Excellent lunch buffet @ Conservatory, Melbourne

Three weeks ago, I celebrated getting another year older. My birthday fell on the Melbourne Cup public holiday, which was a nice coincidence for a first birthday in Melbourne. The Melbourne Cup is a pretty big deal Australia-wide - I still remember my former workplace in Perth celebrating it with a lunch outing, but we weren't so lucky as to get a full day off like Melbourne does. My older sister's partner was given four free tickets to the Melbourne Cup on my birthday, but unfortunately he had to work that day, and my older sister had to look after her four kids, so my younger sister and I planned to leave the kids with our hubbies, and use the tickets with two friends. Neither my sister nor I have been to Flemington Racecourse for the Melbourne Cup, so we looked forward to dressing up and experiencing the event at the racecourse. Well, the day came, and the weather was bad with heavy downpour. I can't remember ever driving in such heavy rain before, and the rain did not cease until noon. We all decided on Plan B, which was a lovely lunch at Conservatory in Crown Casino. I was still happy with the backup plan, because it had been more than a decade since I'd been to Crown, and I had never stepped inside the casino before.

Lunch at Conservatory was an excellent buffet spread, which reminded me of the buffets we used to enjoy with our relatives in Hong Kong. There was a wide range of dishes to suit all kinds of tastebuds and a big appetite for Asian, Western, Eastern and Indian cuisines. The dessert bar featured a chocolate fountain and many sweet delights. The food were presented nicely and prepared with high quality produce, and everything was delicious. The main attraction of the buffet for me would be the seafood bar - the natural oysters in particular were delectable, and very popular so I wasn't the only one who thought so. At $109 per person for the lunch buffet, it was expensive, so it's definitely a special occasion treat. Despite the bad weather that curbed our original plan, I still had a fantastic birthday out with my younger sister and friends.

Beautiful interior design with gorgeous marble floors:

Large floor-to-ceiling windows with river views of the Yarra:

Hot buffet selection where the roast station is:

Asian section with a variety of dumplings, spring rolls, buns as well as a few Indian dishes and breads:

Salad selection:

Seafood!

My first plate was heavy on the seafood, and my second and third helpings also featured lots of seafood:

One of four sides of the square dessert bar, featuring a range of delectable sweets and cakes. The other three sides held fruits, cake slices, a chocolate fountain and ice cream:

My first plate of desserts:

I highly recommend a meal at Conservatory for a special occasion. It's family-friendly too, so bring the kids along!

Conservatory
Level 1, Crown Towers
Crown Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank
Melbourne, VIC 3006
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9292 5777