Melbourne is extraordinarily well positioned for day hikes. Within an hour or two of the city you can be standing on wild ocean clifftops, deep in ancient fern gullies, gazing across Victoria's volcanic plains from a jagged ridgeline, or walking a peaceful lakeside circuit with coffee in hand. I've explored all of these with family over many visits — some destinations I've returned to a dozen times, others reward a first visit in a way that immediately makes you plan the next one. Here are the best day hikes from Melbourne, drawn from personal experience.
Melbourne is home to one of the largest Greek communities in the world outside of Athens — and it shows at the table. From late-night souvlaki institutions that have fed generations of Melburnians to refined modern Greek kitchens reinterpreting Hellenic classics, and from the buzzing tavernas of Oakleigh's 'Little Athens' precinct to the fireplace-centred dining rooms of the inner west, the city's Greek food scene is extraordinary. I've eaten my way through a good portion of it, and here are the restaurants I keep returning to and recommending.
Melbourne's pie scene has come a long way from the servo warmer. These days you'll find chef-driven fillings, artisan pastry, and proper provenance behind the meat — sitting right alongside the classic suburban bakery pie that's been getting it right for decades. I've been working my way through the city's best, from Collingwood bakeries to CBD pub kitchens, and here's where to go.
Looking for Australia's most exclusive escape? Pristine wilderness? Spectacular cliff edge retreat? There is a clifftop on Christmas Island where the ancient rainforest ends and the Indian Ocean begins, and if you stand there at sunset with the seabirds wheeling past at eye level and nothing between you and the horizon, you understand immediately why this place has been kept secret for so long. The world doesn't know about this yet. Australia barely does. Swell Lodge intends to change that - quietly, carefully, and with extraordinary style.
Melbourne's pub scene is one of the finest in the world. I say that having spent fifteen years exploring the venues of this city — from its legendary institutions to its most exciting new openings. Whether you're chasing a pint poured straight from a working brewery, a Sunday roast that could silence a table, a chicken parma worth making a reservation for, or elevated gastropub dining that rivals any restaurant in town, Melbourne delivers. These are the best pubs in Melbourne right now — personally visited, personally assessed, and listed with the honest opinions that fifteen years of drinking in this city earn you.
Straddling the Murray River on the Victoria–New South Wales border, Echuca Moama is one of the most satisfying slow tracel close-to-home weekend escapes from Melbourne that doesn't feel compromised. Ancient river red gums line the banks, paddlesteamers churn slowly past historic wharves, and a genuinely excellent food and wine scene has quietly grown up alongside it all.
We spent a sunny weekend escape here recently - and came back wondering why we'd waited so long. The river is calming. The town moves at its own pace. And the eating and drinking, it turns out, is seriously good.
Melbourne’s hospitality scene turned out in force for one of the most talked-about events of the year as the launch of innovative new bottle shop Drop Shop rolled seamlessly into a spectacular celebration at Daphne, one of the city’s hottest dining destinations.
The evening brought together great wine, martinis, exceptional food, music and some of Melbourne’s best hospitality talent, proving once again that Melbourne does hospitality better than almost anywhere else.
Looking for a premium truffle experience in Melbourne in the winter season? We recently experienced one of the best truffle experiences in Melbourne (if not Australia) and you can too. The famous Truffle Brunch at NOMAD Melbourne is a fabulous celebration of local truffles and is not to be missed.
