After a bumper regional edition late last year, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) is back for 10 days of tremendous dining and drinking in 2023.

From March 24 to April 2, the state’s premier culinary celebration will host more than 70 events across the city, including many at its festival hub in Fed Square.

Big-name international guests are on the line-up for the Signature Chefs series. Danny Bowien of San Francisco and New York’s wildly popular Mission Chinese Food is putting a plant-based spin on his signature Sichuan-inspired food at Smith & Daughters. Jeremy Chan of London’s lauded Ikoyi – which focuses on sub-Saharan West African food – is headed to Vue de Monde for one night only. Chef’s Table: Pizza star and chef at Tokyo’s Monk, Yoshihiro Imai, is throwing a fancy pizza party at Embla. And more.

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You can also get a taste of Aussie celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s Michelin-starred LA restaurant Gwen at a one-off dinner at his new private dining space in Melbourne, Grace.

More accessible highlights? Baker’s Dozen is a two-day bake-a-thon by some of the city’s absolute best – including Lune (with hot cross cruffins, never before sold outside the croissanterie), All Are Welcome and Monforte, plus soon-to-open Sydney import Totti’s. They’ll be serving limited-edition baked beauties in an open-air market in Fed Square. Celebrity Sausage is a flash-in-the-pan snag sizzle featuring MFWF international guests and big Victorian names making their ultimate sausage in bread (entry is free). Meanwhile, The Festival Bar will have snacks by king of dips and Middle Eastern cooking Tom Sarafian, and Maker & Monger is hosting a boozy, after-dark Cheese-a-Palooza at Prahran Market.

Returning for 2023 is The Convenient Store, while cookbook queen Julia Busuttil Nishimura is taking over Florian, Helly Raichura will teach you how to cook some of her favourite dishes at Enter Via Laundry, and there’ll be a culinary tribute to Studio Ghibli films at Robata.

“We are thrilled to be back after an incredible 30th-anniversary year,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food and Drink Victoria, the not-for-profit behind MFWF.

“Our 2023 program highlights the extraordinary food and drink experiences that make Melbourne so special, from the World’s Longest Lunch and Brunch, which both sold out in record time late last year, to our celebration of Melbourne’s bakers and patissiers at our festival home, Fed Square, and of course international chefs collaborating with some of our very best venues,” she added. Mark March 24 in your diaries.”

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival runs from March 24–April 2. Pre-sale tickets go on sale to MFWF subscribers from January 31; general-release tickets go on sale on February 3.

melbournefoodandwine.com.au