Food & Drink
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Alice Nivens
Sidestepping the kitsch rabbit hole into which it could've so easily fallen, this whimsical bakery-cafe pays homage to a grown-up Alice in Wonderland. The sweets and specialty brewed coffee (available to take home) is the stuff of epicurean fairytales.
- Address
- Port phillip Arcade, 228 Flinderrs Street, Shop 13, Melbourne
- Phone
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Bar Americano
Bar Americano is a tiny, dim-lit espresso and aperitivo bar tucked away in a quiet corner. Inspired by classic American Prohibition era drinking holes, step in for a quick drink by the bar (standing only) before heading off to dinner. Try the 'Hanky Panky' made with gin, Antica Formula and Fernet Branca.
- Address
- 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
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Brown Sugar Cafe
Brown Sugar wins when it comes to the cafe trifecta: great coffee, good service and a buzzy atmosphere. Take note of the soft lighting and inviting, wooden interior and you'll be tempted to stay all day.
- Address
- 9 Block Place, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9639 7577
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Captain Melville
Step through the Victorian façade of Melbourne’s oldest public house and into a contemporary bushranger’s watering hole. With fine pub dining and arguably the best inner city beer garden this adventurous new venue can’t be missed.
- Address
- 34 Franklin Street, Melbourne.
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Captains of Industry
Licensed gentlemen's outfitter and cafe, Captains of Industry provides a new approach to service. With a mix of retail, fashion and hospitality, this one-of-a-kind destination is for sartorialists who love suits, shoes, coffee, whiskey and haircuts.
- Address
- Level 1, 2 Somerset Place, Melbourne CBD
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Carlton Hotel & Palmz Rooftop Bars
How to make Melbourne's favourite bar: take a dash of kitsch, a splash of cool, two shots of irreverence and a generous squeeze of fun. Combine the ingredients in a wonderfully re-imagined building and stir with an eclectic and dramatic aesthetic. Serve over three distinctive levels. Garnish with intimate booths, a great restaurant, a luscious balcony, two rooftop bars and the perfect space to hold your next function. Sip with a diverse and chic clientele. Or better yet, just visit The Carlton.
- Address
- 193 Bourke Street, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9663 3246
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Clementines
A favourite amongst Melbourne's most erudite locavores, Clementine's sources boutique produce and handcrafted objects made by artisans, makers and growers exclusively from Melbourne and regional Victoria. Browse through boutique products including Mt Buffalo Hazelnuts and Olives, King Valley Fine Foods, Cioccolato Lombardo Artisan Chocolates, Melbourne City Rooftop Honey, Victorian Jams and Preserves and much more.
- Address
- 7 Degraves Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9639 2681
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Comme
Comme's artful blend of decadence and minimalism extends to its menu - an imaginative take on French bistro staples and a well-edited wine list. This city lair is a study in Paris-meets-Melbourne cool.
- Address
- 7 Alfred Place, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9631 4000
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Cumulus
It's not difficult to bring celestial into the everyday when you combine the talents of Andrew McConnell, Jayden Ong and Pascale Gomes-McNabb. Their restaurant venture Cumulus Inc is lauded for all the right reasons: inventive food, impeccable service and a light-filled interior that tempers elegance with just the right industrial edge. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and featuring a revolving a la carte menu, it epitomises the high-end-meets-casual sensibility at the heart of Melbourne dining.
- Address
- 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9650 1445
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Du Nord
A little slice of Scandinavia in the heart of Melbourne this small bar uses seasonal produce to create a menu high on tradition. Try the popular Swedish street food snack Tunnbrodsrulle or their market price cocktail that changes daily.
- Address
- 367 Little Bourke Street
- Phone
- 9642 0052
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Guhng (The Palace)
This three-storey restaurant has a loyal following for its delicious wagyu beef barbecued to smoky perfection. Also known for its pan fried dumplings, kimchi hot pots and a great selection of desserts including their signature 'dessert set'.
- Address
- 19 McKillop Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9041 2192
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Hihou
Hihou differs from his other ventures by its focus on tradition cocktails and finger foods with eccentric Japanese twists. Having a tuna filled cigar and a shochu martini overlooking Fitzroy gardens feels both inherently Japanese and Melburnian at the same time.
- Address
- First Floor, 1 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD.
- Phone
- 9654 5465
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La Belle Miette
This pint-sized patisserie combines Parisian culinary nous with the adventurous spirit of a German wunderkammer. Locals flock here for melt-in-your- mouth macarons in flavours such as Fleur de Sel Caramel and Moe_t & Chandon and Blackcurrant.
- Address
- 30 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9024 4528
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La Petite Creperie
Once a street corner newspaper stand, this dainty takeaway crêperie conjures the romance of Paris in the most charming way. Everything from the accents to the décor is a tiny lesson in design and deliciousness.
- Address
- 38 Hardware Lane
- Phone
- 0404 002 341
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Little Cupcakes
Satisfy your afternoon sugar craving with a handmade cupcake from Little Cupcakes. From the ever-popular red velvet to the dependable raspberry white chocolate, there's a flavour to suit even the fussiest palette.
- Address
- Shop 7, Degraves Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9077 0413
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Longrain
Hot, sour, salty and sweet - Longrain's flavour palette might be traditional but its brand of culinary artistry is anything but. Add cocktails and a sleek fitout and you've got the formula for the hottest dinner date in town.
- Address
- 44 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9671 3151
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Mamasita
Spanish for ''hot babe'', this classy Mexican joint serves up inventive food alongside the freewheeling energy of a late night tequila bar. Indulge south of the border cravings with tostaditas loaded with crab meat and tamarind mayo, braised lamb quesadillas and the palette cleansing ceviche or perch at the bar with an icy cold Paloma straight from the tap. If you're feeling brave, the 100+ well stocked tequila list is a lesson in hedonism.
- Address
- Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9650 3821
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Manchester Press
Hidden away in an alley and housed in a former printing press, this spacious, industrial cafe filled with character draws in the creative crowd with their simple but smart menu. Enjoy an open NY-style bagel and coffee at the large communal table made wholly of repurposed materials.
- Address
- 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9600 4054
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misschu Melbourne CBD
misschu brings her brilliant Vietnamese experience back to her hometown of Melbourne with a tuckshop on Exhibition Street. The food is tasty and affordable and the service fast paced - everything misschu is known for!
- Address
- 2/297 Exhibition Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9077 1097
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Mr Huang Jin
Refreshingly for an eatery of its kind, Mr Huang Jin is a bright and airy space thanks to its high ceilings, glass walls and discreetly trendy decor. As such, even when it’s busy (which it often is), it never feels frenzied, or as though you’re eating to beat the buzzer. Nevertheless, if you’d prefer to enjoy your pork buns far from the maddening crowds, there’s always the take-away option.
- Address
- 525 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.
- Phone
- 9077 7937
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Neapoli
ith a late night dining menu and a fusion between old school Italian and all else that is Melbourne, Neapoli understands the inner-city. A communal bench with clean cut wooden stools has that intrinsic Melbourne-Italian, Pellegrini's feel. While this is familiar and comforting, somehow, so is the sushi and spanakopita.
- Address
- 30 Russell Place, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9650 5020
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Pellegrini's
Loved by locals, this humming Italian diner with 1950s-style red vinyl stools, strong italian accents and checkerboard floors has been serving classic Italian dishes for more than 20 years. Grab a seat at the bar and choose from their hearty menu of pasta & sauces.
- Address
- 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9662 1885
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Phillippa's
Locally renowned for her traditionally baked bread. Phillippa's city store serves honest delicious food made with fresh produce. Find seasonal sandwiches, breakfast rolls, cakes, biscuits, chocolate brownies, delicious salads, soups and jars of her signature preserves.
- Address
- 15 Howey Place, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9671 4030
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Red Spice Road
Food and conversation might be a classic pairing, but if you add South-East Asian flavours and a dash of culinary inspiration in the shape of chef John McLeay, this union is nothing short of sublime. Enter Red Spice Road. This seductive, red-hued space might be premised on sharing food, flavours and conversation, but it also weaves the sort of dining magic that lasts long after the last bite.
- Address
- 27 McKillop Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9603 1601
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Red Spice Road QV
Food and conversation might be a classic pairing, but if you add South-East Asian flavours and a dash of culinary inspiration in the shape of chef John McLeay, this union is nothing short of sublime. Enter the new Red Spice Road QV. Like the sister store on McKillop Street, this seductive, red-hued space might be premised on sharing food, flavours and conversation, but it weaves the sort of dining magic that lasts long after the last bite.
- Address
- 31-37 Artemis Lane (Enter off Russell Street), Melbourne
- Phone
- 8660 6300
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Sake
Set in the heart of Melbourne's cultural precinct, Saké Restaurant & Bar's Executive Chef Shaun Presland has teamed up with international star Rose Ang to deliver a modern classic menu with distinct local flavours.
- Address
- Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd
- Phone
- 8687 0775
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San Telmo
Named after the oldest barrio in Buenos Aires, this incomparable Argentinian restaurant blends the best of contemporary and old-world sensibilities to create a warm and refined dining experience. From specially imported 300 year-old doors to antique soda bottles, every detail here has a deliberate and intimate link with its colonial namesake. Impressive as the space is, the real star of San Telmo is the bespoke parrilla grill. La buenda vida in the heart of Melbourne.
- Address
- 14 Meyes Place
- Phone
- 9650 5525
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Senorita's
Culinary magic meets time-honoured tradition at this stylish eatery, which recreates the flavours and textures of Mexico for the Melbourne palette. Try the Pulpo Y Atun - a dish of baby octopus and tuna dusted in guajillo, pasilla and ancho chillies.
- Address
- 16 Meyers Place, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9639 7437
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Shadows of Envy
Shadows of Envy is an open, creative platform exhibiting local independent artists. From designers to street artists, filmmakers to musicians, this is where you find Melbourne's emerging creative community thriving. Take a seat at the bar or in one of the several private booths and enjoy a craft beer or coffee.
- Address
- 399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
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Switchboard Cafe
This pint-sized quaint cafe doles out impeccable lattes, cakes and cheese toasties from a blink-and-you'll-miss-it laneway nook. It's a hit with inner-city caffeine addicts who come for Switchboard's excellent local blend, Coffee Supreme, served in charming mismatched crockery.
- Address
- Kiosk 11, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
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Terra Rossa
Housed in the historic Swiss House building, this elegant restaurant is a hit with the pre-theatre crowd thanks to warm, rustic touches, an adventurous wine list and a menu that's high on classic, inspired Italian fare. Linger over melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and a glass of chilled prosecco or order a chianti and sink into a leather Chesterfield. It's sure to be the kind of soulful interlude you'll be dreaming about all week.
- Address
- 87 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9650 0900
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The Croft Institute
Hidden from the bright lights of the CBD, The Croft Institute is tucked at the back of a China Town alley way. Sip cocktails from syringes, visit the gymnasium (complete with real turf bar) or dance the night away to local DJs.
- Address
- 21 Croft Ally
- Phone
- 9671 4399
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The Little Mule Company
Quirky coffee-cum-bikeshop, The Little Mule Company is a playful nod to the ultimate Melbourne quest - the search for a perfect flat white while on the hunt for the cutest, fixed-wheel ride. Their colourful custom-made fixies hanging proudly on the walls.
- Address
- 19 Somerset Place, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9670 4904
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Trunk Bar & Restaurant
Manhattan chic meets Melbourne nous at this stylish bar and brasserie, which combines high-voltage energy with note-perfect design. Its fitout is sophisticated and inventive in equal parts - think new York wharf lights suspended from the ceiling, artful leather banquettes and a drinking garden punctuated with strings of fairy lights. If a casual vibe is more your speed, swing by during the day for a legendary diner burger and a Tim Tam milkshake.
- Address
- 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9663 7994
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Virginia Plain
With the cream of the crop at the helm, this bar and restaurant has fast become a Melbourne favourite. And with dishes and a fit out this superlative it is unbeatable value.
- Address
- 31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9290 0400
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Von Haus
Urbane and welcoming, this intimate laneway haunt was once one of the city's best kept secrets. The word might be well and truly out now, but somehow Von Haus has managed to retain all the unaffected charisma of its clandestine beginnings. The space is rustic and cosy, the wine list is incredibly well-considered, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is akin to your much cooler friend's apartment. All in all, it's a modern classic.
- Address
- 1A Crossley Street, Melbourne
- Phone
- 9663 2756
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Wonderbao
Inspired by the streets of Asia in a space that is definitively Melbourne, Wonderbao makes Chinese steam baos (pork buns) and Taiwanese gua baos (tarco style buns) that are, quite simply, the best in town.
- Address
- Shop 4, 19-37 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne CBD
- Phone
- 9654 7887