Guidebook for Melbourne
Food Scene
Chin Chin arrived in Melbourne 4 years ago, and has buzzed ever since. They don't take bookings and the queue can be long, but the ambiance, the video wall, and the complex Asian flavours are worth it
552 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Chin Chin
125 Flinders LnChin Chin arrived in Melbourne 4 years ago, and has buzzed ever since. They don't take bookings and the queue can be long, but the ambiance, the video wall, and the complex Asian flavours are worth it
Taxi Kitchen reinvented itself from Taxi Dining Room a year ago, and is less heavy linen and long wine list now, more rustic chic and stylish small serves. The best view from a Melbourne restaurant.
13 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Taxi Kitchen
Swanston StreetTaxi Kitchen reinvented itself from Taxi Dining Room a year ago, and is less heavy linen and long wine list now, more rustic chic and stylish small serves. The best view from a Melbourne restaurant.
Red Spice Road is almost next door to the apartment, in McKillop Street, off Bourke. A very well regarded and large Asian restaurant, it wins awards frequently, and stays the same, determinedly.
42 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Red Spice Road
141 Queen StRed Spice Road is almost next door to the apartment, in McKillop Street, off Bourke. A very well regarded and large Asian restaurant, it wins awards frequently, and stays the same, determinedly.
There are 3 Movidas in the city, but choose the original Hosier Lane one. It's housed in the most graffiti-ed (and tourist-ed) Melbourne laneway, and oozes ambience. Bookings are tight, but try.
203 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
MoVida
1 Hosier LnThere are 3 Movidas in the city, but choose the original Hosier Lane one. It's housed in the most graffiti-ed (and tourist-ed) Melbourne laneway, and oozes ambience. Bookings are tight, but try.
Cumulus Inc. is very cool. The staff are cool, the styling is cool, the location is cool, the view in is cool and the view out is cool. You must do it once.
200 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Cumulus Inc.
45 Flinders LnCumulus Inc. is very cool. The staff are cool, the styling is cool, the location is cool, the view in is cool and the view out is cool. You must do it once.
You can see Corner and Bench from the window of the apartment, so choose when to go according to their busy-ness! It's excellent food, great coffee and exceptionally friendly service. See Lena.
Corner & Bench
408 Bourke StYou can see Corner and Bench from the window of the apartment, so choose when to go according to their busy-ness! It's excellent food, great coffee and exceptionally friendly service. See Lena.
Three doors down Bourke Street from the apartment, and I'll leave you a free coffee card for Oli & Levi if you're staying during the week. Quick, bright, corporate and cheerful.
Oli & Levi Cafe - Bourke St, Melbourne CBD
385 Bourke StreetThree doors down Bourke Street from the apartment, and I'll leave you a free coffee card for Oli & Levi if you're staying during the week. Quick, bright, corporate and cheerful.
The iconic Degraves Espresso hasn't changed in 10 years. The red leather drop-down theatre seats, the long bench at the window, the Strong Coffee, the hipster staff. Oh so very Melbourne. You must.
14 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Degraves Espresso Bar
23-25 Degraves StThe iconic Degraves Espresso hasn't changed in 10 years. The red leather drop-down theatre seats, the long bench at the window, the Strong Coffee, the hipster staff. Oh so very Melbourne. You must.
Located in Campbell Arcade, which was built to carry the 1956 Melbourne Olympic crowd under Flinders Street Station. Cup of Truth has a big cup on the counter; you put money in, they serve coffee up.
14 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Cup of Truth
12 Degraves StLocated in Campbell Arcade, which was built to carry the 1956 Melbourne Olympic crowd under Flinders Street Station. Cup of Truth has a big cup on the counter; you put money in, they serve coffee up.
Flower Drum is regularly booked out months in advance, and is apparently one of the 50 greatest restaurants in the world. Save up.
36 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne
17 Market LnFlower Drum is regularly booked out months in advance, and is apparently one of the 50 greatest restaurants in the world. Save up.
Crépes, in all guises. Michaël's French accent is thick, and not loosening, despite him having lived here for 10 years. He's a Hardware Lane Institution. Good coffee, too.
13 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
La Petite Crêperie Hardware Lane
32 Hardware LnCrépes, in all guises. Michaël's French accent is thick, and not loosening, despite him having lived here for 10 years. He's a Hardware Lane Institution. Good coffee, too.
There's the cellar, the grill, and upstairs: the cellar is a great lunch venue, sophisticated, slick and suave, upstairs is a two hat affair, and you need to save up. The grill doesn't quite work.
35 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Florentino
80 Bourke StThere's the cellar, the grill, and upstairs: the cellar is a great lunch venue, sophisticated, slick and suave, upstairs is a two hat affair, and you need to save up. The grill doesn't quite work.
It's in the cupboard that used to be the switchboard for the Manchester Unity Building. Coffee, toasties, homemade snacks, and quirky seating in the larger cupboard space opposite.
12 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Switch Board Cafe
220 Collins StIt's in the cupboard that used to be the switchboard for the Manchester Unity Building. Coffee, toasties, homemade snacks, and quirky seating in the larger cupboard space opposite.
It's a combination café, barber, artisan jeweller and leather-maker. Get a seat at the windows overlooking the GPO building, or at a regular table, with an irregular industrial sewing machine...
15 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Captains of Industry
2 Somerset PlIt's a combination café, barber, artisan jeweller and leather-maker. Get a seat at the windows overlooking the GPO building, or at a regular table, with an irregular industrial sewing machine...
The chairs hanging from the ceiling were the darlings of Melbourne Photographers for a while, but now that they've all quieted the coffee is left to stand handsomely alone.
277 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Brother Baba Budan
359 Little Bourke StThe chairs hanging from the ceiling were the darlings of Melbourne Photographers for a while, but now that they've all quieted the coffee is left to stand handsomely alone.
A bagel place in a lovely laneway. There'll be a queue at brekky time on the weekends, but it's worth it.
246 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Manchester Press
8 Rankins LnA bagel place in a lovely laneway. There'll be a queue at brekky time on the weekends, but it's worth it.
Very coffee geeky, with excellent food too. The space is small and chatty and fast.
Naked Espresso Bar
390 Little Bourke StVery coffee geeky, with excellent food too. The space is small and chatty and fast.
A different place at different times of day, but always worth a visit. White, minimal, clean lined and slick. Filter coffee only (but very good).
8 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Sun Moth Canteen & Bar
28 Niagara LnA different place at different times of day, but always worth a visit. White, minimal, clean lined and slick. Filter coffee only (but very good).
Drinks & Nightlife
The entry is most uninviting, but soldier on. Once upstairs, and on the deck, the view is exquisite, the decor full blown and very well done kitsch, and the cocktail list long and well designed.
163 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Madame Brussels
59 Bourke StThe entry is most uninviting, but soldier on. Once upstairs, and on the deck, the view is exquisite, the decor full blown and very well done kitsch, and the cocktail list long and well designed.
Chloe is on level one, and Young & Jacksons have been serving beer and pub food under her nonchalant gaze since 1875. Diagonally opposite Fed Square, the food is ok, there's lots of beer; it's a pub.
25 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Young & Jackson
1 Swanston StChloe is on level one, and Young & Jacksons have been serving beer and pub food under her nonchalant gaze since 1875. Diagonally opposite Fed Square, the food is ok, there's lots of beer; it's a pub.
Rumrum backwards, Murmur is up some excellent stairs that open into a very well restored & rustic-chic warehouse, with cracked leather couches and oversized chandeliers. Long drinks list & great tapas
9 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Murmur Piano Bar
17 Warburton LnRumrum backwards, Murmur is up some excellent stairs that open into a very well restored & rustic-chic warehouse, with cracked leather couches and oversized chandeliers. Long drinks list & great tapas
Pellegrini's opened on Bourke St in 1954 & hasn't changed since. Paul has been making the coffee for 38 years (I remember him from my visits as a child), & Maria is still cooking reliable pasta.
228 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Charlie's Bar
71 Hardware LanePellegrini's opened on Bourke St in 1954 & hasn't changed since. Paul has been making the coffee for 38 years (I remember him from my visits as a child), & Maria is still cooking reliable pasta.
Everything Else
Outstanding crépes served from a former newspaper stand, on the street, in Swanson Walk. It's the outpost of Créperie Le Triskel in Hardware Lane, and absolutely authentically French.
6 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
La Petite Crêperie
125 Swanston StOutstanding crépes served from a former newspaper stand, on the street, in Swanson Walk. It's the outpost of Créperie Le Triskel in Hardware Lane, and absolutely authentically French.