Australian Open 2023: Best places to eat, drink at the tennis

From tennis ball-shaped desserts, mouth-watering burgers and a fresh take on soft serve — these are the best things to eat at the tennis.

Game, set, eat.

The Australian Open is serving its largest, and most impressive, food and drink line-up to date. Here’s your ultimate guide to the best courtside eats and drinks.

Double yellowfin tuna cheeseburger at Charcoal Fish.

1. Charcoal Fish’s double yellowfin tuna cheeseburger: $24

Sydney fish whisperer Josh Niland is bringing the Charcoal Fish craze to Melbourne for the first time. He’ll serve his famous fish cheeseburger — made from two yellowfin tuna cutlets, potato buns and melty cheese — next door the AO Beach Bar for that ultimate summer feel.

Beach Bar

Get your laughing gear around Cam Com’s bahn mi.

2. Ca Com’s banh mi: $18

Jeow owners Thi Le and JY Lee are taking their Richmond-famous Ca Com sandwich courtside. For tennis crowds, the duo go for straight sets with their classic bahn mi and refreshingly light rice noodle bowls.

Grand Slam Oval

Another massive sanger to put on your to-eat list.

3. Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca’s meatball sub: $21.90

This saucy sub packs the Fitzroy diner’s signature pork and beef meatballs into a crusty white roll, bathed in red sauce and grated parmigano. After something more compact? Try the iconic bologna or eggplant parma sandwiches.

Grand Slam Oval

Oasis’ halloumi cheese pie is making its AO debut.

4. Oasis’ halloumi cheese pie: $12

The Markool’s Murrumbeena bakery-turned-Lebanese food hub, Oasis, is making its AO debut with its signature halloumi cheese pie. Expect other Middle Eastern delicacies such as falafel, tabouli, spinach and ricotta pies and chicken and chips.

Grand Slam Oval

The AO is another place to try Mischa Tropp’s sensational southern Indian treats.

5. Elsies’ butter chicken: $23

After his lockdown side hustle, Elsies’ Butter Chicken success, chef Mischa Tropp is taking his southern Indian treats to Grand Slam Oval. Try the classic (named after his grandmother) with rice and raita but also misal pav (bean curry), spring bay mussels in Kashmiri chilli and a Goan curry-inspired fish sandwich.

Grand Slam Oval

The B.East crew don’t do things by halves.

6. The B.East’s Beastie Boi: $17.90

Brunswick East’s bangin’ burger bar doesn’t do things by halves. Wagyu beef, jack cheddar, pickles, onion, ketchup and a special Beast sauce are piled high n this rockstar creation. There are also fried chook, cheese or vegan burgers.

Grand Slam Oval

An old fave gets a whirl inside the Maha superbox.

7. Maha’s Turkish delight doughnuts:

One of Shane Delia’s OG desserts is all golden-fried crisp, filled with a sweet Turkish delight surprise to take you into the next set. Only available to the lucky few who have ‘superbox at the tennis’ money.

Maha Superbox, Rod Laver Arena

Fishbowl keeps your NY health resolutions in-check.

8. Fishbowl’s The O.G salmon: $18.90

These perfectly portable poke bowls are good for your health and the planet. Fishbowl now uses a more sustainable and ethical New Zealand salmon, making it impossible for us to pass up The O.G. salmon sashimi bowl with all the trimmings.

Grand Slam Oval

Take a trip to Mexico via Melbourne at Tacos y Liquor.

9. Tacos y Liquor’s pollo de tinga taco: $22.50

Igni chef Aaron Turner’s love letter to Mexico is travelling through Melbourne. Make a pass on the pollo de tinga — all shredded chicken, corn tortilla and with loads of oaxaca cheese, pico de gallo and chillies. Fish and bean tacos, nachos and Mexican fries are also available.

Grand Slam Oval

No need to make a pit stop at Supernormal after the tennis, it’s here for you to enjoy daily throughout the tournament.

10. Supernormal’s peanut butter parfait: $18.50 (terrace menu)

Andrew McConnell’s mod-Japanese is putting the classics front and centre (court) this AO, with prawns, chicken and prawn dumplings, and Supernormal’s must-order peanut butter parfait.

Centrepiece

NOMAD takes Melbourne’s sandwich craze and ups it with this creation.

11. NOMAD’s ice-cream sandwich: dining packages start at $175 per person

NOMAD Melbourne’s Jacqui Challinor leans into the city’s sandwich craze with her sensational summer spin-off made with luxuriously silky olive oil ice cream, filo and pistachios.

Atrium

Stokehouse got the ‘make your food look like tennis balls’ brief.

12. Stokehouse’s lemonade eton mess tennis ball: packages start at $320 per person

Stokehouse executive chef Jason Staudt’s three-course feast may be a celebration of the sea, but this cute as a button tennis ball-inspired lemonade eton mess has our vote.

Glasshouse

13. Everything at Eastern Lounge’s Fusion Feast

Enjoy five southeast Asian faves under one roof, with chef Adam D’Sylva (Lollo, Tonka, Coda), Scott Pickett (Longrain), Lee Ho Fook’s Victor Liong, GLACE’s Christy Tania and Carlton newbie Leonie Upstairs preparing the ultimate tennis banquet. Expect Lee Ho Fook’s duck and taro salad, D’Sylva’s chicken sliders and Longrain’s squid and banana blossom and GLACE’s AO signature tennis balls, made with passionfruit kalamansi jelly and coconut mousse.

John Cain Arena

Soft serve. Peaches. Raspberries. Get in my mouth.

14. Peach Melbourne soft serve: $6

Eating a tub of strawberries with a dollop of cream may be trending at Wimbledon, but in Melbourne it’s about peaches. Making its AO debut, this soft serve drizzles raspberries and peach syrup (made from drought-stricken Shepparton fruit) through vanilla soft serve for the ultimate summer staple.

Show Court 3, Kia Arena

And four drink moments

Rachael Drummond, Mauro Butera, Lora Smith and Cait Noonan enjoy a Picnic with Peroni. Picture: Emily Reeves

Picnic with Peroni

While you can sip Peroni courtside at the Australian Open, the Italian beer giant is also giving away 300 free picnic packs at The Botanical Hotel in South Yarra on Saturday 21 January between 11am and 5pm, or until the allocation is exhausted. Each comes with a six pack of Peroni Nastro Azzuro 0.0%, two PET glasses, a bottle opener, tote bag and choice of soft and hard cheeses, breads, charcuterie, fruit, dips and olives.

Piper Heidsieck Champagne Bar

Pop in for a glass of French fizz before a spot of tennis, with an exclusive jeroboam service from 3-4pm daily when you buy a glass of bubbles. Rustica is on the kitchen tools, arranging cheese platters and slinging baguettes at the Parisian-inspired terrace bar.

Rod Laver Arena Terrace

Raise a glass to this iconic Australian winery at the tennis.

AO Spritz

Two Melbourne bars will shake up their version of a summer spritz. Nick and Nora’s is making a vodka-based drink, while The Everleigh will serve its set point spritz made from Grainshaker vodka, hibiscus, cinnamon, Italian bitters and lemon.

Nick and Nora in Rod Laver Arena Superbox 8

The Everleigh AO Beach Bar and Beach Bar Cabanas

Penfolds Grange moment

Taste the latest vintage release of Australia’s most iconic wine, Penfold’s Grange, with a four-course lunch at the Penfold’s restaurant, designed by Magill Estate’s Scott Huggins. Week one dishes may include tuna with mustard and cucumber, toothfish with miso and pickle and slow cooked beef.

Centrepiece, Level 2.