Don't stop now - Your exploration of Melbourne doesn’t end here.
In a bid to help you get straight to the good stuff we have listed a few of our favourites below.
Dining (cheap)
Eat a lot, but don’t pay a lot
- The Borek Shop (Shop 95 Queen Vic market Deli Hall) the most popular stall at the market.
- Don Don (198 Little Lonsdale St) popular student café for cheap, quick Japanese.
- Sushi Monger (Causeway) where $5.5 will get you two hand rolls and miso.
- Dumplings? Shandong MaMa Mini (Shop 5, Centre Pl).
- Heartbreaker Bun Mee (Scott Alley) or
- Little Ramen Bar (346 Little Bourke St).
- Mamak (366 Lonsdale St BYO wine) house-made roti prepared as you wait.
Burgers?
-
8 Bit (231 Swanston St) or
-
Andrew’s Hamburgers (155 Franklin Street) Suburban institution now in CBD.
Dining (classic)
Melbourne dining royalty:
- Movida Original (Hosier Lane) & MoVida Aqui (rear 500 Bourke St),
- Pastuso (AC/DC Lane),
- Grossi (80 Bourke St) fine dining upstairs at Florentino, casual dining downstairs at the Grill and Cellar Bar
- Flower Drum (17 Market Lane) Cantonese fine dining,
- Izakaya Den (basement 114 Russell St),
- Rice Paper Scissors (19 Liverpool St),
- More Italian at Becco (Crossley St) and Cecconi’s (61 Flinders Lane), Massi (455 Lt Collins St)
- Punch Lane (43 Little Bourke) an amazing all‑rounder.
Bars
- Whitehart Bar (22 Whitehart Lane) more refined bar, also made from shipping containers.
- Croft Institute – a science class-themed bar (21 Croft Alley off Paynes Lane).
- Hell’s Kitchen (20 Centre Pl) – upstairs lunch staple and evening bar.
- The Rooftop Bar at Curtin House (252 Swanston St) a ‘must visit’ on a sunny day,
- Peaches (upstairs 301 Swanston St) new small bar.
Hit up google for: Union Electric (gin), Angel Music Bar, Double Happiness, Meyers Place Bar, Whisky & Alement (all 5 would make a serious night out).
Wine Bars
The Eastern end of Bourke Street won’t let you down with a great range of bars for every taste. For example:
- City Wine Shop (159 Spring Street) great selection of wines to go,
- Melbourne Supper Club & Siglo (rooftop 161 Spring St), above the City Wine Shop
- Arlechin (Mornane Place),
- Juliet (below 37-41 Lt Bourke St) celebrating female winemakers,
- Romeo Lane (1 Crossley St) killer cocktail list.
Elsewhere in town, check out Embla, Kirks Wine Bar, Neapoli, and Syracuse in an old Bank with an award-winning wine list.
Coffee!
You could spend a week exploring Melbourne’s coffee scene. (we’d recommend it) But here are a few suggestions to give you a good range of traditional and cutting edge coffee, Melbourne style:
- Brother Baba Budan (359 Little Bourke St) Seven Seeds Coffee first cafe
with and the tiny Traveller (2/14 Crossley) being one of their latest - Cup Of Truth (Campbell Arcade)
- Patricia (Little William Street)
- Sbriga (3/280 King St)
- Dukes at Ross House (247 Flinders Lane)
- Market Lane Coffee (8 Collins Street) & Cathedral ArcadeCafes with character
- Captains of Industry (1/2 Somerset Place) café & gentleman’s outfitters
- Pellegrini’s (66 Bourke St)
- Barbarella (Block Place)
Breakfast
Here are some tips for a memorable breakfast:
- New York style deli Bowery to Williamsburg (16 Oliver Lane) or
- The European (161 Spring St) for something more classic.
- Cumulus Inc (45 Flinders Lane) and Higher Ground (650 Lt Bourke) have your fancy breaky needs covered.
- Heading to the Queen Victoria Market? Look for Pickett’s Deli & Rotisserie (507 Elizabeth Street) also great for lunch, Operator 25 (25 Wills Street) coffee and brunch.
- Or cruise Centre Place and Degraves Street to see what catches your eye.
Sweet Tooth?
Make a beeline to
- La Belle Miette (30 Hardware Lane, or 8 Collins St) for the best macarons,
- Pidapipo Gelateria (9 Degraves St)
- Koko Black & Agathe Patisserie Petite (Royal Arcade) for locally made artisan gelato, chocolates and French pastries.
- Shortstop Donuts (12 Sutherland St).
- Cult croissanterie Lune (Shop 16, 161 Collins Russell St entrance) is a must visit for pastry buffs!
- Weirdoughs (241 Flinders Lane) Traditional pastries – all plant-based & sustainable.
- Brunetti (250 Flinders Lane) Traditional pastries
Gifts
For local gifts and souvenirs:
- Melbournalia (50 Bourke St) has great books, gifts, local produce and homewares.
- The Melbourne Shop (Royal Arcade) has unique and kitsch gifts – think Hook‑Turn pencil cases,
ram t‑shirts, and Melbourne map bags. - More local wares at Wilkins & Kent (372 Lt Bourke St), Clementine’s (Degraves St),
- Melbourne zine house The Sticky Institute (Campbell Arcade).
Live music & performance
Music & performance:
- Jazz venues Paris Cat (6 Goldie Place), Bird’s Basement (11 Singers Lane)
Murmur Piano Bar (17 Warburton Lane), - The Butterfly Club (5 Carson Place),
- The Toff In Town (Swanston St)
National & international concerts:
- The Forum (Flinders Street),
- Globe Alley (Globe Al)
- Max Watt’s (125 Swanston St)
- 170 Russell (basement 170 Russell St)