Melbourne Travel Guide – Our 15 Favourite places to eat and drink in the City

Melbourne Travel Guide - Our 15 Favourite places to eat and drink in the City

If you love Melbourne and want to know the best places to eat, drink and be merry in the city, then you’ve come to the right place! Read on for the ultimate Melbourne Travel Guide – Our 15 Favourite places to eat and drink in the City.

I’ve rounded up the teams favourite CBD hot spots, from seafood restaurants to cocktail bars, hidden rooftops to gorgeous cafes; there’s a foodie haven waiting for every food lover in Melbourne town!

 

Melbourne Travel Guide - Our 15 Favourite places to eat and drink in the city

 

 

Melbourne Travel Guide

Our 15 Favourite places to eat and drink in the City

HANA - Melbourne Cocktail Bar

 

HANA

Hana is a new addition to our buzzing CBD restaurant scene, and is a little slice of tropical heaven in Little Collins Street! Think fresh, delicious Hawaiian food with a focus on raw seafood paired with some of the craziest cocktails you’ll find in Melbourne (our fave is the Sharknado, served literally in a Shark!)

HANA Melbourne is THE place to enjoy raw seafood and cocktails with your girls. With a seriously cool tropical vibe and fresh flavours of Hawaii right here in Melbourne-town, you’ll love feasting in the gorgeous decor under the sparkling pink neon lights.

Find it at > 212 Little Collins St, Melbourne

 

 

Higher Ground - Melbourne Australia

 

Higher Ground

Higher Ground describe themselves as not quite a cafe, not quite a restaurant… But there is one word to describe their space, and that is GORGEOUS!

Tucked neatly into the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets, they serve up innovative fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as wonderful coffee and a wine list which will have you settled in for a long session with your squad, whatever time of the day.

A tip if you’re planning to make a visit, be prepared to wait for a table, because there is high demand for a coveted table, especially on the weekend! When I dropped in for a takeaway coffee last time, waits were up to an hour and a half… But I promise you, it’s worth it!

Find it at > 650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

 

Chuckle Park - Melbourne Travel Guide

 

Chuckle Park

Give me pretty lights, a caravan bar and cocktail jugs in a trendy laneway, and this chic establishment in the heart of Melbourne shoots straight to the top of my hidden gems list.

Chuckle Park Bar and Cafe is in their words, a gorgeous outdoor space with a big heart and an even bigger soul tucked down a laneway off Little Collins Street. This bar makes for the ultimate Sunday evening session with the girls!

Find it at > 322 Little Collins St, Melbourne

 

Holey Moley - Cocktail Bar Melbourne

 

Holey Moley

Get set to settle into Melbourne’s only mini-golf and cocktail bar, Holey Moley. Located a short stroll from Southern Cross station on Little Bourke Street, Holey Moley is a must experience night out.

With a course that stretches over two stories high with 27 incredibly themed holes (such as Game of Thrones, The Simpsons, and home-grown St Kilda to mention a few) each of the stops has a corresponding drink. Sure, you might get yourself a little on the drunk side but we need to tell you our favorites (they’re also VERY #Instaworthy), they are the SUGAR CADDY, the TEEYONCE HOLES and HOLE IN ONE.

Find it at > 590 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

 

 

Veuve Cocktail - The Mill House Melbourne

 

The Mill House

Located in the heart of Flinders Lane, you’ll find The Mill House, an underground Melbourne bar which has the best Veuve Cocktails in the city. They also shake up Thursday nights with Gin Club. We’re talking exclusive cocktails, gin tasting, gin-paired canapés, and party vibes you will love. You can pick your poison from the top shelf gin menu featuring Fever Tree’s premium tonics for just $10.

My tip is to get in early and snap up a booth for your group. Bookings can also be made on their website so jump over to themilhouse.com.au to secure your next night out.

Find it at > 277-279 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

 

Sheraton Melbourne Parisian Afternoon Tea

 

Sheraton Melbourne Parisian Afternoon Tea

If you love an indulgent session with the girls which includes an amazing spread of delicious food and a glass of champagne, then the Sheraton Melbourne Parisian Afternoon Tea is for you!

Head to the Paris-end of Collins Street in the city and you’ll discover the beautiful Sheraton Melbourne Hotel. Their Parisian Afternoon Tea is served on the first floor (in Little Collins St Kitchen) and offers a limitless Afternoon Tea Buffet on weekends and classic Afternoon Tea Stands on weekdays.

Their buffet selection included a savoury station, dessert station and even a crêpe corner, with a Pastry Chef on hand to freshly prepare a creation to each guests liking. Our favourites from the spread included scones with jam and cream (mandatory), the delightful little cucumber sandwiches, crispy macarons and the to-die-for mushroom arancini balls.

Find it at > 27 Little Collins St, Melbourne

 

The Arbory - Melbourne river side Bar

 

The Arbory

Look out past Platform 13 at Flinders Street Station (down by the River) and you’ll see a funky alfresco dining space that has seemingly popped up out of nowhere. Say hello to The Arbory, an outdoor eatery and bar that has breathed new life into an unremarkable stretch of the Yarra River.

The 150 metre long space of timber decking that connects the Southbank footbridge with Princes Bridge, is home to a kitchen and two bars, which are housed inside a seriously cool shipping container. Grab a seat along the waterside and order yourselves an espresso martini to kick start the perfect Saturday girls night out!

Find it at > 1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne

 

Good Heavens - Rooftop Bar Melbourne

 

Good Heavens

Good Heavens Rooftop Bar is the place to be on a Sunday afternoon. Located amongst the cool-chic of Bourke Street (and conveniently right above their already said established restaurant Fancy Hanks), it’s the bar to take in a pretty outlook of the city and sip on wine, craft beer or a big selection of cocktails – we recommend the ‘Heavens to Betsy’.

The fit out features bright colour bursts (hello 80’s!) whilst sticking close to their Americana/Palm Springs theme. The food menu continues to showcase their skills using a barbeque with menu options such as: Southern Fried Chicken, Chicken Ribs and Nachos with brisket mole and queso.

Find it at > 79 Bourke St, Melbourne

 

Trunk Bar and Restaurant - Melbourne

 

Trunk

Follow the sparkling lights to Trunk Bar and Restaurant. Indulge in a Mediterranean inspired dinner, paired with delicious cocktails or share a bottle of wine.

Trunk ticks every box for a girls night out, especially if you can sneak in a serve of their delicious pink pavlova (do it)!

Find it at > 275 Exhibition St, Melbourne

 

Archie Green - Melbourne

 

Archie Green

Described as a love letter to Melbourne, Archie Green is the CBD’s newest hideaway and one stop shop for all things great cuisine, lush plants and canned cocktails and antipasto. Drawing its inspiration from the qualities intrinsic to the most livable city in the world, Archie Green presents diners with exceptional food, inspired drinks, stunning architecture, verdant greenery and evocative street art.

Led by Paul Hourigan, formerly of The Riverland Group and with internationally renowned chef Gomez Braham of Tom Aikens fame in the kitchen, we expect great things from this little green gem!

Find it at > 10 Katherine Pl, Melbourne

 

Bomba Bar - Melbourne

 

Bomba Rooftop

Bomba Rooftop is the perfect place to have Friday night drinks (ok, any night really). They serve up a great list of cocktails, beer, wine and an enviable gin list!

Indulge in a bevvie, alfresco style, whilst overlooking the city through Lonsdale Street treetops. Nibble on some tasty tapas – I recommend their potatoes and lamb bites (sorry, I can’t remember their actual names LOL). You can also head downstairs to their restaurant for a more intimate dinner.

Find it at > 103 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

 

Fatto Bar & Cantina - Melbourne

 

Fatto Bar & Cantina

If you are a lover of traditional Italian fare, then Fatto Bar & Cantina is the Melbourne foodie destination for you! Located on the Southbank river terrace, Fatto is an all day Italian eatery, serving up fresh, modern interpretations of the Italian classics.

Open daily from noon till late, you can sit in the terrace and enjoy spectacular views across Melbourne’s city skyline and Yarra river whilst sipping on an ice cold birra or glass of rosé. It’s a great place to enjoy a pre-theatre meal (be sure to book) and my top menu picks are their margarita pizza and spanner crab spaghetti.

Find it at > 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

 

Eureka 89

 

Eureka 89

The 360-degree panorama views are spectacular and the food exemplary at Eureka 89. If you haven’t dined at the restaurant before, be sure to put it at the top of your Melbourne foodie bucket list.

It’s seriously hard to beat as far as iconic restaurants in this beautiful city go – the adrenaline you experience from seeing everything from above is incredible. The views, the food, the wine, the setting, the service; are all second to none.

Find it at > Eureka Tower, 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank

 

Market Lane Coffee Melbourne

 

Market Lane

Market Lane is a specialty coffee roastery and cafe, born and based in Melbourne. They specialise in one thing… delicious, high-quality coffee.

The fact that they have the coolest takeaway cups I’ve ever seen certainly helped me fall in love with this passionate and vision-forward local retailer. You’ll find their gorgeous little brewery inside of the Queen Victoria Market in the Dairy Produce Hall. They also sell beans for home and serve filter and espresso coffee.

Find it at > Shop 73-76 Dairy Produce Hall – Queen St, Melbourne

 

8bit Burgers Melbourne

 

8bit

Burger bar 8bit are best known for their delicious (and well-priced!) burger and hot dog menu. The reason it makes our Melbourne Travel Guide? It’s simple yet scrumptious!

They have an awesome fit out and product packaging, with cool vibes and funky retro gaming vibes. We loved their limited edition Donkey Kong burgers, so be sure to keep an eye on their pop-up flavours.

Find it at > 231 Swanston St, Melbourne

 

 

MELBOURNE - OUR 15 FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK IN THE CITY

 

 

 

 

Emily Collie is Founder and Editor of well-known Australian travel blog, Melbourne Girl. Emily has written travel articles for Expedia, eHarmony, Amex Shop Small Blogger Series and Racing.com, and has been featured on many Australian websites including Mimco Mimzine and Bonds Australia Blog, and was invited on behalf of the VRC and Myer, to judge the Myer Fashions on the Field competition on Emirates Melbourne Cup Day.

3 Comments

  • February 7, 2018

    Emma Toure

    Great post! One thing to note is that the Sheraton is sadly no longer doing a dessert buffet and have no plans to start again. Discovered ourselves the hard way after turning up to our buffet booking last weekend, and finding out it wasn’t there 🙁

  • February 8, 2018

    Emily Collie

    Thanks for your message Emma!
    It’s not great that you had a booking and then turned up to nothing? How frustrating and odd!
    I clicked through and it appears they are still taking bookings, so I’ll be sure to investigate further 🙂

  • June 21, 2019

    Ron Smith

    Great, your Blog on places to eat in Melbourne is informative and delicious. Keep going..!!
    You can also try out few Places to eat in Melbourne with us.

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