Smith St. Trader is a compelling cafe and bar on eclectic Smith St Collingwood, full of soul and savvy, with Richard Hands a Melbourne gem and one of its best bar tender/mixologists. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to sample some of the menu one lunchtime, including an indulgent cocktail for which we don't apologise for.
Epic is an apt description for this Pep Alliance Event hosted by Hilary McNevin at The Lincoln Hotel with publican Iain Ling and Tasmanian farmer and brewer Ashley Huntington. Ashley Huntington is a talented and passionate Tasmanian farmer who looks somewhat like Jon English but has the punk attitude of the Sex Pistols. He stands up for farmers and the industry, encouraging us all to support local farmers - and rightly so!
How good is Raclette! The first time we encountered the magical world of Raclette we fell in love. We gathered around the Raclette "machine" where a wheel of premium cheese was blistering and bubbling under the heat in awe. Then with a scrape of a knife the theatre and aroma of raclette drew us in with wonder. Not to mention the taste of the oozy cheese - often paired with pickles, mushrooms or cornichons. Scraping the cheese into a small bowl, you are set for a session of bliss, especially if you pair it with say a dry white wine or a pinot noir. The joy of France and Switzerland is to be enjoyed here in Melbourne.
CH James has released several exciting new dishes on their menu and The World Loves Melbourne joined with other leading bloggers in Melbourne to experience the newbie dishes for brunch.
Best cafes in Melbourne is a mix of new and emerging cafes together with icons that are well established cafes. We celebrate Melbourne's best cafes in the search for perfection. Melbourne is best known for it's thriving cafe scene, often to be found in laneways. We are constantly eating out at Melbourne's top cafes and consider the standard to be high.
CHE taps into the Australian chicken shop dream and The World Loves Melbourne was invited to sample some of the menu at the launch. We love the name - sounds like the name of a revolutionary (and it is a revolution) - but CHE stands for Chicken/ Heledos/ Empanadas as well as "mate" in Spanish (clever). CHE has a modern fit out and is in the heart of Fitzroy on the corner of Johnston St and Brunswick St (look for the neon letters in the windows at night).
Bontempo is a fabulous option for a catch up to imbibe the best of pizza (one of the best pizza restaurants in Melbourne) in a modern hospitable environment and - wait for it - reasonable drink prices. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience some of the menu.
The Big Sick is a must-see hilarious and heartwarming movie, releasing in cinemas on August 3 2017. See the trailer. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to a preview of the film at the Gold Class cinemas at The Jam Factory on Chapel St South Yarra. Seeing the film together in Gold Class as a couple was perfect and the film is so relatable to modern relationships.
Trunktown has been a favourite of ours for several years and is a venue we consider to be quintessentially Melbourne in terms of architecture and expression. The Diner section has been the place for some favourite events and moments but the restaurant offers a delightful casual dining experience that borders on fine dining. We were invited to the restaurant to sample the new menu, which provides both a Middle Eastern selection and an Italian selection, reflective of the owners.
St Moritz is a stunning new addition to Acland Street as a top notch bar and casual restaurant for your next catch up. It's a new addition but pays tribute to yesteryear with a neon replication of the dancing dirl from the St Moritz Ice Rink that used to exist at the location from 1929 to 1981. The venue is modern but also incorporates St Kilda grunge with exposed brick and quirky artwork.
Frank's is one of the best cafes in Melbourne and The World Loves Melbourne was invited to sample dishes from the ever evolving menu. The cafe is called Franks partly because it offers frank and authentic honest food. It seeks to give the punters what they want, and we think it successfully does that. No pretension, just fine food in a chic modern environment, with owner Harry Butler at the helm.
The House of Wine and Food is a distinctive foodie destination in Melbourne. How many restaurants can actually claim that? Often there can be a sameness about Melbourne dining experiences - many cafe menus are mirrors of each other and even restaurants serving up similar dishes. But for the discerning diner, The House of Wine and Food is a unique and exciting dining experience in Melbourne bringing French, Italian and Mediterranean classics and compelling bar and dining spaces.
Kathmandu the legendary lifestyle and adventure brand recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to the celebration at stylish Smart Artz Gallery.
Attention all shoppers, Ice Skating is back in Ringwood with the launch of an Ice Skating rink in the Town Square at Eastland, running through until the end of August. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to a family event where we became one of the first to experience the ice skating fun at Eastland (our local).
Raclette is one of the joys of life, and Merricks Creek have created a smash hit with their new Grilled Raclette cheese with potatoes and a side of cornichons. Customers are driving up from Melbourne for this raclette, as well as the other standout dishes and new release 2016 Pinot Noir at Merricks Creek Winery.
Wilson & Market is an impressive 50-seater lifestyle cafe and 200-pax brasserie and bar, with stunning seasonal, delicious, ethical dishes by Paul Wilson and showstopper bathrooms designed by Kate Challis Interiors. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to a media launch to imbibe the produce driven high quality dishes of the Brasserie. This is one of those "go to" places where you know you're in a foodie haven, specifically in the fine hands of iconic chef Paul Wilson.
CH James is setting the pace when it comes to cafe sustainability, storing up its weekly coffee grinds and food scraps for the last 2 years, and giving them to the fabulous Fairfield Community Garden. The World Loves Melbourne caught up with Kat from CH James and Ken and Annette from the Fairfield Community Garden to see how it all works, and go on a tour of the garden.
Cannibal Creek Vineyard (recently featured in Broadsheet) is just an hour East of Melbourne on the fringes of Gippsland and is one of those quiet achievers, in an area (Gippsland) that is on the fringe of emerging "big time" as a food and wine region. The World Loves Melbourne was invited on a famil to experience Cannibal Creek Vineyard and imbibe the delights of Gippsland.
Stonebarn - remember the name. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to be part of a media event with Stonebarn Truffles, showcasing the excellence of the produce, at Sarti restaurant. Exceptional French Black Perigord truffles from Manjimup Western Australia.
Celebrating paddock to plate produce and fine South Australian wine, our Taste of the Barossa event was held at Craft & Co in Collingwood. As an inner city foodie haven Craft & Co. was the ideal place to indulge in the standout South Australian wine-making region.
Best burgers in Melbourne, we have searched high and low for the best this city has to offer. The humble burger has risen in status to be a gourmet item of choice on menus across Melbourne. Culinary giants are making their own burger versions for customers.
Best cafes in Melbourne is a mix of new and emerging cafes together with icons that are well established cafes. We celebrate Melbourne's best cafes in the search for perfection. Melbourne is best known for it's thriving cafe scene, often to be found in laneways. We are constantly eating out at Melbourne's top cafes and consider the standard to be high.
Melbourne is a great city for dining including cheap and affordable eats! For the student and city worker there’s a plethora of cheap eateries where quality and price converge.
Here are our top 12 restaurant eats in Chinatown Melbourne (not necessarily in order of preference)...
We have established our best pizza restaurants in Melbourne and conclude that Melbourne is a worthy pizza capital.
Here are some of our Melbourne breakfast/brunch favourites -
Here are our top 5 Indonesian restaurants in Melbourne.
Here are our top 10 hidden gems of Melbourne. Can you add to the list?
What are the 20 must try dishes in Melbourne right now? Here is our selection -
1. Tagliolini al Nero at Tippo 00
Tipo 00 is a touch of class when it comes to Italian dining; greeting you like a Nonna with warm hospitality while serving up fine rustic Italian fare. This is the sort of place you seek out to spend several hours imbibing. Don't let the office contact you. Tell the Secretary to put everything on hold; you're in a meeting. The romance of Italian dining is alive and well in Melbourne.
