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Seamstress Restaurant and Bar

113 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

4.4 (861)
Google icon

Bar

32 Seated
120 Standing

Within the dark mauve façade of 113 Lonsdale Street lies Seamstress Restaurant and Bar. What was once a former textile factory, 1930s sweatshop, brothel and Buddhist monastery is now home to one of Melbourne’s much loved restaurants and cocktail bar.

Split over four distinct levels, each mirroring the theme of the building, with draping rolls of raw fabric, a multicoloured collection of yarns, scattered Singer sewing machines and silk cheongsams hung from the ceiling which adds a quirky touch to the building’s décor.

The levels consist of The Sweatshop Basement Bar and Yard, Drystore Espresso, Dining Room and Cocktail Bar, each level different to the other.

Located on the edge of Chinatown and in the heart of Melbourne's vibrant East End Theatre District, Seamstress has something for everyone. It’s a quintessential Melbourne haunt, with interiors and a history to match.

From team meetings, long lunches, birthday celebrations and everything in between Seamstress offers everything you need to make your next event truly memorable.

Our function spaces and dining options allow us to cater for a variety of events, with stand-up cocktail style events to intimate private dining experiences.

Both private and semi-private room options are available with AV capabilities on request.


Seamstress Restaurant and Bar Function Rooms

2 Spaces Available At This Venue
Sweatshop Basement Bar & Yard

Sweatshop Basement Bar & Yard

In the basement underneath Seamstress lies The Sweatshop Basement Bar & Yard, a New York inspired self-contained function area with an urban and industrial chic vibe. A robust space allowing for complete privacy for sit down dinners of up to 32 guests, to stand up cocktail style events for up to 120 guests. Suitable for any daytime function or evening event from special occasions, corporate events and Christmas parties to networking events and product launches. We offer personal bar service, an extensive canapé and dinner menu with seating and table options to suit any occasion. Available any day and night of the week for exclusive hire.
32
120
Price on Request
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Cocktail Bar

Cocktail Bar

Perched at the top of the staircase, lies the Seamstress Cocktail Bar, a Prohibition-style bar inspired by the clubs of yesteryear where ice spheres are hand-carved for the selection of premium spirits. Jazz and blues play in the background while dim lighting adds to the venues ambiance, but it’s the colourful array of cheongsams hung from the ceiling that completes the picture. The Cocktail Bar is a perfect venue for networking events, corporate celebrations, milestone birthdays and engagement parties.
100
Price on Request
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Google iconReviews for Seamstress Restaurant and Bar

Foodie Luwee

December 18, 2025

Seamstress is such a nice and cosy spot, perfect for a relaxed dinner or just drinks. The food portions are massive and there’s a great variety to choose from, especially for the price, definitely value for money. Everything we tried was satisfying, but the desserts were my absolute favourite specially the pumpkin and coconut custard. A great place to catch up with friends or enjoy a laid-back night out.

Haylee Trinh

December 5, 2025

I tried the $85 per person Four-Course Banquet at Seamstress, and overall I had a really enjoyable night. The dishes are beautifully presented, the flavours are balanced, and you get a good mix of seafood, crispy bites, and slow-cooked meats. The starters were fresh and light — especially the kingfish sashimi and the wonton — which is a really nice way to open up the meal. My favourites were definitely the crispy soft-shell crab and the crispy Brussels sprouts; both were super flavourful and not too heavy. The mains were filling, especially the braised beef short rib and the pork belly. If you come in hungry, the $85 banquet is worth it because you get plenty of variety and enough food to feel satisfied. But if you’re someone who doesn’t eat large portions or you’re not super hungry, the $70pp banquet would honestly be enough. The menu is quite similar and still gives you a great taste of everything without feeling too full. Service was friendly, the space has that cosy laneway-Melbourne vibe, and overall it’s a great spot for a nice dinner with friends or a date.

Mareska Rambing

June 20, 2025

Initially one of my friends was a bit skeptic about the place, but we all ended up loving it. Nice cocktails - tailor made by the bartender based on each one of us preferences; we loved the corn fitter snack. Interesting interior based on its name. Good service.

Shayan Soroush

June 1, 2025

Great cocktail bar in Melbourne - we had a small group function here and we were looked after well. The finger food was decent, the soft shell crab burgers were something else… unreal. The soup dumplings and the mango/coconut bites were a bit small, even considering they’re finger food.

Riley M

April 23, 2025

Unfortunately my experience here was ruined. The atmosphere of the restaurant is fantastic. The service I received was fantastic. Chris. My server was very gracious and professional. The taste of the food was also quite nice but unfortunately towards the end of my meal I felt a crunch and as I pulled it out of my mouth it seem to be a small bit of glass or glass like material in my food which is quite unfortunate as I was really enjoying myself before this moment I was refunded the cost of the part of the meal that contained this glass like substance although the atmosphere and service was fantastic I am unsure if I’ll be able to recommend this place considering what happened


Frequently Asked Questions


Amenities & Extras

Food & Beverage

Bar Tab

Audio Visual Equipment (AV)

Microphone
Projector
Speakers

Other Amenities & Extras

External Music or DJ
Free Room Hire
Furniture Hire
Lighting
Natural light
Outdoor Space
Restroom
Smoking Area

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