Looking for Melbourne's best vegan cafe? Melbourne's plant-based food scene just got a landmark new address. Mister Nice Guy's BakeShop has opened in South Melbourne, and if the launch day crowd snaking down the block is any indication, this neighbourhood has been waiting for exactly this.
Established in 2010 in Ascot Vale, Mister Nice Guy's is Melbourne's first 100% plant-based bakery - a place built on genuine craft, creative baking and the quiet conviction that extraordinary food doesn't require eggs, dairy or meat. The new South Melbourne store, featuring the best of hospitality from the warm and welcoming Manny and Josephine, carries that spirit beautifully into one of the city's most beloved community precincts, just a short stroll from the South Melbourne Market.
I was there on launch day amidst the community buzz. The line went down the block and didn't let up all afternoon. The vibe was electric, the community turned out in force.
Melbourne's love affair with premium Western Australian wine has never been more alive. The Great Southern region - and Frankland River in particular - is producing some of the most exciting, terroir-driven wines in Australia right now, and Melbourne drinkers have noticed. So when one of WA's most celebrated family producers comes to town for a single evening, you pay attention.
On Wednesday July 29, Mr L's Bar & Restaurant on Toorak Road, South Yarra, will host an exclusive five-course wine dinner with the legendary Alkoomi Wines from Frankland River, Western Australia. Just 50 seats are available at $150 per person - intimate, considered, and already building strong interest. This is one of the best-value premium wine events we've seen this year, and with only 50 covers, it will not last long.
Melbourne is one of the world's great food cities, so it makes sense that its buffet scene is world-class and punches well above its weight. We are not talking about the sad sneeze-guard spreads of stereotype - we are talking live sashimi stations, Tasmanian oysters on ice, unlimited king crab legs, slow-roasted prime rib, wood-fired pizza, yum cha baskets, wagyu at your table, and curries fragrant with coconut and spice. Whether you are planning a celebratory splurge or hunting for outstanding value, Melbourne has a buffet that delivers.
I have eaten my way through many a Melbourne buffet, and what follows is an honest, first-hand guide to the best buffets in Melbourne right now - with ratings, price notes, and the key things to know before you book.
There are food destinations in Melbourne, and then there is Grazeland. A place where we believe there is something for everyone and gems to be discovered. Set in Spotswood at 20 Booker Street, Grazeland is one of those rare places that genuinely earns the word “destination” - a sprawling open-air food and entertainment precinct that brings together more than 50 street food vendors under one roof of sky, live music and big-screen energy. It is family-friendly, festive, and the kind of place that feels like a celebration regardless of the season. We’ve visited multiple times across summer, spring and now winter, and Grazeland never disappoints. This is our complete guide to dining at Grazeland Melbourne.
Melbourne has one of the great wine bar cultures of the world. Not just in Australia — the world. The city's lanes, inner-north strips and neighbourhood corners have quietly nurtured a scene that rewards curiosity, celebrates the obscure, and takes the glass in your hand seriously. Whether you're after a premium bottle from a cellar with serious depth, an affordable by-the-glass pour from a winemaker you've never heard of, or just a warm corner stool and a plate of something excellent, Melbourne delivers.
We've been visiting these bars for years — some since their opening nights. This is our considered guide to the best wine bars in Melbourne right now.
South Yarra has always been one of Melbourne's great dining precincts. Toorak Road, Chapel Street and the surrounding streets hold an extraordinary concentration of restaurants — from a beloved French institution that has been serving celebrities and locals for decades, to a ten-seat omakase serving the world's finest Kobe Wagyu beef, to buzzing Italian joints, elegant hotel dining rooms and long-running neighbourhood favourites that have earned their loyalty the hard way.
We've been dining in South Yarra for years, many of these restaurants multiple times. This is our considered guide to the best restaurants in South Yarra right now — updated for 2026.
Updated June 2026. All venues personally visited by The World Loves Melbourne.
Box Hill is arguably Melbourne’s most exciting food suburb. From legendary Cantonese roast duck and fiery Sichuan noodles to premium Korean BBQ and modern brunch cafes, this eastern suburb delivers extraordinary diversity and value.
Whether you’re chasing authentic Chinese regional cuisine, comforting Vietnamese classics, or stylish Japanese dining, Box Hill rewards hungry explorers with some of Melbourne’s most memorable meals.
Fitzroy and Collingwood are where Melbourne's food culture lives and breathes. Brunswick Street, Gertrude Street, Smith Street — these are strips shaped by decades of creative energy, migrant cooking, and an unwillingness to settle for average. The good news for your wallet is that the best eating here has never required a big spend. Locals have always eaten well and cheaply in the inner north, and that culture is very much alive in 2026.
I've spent more hours eating my way through Fitzroy and Collingwood than I could possibly count — with Sam, with groups, and on solo missions chasing down the best of a very competitive field. This is my personal guide to the best cheap eats in Fitzroy and Collingwood in 2026.
