Mother's Day Dining
Community
May 7, 2026
There’s the table you book and the one you set yourself. This Mother’s Day, James St does both.
EAT OUT
From Japanese to Lebanese and everything in between, these are set menus that do the thinking for you.
ēmmē
There’s something for every type of mum at ēmmē this Mother’s Day. Seafood lovers are covered with oysters and raw Ora King salmon with tahini and pickled jalapeños, while those after something richer can tuck into wagyu skewers with ginger salsa and a slow-cooked spiced lamb shoulder with zucchini tzatziki.
Price: $88 per person, including champagne on arrival for Mum
Book here
ESSA
Sunday School returns at ESSA, with a family-style lunch that feels right at home on the day dedicated to the familial matriarch. Expect chickpea beignets with pumpkin hot sauce, kingfish crudo with salted orange, and prawns cooked over fire with garlic and anchovy, with a spatchcock chicken stuffed with mortadella taking centre stage. Plus, there’s a flourless chocolate torte with brandy cream from Head Chef Phil Merchant’s very own mum to round things out.
Price: $79 per person
Book here
Gerard’s
If you know Gerard’s, you know the drill. A spread of Middle Eastern dishes made to share, plenty of colour, plenty of spice, and more than enough to go around. Expect warm bread, bright salads, and something slow-cooked anchoring the table.
Price: $110 per person
Book here
Mosconi
Mosconi is doing what it does best for Mother’s Day, a proper Italian spread. Prosciutto, burrata and fig, beef carpaccio and grilled prawns to kick things off, then it’s on to mains of pappardelle ragu, Moreton Bay bug linguini, eye fillet or local fish. The difficult decisions continue with dessert where it's the choice between chocolate tart, mascarpone semifreddo or sweet and savoury cheese board.
Price: $130 per person / $50 per child
Book here
NIIWA
A little bit of everything comes together at NIIWA, where the banquet-style menu brings out house pickles, prawn and scallop gyoza, prawn toast and wagyu skewers, followed by charcoal chicken with rice.
Price: $78 per person / $38 per child, including champagne on arrival for Mum
Book here
Penelope
Penelope is keeping it classic for the big day; four courses, two different options for each and one happy mum. Think oysters, beef tartare, yellowfin tuna tartare, grilled pumpkin with walnuts, line-caught fish or braised lamb shoulder with preserved lemon. And there’s dessert in the form of a rhubarb and vanilla baked Alaska.
Price: $110 per person, including a glass of Prosecco on arrival
Book here
EAT IN
For those keeping celebrations closer to home.
Gelato Messina
Chocolates might be tradition, but Gelato Messina is doing things differently with Scoops of Motherlode, a limited-edition flavour folding milk chocolate gelato through dark chocolate crackles and salted dark chocolate fudge.
Grab a tub or two in store from Saturday 9 May, while stocks last.
Jocelyn’s Provisions
Bring the feast to mum with chef-prepared savoury creations like beef and red wine pies and prosciutto and brie tarts, and expertly crafted sweet treats including shortbread love hearts, coconut layered cakes and passionfruit tarts from Jocelyn’s Provisions.
Order online here, while stocks last.
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