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Best things to eat and drink at the Australian Open 2025

From fat deli-meat loaded sangers to some cluckin’ good fried chicken, and cheap sweet treats — these are the best-value eats to try courtside at the tennis.

What the Chefs will be eating at the Australian Open

Slam something deliciously grand at the Australian Open 2025, with an ace line-up of culinary talent hitting Olympic Park’s (food) courts this summer.

From fat deli-meat loaded sangers to some cluckin’ good fried chicken — we’re got you sorted.

Here are our must-try eats and treats for under $20.

Silkspoon chef Victor Liong and Italian home cook Julia Busuttil Nishimura are among the new foodie faces cooking at this year’s Australian Open. Picture: David Crosling.
Silkspoon chef Victor Liong and Italian home cook Julia Busuttil Nishimura are among the new foodie faces cooking at this year’s Australian Open. Picture: David Crosling.

1. AO coffee or chocolate frappé: $12

A thirst-quencher and dessert rolled into one soft-serve swirled drink. The AO Frappe is spiked with either a shot of espresso or chocolate, topped with milk and ice for the ultimate grab-and-go chilled indulgence.

John Cain Arena, Courtside Bar at Garden Square

The AO has your grab-and-go caffeine hit sorted. Picture: David Caird
The AO has your grab-and-go caffeine hit sorted. Picture: David Caird

2. Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s ricotta pastizzi: $15 for two

Home cook queen and best-selling author Julia Busuttil Nishimura makes her AO debut, sharing her childhood recipes straight from the Malta vault. Her ricotta pastizzi is a traditional pastry, filled with either meat or cheese, but for the tennis she’ll pipe cloud white ricotta into filo puffs for a pretty as a picture snack.

Garden Square

It’s Italia, in a sandwich.
It’s Italia, in a sandwich.

3. Piccolo Panini Bar’s caprese panini: $19

Hawthorn’s Italian sanger pros cut no corners with their caprese. They slather bright pesto on fresh focaccia and pile it high with all the traditional trimmings: fresh tomatoes, basil and bouncy bocconcini.

Garden Square

Ooey, gooey, salty and crumbly — what else could you ask for a lunch?
Ooey, gooey, salty and crumbly — what else could you ask for a lunch?

4. A1 Bakery’s halloumi cheese pie: $12

The Sydney Road bakery staple has landed at the AO. The Lebanese pie is built with shortcrust and filled with the gooey salty Greek cheese. It makes the ultimate portable lunch pal. Napkins are necessary.

Garden Square

Get your fried veg spring roll fix at Good Days.
Get your fried veg spring roll fix at Good Days.

5. Good Days’ vegetable spring rolls: $14.90 for three.

There’s no bad days in the food forecast with this veg-loaded spring rolls, served golden crisp and hot from the fryer, best enjoyed wrapped in refreshing iceberg lettuce and dunked in a soy-pineapple sauce.

Western Courts

Fried chicken doesn’t get any better than this.
Fried chicken doesn’t get any better than this.

6. Tennessee Wingboys’s Nashville chicken tenders, fries and sauce: $16.50

Get your dirty bird fix with battered and fried chicken tenders, chippies and a sauce of your choosing.

Western Courts

El Jannah’s Melbourne domination continues at the AO.
El Jannah’s Melbourne domination continues at the AO.

7. El Jannah’s crispy chicken burger: $17.50

Sydney’s family-run fast food fave is taking over Melbourne, with its sights firmly set on the AO. Here you can try their famed chicken burger: batter-fried breast is whack between two sesame-seed buns and stacked with lettuce and EJ’s secret sauce.

Grand Slam Oval

Steamed beef dumplings doused in crunchy chilli oil makes the ultimate courtside lunch. Picture: Brendan Beckett
Steamed beef dumplings doused in crunchy chilli oil makes the ultimate courtside lunch. Picture: Brendan Beckett

8. Silkspoon by Victor Liong’s steamed beef dumplings (7 per serve): $18.90

Lee Ho Fook star chef Victor Liong has come out swinging with his first AO appearance. His crowdpleasing steamed beef dumplings, already a hit at his cheery Cantonese canteen Silkspoon, get a whirl courtside. Swipe in vinegar, chilli oil or soy for best results.

Grand Slam Oval

Get your veg fix at The Filipino Project.
Get your veg fix at The Filipino Project.

9. The Filipino Project’s corn ribs: $13.90

Hot from the Adelaide market circuit, The Filipino Project will be proudly waving the flag for all foods from the Island nation. Owner John Viojan will slick his famed corn-ribs with adobo mayo and crispy shallots.

Grand Slam Oval

Stalactites is on a mission to feed hungry mouths at the AO.
Stalactites is on a mission to feed hungry mouths at the AO.

10: Stalactites’ veggie souvlaki: $19.90

Melbourne’s late-night Greek Gods are here to answer your calls after a massive day at Tennis HQ. They’re on a mission to fill hungry mouths with their signature souvlakis. The veggie souva sees a veg and feta fritter swaddled with lettuce, tomato, onion, carrot, cucumber and tzatziki in a pita wrap.

Grand Slam Oval

Don’t want to break the bank? Here is a cool snack under $10.
Don’t want to break the bank? Here is a cool snack under $10.

11. Peach Melbourne: $7.50

The sweet Aussie riff on Wimbledon’s royal strawberries and cream treat is back for another season. Vanilla soft serve swirls with peach sorbet — made from homegrown fruit — twinkled with raspberry dust for an all-round magical experience.

Court 3, Kia Arena and Topcourt

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/food/best-things-to-eat-and-drink-at-the-australian-open-2025/news-story/c5b4be55bb3cade6a3f41b41eca9cd3b