Melbourne is consistently named one of the top foodie cities in the world. So, whilst Sydney might get all the international attention, if you travel mostly just to eat a lot, Melbourne is where it’s at.

HIGHER GROUND | cbd

Housed in one of Melbourne’s first power stations (built in the 1880s), it is not just the food served at Higher Ground that makes this eatery a must‑visit. From the Darling Group, a leading Melbourne-based hospitality company that develops, owns and operates many of Australia’s most recognised and acclaimed hospitality venues, Higher Ground is a six-level destination offering a unique and comprehensive experience unlike any other. The interior design features a rich and tactile palette, combining terrazzo, cork, steel, stone and solid timbers to define and anchor each setting. With dishes crafted to make use of the best local ingredients, Higher Ground’s award-winning cuisine, specialty coffee and signature cocktails offer a truly immersive experience from morning through to the evening.

View Higher Ground’s all-day menu and dinner menu.

650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open 7 Days 8.00am - 4.00pm (Thursday - Saturday open till 10.00pm) 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

RICOTTA HOTCAKE served with maple syrup, seeds and grains, cream, seasonal fruit, flowers.

HOPETOUN TEA ROOMS | cbd

‘Where there’s tea, there’s hope’. Opening in 1892, Hopetoun Tea Rooms is officially Melbourne’s (and the Southern Hemisphere’s) oldest tea room and cake shop and a sweet tooth’s idea of heaven. With a mission to provide patrons the most authentic English Tea Rooms experience and with over 400,000 high teas served, Hopetoun Tea Rooms is the perfect setting to enjoy a high tea. Otherwise, take your pick from the range of divine cakes and pastries which fill Hopetoun Tea Rooms’ iconic cake window display - the most photographed cake window in Australia - and enjoy whatever you choose with a cup of tea… just be prepared to wait - there’s always a line out the door!

Notably, Hopetoun Tea Rooms have moved out of The Block Arcade due to a sad end of a 128-year leasehold and is planning to reopen at their new premises, a 1859 heritage building on Bourke Street, in the first quarter of 2021.

View Hopetoun Tea Room’s cake range.

421 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

CARROT CAKE

naked for satan | fitzroy

Melbourne is blessed with a number of note-worthy rooftop bars, though Naked for Satan on Brunswick Street in Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy neighbourhood is definitely one of the best. This is partly due to its killer view of the skyline of Melbourne’s CBD, which is hard to find, as most of the note-worthy rooftop bars are found in Melbourne’s CBD (thus no such view). Beyond one of Melbourne’s best views, Naked for Satan also promises an innovative drinks list, inclusive of infused-vodkas, of which Cherry Ripe, Alpine Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Turkish Delight all feature, and a Pavlova-inspired (and tasting) cocktail!

View Naked for Satan’s upstairs menu.

285 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Open 7 Days Midday - Midnight (Friday & Saturday open till 1.00am)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

THE PAVLOVA Passionfruit-infused Vodka, butter Vodka, vanilla Galliano, egg white, sugar, lemon and passionfruit pulp.

siglo bar

Opening to striking city views spanning the floodlit columned facade of Parliament, the spire of St Patrick’s Cathedral and the muralled brickwork and domes of the Princess Theatre, Siglo Bar is a Parisian-inspired open-air rooftop terrace and is an absolute must-visit for an evening drink. Served by waiters at white-clothed tables, Siglo Bar invites you to take a seat in one of the Parisian wicker chairs and sit back and enjoy a fine classic cocktail, as well as a selection of fine Cuban cigars and bar snacks.

View Siglo Bar’s menu.

161 Spring St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open 5 Days Tuesday - Saturday 8.00pm - 3.00am 

haigh’s chocolates | cbd

The oldest family-owned chocolate maker in Australia, Haigh’s Chocolate opened the doors of its first store in Adelaide in 1915. Today, Haigh’s employs over 600 people and has 20 retail stores located across Australia, where it sells its delicious range of fine chocolates. Haigh’s Chocolates has several stores located in Melbourne, though its store in Melbourne’s heritage listed Block Arcade is its flagship store and undoubtedly the most beautiful.

Block Arcade, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open 7 Days 9.00am - 5.30pm (Sunday open 11.00am - 5.00pm)

rockpool bar & grill | SOUTHBANK

Inspired by the great steakhouses of North America and with an uncompromising focus on excellent produce, one can expect wood fire-grilled meats and seafood, sourced from only Australia’s very best producers, an outstanding wine list, and sharp and enthusiastic service, when dining at highly-acclaimed Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne’s Crown Complex.

View Rockpool’s menu.

8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006

Open 5 Days Wednesday - Sunday 12.30pm - 2.30pm & 6.00pm - 10.00pm 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

KING PRAWNS with goats cheese tortellini, burnt butter, raisins and pine nuts.

MILK CHOCOLATE Milk chocolate and caramel mousse with fresh raspberry and caramel ganache.

PETIT FOURS Pecan tart.

rooftop at qt | cbd

Ride the elevator to the top floor of the designer, ultra‑stylish QT Melbourne and you’ll find one of the trendiest rooftop bars in the whole of Melbourne. Situated right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city, you are surrounded by the glowing Melbourne skyline up here. Beyond panoramic city views, you can expect to find a well-dressed affluent crowd of city slickers drinking crisp cocktails until the sun comes up.

View Rooftop At QT’s bar menu.

133 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open 7 Days 2.00pm - 10.00pm (Thursday - Sunday opens at Midday)

AQUA S | cbd

Aqua S is home to the best soft serve in the city and is known for its unique range of ever-changing flavours. Every fortnight, two new flavours are sold at Aqua S, with past flavours including Banana Milkshake, Black Sesame, Lychee Rose, Creme Brulee Burnet Basque Cheesecake, Milo, Apple Pie, Mojito, and so many more - there are over 100 different flavours which are rotated! Beyond two limited-edition flavours each fortnight, Aqua S also offers a delicious, bright blue sea salt flavour, which is the store’s signature, permanent sea salt soft serve.

16 Red Cape Ln, Melbourne VIC 3004

Open 7 Days 11.00am - 9.00pm (Friday & Saturday open till 10.00pm) 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

CREME BRULEE SOFT SERVE

la creperie saint-germain | cbd

The whole of Melbourne has a distinctive European vibe to it, though you’d be mistaken for thinking you’ve somehow been transported to the streets of Paris when dining at La Creperie Saint-Germain. In the heart of Block Arcade is where you’ll find this little slice of France.

Block Arcade, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open 7 Days 8.00am - 6.00pm

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

EGGS BENEDICT

papa gino’s | carlton

No trip to Melbourne is complete without a trip to Lygon Street to eat your body weight in delicious pizza and pasta! There’s plenty of restaurants to choose from, and plenty proclaiming they are the best, though Papa Gino’s is one of the most popular ‑ it’s been part of the Carlton landscape for more than 40 years (still under the original ownership of the Brosca Family), so they must be doing something right! Still serving the generous portions of food that has made it a Carlton landmark, Papa Gino’s has remained one of the most popular restaurants in Carlton.

View Papa Gino’s menu.

221 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Open 7 Days 12.30pm - 2.30pm & 5.00pm - Midnight (Sunday open Midday - 11.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

MARINARA Tomato, mozzarella cheese, prawns, smoked mussels, baby clams, anchovies and garlic.

MARINARA Combination seafood in Napoletana sauce.

ST. KILDA

pontoon

When the sun is shining in Melbourne, Pontoon’s beachside deck is the place to be, and it’s not hard to see why. Located a stone’s throw away (literally!) from St Kilda Beach, Pontoon offers absolute beachfront dining at its finest.

View Pontoon’s menu.

30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182

Open 7 Days Midday - Sunset

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

TRADITIONAL SEAFOOD PAELLA served with mussels, prawns, squid and sofrito.

europa cake shop

No one can walk past Europa Cake Shop’s display window. No one. Originally established in 1982, Europa Cake Shop specialises in Polish cakes and donuts, inclusive of over ten varieties of baked cheesecakes and sumptuous danishes, traditional polish chocolates and teas. As well as traditional Polish sweets, Europa Cake Shop also offers the classics too - think macarons, mille-feuille, crème brulee and much more!

81 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

Open 6 Days Tuesday - Sunday 8.00am - 10.00pm 