The World's Longest Lunch has been feeding Melbourne since 1993. This year, 1,600 lucky punters will sit down to slow-roasted lamb, portokalopita, and live music that brings the kefi—all celebrating the city's thriving Greek dining scene.
It started on the MCG turf in 1993 with about 400 people. Over three decades later, the World’s Longest Lunch has grown into a 1,600-seat behemoth stretching more than 600 metres through Kings Domain. Past locations have included St Kilda Pier, the Albert Park Grand Prix track, the banks of the Maribyrnong River, and Lygon Street—but the current home at Kings Domain might be its most spectacular setting yet.
For 2026, the lunch goes Greek. Not just any Greek—the kind of Greek cooking that’s been reshaping Melbourne’s dining scene over the past few years. It’s a deliberate choice, honouring one of Australia’s most essential diaspora communities. Melbourne has one of the largest Greek populations outside Greece, and the city’s Greek food scene has evolved well beyond the souvlaki shops of old into sophisticated, contemporary dining that rivals Athens itself.
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The trio behind the menu
The Greek theme brings together three distinct voices in Melbourne’s Hellenic food world. Ella Mittas handles the meze plate, Alex Xinis from Tzaki takes the main course, and Con Christopoulos and Stavros Konis from Kafeneion close things out with dessert.
Ella Mittas is a chef and food writer whose self-published cookbook Ela! Ela! To Turkey and Greece, Then Home was picked up by Murdoch in 2024. Pat Nourse called her “a remarkable new voice in food.” She’s lived and worked in Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Israel, and her Greek heritage runs deep—her father’s family all live on one street with holes cut between their backyard fences. She runs catering company Ela Melbourne and has written for The Guardian, Gourmet Traveller, and The Saturday Paper.
Her meze plate for the lunch includes zucchini fritters with parsley, lemon and dill fava with pickled shallots, tzatziki with roast almonds, sour cherry dolmades, kefalograviera with honey and marjoram, and yoghurt flatbread. It’s the kind of generous spread that sets the tone for what follows.
Alex Xinis opened Yarraville’s Tzaki in 2024 to widespread acclaim. His CV backs up the hype: ten years at Hellenic Republic, time at George Calombaris’s Press Club, and two stints at Athens’ two-Michelin-starred Funky Gourmet learning molecular gastronomy. His grandfather hailed from Ithaca, and Xinis has travelled extensively through Greece, absorbing the regional cooking that now informs Tzaki’s wood-fired menu.
For the World’s Longest Lunch, he’s serving slow-roasted lamb shoulder with braised chickpeas—inspired by Athens’ legendary Diporto taverna—and mustard greens. In September 2025, he opened Kokoras next door, bringing the same chef-driven approach to charcoal chicken.
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Then there’s Kafeneion, the Spring Street tavern run by Con Christopoulos and Stavros Konis. Con is basically Melbourne hospitality royalty—he’s credited with inventing ‘the Melbourne style of hospitality and restaurant design’ through venues like The European, Melbourne Supper Club, City Wine Shop, Siglo, and Butcher’s Diner. Kafeneion, which opened as a pop-up in May 2023 before moving to its permanent Spring Street home in 2024, was the first venue where he actually engaged with his Greek heritage.
Stav’s family has deeper Greek restaurant roots. His grandfather Tony Atherinos founded Salona in Richmond in 1969. Stav took over in 2004 and has recently reopened and expanded it, incorporating lessons learned from working with Con at Kafeneion. He described the experience like “playing basketball with Michael Jordan.”
Their dessert contribution is portokalopita—a classic Greek orange filo cake. The recipe at Kafeneion comes from a co-owner’s friend’s mother. Real yiayia food.
What $285 actually gets you
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The $285 ticket covers plenty. Curtis Stone Events prepares the three-course menu, served by staff dressed by apparel partner Worktones. Wines come from Tahbilk (poured in Plumm glasses), beer from Holgate Brewhouse, water from Capi, and coffee from Five Senses brewed on La Marzocco machines. There’s even a chance to win a $5,999 La Marzocco coffee machine on the day.
Every guest receives a 50ml bottle of MECCA COSMETICA SPF50+ sun serum—practical, given you’ll be sitting outdoors for several hours.
But the real addition for 2026 is the Oceania Cruises Lounge. All lunch guests can pop over to this dedicated space for complimentary meze from Oakleigh’s Vanilla Lounge (inspired by Oceania’s Aegean voyages), Greek-influenced cocktails, and an ouzo tasting from Otways Distillery. There’s also a competition to win a 12-night cruise aboard the Oceania Riviera, valued at $22,000.
The entertainment? Live music “to bring the kefi”—that Greek concept of joy, passion, and high spirits that transforms a good meal into a celebration. The festival organisers describe it as ‘World’s Longest Lunch taken to the next level.’
A festival institution since 1993
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The World’s Longest Lunch has been running almost as long as the festival itself, which launched in 1992 with just 12 events. The inaugural lunch in 1993 seated around 400 guests on the MCG turf. Over three decades, it’s moved to various iconic Melbourne locations and spawned regional offshoots—in 2010, 26 World’s Longest Lunches were held simultaneously across Victoria, feeding 4,500 people.
The event has become a genuine institution. In 2024 and 2025, Andrew McConnell (Gimlet, Cutler & Co, Supernormal) led the cooking. Past editions have celebrated various culinary traditions—2010 went Chinese, coinciding with the Heat Beads Hawkers’ Market at Queen Vic Market.
Food + Drink Victoria CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha called the Greek theme timely: “Greek food in Melbourne is better than ever, with savvy new Greek dining experiences popping up all across the city.” The dining scene has shifted from traditional taverna fare to sophisticated contemporary interpretations, and this year’s lunch reflects that evolution.
The practical details
The World’s Longest Lunch happens on Friday 20 March 2026 at Kings Domain (Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne). It seats 1,600 guests at allocated tables across more than 600 metres of table. Dietary options include low gluten, pescatarian, pork-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
Getting there: it’s a 10-minute walk or short tram ride up St Kilda Road from Flinders Street Station. Tram Stop 17 (Grant Street) is closest. Limited metered street parking is available.
As Bosha puts it: “For 10 days in March there will be nowhere better to eat and drink in the world.” Based on this year’s Greek-themed flagship event, she might be right.
Tickets went on sale in November 2025 and typically sell out quickly. La Trobe Financial is the presenting partner. Check melbournefoodandwine.com.au for availability—though at $285 a head for one of Melbourne’s most iconic dining experiences, expect demand to be high.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
