A restaurant with wooden floors, small candlelit tables, bookshelves, and red velvet curtains at The Moat.
A dining room with striped walls, exposed ductwork, floral table settings, and candlelit tables at The Moat.
A restaurant with candlelit tables, floral centerpieces, striped accent wall, and large windows at The Moat.
A restaurant with red carpet floors, dark wood tables, and a wall mural of bookshelves at The Moat.

The Moat

Restaurant

#63 of 869 Private Dining venues in Melbourne
#75 of 474 Outdoor Space venues in Melbourne
  6 reviews  – 
176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, 3000 –
Melbourne CBD
From $500
min. spend
Up to 60
seats
Up to 120
standing
Venue offers catering
Italian
cuisine
Parking not available
Manager's avatar
Rosie Avitabile
Your Personal Event Manager from The trustee for RAPBeat Unit Trust
Response rate: 100%
Response time: Within 12 hours
Message host
Partnered with Tagvenue for 7 years
This manager has been a trusted partner of Tagvenue, consistently recognised by customers for their reliability.
Excellent communication - 5/5
4 verified clients rated their communication with the venue manager as 5. They appreciated the manager's professionalism and quick response times.
Message host

Venue overview

Set in a 19th-century bluestone basement, The Moat combines historic charm with a cozy, intimate atmosphere and handmade Italian-inspired dishes. It's perfect for private celebrations like holiday parties or group lunches, with flexible bookings, a PA system, and options for personal music choices.

This is an AI-generated summary based on client reviews and venue profile

Spaces for hire at The Moat

Liberace Room at The Moat
Liberace Room
Dining Room
·
Semi-private area
26 seats
30 standing
A smaller space located just off our courtyard next to our Main Room, the Liberace Room is perfect for more intimate events, with a capacity of up to 26 people seated or 30 standing. Tucked inside a bluestone basement, the Liberace Room's unique decor and cosy atmosphere will delight your guests as they drink and dine.
Alcohol licence until 12:00 am
Unavailable: Alcohol licence extension
PA system / music speakers
Play your own music
from $500 minimum spend
Enquire now
Dining Room at The Moat
Dining Room
Dining Room
·
Private space
60 seats
70 standing
Dining Room, a private dining room in The Moat restaurant. The space presents a compact, low‑ceilinged interior emphasised by bold vertical striped wallpaper and enclosed banquette seating. Design: The room pairs red carpeting and a long upholstered banquette with dark timber chairs and small marble‑topped tables. The ceiling shows exposed service...
Alcohol licence until 12:00 am
Unavailable: Alcohol licence extension
PA system / music speakers
Play your own music
from $4000 minimum spend
Enquire now
Entire Venue at The Moat
Entire Venue
Restaurant
·
Whole venue
54 seats
120 standing
The Moat is an intimate all-day basement restaurant defined by an Italian-influenced Modern European menu. Design: The dining rooms sit beneath street level within exposed bluestone walls and low ceilings, creating an intimate scale. The interior pairs timber tables and simple lighting with restrained finishes for a compact, understated appearance...
Alcohol licence until 12:00 am
Unavailable: Alcohol licence extension
Unavailable: PA system / music speakers
Play your own music
from $6500 minimum spend
Enquire now

Event offers

Christmas Party Offers

Christmas Dinner Menu – Dining Room – Dining Room

$90 per person

• Festive set dinner menu
APPETISERS
1. Marinated nocellara olives
2. Ricotta di mandorle (whipped almond ricotta) with tomato, olive, spice, basil
3. Oysters, red wine mignonette
ENTREES
1. Buratta, olive XO with focaccia
2. Prosciutto di Palma and parmesan
MAINS
1. Gnocchi, pesto, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, parmesan
2. Loddon Estate whole marinated chicken, pork & fennel stuffing, dressed greens
3. Whole baby snapper, herb salad, lemon
4. Slow cooked lamb shoulder, baby carrots, jus
SIDES
1. Shaved fennel & feta, green olive, caper salad
2. Roast chat potatoes, aioli
DESSERTS
1. Pistachio Tiramisu
2. Baci Brulee
See full offer

Reviews and ratings

4.9
2 recent guests highly rated amenities, cleanliness, location and service quality
Amenities
5.0
Cleanliness
5.0
Location
5.0
Service quality
5.0
Value for money
5.0
Communication
5.0
Verified reviews come from Tagvenue users. All reviews are checked by our team to uphold our trust and safety standards.
LW
Laura W.
Verified review
Christmas Dinner · 55 guests · December 2025 · Dining Room
Great venue for our Christmas Party, had the venue to ourselves which worked really well, outside pre-lunch drinks was nice, excellent food and vibe. Rosie was very accommodating to all our request.
5.0
MJ
Mel J.
Verified review
Christmas Party · 20 guests · December 2023 · Liberace Room
We had our staff Christmas lunch at The Moat. From the beginning, Rosie was responsive and helpful, & allowed us a lot of flexibility with our booking. We very much enjoyed both the food and the space, and staff were both efficient and helpful. The Moat catered extremely well for our gluten/dairy free guest and everyone enjoyed the food. We had a lovely time.
4.8
LW
Laura W.
Verified review
Excellent communication
5.0
AC
Amanda C.
Verified review
Excellent communication
5.0

Prices and opening hours

Sunday
Closed
Monday
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $500–$6500 min. spend
Dining Room
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $4000 min. spend
Liberace Room
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $500 min. spend
Entire Venue
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend
Tuesday
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $500–$6500 min. spend
Dining Room
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $4000 min. spend
Liberace Room
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $500 min. spend
Entire Venue
9:00 am – 10:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend
Wednesday
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $500–$6500 min. spend
Dining Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $4000 min. spend
Liberace Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $500 min. spend
Entire Venue
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend
Thursday
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $500–$6500 min. spend
Dining Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $4000 min. spend
Liberace Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $500 min. spend
Entire Venue
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend
Friday
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $750–$8500 min. spend
Dining Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend
Liberace Room
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $750 min. spend
Entire Venue
9:00 am – 11:00 pm
from $8500 min. spend
Saturday
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
from $500–$6500 min. spend
Dining Room
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
from $4000 min. spend
Liberace Room
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
from $500 min. spend
Entire Venue
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
from $6500 min. spend

Best Price guarantee: you will always pay the same price as booking directly with the venue, and we never add hidden or processing fees.

Facilities and catering options

Up to 120
standing
Up to 60
seats
In-house catering
Italian
cuisine
Promoted / ticketed events
Alcohol provided
Unavailable: External catering allowed
Unavailable: Parking available
Unavailable: Accommodation available
Unavailable: BYO alcohol

About The Moat

The Moat is a Trusted Tagvenue Partner, validated by the Tagvenue team with a record of successful bookings on the platform.

Designed by artist Christo Gillard, The Moat is tucked beneath the iconic State Library building. Its custom interior pays homage to the heritage nostalgia.

It is a perfect escape away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Enjoy worldly food and wine among 19th Century bluestone walls, our homely courtyard, and the timeless literature housed above.

FAQ

No, guests are not allowed to bring in their own food.

Cancellations up to 24 hours from event start time will receive a full refund.

Cancellations for events starting within 24 hours are non-refundable.

At The Moat, the following catering options are available:

  • In-house catering service is available

The Moat does not offer parking facilities.

Here are some event spends from guests who recently held events at The Moat:

  • Liberace Room hosting 20 guests: $976.64
  • Dining Room hosting 55 guests: $3150
  • Entire Venue hosting 100 guests: $4032

For detailed pricing tailored to your event, please contact the venue.

The Moat is located at 176 Little Lonsdale Street, in Melbourne CBD.

It is! Here's what guests who have hosted holiday celebrations there are saying:

  • Mel J. rated it 4.8/5 stars
    'We had our staff Christmas lunch at The Moat. From the beginning, Rosie was responsive and helpful, & allowed us a lot of flexibility with our booking. We very much enjoyed both the food and the space, and staff were both efficient and helpful. The Moat catered extremely well for our gluten/dairy free guest and everyone enjoyed the food. We had a lovely time.'

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Explore other spaces in the area

176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, 3000
Public transportation
Parking
Hotels
Public transportation
  • Bus Trades Hall/Lygon St 400 m
  • Bus Victoria St/Rathdowne St 450 m
  • Bus Queensberry St/Lygon St 550 m
  • Train Melbourne Central 250 m
  • Train Parliament 700 m
  • Taxi Book Maxi Van 600 m
  • Taxi Melbourne Airport Maxi Cab 700 m
Parking
  • Parking QV Melbourne Car Park - 200 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 100 m
  • Parking QV1 Residents Car Park - Queen Victoria, Melbourne 100 m
Hotels
  • StayCentral - Melbourne Central (Melbourne CBD) 100 m
  • 코즈웨이353 200 m
  • The Town Apartments 200 m
  • Mantra on Russell Melbourne 250 m

The Moat is popular for

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Australia > Melbourne > Melbourne CBD > The Moat