Grazeland Spotswood heralds a new era in eating out in Melbourne’s west, with the huge 10,000+ square metre site ready to host hungry crowds every weekend in Spotswood!
What is Grazeland Melbourne
Grazeland offers something for seasoned foodies, families and everyone in between, and is inspired by Melbourne’s culture of fantastic and widely varied food.
Positioned next to Scienceworks in the industrial area between Spotswood’s residences and the river, Grazeland food precinct combines a culinary experience and entertainment in one location. It’s the contemporary version of a dinner and a show!
These are not just any old Spotswood food trucks! Each vendor has fitted out their own repurposed shipping container to suit their needs. The rest of the space is designed by Push Projects and Phil Bucknell of Milieu Projects. Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday Grazeland hosts 50 permanent food, drink and artisan goods vendors over the site. They are estimating that the venue will cater for approximately 30,000 visitors each weekend!
It costs $2.50 to enter, payable at the gate. Children under 12 years and carers of a disabled visitor are free. Grazeland opening hours are Friday 5pm until 10pm, Saturday 12pm until 10pm and Sunday 12pm until 9pm.
While the site is primarily open air, there is a lot of shelter so you will still have a good time in Melbourne’s inclement weather.
Live entertainment is promised as well as a stage with live acts. With two stages, and a big screen, Grazeland will play host to local musicians, roving performers and fun kid zones.
There are also a few artisan stalls selling locally produced items, including Australian handmade jewellery from Cuddle The Cat, crystals and essential oils from Mindfulness GraTTitude and nostalgic gifts from Amazing Collectibles among others.
There are also fabulous city views from the site.
Grazeland Food and drinks
There are many sweet and savoury vendors spanning over three areas, so it can be a bit overwhelming to choose! My advice is to set yourself a limit of 1-2 main courses and a dessert. There’s actually not too many ‘grazing’ options as most vendors are offering large dishes, which means there’s an incentive to return again and again in order to try something new!
Menu items include award-winning pizza from 48h, cannoli from Cannoleria by That’s Amore Cheese, Bengali-style curries from The Calcutta Club, frozen cheesecake from Stix, family-favourites from Hooked Fish & Chipper, African BBQ from Tasty Suya, and authentic gelato from Cielo Gelateria among many others.
Drinks are available from Boulevarde Bar, Meadow Bar and Metro Bar – Grazeland’s fully licensed bars. My advice is to get there early and get drinks first, as the queues for the bars are the longest.
If you know that you’re going to be eating and drinking and are eco-conscious, why not BYO containers and utensils? Otherwise, everything gets served to you on single-use plates and boxes, with single-use cutlery, paper napkins and single-use compostable cups and glasses.
That’s a lot of waste being generated every weekend and we can all do our bit for the planet with a little pre-planning!
Grazeland Carparking
There is off-street parking to the left of the site if you are facing the water and the Westgate Bridge. You can also enter Spotswood Grazeland from that dedicated carpark.
There is also limited on-street parking available on the streets, and car parking located inside the Scienceworks carpark.
Grazeland is also accessible via boat from Federation Square, a 17-minute train from Flinders Street Station to Spotswood station and a 10-minute walk, by car or bike, with bicycle parking right at the front gate.
If you’re driving, my pro tip is to arrive just after 4:30pm, when Scienceworks closes and the carpark starts clearing. Then you can nab a spot and hang around until Grazeland opens at 5pm (or if they let you in earlier, spend 10-15 minutes scoping out the food and drink stalls).
You may struggle to find any parking on a Saturday or Sunday when Grazeland opens at 12pm, as the weekends are also when Scienceworks is at its busiest.
Note parking at the dedicated Grazeland parking is free, while Parking at Scienceworks is $4 per day. Payment is by card or pay-by-phone – to register for pay-by-phone go to PayStay. Happily, the parking fee raises funds to support the ongoing exhibitions, collections and research activities at Museum Victoria.
HOT Tips:
- Grazeland promises food and entertainment and cuisine for everyone;
- Entry is $2.50 payable at gate. Children under 12 years and carers of a disabled visitor are free;
- Grazeland opening hours are Friday 5pm – 10pm, Saturday 12pm – 10pm and Sunday 12pm – 9pm; and
- accessible via boat from Federation Square, train to Spotswood station and a 10 minute walk, by car or bike.
