A wondrous wine bar snack with Big Mac vibes. New sushi spots for your hit list. Free outdoor concerts by the MSO and Australian Ballet. And more. Here’s what Broadsheet Melbourne editor Tomas Telegramma is checking out in Melbourne in February.

Love is in the air
Are you locked and loaded for Valentine’s Day? It’s imminent. Show some love to your significant other (or yourself) with our all-budgets gift guide – with prices from $9.95. Need some more V-Day inspo? Sweet stuff is happening all over town. Pidapipo Laboratorio is doing puffy gelato-topped profiteroles and brand new chocolates; Tokyo Lamington has created glorious red-velvet lamos; Piccolina has brought back its giant frozen Baci; Tarts Anon is doing a pretty heart-topped creation in collaboration with Miss Trixie Drinks Tea; and Andrew McConnell’s Morning Market has a molten dessert it’s coined the Chocolate Supreme. Plus, Ten Minutes by Tractor and Alba Thermal Springs and Spa have teamed up to give away a Terroir and Tranquillity package – worth $560 – that’s the ultimate couple’s day on the Mornington Peninsula, for free.

New neighbouring neighbourhood wine bars
Richmond and Cremorne have scored big time in the new-wine-bar department, with Clover and Lilac Wine respectively. They’re two of Melbourne’s most exciting – and delicious – new openings. The former is by Lyndon Kubis (The Moon, The Alps, Toorak Cellars) and chef Charley Snadden-Wilson (ex-Etta, Embla, Ramblr), who’s serving French-leaning fare that might appear simple but is driven by razor-sharp technique. Case in point: a terrific piece of toast topped with smoked tri-tip, pickled fennel and Thousand Island dressing – it’s got Big Mac vibes. The latter is by hospo legend Nathan Toleman, and it’s got the feel of a dinner party in a New York loft apartment. Expect industrial charm (it’s in a converted backstreet warehouse), nostalgic snacks and a cocktail that tastes like a lamington.

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Midsumma is back
Despite the rain, Melbourne’s monumental LGBTQIA+ celebration Midsumma Festival has been firing on all cylinders since it kicked off on January 21. This year’s line-up is one of its biggest to date, spanning more than 200 queer arts and cultural events around Melbourne. But before it finishes up on February 12, the festivities are still very much ongoing. Still to come: a Nocturnal x Midsumma mashup at Melbourne Museum on the 10th, headlined by neo-soul singer Kaiit; the epic Victoria’s Pride street party, taking over Fitzroy’s Gertrude and Smith streets on the 12th; and a whole lot more. And, as part of the festival, cult skincare label Aesop has cleared the shelves of its Collins Street store and filled them with books by queer authors.

It’s sushi season
Have you noticed? A swathe of spot-on new sushi venues has opened in Melbourne recently, ranging from low-key grab-and-go joints in the ’burbs to swish, intimate omakase experiences. First off, there’s Uokin, a topnotch takeaway option – by an ex-Nobu chef – in Hawthorn; go for all sorts of maki rolls, a colourful chirashi bowl or an impressive sushi platter for six. Then we’ve got Leonie, a sanctuary-like sushi and sake bar in Carlton. There are also three new omakases – the eight-seat Sushi On in Kew, the 10-seat Osoko in Port Melbourne, and Yugen in South Yarra, where “sushi florist” Alex Yu presides over the six-seat, coral-hued marble omakase bar. It’s the place to be for one of the city’s best new sushi experiences. And a wildcard: Masterchef maestro Poh Ling Yeow has curated a sushi train for snacks.

Theatre and (free) live music to see
There are some comings and goings in Melbourne’s theatre scene this month. For musical fans, there’s still time to catch Andrew Lloyd Webber classic The Phantom of the Opera – and its spectacular chandelier, which is a character in and of itself – before it closes on the 18th. Meanwhile, on the 17th, the world’s longest-running play – Agatha Christie’s twist-y and turn-y The Mousetrap – opens at the Comedy Theatre. You can also see stage and screen favourite Hugh Sheridan in Tick, Tick … Boom! (did you love it on Netflix?). And if you’re watching your wallet, the MSO’s free concerts return to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl over three nights, while The Australian Ballet is also doing a free, family-friendly performance at the Bowl, called Ballet Under the Stars.