Flying interstate these holidays? Broadsheet’s series of city cheat sheets are here to help.
From the new players that live up to the hype, to old favourites that continue to deliver, this hit-list is here to help you make the most of your visit to Melbourne, no matter where you’re staying.
EAT HERE
Morning: For a leisurely brunch and people-watching, sit opposite the Botanic Gardens on the terrace of Gilson in leafy South Yarra – order the garfish on toast and the blueberry and ricotta fritters. If a quick bite and coffee is all you’re after, line-up at dawn (no, just kidding, kind of) at Lune Croissanterie for Kate Reid’s cult, headline-making pastries. Grub Food Van in Fitzroy, Higher Ground in the CBD and Faraday’s Cage in Fitzroy are all quintessential and idiosyncratic Melbourne brekkie spots.
Lunch and Afternoon: For a long lunch, feast on groan-inducing raw seafood and the cooked stuff at The Stokehouse, with views across St Kilda beach. For something casual and neighbourhood-y, Hector’s Deli is the most over-qualified sandwich shop in Melbourne, making corner-store standards with elevated ingredients. If you’re hungover, make a beeline for Juanita Peaches: fried chicken, burgers, and some of the city’s best doughnuts.
A Quick Feast: If you’re in the city, zip into Miznon or Pezzo for two very different, but equally delicious takes on the pocket: Israeli versus Italian.
Dinner: For two? Grab a bar seat at Tipo 00 for some of Melbourne’s best handmade pasta and a glass of wine (or for something more refined with the same Italian heart, head next door to Osteria Ilaria). With a group? Supernormal Canteen is narrow but boisterous, with moreish share plates, many of which come from the restaurant’s smoky charcoal grilling station. At Town Mouse it’s a Euro-centric menu with the same attention to detail as a fine diner, but none of the pomp, plus weird wines made accessible.
Late-Night: The Grossi family’s laneway bar, Arlechin, is all subterranean European cellar vibes but for 2017, and its midnight spaghetti is already a Melbourne classic. The Mayfair is all old-world charm and late-night allure, an elegant supper club where the Perrier-Jouët flows like wine and the liquor flows from crystal decanters.
4am or 5am: Settle in at the orange bar at Butcher's Diner.
The Classics: France-Soir has been busy pretty much every night since it opened in ’86, with French waiters serving up brasserie staples alongside one of the most extensive French wine lists in the city. Pelligrini’s, with its red vinyl stools and checkerboard floor, says it owned Melbourne’s first espresso machine – stop in for a coffee before checking out the shops on Crossley Street.
DRINK HERE
Afternoon: Hop Nation for good beer made by two ex-wine makers in a charming warehouse and former ammunition factory dating to the 1880s. Drinkwell for relaxed courtyard wines, surrounded by graffiti.
Pre-Dinner, Post-Dinner (and Dinner if Need Be): Seriously impressive wine lists with seriously good food – and decor – to match, you won't fail here: Marion, Bar Liberty, The Moon, Kirk’s Wine Bar, Embla.
Late-Night: Heartbreaker has no dancefloor (though one always seems to materialise on Friday and Saturday nights) and no DJ – instead make friends with the jukebox. For something less rowdy, head to Heartbreaker’s elegant sibling The Everleigh, for classic cocktails made to exacting standards in beautiful, dim-lit surrounds. If you can find it, Above Board has limited seats, and a limited range of cocktails, which is what makes it so good. For laidback beers, atmosphere and darts, head to Lulie Street Tavern; for laidback cocktails and tropical wallpaper, head to Takeaway Pizza.
GET CAFFEINATED HERE
ACoffee: A sleek and sparse roaster in an almost blindingly luminescent converted garage.
Patricia: A small and charming city spot that’s one part throwback to traditional European coffee bars, one part contemporary Melbourne coffee scene.
Sensory Lab Collins Street: Tucked away in a recessed thoroughfare, the designer described this as “futuristic Japanese-meets-1950s-American diner.”
Everyday Coffee and Everyday Coffee Midtown: Lots of natural light, locals in abundance, seriously good coffee.
SEE THIS
The NGV Triennial: This sprawling global odyssey of contemporary art and design has taken over all four floors of the NGV International. The exhibition features 20 large-scale pieces commissioned specially for the show, including a room that will be “obliterated” by flowers (by cult Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama), an installation of 100 giant skulls, and a 16-metre long reclining Buddha.
SHOP HERE
Gertrude Street in Fitzroy is a home to local fashion labels, homewares stores, carefully curated boutiques and designer consignment stores, and the only Le Labo store in Australia.
Armadale's pretty, terrace-filled High Street has transformed into one of Melbourne's best shopping strips. You'll find international fashion labels, alongside Australian designers and one-off gems.
