Melbourne
City · Lively · Good for couples and groups
Melbourne is a city best explored on foot, one laneway at a time. Duck off the main streets into narrow bluestone lanes full of street art, hole-in-the-wall cafés and small bars, and you'll see why coffee here is taken seriously. Eat your way from hatted restaurants to late-night dumplings, then find a cocktail bar tucked up a staircase. The city follows the Yarra River down to the beaches of Port Phillip Bay, and its neighbourhoods each have their own character, from arty Fitzroy to seaside St Kilda. Melburnians are passionate about sport, so time your visit right and you can join the crowd for the footy, the tennis or the Grand Prix. Pack a jacket, even in summer.
A weekend here might look like
- Lunch: Pochana Melbourne - Bangkok-style Thai on Bourke Street, done with real heat and real flavour rather than a toned-down version. The menu is long and built for sharing, with crispy pork, prawn donuts, stir-fried morning glory, roast duck curry and whole crispy barramundi among the regular calls. Vintage Thai touches, bright colours and a loud, lively room. Expect a queue at dinner, especially on a Friday, and go early or go with friends so you can order widely.
- Afternoon: Izakaya Domo - A yokocho-style izakaya tucked into Postal Lane at the GPO, done up to feel like a back alley in Tokyo. Order a few plates at a time the way you're meant to: skewers, karaage, sashimi, garlic butter clams, ramen, wagyu flamed at the table. Sake, beer and cocktails to match, and staff who make the place.
More to explore
- Palermo - Fire and smoke from Buenos Aires, on Little Bourke Street. A brick asado pit and a charcoal parrilla sit at the heart of the kitchen, turning out the best cuts alongside empanadas, provoleta, ceviche and beef tartare. The room is warm and moody, split over two levels in rich browns and leather banquettes. The wine list leans hard into Argentine malbec, and there's vermouth and cocktails at the bar. Built for a birthday, a long group lunch or a date night.
- Tone coffee - Coffee from a world champion. Caleb Cha took out the World Latte Art Championship in 2015, and roasts the beans himself for this bright, modern café on High Street in Prahran. The drawcard is the Tiger Bomb, a sweet iced coffee with cream and orange zest that people cross town for, though the classics and a rotating single origin are done just as carefully. There's a small outdoor area, friendly staff and pastries at the counter.
- Tori’s - Tori's feels more like a cottage lounge room than a city cafe, with vintage furniture, plants and light through the windows. The draw is the cakes, baked on site daily and changing with the seasons: Japanese-inspired shortcakes, Basque burnt cheesecakes in flavours like matcha and black sesame, and madeleines. Order a hand-whisked matcha or a hojicha, settle into a couch and lose an hour. Whole cakes can be ordered ahead, and there are beans and tote bags to take away.
- MATCHA KOBO - A matcha teahouse on the second floor of a Lonsdale Street building, where four Japanese stone mills grind ceremonial-grade leaf from Uji at the centre of the room. Each cup is whisked to order, and the desserts get the same treatment, with housemade chestnut purée and slow-cooked azuki. Take a seat, including tatami if it's free, and give it time. Finding it is half the fun.