A set lunch is a fixed, limited menu offered at a set price, usually running for a shorter window than dinner service and often restricted to weekdays. Richmond restaurants, like plenty of others across Melbourne, have long used set lunches to fill the middle of the day with a simpler, quicker format than a full à la carte service. This page covers how set lunches generally work, what tends to be included, and how to think about a Friday set lunch specifically, since Friday lunch has its own particular culture in Melbourne.
How set lunches are usually structured
Most set lunches offer two or three courses, sometimes with a small choice within each course rather than a completely open menu. A typical structure might be a starter or soup, a main, and either a simple dessert or a coffee to finish, priced noticeably below what the same three courses would cost ordered individually off the regular menu. Some venues run a single fixed menu with no choice at all, which keeps the kitchen fast and the price lower again, useful if your lunch window is tight.
Why restaurants run them
Set lunches exist mainly to bring in weekday midday trade that would otherwise be quiet for a kitchen built around a busier dinner service. For diners, the appeal is straightforward: a proper sit-down meal at a lower price and in a shorter time than ordering à la carte, which suits anyone working nearby or squeezing a meal into a break. For Southeast Asian restaurants specifically, a set lunch is often where you will see rotating daily specials, since it gives the kitchen a way to use ingredients efficiently across a smaller, more predictable midday menu.
The Friday lunch tradition
Friday lunch carries a slightly different tone to the rest of the working week in Melbourne, often running longer and sometimes stretching well past the usual hour, particularly among groups marking the end of the week together. Richmond, with its mix of office workers, local residents and a dense run of restaurants within easy walking distance, is a reasonable place to find this kind of lunch, whether at a set-menu venue or somewhere offering a relaxed, unhurried take on the midday meal. If your Friday lunch group is bigger than a table for two or four, it is worth checking ahead whether the venue can accommodate a longer sitting, since some set lunch services are timed tightly to turn tables for a second seating.
Comparing a set lunch to other formats
| Format | Best suited to |
|---|---|
| Set lunch (fixed menu) | Quick, predictable weekday meals, often with limited choice |
| À la carte | Smaller groups wanting flexibility over exactly what they order |
| Long lunch or banquet | Groups with more time, especially on weekends |
| Bottomless brunch | Weekend groups prioritising drinks alongside food |
What to check before booking a set lunch
- Is the price per person fixed, or does it depend on which main you choose within the set?
- Does the set menu accommodate common dietary requirements, or is there a separate menu for that?
- Is there a time limit on the table, particularly if the venue runs a tight lunch service?
- Does the set lunch run every weekday, or only on specific days?
- Is a booking required, or does the venue take set-lunch walk-ins?
Related formats worth comparing
If you are weighing up a set lunch against ordering individually from the full menu, our guide to Southeast Asian dishes worth ordering covers how to build a shared à la carte meal instead. Whichever format you land on, our guide to booking a restaurant in Melbourne covers the general process of securing a table, including deposits and cancellation terms that can apply even to a simple weekday lunch booking.