Supper clubs are on the rise, here are our favourites in Melbourne
image via @tablemannersmelbourne/instagram
words by daisy henry
Come for the food, stay for the company.
There’s an art to hosting a great dinner party. Good food and flowing drinks are essential, of course, but so is good company. The hallmarks of a successful dinner party are wine glass stains on tablecloths, wax candles burned down to the rim, and a record that’s left spinning while everyone is immersed in conversation.
If you’re hosting, however, there’s often an added layer of stress that guests aren’t privy to – trying not to burn the main course, topping up people’s drinks or making sure the conversation flows. But when everything comes together, there’s no better feeling.
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Increasingly, there are a number of supper clubs based in Melbourne that are committed to this very cause. Some are some driven by the art of experimental dining, while others encourage you to turn up alone and meet new people.
Either way, these supper clubs take the stress out of organising, allowing you to simply show up and enjoy the night. Find our favourites below.
Club Sup
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Club Sup was an early pioneer of supper clubs, first launching back in 2021. Created by Sophie McIntyre, it began as a way to help people connect in the wake of Covid’s lockdowns. In its beginnings, 12 strangers would gather around a table for dinner in Melbourne. Now Club Sup has expanded across Australia and London, hosting book swaps, lunch clubs and pub trivia alongside its signature dinners at different local venues.
Find more here.
Gruel Club
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Based in Melbourne, Gruel is a consultant agency by day, and an experimental dining platform by night. It was designed as a way to amplify underrepresented voices in hospitality, collaborating with chefs, artists and cultural practitioners to host pop-up events. From Jamaican-style dinners to pie-eating contests and cookbook clubs, no two events are the same.
Find more here.
Supper Hour
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Supper Hour was born out of a love its creators, Abigail and Luke, had for cooking for their friends. It’s since expanded, now offering a rotation of supper clubs and pop-ups that encourage people to meet and connect over good food. With a lineup of events at Dua Bakehouse over the next few months, you can expect communal dining and a multi-course dinner with Southeast Asian-inspired flavours.
Find more here.
Table Manners
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Table Manners was founded by three friends – Sequoia, Lani and Jasmyn – with a mutual adoration for food, cooking and dinner parties. Its menus feature a rotation of fresh produce, including courses of fresh fish and prawns, as well as indulgent desserts, like its lemon and hibiscus meringue tart. Its events run seasonally with limited spaces, so you’ll need to keep an eye on Table Manners’ Instagram page for announcements.
Find more here.
Crush Club
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If you’d like a side of flirting at your next dinner party, then we’d suggest Crush Club. Born out of a frustration with online dating apps, Izzy Burns set out to create speed dating and mixer events, designed to help people connect IRL. Now, Crush Club has teamed up with pasta connoisseurs, Super Norma, to host a monthly flirty dinner series at Fenton Farmhouse. Featuring a three-course menu, you’re given ample time to move around the space and mingle with other guests.
Find more here.
Marty’s Supper Club
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New to the scene is Marty’s Supper Club, which launched in April. Created by friends Damian Coe, Caitlyn Mefflin and Tim O’Sullivan, it’s all about shaking up your weekend and getting outside your comfort zone. Think long, communal tables, unlimited drinks and an abundance of share plates. Each edition travels to a new culture, with its upcoming dinner theme being ‘Mediterranean chaos’.
Find more here.
For more on the rise of supper clubs, head here.
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