Modern Australian cuisine
Contemporary Australian cuisine provides the dining foundation, with thoughtful plates designed for an evening that can be leisurely, social and shared around the table.
Lantern & Lore · Australian restaurant
Australia's Home of Offline Poker & Premium Dining.
Discover contemporary Australian cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, welcoming card tables and unforgettable offline poker evenings in a sophisticated restaurant setting.
The restaurant
The restaurant, set for sharing
Lantern & Lore is a premium restaurant shaped around contemporary Australian dining, generous conversation and the pleasure of gathering at a well-set table. Seasonal food, handcrafted drinks and local wines give every visit its own rhythm, whether you arrive for a long shared meal or settle in before or after a relaxed Offline Poker session. Dining remains at the centre: a welcoming place to pause, taste, talk and make an evening of it.
Seasonal menu
A seasonal menu keeps the restaurant experience connected to the moment, offering a fresh reason to return and discover the table anew.
Signature cocktails
Signature cocktails bring a crafted, celebratory note to the room, whether they begin a dinner or accompany easy conversation between courses.
Local wines
Local wines offer a relaxed way to explore Australian hospitality, selected as part of a meal, a shared occasion or an unhurried evening out.
Shared dining
Shared dining encourages guests to pass, taste and compare, making the meal feel naturally suited to friends, groups and table-side conversation.
Chef specials
Chef specials add an extra point of interest for diners looking for something distinctive, while keeping the focus on the pleasure of the restaurant table.
Offline Poker
Offline Poker, made for the table
Our Offline Poker Nights bring people together around an easy, polished social ritual within the restaurant. Sessions are organised as social offline entertainment, played in person with playing chips only, without betting or cash prizes. Newcomers and regular groups can settle into a welcoming, unhurried atmosphere where conversation matters as much as the cards, and restaurant service remains part of the occasion.
Social offline entertainment, in person, using playing chips only — without betting or cash prizes.
At the Poker Tables
Comfortable professional poker tables make room for face-to-face conversation in a Friendly Card Room. The pace is relaxed, the setting is social, and playing chips only keep the focus on shared entertainment. Simple poker etiquette guidance helps everyone feel at ease around the table.
A friendly way to join
Beginner-friendly sessions welcome guests who are curious, returning players and friends joining together. There is no need to arrive as an expert: the emphasis is on good company, clear table manners and a calm restaurant setting that makes starting feel approachable.
Hosted Poker Nights
Hosted Poker Nights bring group poker evenings into a dining-and-drinks setting, with restaurant service during events helping the occasion flow naturally from table conversation to cards. Explore a social evening that feels hosted, warm and entirely in person.
Private Poker Lounge
For a more focused gathering, private poker lounge and Private Poker Room enquiries can be explored alongside dining. A Poker Lounge setting gives groups a dedicated social context without losing the comfort and hospitality of the restaurant around it.
All poker evenings are social offline entertainment. No betting. No cash prizes.
Card Lounge
A Card Lounge with room to settle in
The premium Card Lounge is a quieter space for conversation, face-to-face play and the gentle rhythm of an evening together. Comfortable leather seating and dedicated poker tables give the Card Room a composed, intimate feel, while the wider restaurant keeps hospitality close at hand. Think of it as a Poker Lounge without casino theatre: a place to settle in, share the table and enjoy being present with your group.
Considering private card room bookings? Explore Private Functions for tailored group occasions and a conversation about your preferred style of gathering.
Explore private card room bookingsCorporate gatherings
Bring colleagues together around shared food, conversation and an in-person social game, with the Card Lounge offering a polished setting for a different kind of group evening.
Friends' nights
Friends can make an evening of dinner, drinks and a relaxed table ritual, leaving plenty of space for catching up as well as playing chips-only social poker.
Birthday celebrations
Birthday celebrations can begin with the restaurant table and continue with conversation in the lounge, creating a warm, shared occasion that feels personal rather than performative.
Events
Evenings worth gathering for
Our events programme brings together dining, drinks, community and Social Poker occasions. Dates are updated when announced, so each listing below uses an editable programme label rather than a fixed schedule. Explore the changing mix of Offline Poker Nights, restaurant-led gatherings and social evenings, then visit the events page for current detail.
Programme dates: editable when announced
Date to be announced
Weekly Offline Poker Night
A regular social table occasion for guests who enjoy in-person Offline Poker alongside restaurant hospitality. Playing chips only are used, with no wagering or cash prizes.
Explore this eventDate to be announced
Beginners Card Lounge Evening
A welcoming entry point for poker-curious guests to join a Friendly Card Lounge session in person. Social play uses playing chips only, with no wagering or cash prizes.
Explore this eventDate to be announced
Team Poker Night
A group-focused Social Poker evening that combines conversation, restaurant atmosphere and in-person play. Sessions use playing chips only and include no wagering or cash prizes.
Explore this eventDate to be announced
Chef's Dinner
A restaurant-led evening for guests drawn to contemporary Australian dining, shared table conversation and the changing interest of a focused chef occasion.
Explore this eventDate to be announced
Cocktail Evening
A crafted drinks occasion with signature cocktails, local wine and an easy restaurant mood for guests looking to discover the bar-side character of Lantern & Lore.
Explore this eventDate to be announced
Trivia Night
A social restaurant evening built around shared tables, friendly conversation and the pleasure of gathering with people who enjoy a little collective curiosity.
Explore this eventPrivate Functions
Private functions with a social edge
Private Functions at Lantern & Lore begin with hosted restaurant hospitality and can include an optional social card component. Private poker evenings, exclusive Card Lounge hire and business events can be explored through an enquiry shaped around your occasion. A Poker Dining Experience brings dinner, conversation and in-person social play together using playing chips only, without wagering or cash prizes. It is an opportunity to create a gathering with a clear sense of place.
Tell us whether your occasion includes a group meal, a celebration, access considerations or a card-room context, and we can begin the conversation from there.
Plan a private functionCorporate dinners
Bring a corporate dinner into a more considered restaurant setting, with space to explore shared dining and, where suitable, a social card component for colleagues.
Team building
Team building can centre on conversation and a hosted table experience, with private poker evenings considered as an optional, in-person social activity for your group.
Birthday parties
Birthday parties can combine dinner, drinks and the relaxed energy of a group gathering. Ask about an occasion shaped around your celebration and preferred atmosphere.
Business events
For business events, explore an evening that feels warm and polished rather than generic, with exclusive Card Lounge hire available to discuss through a private function enquiry.
Gallery
The rooms, tables and evening glow
Visit the Gallery for a closer look at the moments that shape Lantern & Lore: the restaurant interior, signature dishes, cocktails, poker tables and the warm pace of an evening shared in good company. It is a visual introduction to the spaces and occasions waiting beyond the first visit.
Step inside the galleryRestaurant interior / signature dishes
Explore the composed dining room and the food moments that bring a shared table into focus.
Cocktails / poker tables
See handcrafted drinks alongside the felt, cards and playing chips of a social table setting.
Card lounge / private room
Discover quieter corners for conversation, face-to-face play and group occasions with a sense of privacy.
Group events / warm evening atmosphere
Picture friends and groups gathering beneath amber light as the restaurant settles into the night.
Choose your evening
Come for the table
Choose the restaurant path when contemporary Australian cuisine, a seasonal menu, signature cocktails, local wines, shared dining and chef specials are your starting point. You can make dinner the whole plan, or enjoy it before or after a relaxed Offline Poker session. The table is ready for either kind of evening, without making cards a requirement.
Explore the restaurant and menuChoose your evening
Stay for the cards
Choose the card path if Offline Poker, a friendly Card Room and welcoming Poker Tables are what bring your group together. Beginners, friends and groups can join in person, using playing chips only. There is no wagering or cash prizes—just social entertainment, table conversation and a restaurant setting built for staying awhile.
Explore Offline Poker and the Card LoungePractical guidance
Before you pull up a chair
These answers cover the questions dining and Social Poker guests most often consider before reserving. They explain the Offline Poker format, how restaurant service fits into poker evenings and where to look when current event or table availability matters.
What is Offline Poker?
Offline Poker at Lantern & Lore is social, in-person entertainment around a real table. Sessions use playing chips only, with no cash prizes and no wagering. The focus is on conversation, table etiquette and a friendly restaurant atmosphere rather than on anything transactional. It is a way for guests to share a social ritual alongside dining and drinks.
Can beginners join?
Yes. Beginner-friendly sessions are designed to feel approachable for guests who are new to the table, joining friends or returning after time away. The social format gives people room to settle in at their own pace, with simple poker etiquette guidance available. All play is in person and uses playing chips only, with no wagering or cash prizes.
Are poker tables available every day?
Sessions and poker table availability may vary, so tables should not be assumed to be available every day. Check the Events page for current announced occasions, or submit a reservation enquiry with the kind of visit you have in mind. Reservations are considered after availability is reviewed, helping the team understand your dining or Offline Poker context.
Can I reserve a private card room?
You can enquire about private card room bookings through Private Functions. Share the kind of gathering you are planning, whether it is a dinner, celebration, business event or private poker evening, and the desired card-room context. Availability is not assumed or promised in advance; an enquiry creates the right starting point for a considered response.
Are food and drinks available during poker evenings?
Restaurant service is available during poker evenings, keeping food, drinks and hospitality part of the social atmosphere. The exact shape of a visit can vary, so use your reservation notes to describe your group or occasion and explore the restaurant and menu for broader dining information. Poker sessions remain social, in person and chips-only, with no cash prizes or wagering.
Reservations
Reserve your place at the table
Send a reservation enquiry for dining or Offline Poker, and include the details that will help frame your visit. Notes are useful for group plans, celebrations, access needs or card-room context. This is a considered enquiry rather than an instant booking, so you can tell us what kind of evening you hope to create.