5 ways to make the most of winter dining in Melbourne

Is it a bar or a restaurant? This was a question that Melburnians began asking themselves several years ago before the answer became clear: we’re living in the age of the bar/restaurant hybrid, and we’re not looking back. These days, some of the city’s finest bars serve delicious, clever snacks as well as world-class wine lists (or is it the other way around?). These venues also happen to be some of the cosiest you’ll come across, perfect for those blustery winter evenings.

A frontrunner in this new generation of dining is Bar Tini, which took out Time Out’s Bar of the Year for 2018. Inspired by Spanish bodegas, Bar Tini takes tapas to another level with high quality canned seafood; think baby sardines, calamari and razor clams caught and cleaned by hand, preserve and served with their housemade sourdough.

Some other leaders of the pack include Embla, staffed by friendly and incredibly knowledgable sommeliers as well as chefs rustling up surprising snacks like creamy stracciatella with fermented fennel and dill, plus comforting favourites like a half chicken with whole garlic cloves. There’s also Bar Liberty in Fitzroy (order the pips with savoury doughnuts, trust us), nearby wine bar Marion with its ever-changing menu, and Archelin – a new palace of late-night mischief serving Bolognese jaffles until 3am. 

When the weather gets cold, Melburnians like it hot. You can eat your way around the world in Melbourne – but if you’re into heat, we recommend starting with Long Chim. The headline dish here is the chicken larp, a northern Thai dish that packs a punch with its shallots, garlic, lime, lemongrass and plenty of spice. A recently opened cheap eats champion is Hi Chong Qing, a noodle joint specialising in wheat flour noodles in broth packed with Sichuan peppercorns.

Sometimes, it pays to know your heat threshold; don’t order the ‘really fuckin’ hot’ fried chicken at Belle’s Hot Chicken unless you’re ready to say goodbye to your tastebuds. Still, Southern fried chicken doesn’t get more delicious than this – and there are some more reasonable spice options to choose from, plus natural wines to seal the deal. For some more Southern goodness, don’t go past barbecue stalwart Fancy Hank’s (the smoky beef brisket is a must). Alternatively, go south of the border to Mexican taqueria Hotel Jesus.

This one's a no-brainer. While cold winds blow outside, take a seat next to a roaring fire at one of Melbourne's many neighbourhood pubs with fireplaces. Our top pick is the Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood – an old-school pub offering life-giving Sunday roasts, classic burgers and an unbeatable vegetarian menu. 

If you're a beer aficianado, then head southside to the Local Taphouse, which boasts more than 20 taps of beer from all over the world, fireplace-adjacent tables, plus winter favourites like confit duck legs, mussels in white wine and roast lamb.

You'll feel like you're in a wintry gothic novel at the Wesley Anne – a pub housed in a former church on trendy High Street in Northcote. You can eat a hearty pub meal in the adjoining band room, lit up with a great wood-burning stove.

There's nothing like spending a blustery afternoon with good friends and good food. Melbourne is packed with venues just waiting to welcome you for an hours-long feast; and all tastes are catered for if you know where to look. 

If you're craving a bit of classic hospitality, then say bonjour to French Saloon. Housed above laneway favourite Kirk's Wine Bar, this bar and bistro will keep your tastes buds entertained for hours with house-made charcuterie boards, roast chicken with smoked bacon and top-notch dry-aged steak. 

Alternatively, head further south of the continent to Lello Pasta Bar – a Flinders Lane Italian restaurant where pasta is made lovingly by hand every day. 

To spice things up, gear up for a Chinese feast with a difference at Lee Ho Fook. Here, chef Victor Liong is dishing up southern Chinese fare (with plenty of chilli, of course) in a sleek laneway setting. 

Whether you're looking for world-class restaurants and bars, blockbuster art and theatre, unique shopping experiences or exhiliarating sports, Melbourne has you covered this winter. Art-lovers won't want to go past MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Victoria; a showcase of masterpieces on loan from New York's Museum of Modern Art, from Dalí to Picasso to Pollock. The Melbourne International Film Festival will attract movie buffs from across the country, and sports fanatics will flock to international sporting events.