Melbourne's laneway bar scene is one of the great urban drinking cultures anywhere in the world. Behind unmarked doors, down cobblestone alleys, through wardrobe doors and bookshelves, hidden inside shipping containers and 19th-century heritage buildings — this city has spent decades perfecting the art of the hidden bar. These are not gimmicks. The best laneway bars in Melbourne are serious cocktail destinations: venues with world-class bartenders, rare whisky collections, impeccable food and atmospheres you will not find anywhere else on earth.
Sam and I have visited every bar on this list personally, some many times. We've drunk whisky behind bookshelves, sipped dirty martinis in moody basement rooms, sat elbow-to-elbow with 11 other guests at a bar where every cocktail is a masterpiece and the bartender knows your name by your second visit. This guide covers the very best — the venues that define what Melbourne's laneway bar culture is all about in 2026.
Whether you're after hidden speakeasies, world-class cocktails, intimate whisky bars or just the thrill of finding a great bar down an alley most people walk straight past, this is your guide. Also see our guide to the best bars in Melbourne and best rooftop bars in Melbourne for more.
Melbourne is one of the world's great dining cities, and when you combine exceptional food with a spectacular backdrop — whether that's a glittering skyline from 300 metres up, the silver shimmer of the Yarra River, or a rooftop panorama stretching across the suburbs — you have something genuinely unforgettable. I've been fortunate to dine at some of Melbourne's finest view restaurants over the years, from iconic skyscraper dining rooms to casual waterfront gems, and in this guide I'm sharing the ones that have earned a genuine place on my personal list.
These aren't restaurants chosen purely for the scenery. Every venue here also delivers on food, wine, and experience — because a view without substance is just a window. This is my personally curated guide to the best Melbourne restaurants with a view, updated for 2026.
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.
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.
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.
Brunswick and Brunswick East are two of Melbourne's greatest eating suburbs - and two of its most wallet-friendly. Sydney Road is a multicultural food corridor unlike anywhere else in the city: a Lebanese bakery that Anthony Bourdain visited on his Melbourne food tour, an Israeli falafel institution born from a farmers market food truck, Mexican birria tacos drawing queues from across the city, and a South American cafe where live music plays on the weekend. Brunswick East adds craft breweries, Polish dumplings, and the East Brunswick Village precinct to the mix.
I've spent years eating my way across both suburbs and this is my personally loved guide to the best cheap eats in Brunswick and Brunswick East in 2026.
Richmond is one of Melbourne's great eating suburbs - and it doesn't ask you to spend much to eat brilliantly. Victoria Street is Melbourne's Vietnamese food heartland, Swan Street is one of the coolest dining strips in the world, and Murphy Street now has Melbourne's most exciting brewpub. From a $14 bowl of pho that's been consistently exceptional for years to freshly made pasta with natural wines and an on-site smoker pouring craft beer, Richmond punches above its weight at every price point.
I've eaten across Richmond more times than I can count - with groups, with family, on the way to the footy, and specifically chasing down these spots. This is my personal guide to the best cheap eats in Richmond in 2026.
Perched 89 floors above Melbourne and soaring 300 metres into the sky, Eureka 89 is already renowned for its unparalleled city views. Yet after experiencing Executive Chef Renee Martillano’s new seasonal Signature 6-Course Tasting Menu, it’s clear the kitchen deserves just as much attention as the panorama outside the windows. This is an exceptional sensory experience in every way. I was invited to an exclusive media dinner for the launch of this stunning menu.
At Melbourne’s highest dining destination and the highest restaurant in the Southern Hemisphere, the views may initially capture your attention, but the food and impeccable service ensures they don’t steal the entire show.
Melbourne's CBD is one of the most exciting cities in the world to eat cheaply — if you know where to look. The tourist traps are real, but duck into the right laneway, food court, or side-street spot and you'll find extraordinary food for $10–$20 that rivals anything in the city's fine dining scene. I've eaten my way through the CBD more times than I can count, and this is my personal guide to the spots that genuinely deliver.
From hole-in-the-wall banh mi to Indian street food, modern Thai to Indonesian charcoal grills — the best cheap eats in Melbourne CBD are a reminder that this city's food culture runs deep at every price point. These are all places I've personally visited and recommend without hesitation.
Dining out in Melbourne in 2026 requires more strategy than ever. Whether you're spending $50, $100 or $200 per person, this Melbourne restaurant budget guide explains exactly what you can expect across the city's dining scene. I've been eating across the city this year (and for the last 15 years) - from counter stools at neighbourhood ramen joints to white-tablecloth rooms in the CBD - and this is a frank, current guide to what $50, $100 and $200 per person genuinely delivers right now.
Melbourne’s dining scene is no stranger to innovation, but few venues have built a reputation for inclusivity and excellence quite like SHOP 225. The beloved Pascoe Vale South pizzeria has officially become the first pizza restaurant in Australia to achieve Vegan Australia Accredited Business status, further cementing its position as one of the country’s most progressive and celebrated hospitality venues.
Fresh from international success, including being crowned Best Pasta in the Asia-Pacific Region and ranking among the Top 10 Pizzas in the Asia-Pacific at the prestigious 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific Awards, SHOP 225 continues to prove that exceptional dining can also be genuinely inclusive.
For founder Lorenzo Tron and his team, the latest accreditation isn’t simply another award to display on the wall. It represents years of commitment to ensuring every guest can enjoy an authentic Italian dining experience regardless of dietary requirements.
