serving caviar, and Puharich’s “private jet dining experience” that offers cauliflower tartlet, caviar Wagyu bresoala cigar and the highest grade Wagyu with maximum marbling — a Cobungra Station (Vic) Fullblood Wagyu Sirloin BMS 9+ and French fries.

The main marquee’s roaming canapes include poached prawns, yuzu tartare and wild leaves and roast duck epice, golden beetroot, hazelnuts and cumquat dressing. In addition to free-flowing G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge, there are cocktails with a champagne twist like Whiskey Amaretto Sour and Negroni Sbagliato.

Penfolds marquee

Celebrating 180 years, Penfolds is celebrating 180 with a “Holiday” themed trackside party and the longest bar in the Birdcage. Across 14 metres, there’ll be various wines poured including Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling and Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Penfolds Magill Estate chef Scott Huggins has curated a special bite to be served at tucked-away venue The Tasting Cube — smoked and seared beef cubes, smoked and pickled beetroot, French onion soup jelly and cauliflower cream with sourdough crumbs — paired with the newly released Penfolds Grange 2020. A “Holiday Spritz” cocktail with raspberry syrup, ver juice, Davidson plum aperitif, sparkling wine and raspberry dust tops off the festive theme.

Crown marquee

At the Crown marquee, chef Guillaume Brahimi will prepare lobster gnocchi, barramundi with fennel and salsa verde and a Wagyu beef daube with Paris mash potato, among other dishes. To celebrate the arrival of Crown riverside venture Marmont, Los Angeles-based Australian restaurateur Grant Smillie is designing a signature cocktail.

Furphy marquee

Furphy marquee guests will choose from a spread of ham and cheese croque monsieur, cheese croque madame and apple and cinnamon scrolls. Morning tea includes Wagyu truffle sausage rolls and blue corn tortillas with pulled chicken.

Strawberries and cream cannoli make an appearance while Furphy will round-out the day with “substantial items” like beer battered whiting with curry leaf mayo and American corn dogs.

Nine marquee

As host broadcaster in 2024, Nine Entertainment will have its own marquee this year, with Crown Resorts catering whipping up a range of morsels including creamed corn, cheddar empanada, BBQ zucchini eggplant caponata, salt and pepper calamari and sweet potato sando. A classic antipasto station will be set up for racegoers to graze on cured meats, olives, cheese and artisan breads.

Bites outside The Birdcage

Italian comfort food is heading to The Park precinct with Sooshi Mango’s Johnny, Vince and Sam’s Ristorante dishing up arancini, salumi plates and cotoletta sliders.

Bali-based BO$$MAN Burgers first foray trackside will feature the “Lucky Pig” – a combo of babi guling spiced pork belly, cassava leaf lawar, Balinese sambal and bumbu mayo.

Adding to the food truck vibe are You Little Schnit with classic and fiery schnitzels and Mary and a Little Lamb known for piled-high souvlaki. EBBY Street Food is introducing the “parmalaki’ – a parmi-meets-souvlaki treat.

Also on course, the Club Lawn will offer classic pizza slices from Johnny Di Francesco’s 400 Gradi, Mr Miyagi’s Asian fusion and a juicy selection of burgers from Meat Frankie.

VRC Chief Executive Officer Kylie Rogers welcomes the Carnival’s new food offering.

“This year’s diverse Melbourne Cup Carnival culinary line-up is sure to delight event-goers of all tastes and budgets.”

Melbourne Cup Carnival, November 2-9, Flemington Racecourse vrc.com.au/melbourne-cup-carnival