Friday night
Start your weekend at a quintessentially Melbourne-style drinking spot: Loop Roof. Decked out with an exotic garden, this laneway rooftop bar is perfect for soaking up the city views over a pre-dinner cocktail.
From there you're not far from a string of top-notch restaurants on and around Flinders Lane. Choose between the celebrated Cumulus Inc., Chin Chin or Supernormal, or combine dinner and drinks with old-world glamour at Gimlet on Russell Street. For craft beer, cold cuts and 'brick-fried' chicken, check out the new Brick Lane Market on Queen Street. This one's from the guys behind Brick Lane Brewing, so you know the pints are on point.
Saturday morning
Rise early if you can to enjoy Queen Victoria Market at its bustling best. We can definitely recommend a borek from the Borek Shop, just inside the main entrance (follow the queue of hungry locals).
Join Melbournians hunting for the best fresh produce in the aisles and queuing for brekky bratwurst and baked goods in the Deli Hall. Stock up on treats to take home, grab a brew from Market Lane Coffee and perch outside to enjoy the theatre of it all. Pick up culinary know-how at specialist store Books for Cooks.
Saturday afternoon
Satisfy your lunchtime cravings at one of Melbourne's famous eat streets. Refuel at the Vietnamese eateries on Victoria Street, Richmond. Get a taste of la dolce vita along Italian-influenced Lygon Street, Carlton. Or find a seat for mouthwatering flavour in Chinatown, along Little Bourke Street.
Stroll to Fitzroy and Collingwood to discover the inner north's epicentre of noteworthy dining. Graze on a lunch of sensational meat-free dishes from Shannon Martinez at Smith & Daughters, arguably Australia's best vegan restaurant. Or enjoy a long, spritzy lunch with refined Euro-bistro fare at Poodle on Gertrude St.
Work off lunch as you browse the boutiques and galleries on Smith and Gertrude Streets or amble through nearby Carlton Gardens. A stroll around the Exhibition Building is a must, especially as the sun goes down.
