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Melbourne's cosmopolitan attitude and diverse cultural mix have made it one of the southern hemisphere's most exciting places to eat. With many of its best restaurants and bars tucked down hidden laneways, half the fun is finding them.
1/tab.galleryImage.size}Take a postcard-worthy snap of Brighton Beach’s brightly-painted bathing huts on Melbourne’s southeast coast
2/tab.galleryImage.size}Arty Melbourne is Victoria’s cultural capital and thought by many as the world’s most liveable city
3/tab.galleryImage.size}Featuring a pretty pier and home to a colony of Fairy Penguins, St Kilda is Melbourne’s beachy and bohemian neighbourhood
4/tab.galleryImage.size}Melbourne is known the world over for its street art, particularly in the lanes of the Central Business District
5/tab.galleryImage.size}Take a day trip from Melbourne down the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles, a collection of arresting limestone stacks that lie just off the cost
6/tab.galleryImage.size}Pack a picnic and head to Melbourne’s lush Royal Botanical Gardens for the day
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Take a postcard-worthy snap of Brighton Beach’s brightly-painted bathing huts on Melbourne’s southeast coast
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Arty Melbourne is Victoria’s cultural capital and thought by many as the world’s most liveable city
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Featuring a pretty pier and home to a colony of Fairy Penguins, St Kilda is Melbourne’s beachy and bohemian neighbourhood
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Melbourne is known the world over for its street art, particularly in the lanes of the Central Business District
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Take a day trip from Melbourne down the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles, a collection of arresting limestone stacks that lie just off the cost
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Pack a picnic and head to Melbourne’s lush Royal Botanical Gardens for the day
Things to do
We've chosen the must-see highlights of this fantastic city.
We've chosen the must-see highlights of this fantastic city.
Eat
Pei Modern
The first Melbourne outpost for Sydney chef Mark Best surprised the city with quietly subversive, elegant and surprisingly affordable twists on the bistro concept. Hanger steak with organic leek, garlic puree and charred cucumber is a highlight, as is the superbly concise wine list.
If you're after some seriously good wine to complement the eclectic likes of yakitori wagyu, oyster croquettes with caviar cream and lamb ribs with Sichuan eggplant san choi bao, then you're in for a wild ride.
Small though it may be, Estelle doesn't want for excitement or ambition, as the likes of its takes on smoked eel with chamomile and carrot, and sour cream, pumpkin and salted caramel (yes, that's a dessert) may attest to.
The dramatic smallness of this distinctive alleyway café/bar is just one of its many idiosyncrasies. The drinks list is inspired by the “American” bars of interwar France and Italy, and while the list of stringent rules (no credit cards, no bookings, etc.) could be off-putting, it's a lovingly crafted homage.
The clamour for tables equates to a near-permanent buzz at this boldly designed modern Thai canteen. Get around the no-bookings queue blues (the restaurant only takes reservations for one table of 10-12 people) by slipping in early or late – the chilli-laden salad of duck livers is worth going out of your way for.
The Everleigh brings more than a touch of substance to the world of waistcoated bartending. Expect leather booths, grown-up service, stiff drinks and a list of bourbons and ryes that are all but unmatched this side of the Pacific.
Chef Josh Murphy packs in the crowds with the likes of corned duck with Brussels sprouts and prune, and sighingly tender lamb shoulder with artichoke, parsley, anchovy and olive, all perfect for sharing. Or hoarding.
Locals call this tiny, Iberian-inspired bar-eatery "the donkey house" thanks to its distinctive logo. We call it a fine place to graze over the likes of morcilla blood sausage with lentils, octopus ordered by the tentacle and coal-roasted kid goat.
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