Beat the Mondayitis with nine dining deals to start your week right

Two days off rarely feels like enough, although your wallet might disagree. If you want to keep the fun rolling into the working week, take note. This month’s Specials Board rounds up nine affordable Monday deals, from after-work bites to leisurely set menus and all-day pub classics, designed to ease you into the week ahead.

All-day dining deals

$19 pizza at Hardimans Hotel, Kensington

They’re wood-fired, they’re cheesy, and they’re a steal on Mondays. The margherita is topped with stracciatella cheese, and more adventurous options include a spicy pork number layered with ’nduja and jalapeno. There’s kale and taleggio for vegetarians, too. Swing by between 4pm and 7pm to double the deal with $8 happy-hour drinks.

521 Macaulay Road, Kensington, hardimans.com.au

$12 katsu curry at Malcolm Corner, South Yarra

Sometimes easing into the week calls for something warm and comforting, and that’s where this Japanese curry comes in. Available from 11am to 8pm at Eddy Tjandra’s compact, tucked-away cafe, the bargain dish pairs crisp-crumbed chicken with house-made curry sauce, fluffy rice and pickles – a meal to ground you. Originally intended to run only until mid-March, the deal’s been extended due to demand.

23 Malcolm Street, South Yarra, instagram.com/malcolmcorner

$19.50 meals at Terminus Hotel, Fitzroy North

Be careful with this one: it might get to a point where you’re more often than not at this Fitzroy North pub for its Locals’ Day deal. From 11.30am, classics like burgers, fish and chips, schnitzels and parmas all land at $19.50. Go traditional with schnitzel and gravy, or upgrade your parma to the chef’s topping of the day – all best enjoyed among the lively crowd in the pub’s historic digs.

492 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, terminus.com.au

Dinner only

$25 parmas at Rising Sun Hotel, Richmond

What’s juicy, crisp and layered with bubbling mozzarella? Chef Scott Stevenson’s parma at The Riser. From 4pm, the Swan Street pub dishes up the $25 special with chips and salad – choose the classic chicken or an eggplant alternative, both finished with tangy tomato sugo, mozzarella from That’s Amore and chicken-salted chips.

395 Swan Street, Richmond, theriser.com.au

$18 burgers at The Rainbow, Fitzroy

Called the Bonza Burgers deal, it does exactly what the name promises. Whether you choose a Nashville fried chicken stack, a grilled minute-steak sandwich, the classic house burger or a Beyond Meat vegan-friendly option, it’ll be yours for less than $20. The deal includes fries and runs 4.30pm to 9pm.

27 St David Street, Fitzroy, therainbow.com.au

$22 parmas at Great Northern Hotel, Carlton

It might feel criminal snagging this generous a deal in this economy. From 5pm, the kitchen plates up a hulking chicken parma (or schnitzel) with chips and salad – best enjoyed in the sprawling beer garden among the pub’s many four-legged regulars. Eggplant parmas are also part of the special.

644 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, gnh.net.au

Set menus

$45 three-course dinner at Don’s, Prahran

At southside wine bar Don’s, the week starts with “Monday Date Night” – a three-course bargain that strikes the sweet spot between comfort and value. Available from 5pm, the menu begins with focaccia and a glass of wine, before moving to house-made pasta with tender beef-rib ragu (a vegetarian option swaps in Napoli sauce). Dessert rotates with the seasons; past sweets have included a chocolate cremosa.

202 Commercial Road, Prahran, dons.place

$49 Japanese set menu, Robata, CBD

If flame-grilled meat is calling you, this CBD restaurant answers with a $49 “feature” dinner set available after 5pm Sunday to Wednesday, until April 22. The kitchen specialises in Japanese robata cooking – skewers and proteins grilled slowly over binchotan charcoal. For this menu, expect edamame, pickled mussels and salmon maki rolls, followed by crispy rice and a vegetable skewer. A half-chicken glazed with ginger and onion soy anchors the spread alongside a seasonal salad, before dessert lands in the form of matcha and black sesame parfait.

2 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, robata.com.au

$59 mezze spread, Cleo, CBD

If the start of the week calls for something generous, Cleo’s $59 Midweek Mezze delivers – and the best part is it continues to Thursday. Available for lunch and dinner, the shared menu is designed for passing plates such as house-baked pita, labne with Persian-style feta and zaatar, kingfish with preserved lemon, and grilled octopus. You get to choose five dishes from a line-up of hot and cold items.

Level 12/130 Russell Street, Melbourne, cleomelbourne.com.au