Things to do in Melbourne | Tourism - Cathay Pacific

Melbourne's cosmopolitan attitude and diverse cultural mix have made it one of the southern hemisphere's most exciting places to eat. With many of its best restaurants and bars tucked down hidden laneways, half the fun is finding them.

Coloured bathing huts on Brighton Beach in Melbourne

Melbourne Central Business District with Yarra River in the foreground

View of St Kilda Kiosk looking down the pier in Melbourne

Colourful graffiti in a Melbourne street

Limestone stacks, the 12 Apostles, in shallow blue sea near Melbourne

Green lawn and trees in Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens

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Take a postcard-worthy snap of Brighton Beach’s brightly-painted bathing huts on Melbourne’s southeast coast

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Arty Melbourne is Victoria’s cultural capital and thought by many as the world’s most liveable city

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Featuring a pretty pier and home to a colony of Fairy Penguins, St Kilda is Melbourne’s beachy and bohemian neighbourhood

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Melbourne is known the world over for its street art, particularly in the lanes of the Central Business District

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Take a day trip from Melbourne down the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles, a collection of arresting limestone stacks that lie just off the cost

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Pack a picnic and head to Melbourne’s lush Royal Botanical Gardens for the day

Eat

Pei Modern

The first Melbourne outpost for Sydney chef Mark Best surprised the city with quietly subversive, elegant and surprisingly affordable twists on the bistro concept. Hanger steak with organic leek, garlic puree and charred cucumber is a highlight, as is the superbly concise wine list.

Location

Collins Place, 45 Collins Street

Phone

+61 3 9654 8545+61 3 9654 8545

Eat

Circa, The Prince

If you're after some seriously good wine to complement the eclectic likes of yakitori wagyu, oyster croquettes with caviar cream and lamb ribs with Sichuan eggplant san choi bao, then you're in for a wild ride.

Location

2 Acland Street, St. Kilda

Phone

+61 3 9536 1122+61 3 9536 1122

Eat

Estelle Bar & Kitchen

Small though it may be, Estelle doesn't want for excitement or ambition, as the likes of its takes on smoked eel with chamomile and carrot, and sour cream, pumpkin and salted caramel (yes, that's a dessert) may attest to.

Location

243 High Street, Northcote

Phone

+61 3 9489 4609+61 3 9489 4609

Drink

Bar Americano

The dramatic smallness of this distinctive alleyway café/bar is just one of its many idiosyncrasies. The drinks list is inspired by the “American” bars of interwar France and Italy, and while the list of stringent rules (no credit cards, no bookings, etc.) could be off-putting, it's a lovingly crafted homage.

Location

20 Presgrave Place

Eat

Chin Chin

The clamour for tables equates to a near-permanent buzz at this boldly designed modern Thai canteen. Get around the no-bookings queue blues (the restaurant only takes reservations for one table of 10-12 people) by slipping in early or late – the chilli-laden salad of duck livers is worth going out of your way for.

Location

125 Flinders Lane

Phone

+61 3 8663 2000+61 3 8663 2000

Drink

The Everleigh

The Everleigh brings more than a touch of substance to the world of waistcoated bartending. Expect leather booths, grown-up service, stiff drinks and a list of bourbons and ryes that are all but unmatched this side of the Pacific.

Location

150-156 Gertrude Street, Level 1, Fitzroy

Phone

+61 3 9416 2229+61 3 9416 2229

Eat

The Builders Arms

Chef Josh Murphy packs in the crowds with the likes of corned duck with Brussels sprouts and prune, and sighingly tender lamb shoulder with artichoke, parsley, anchovy and olive, all perfect for sharing. Or hoarding.

Location

211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Phone

+61 3 9417 7700+61 3 9417 7700

Eat

Casa Ciuccio

Locals call this tiny, Iberian-inspired bar-eatery "the donkey house" thanks to its distinctive logo. We call it a fine place to graze over the likes of morcilla blood sausage with lentils, octopus ordered by the tentacle and coal-roasted kid goat.

Location

15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Phone

+61 3 8488 8150+61 3 8488 8150

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