Lauren Dinse

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's (ASRC) Feast for Freedom is back from March 31 to April 30 this year.  Now in its seventh year, the Feast gives you the chance to cook a cuisine you mightn’t have experimented with before, and the excuse to host your loved ones for a meal all in the name of raising funds for the ASRC. Recipes for the Feast are generously gifted by refugees and local chefs. This year's Feast will feature recipes by Jane, a Malaysian-Tamil local who'll share her family's delicious Indian recipes and Lidys and Jose from Colombia, who together are bringing rich, vibrant Colombian flavours to Aussie tables.  The initiative also welcomes two exciting guests this year: chef Kishwar Chowdhury (who you might recognize from Masterchef Australia) and Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM, ASRC’s CEO and founder, who'll be respectively sprinkling some Bangladeshi and Greek recipes into the mix. We're ready to cook up a storm! You can register to host a feast via the website. The ASRC will email you a personal fundraising page and send you a hosting kit that includes all of the recipes and the stories of the chefs behind them. All that's left to do is plan your dishes, invite your guests and host your Feast for Freedom.  The funds raised will enable the ASRC to provide food, shelter, healthcare and other vital services to over 7,000 people seeking asylum every year. Since 2019, more than 4,500 people across Australia have hosted a Feast for Freedom raising over $2 million. Find

Nicknamed the coffee capital of the world, Melbourne has no shortage of excellent coffee shops. Thanks to an influx of Greek and Italian immigrants who introduced espresso to our city after WWII, we now have more coffee shops per person than any other city in the world. This makes writing a list of the best coffee shops in the CBD almost redundant, as you'll be hard pressed to find an energising bean juice that doesn't put a pep in your step. However, as with everything we do, we aim to make your life easier, so we've compiled a list of our personal favourite CBD coffee joints to ensure your morning (or arvo) caffeine hit is the best it can be.  Recommended: Australia's best coffee shops, plus the best cafés in Melbourne.

Whoever coined the phrase "the best things come in small packages" had definitely just eaten a plate of dumplings. No other food compares when it comes to versatility; fried, steamed or boiled, they're all magic in your mouth. And with a myriad of variations and ingredients, they can happily feed vegetarians and carnivores alike. Now, a favourite dumplings joint can be a contentious topic. So to help you decide – or make a list to try them all – we've composed a list of Melbourne's most popular Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese (and even Polish) offerings so you can get your fix of these parcels of deliciousness. All you need to do is dunk 'em into your preferred condiment and enjoy! Check out our top picks for Melbourne's best Chinese restaurants. Looking for a refreshing drink? These are the top bubble tea spots in town.

Australians are constantly in a heavenly food coma, courtesy of Italian cuisine. This is thanks to the huge influx of Italian immigrants who arrived on our shores after World War II, bringing not just a suitcase of dreams, but a whole lot of pasta, pizza and parmesan. Whether you’re craving fresh antipasti straight from The Boot, hand-rolled pappardelle with rich ragu, wood-fired sourdough pizza or boozy tiramisu made just like nonna, we’ve scoured out the best Italian restaurants in Australia for every occasion. Our team of expert local writers has independently chosen these spots for their authentic flavours, prime locations, buzzing ambience and signature Italian hospitality. In Sydney, a cheery waterfront spot has been serving classic Italian hits for more than a decade. In Brisbane, live lobster is plucked from tanks and tossed through house-made spaghetti. And in Hobart, a tiny CBD wine bar keeps the vibes flowing with vinyl records all night. Take your pick! 🍽️ All the best restaurants in Australia right now🍕 The best pizzas in Australia🍔 Where to find the best burgers

Whether you're coupled up, single or looking to spend Valentine's Day with your friends, there's something for everyone in Melbourne this February 14. From romantic dinners to bougie hotel stays, this city will be leaning into love, no matter what form it comes in. Plus, heaps of our city's most beloved attractions will be hosting special V-Day events, so there'll be plenty of fun ways to feel the love. If you're tight on budget – that's okay! Here are some cheap and free date ideas. And if you're looking for ways to keep the spark alive beyond just one day of romance, here are the most romantic things to do in Melbourne.  Check out our complete guide to Valentine's Day in Melbourne, where you'll find everything from Melbourne's best date night restaurants to the best places for a cheeky pash. 

Whether you're planning to pop the big question, celebrate a wedding anniversary or simply treat your lover to a special night on the town, it pays to know which restaurants around Melbourne make the perfect romantic setting. We're talking excellent food and drink, winning service and sultry lighting that gets you in the mood for love. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Scored yourself a hot date and want to impress? Here are the best date night restaurants in Melbourne.

February 2025: We reckon February actually marks the official start of the year, which means even if you've already broken all your New Year's resolutions, this is your second chance to refresh and reboot. If being more budget savvy was something you wanted to focus on, our guide to Melbourne's top cheap eats can help you out – from tacos and bánh mì to falafels and noodles, nothing on this list will empty out your wallet. The late and great respected chef Anthony Bourdain once famously said: “I'd rather eat in Melbourne than Paris." It goes without saying that Melbourne has long been revered as one of Asia Pacific's most exciting food cities, but that status isn't just attributed to our fancy restaurants – special as many of those upper crust institutions may be. Our laneways and hidden alcoves are brimming with cheap street eats, smashable pub deals and dinner options you can enjoy for $20, $15 or even under $10, so you can stop counting your hard-earned pennies and start eating instead. Lauren Dinse is Time Out Melbourne’s Food and Drink Writer, and has spent an impressive time scouting for the city's tastiest cheap eats – from her early student days spent wandering around Carlton and the CBD in search of a pocket change lunch, to the present day covering fun new openings for Time Out.  For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. Don't want to spend a cent? We've got you covered with our guide to the best things to do for free in Melbourne.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, and rings in the Year of the Snake. For many, this is a time to get together with friends and family to wish for good luck and a prosperous year ahead. We've rounded up some of the best Lunar New Year festivities on offer across Melbourne, so gather your loved ones and book ahead to ensure you don't miss out. Kung hei fat choy!  Lunar New Year is a great time to explore the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne, and to eat your weight in dumplings at the best dumpling spots in town. 

Not to toot our own horn, but Australia’s coffee scene is unbeatable. Our laid-back café culture is underpinned by vast caffeine consumption, with most locals kicking off their day with a good ol' cup of Joe. Our thriving industry of roasters and baristas earns international acclaim year after year, and Sydney and Melbourne have even been named among the top ten cities for coffee worldwide.  We've tapped into the wisdom of our most devoted coffee enthusiasts and writers around the country to bring you this list of Australia's best coffee roasters. These masters of the craft excel in every part of the process: from sourcing and roasting beans to ultimately brewing them expertly. Whether you're a fan of Ona and Industry Beans, or swear by Sample and Single O, here's our pick of the top coffee suppliers in Australia right now. 🥐 The best croissants in Australia🍹 All the best bars for a boozy night🥖 Our favourite bakeries in Australia right now

February 2025: It's no secret that Melburnians take café culture very seriously – and you can bet that pretty much everyone in this city has a local joint where they get their coffee fix. But in the spirit of spreading the love (Valentine's Day is coming up, after all), our challenge to you this month is to branch out and try somewhere new. This list is loaded with excellent spots for lattes, avo on toast, baked goods and maybe even a Mimosa or two – who knows, you may just discover your new favourite spot. There's a lot to love about Melbourne's world-class café scene. Wickedly good coffee. Creative brunch dishes that taste as good as they look, fresh from the minds of some of the city's top talent. And of course, the vibes. Discovering hot new cafés is almost a competitive sport in a city with AM dining of this calibre, so we've scoured Melbourne to bring you a guide to the finest of the lot. Looking for dessert that masquerades as breakfast? Check out the best doughnuts in Melbourne. Prefer a healthier feed? Try our pick of the best healthy lunch eats in the CBD.

February 2025: If you're anything like us, the thought of it being February already will have you reaching for a froff. The summer holidays are officially over, we're trying to get back into the swing of that work-life routine and the next vacation feels far, far away. Our advice? Wash away those worries with a visit to one of Melbourne's top watering holes. Trust us, a cheeky bev or two with your mates in a leafy beer garden or a steak at a swanky gastropub is just the thing to perk you right up. Cheers!  From historic boozers to gastropubs and rocking live music venues, we believe that Melbourne boasts some of the finest pub culture in the world outside the British Isles, and we’ll gladly pass out on that hill. Our pub traditions are diverse and many – the weeknight chicken parma special, boisterous trivia nights, open mic gigs, friendly (read: competitive) pool games and that ever-wholesome Sunday roast. But every liquored-up local has its own unique set of drawcards and that's what makes this scene so fun and diverse. Looking for somewhere you can bring your doggo? We know the pubs that'll greet your pooch with a smile. Want a pub where you can drink outside and soak up the rays? Our beer gardens are some of Melbourne's loveliest drinking playgrounds. And if you're looking for a pint with a side of history, we've got the intel on this town's oldest pubs. So how did we come up with this list of the very top 50 in Melbourne? Well, we've spent years drinking our way around

February 2025: It's the last month of summer (can you believe it?!), which calls for wines in sunny courtyards, Spritzes on rooftops and ice-cold pints in beer gardens. Lucky for you, this list is chock-full of spots where you can do exactly that. Plus, it's also Valentine's Day this month, so if you're looking impress that special someone in your life with a hot date in a slick and sexy bar, keep reading for some excellent inspo. You're welcome. Melbourne has some of the greatest bars in the world, whether you're looking for the laser-like focus of 16-seater Above Board or the rock ‘n’ roll ‘she’ll be right’ spirit of Lulie Tavern. You can find temples heroing whisky and palaces dedicated to gin; you can sip naked wines or suited-and-booted cocktails, grab a craft beer and a parma or a late-night Gimlet and a Euro-leaning cheese platter. Or how about a prawn club sanga and a bottle of Champers from tiny charmer Apollo Inn?  If you're looking for a bar to head to, we've rounded up the top 50 bars that we're really loving right now – and we're sure you will, too. RECOMMENDED READ: Hungry? We've got you covered  with the 50 best restaurants in Melbourne right now.

Forks at the ready! The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is returning with its annual jam-packed program from March 21 to March 30. Featuring a star-studded line-up of chefs, local food heroes and special dining experiences, it's a full-throated celebration of Melbourne’s food and drink scene – and we couldn't be more excited (or hungry!). The ten-day event kicks off with the festival's signature World’s Longest Lunch, spearheaded this year by none other than Melbourne-born culinary legend Curtis Stone. Another favourite is the World's Longest Brunch, which this year is being reimagined by beloved author and food personality, Julia Busuttil Nishimura – expect a moving feast celebrating the city's brunch culture. Other highlights include Dim City, which celebrates 80 years of the delicious pork parcel (fun fact: dim sims were invented in Melbourne) with a giveaway of dimmies by chefs Rosheen Kaul (Etta), John Rivera (Askal) and Eun Hee An (Moon Mart). Best of all, it's free! And you won't want to miss Something Saucy, a pasta pop-up in Whitehart Lane or Tacos and Toum, which will see Raph Rashid team up with hummus king Tom Sarafian to explore these two grand culinary traditions. Also returning for its third year is Baker's Dozen. The free event at Fed Square brings together the city's finest bakers and cakers – including Madeleine de Proust, Lune, Tarts Anon, All Are Welcome and Baker Bleu – to whip up some delicious creations. Plus, if you love a cheeky cardamom bun, don't m

Melbourne's giant beer, cider and fun festival GABS is back for 2025, so get ready to get sipping. Wacky flavours have just been announced, featuring brews inspired by peanut and butter, vegemite toast, rainbow ice cream cones, gingerbread pastry and warheads. Sign us up! In previous years, the cult fave event has been held at the Royal Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Showgrounds, but for this edition, it's landing with a frothy splash at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Despite the rotating digs, the GABS brief fortunately remains the same: go on a deep dive with some of the best and most experimental local and interstate brewers on the scene right now. Each year, breweries are invited to submit an expression of interest to create a GABS Festival Brew, but only 120 make the cut. Famed for their weird and wonderful flavour combos (think sushi beer, cookie stouts and lollipop sours), some of the exclusive Festival brews have gone on to become top sellers. For 2025, several exciting European guest breweries have been confirmed in the program already. Bamburg's famous smoked beer brewery, Schlenkerla, will be crossing the oceans to showcase their offerings while the fest will also be joined by the world's oldest brewery Weihenstephan (who had so much fun in 2024, they're coming back!) And of course, the serious drawcard of GABS each year involves the roster of never brewed before, never to be seen again beers and ciders made just for the fest. In 2025, the bonke

We hope you're hungry, because the Port Phillip Mussel and Jazz Festival is back for a celebration of music and molluscs. On March 8 and 9, the South Melbourne Market will come alive as some of the market's best loved restaurants shell out (see what we did there?) plenty of dishes showcasing mussels.  This year, vendors involved include Claypots Evening Star, Simply Spanish and Bambu. But if seafood's not your thing, you can also feast on French pastries, porchetta rolls, German street food, cannoli and a whole lot more. Cecil Street will be closed to traffic, and there'll also be free cooking demonstrations, workshops, roving performers, giveaways and fun activities for the kids.  Best of all, the festival is once again teaming up with the Nature Conservatory and supporting the 'Shuck Don't Chuck' campaign. Festivalgoers are encouraged to dispose of their mussel shells in special bins so that they can be turned into habitats for baby mussels and oysters to grow on.  On the music front, it's all about the city's best jazz and soul musicians, with the line-up including acts like Charlie Needs Braces, Miss Lizzy and the Night Owls, Noria Letts and Hoodoo Mayhem. For more info and to see the full program, head to the website. Starry-eyed for seafood? These are the best fish and chips in Melbourne. 

Are you sick of salad? Maybe you’d like to kill kale? Perhaps you hunger for something with a little more meat on its bones? Well, hunger no more! Meatstock lands in Bendigo on March 14 and 15 to satisfy all your carnivorous cravings, and it's bringing along an unmissable program of rocking music, wild attractions and nail-biting competitions this year.  "If an offset smoker and an electric guitar had a baby, it would be Meatstock," is how the festival describes itself. Sounds legit.  Some of the best pitmasters in the barbecue biz will be serving up food throughout the weekend including Get Smoked, Hoy Pinoy, Carolina Smoke, Phat Boyz BBQ, Black Iron Smokers, Hangry Wolf BBQ and more, with plenty of drinks stalls to wash it all down. Entertainment will come by way of many local artists and bands playing on the main stage, including Lane Pittman, Chase Rice, Oliver Anthony, Redferrine, Bella Mackenzie, Piper Rodrigues, Dakota East and Taylor Moss. You can head over to the expo portion of the event to pick up everything from barbecue rubs, cooking appliances, barbecues, hot sauces and heaps more, but don't stop there. Whether to spectate or take part, you're also encouraged to hit up the competitive eating zones where pale-faced attendees will be showing off their bottomless bellies when it comes to throwing down sozzie sizzles, burgs or red-hot hot wings.  The Professional Bull Riding will also be back this year, where cowboys (and cowgirls, of course) will be challenged to

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. “In fact,” the Burger Shack employee murmurs from his drive-through window in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. “Just thinking about those tender little White Castle burgers with those little, itty-bitty grilled onions that just explode in your mouth like flavor crystals every time you bite into one... just makes me want to burn this motherfucker down.” Ever since watching (and laughing a lot) at that scene in the 2004 stoner comedy, I’ve looked high and low for an experience that would make me think so lovingly about onions that I refer to them in my mind as “flavour crystals”. Well, my search is complete: the Cevapi Project is that experience. Scooped up with the wood-fired artisan bread pockets and authentic Bosnian-style cevapi (to the uninitiated, that’s a traditional grilled beef mince sausage), those “itty-bitty” raw white onions are so tasty you’ll want to kiss someone – even if they run away from your breath. Though this item on the menu, origigi (street slang for ‘original’), is the trademark attraction at the Cevapi Project, there are plenty of add-ons and other dishes you can order to jazz up your meal.  Try the ajvar (a type of capsicum and eggplant relish), which owner Goran Kapetanovic makes himself. It’s a chunkier, more home-style preparation than the smooth pastes you’d f

Get ready to dive into the hottest season of the year at Le Splash – the swanky pool bar at Le Méridien Melbourne. Formerly only open to the five-star hotel's guests, Le Splash will welcome the public onto its stunning rooftop for the first time ever this summer.  Le Méridien's signature Au Soleil program is all about cool Euro summer vibes – think vibrant Mediterannean-inspired cocktails, live DJs and stunning 360-degree views of the prettiest corner of the CBD. Yep, we can't think of a sweeter spot to soak up the rays. And if the temps are too hot during the day? Luxuriate in the frosty delights of a Whispering Angel rosé sorbet or the exclusive Limoncello Drop from the comfort of your very own sun lounger by the pool. Maybe you'd also like to graze from the bar's sophisticated food menu (lobster rolls or pommes frites, anyone?), or head downstairs post-swim to elegant subterannean restaurant Dolly for a swish dinner. There'll also be poolside games like backgammon and a calendar of special curated experiences to make the most out of your summer in style. And don't forget a scoop of the hotel's famous gelato for dessert – after another year around the sun, you deserve it. The summer splash pass is available from Monday to Thursday all summer long. Each pass entitles you to pool access from 10am to 2pm (so that's four hours of sweet sun and swim time) and it's $70 per person – inclusive of a complimentary drink. And that aforementioned gelato? That's included in the ticket

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. To describe Annie Smithers as accomplished is an understatement. She’s a force of nature: overseeing an expansive farm, authoring books, writing for The Saturday Paper, and somehow finding time to shape one of the most revered dining experiences in regional Victoria. To this day, she still does all the cooking at Du Fermier – from baking baguettes in the morning to offering a menu du jour that features veggies from her own kitchen garden (picked on the day!), along with meats and poultry from the local area. Just ten minutes from Trentham, Smithers’ small farm and home, Babbington Park, is where she grows her own food. The culmination of a career that includes formative years as an apprentice to Stephanie Alexander and head chef at Daylesford’s Lake House, her approach to cooking is rooted in a deep respect for the farm-to-table philosophy.  Du Fermier is the place where it all comes together. It’s a charming and rustic-looking restaurant with weathered floorboards and cute little knick-knacks dotted about the dining room. Decorating the shelves alongside my table, I spy stacks of beautiful ceramics, lovely books (one of them titled Recipes for a Kinder Life), bottles of chablis and jars of jam I want to take home with me. The table is adorned with a vase of f

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. Birra. Biscotti. Bolognese. Bresaola. Bruschetta. There are countless awesome Italian things that begin with the letter ‘B’, but if you love wine, barolo has got to be near the top of the list. And now we can also add Bar Olo – a snazzy new Carlton bar playfully named after the Piedmont grape varietal. Both locals and curious passersby have been smitten from the moment its mysterious sheer white curtain was first swept back in April 2024. So what’s all the fuss about? Well, first of all, there’s the Scopri connection; the bar’s big sister restaurant is a short walk down the road, and is one of Carlton’s longtime favourites for old-school Italian hospitality and special occasion dining. Bar Olo may have been fated to be just another restaurant outpost (a recent trend that’s seen many venues add little bars next door as a kind of footnote to their central offering), but it’s immediately clear that this one plays no second fiddle.  Upon entry, you’ll fall in love with the beautiful classiness of the 40-seater. It’s stylish and sophisticated with white cloth-draped tables and a tastefully warm and handsome design, plus a welcoming team of well-groomed staff ready to make sure you’re taken care of right away. In a similar vein to fellow recent-ish openings like Apo

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. It's been almost eight years since Mr West swung open its doors to astonished Footscray locals. Some, rightly so, feared the young bar marked the beginning of the 'cray's dangerous edging into hipster territory. Others, also rightly so, encouraged naysayers to live a little. The latter camp welcomed a new casual drinking home for excellent craft beer, cocktails and locally produced wines – a friendly place where staff could talk tipples with anybody and everybody curious enough to step in for a drink. So how does Mr West fare in 2025? Has it seamlessly woven its offering into the colourful patchwork of Footscray's spirit? It certainly has, and it's still, simply, one of the best in the west. What started as a humble watering hole has transformed beautifully into a jack-of-all-trades: an indie bottle-o (if you're a lover of low-intervention drops and crafty brews, this is the place to shop), a cocktail bar shaking up more interesting spirits than most and a BYO dinner joint. Importantly, this venue supports local restaurants and eateries around Footscray by allowing visitors to order takeaway directly to their tables. Broken rice, bánh mì, dumplings? You got it. And maybe that's part of the reason why it's fit in so well. My partner and I have swanned in on a

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. January 2025 update: Amaru is teaming up with Florilège to host a one-of-a-kind dining experience as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival this year. Go here to get a seat at the table. The review below describes a Chef's Counter experience in late 2023. From the moment you book the full seasonal tasting experience on Amaru’s website, you know you’re in for an odyssey. It’s the restaurant’s most extravagant offering, after all – with five snacks, seven courses and petit fours, plus optional drink pairings. Skipping brekky isn’t a bad idea, but that’s not to say the food at Amaru will be dense or cumbersome – the progression of light to heavier dishes is carefully designed, a thoughtful pacing that allows you to take as long as you please in comfort. Situated on a leafy boutique strip in Armadale amidst bridal shops and delis, the 34-seat venue is surprisingly low-key inside. Behind the sheer curtains concealing it from the outside world, you’re met with a starkly understated dining room accented with natural timber, earthy textiles, brushed grey walls and a statement vase of native flowers. The tables are widely spaced apart, offering a private sanctuary for languid, leisurely dining – which you’ll certainly need to fully immerse yourself in every bite

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here.punter If you were the type of old club head to trawl the pubs on Brunswick Street for pints, chats and boogie opportunities, you’ll probably remember the Punters Club of yore. While it was gone for a while, we can now confirm: yes, it’s back – and better than ever. A beloved live music venue from the time before anyone had a mobile phone, and before it was Bimbo (and then Kewpie), the Punters Club has come back to the future with a fresh lick of paint, stacked live music program and an inspired menu of nostalgia-inducing pub grub. For the latter, think a salt and vinegar chip packet full of tuna tartare (trust us, it's better than it sounds), South Melbourne Market dim sims with Lao Gan Mai chilli oil and an old-school banana split for dessert. If that all sounds too fancy, you can also order a 'roo schnitty, fried chicken or a damn tasty cheeseburger.  While it might not be exactly the same as the good ol' days (I mean, do we really miss smoking inside?), trust that the new owners are a formidable team. There’s Jason Cameron of Near and Far, Matt Francis from Garage Project and Marquis of Lorne, head chef Dylan Marshall (formerly of the Scenic Hotel in South Australia and Marquis of Lorne), musician Mark Wilson, creative agency specialist Britt King, and Nath

Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. When Molly Rose Brewery first opened its doors in 2019 in a Collingwood backstreet, northside craft beer lovers rejoiced. Though it’s not difficult to find the local brewer’s creations at bars and good bottle shops around town, there’s something to be said for drinking at the spot where all the beer alchemy takes place – from the fermentation process to that final frothy pour.   In March 2023, the brewery enticed locals further with an ambitious expansion involving a takeover of the building next door, the add-on of a leafy beer garden and the hiring of creative new Thai-born chef, Ittichai Ngamtrairai, who dished up arguably one of the city's best value Chef's Table experiences. Though Ngamtrairai may have since left Molly Rose to return to Scott Pickett's Matilda, the magic of the unique brewery-slash-gastropub-slash-bar remains. From Wok Wednesdays and Sip and Slurp laksa nights on Thursdays (and even the hosting of a culinary star-studded laksa festival) to custom gin-making masterclasses and workshops run by local creatives, there's always something cool happening at this inner north hive. The venue itself is hard to define, a narrow warehouse hodgepodge of drinking and dining areas, each with a different sense of purpose. If you’re all about a beer-match

It's easy to overlook the wonder that is Flinders Street Station. When passing through its busy Myki gates at rush hour or using the clock at the top of the stairs as an easy-to-find meeting point, who's thinking about history? But deep behind its walls, throughout its sprawling ballroom and long-abandoned vaults, there's a fascinating trove of spaces and stories to unearth here. Miss Gunn's, a brand new bar that's just opened down in the station's rediscovered basement, pays homage to one such story – that of Ada May Gunn (nicknamed 'Dolly' or 'Miss Gunn'). Ada opened a place called the Loungers' Club in 1909, popular with busy working girls and women of the time. It was designed to be a sort of ladies' social club, a serene haven where you could flip through books and magazines, chat over an afternoon tea or refresh yourself before a trip to the theatre (so in this writer's opinion, basically heaven).  While the new Miss Gunn's may be in a different part of the station, the spirit of its namesake lives on through calm, welcoming vibes and the promise of relaxation at the end of a hectic Melbourne day. It's a modern version of the old-school urban lounge, complete with relaxing jazz, a snacky menu and top-tier cocktails mixed at the bar.  Photograph: Supplied / Miss Gunn's Care for a post-train journey tipple? Try the Distant Memories, a concoction of Never Never gin, yellow Chartreuse, rhubarb stew and lemon juice. Or the fruity Dolly, an expertly mixed blend of spiced r

Bib up and take a bow, Melburnians! Not that we needed the proof, but our fair city has just been ranked the world's hottest destination for food-obsessed travellers. Leveraging a blend of social media data and insightful metrics on dining affordability and cuisine diversity, a brand new study from British company Travelbag reveals exactly where Melbourne stands among the world's top gastronomic destinations in 2025 – and yep, we're sitting pretty at numero uno. But is it really any surprise? From our globally acclaimed dining scene (after all, we've got some of the best restaurants in the world) to the multicultural array of cuisines dotted around our neighbourhoods, there's no question that we're living in a food lovers' wonderland. And with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival ready to go in March, this town's on standby to get a whole lot tastier. So with all this deliciousness in mind, let's take look at the study's results! With over 100 different cuisines and an average dining cost of £57 for two people in a mid-range restaurant (it's a British study, so that translates to about $113AUD as per current conversion rates), Melbourne ranked highly compared to other cities on these metrics alone – but it's our social media popularity that really rocketed us up the rankings ladder.  How about all the love we get on the 'gram, for example? We're the most popular food destination in the world – a tie with London. Both cities were found to have a cool 3 million Instagram pos

Oh humble meat pie, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways! There was that time in 2003 that then-NSW Premier Bob Carr called it "our national dish". It was once reported that the average Aussie eats more than 12 meat pies each year. And there's no denying that for many of us – from school teens lining up at the canteen, to tradies taking a quick smoko or footy fans at a fame – there's nothing so satisfying as a ketchup-topped meat pie straight outta the oven. Meat pies, in fact, are so loved across the nation that there are a fair amount of competitions dedicated to finding the very best one. Now in its 35th year, the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition has crowned its 2024 winner – with Buddy Bakery in Melton taking out the top gong.  Photograph: Supplied / the Great Aussie Pie Competition This year’s competition was incredibly fierce (and flaky), with more than 2,000 pies from 367 bakeries nationwide vying for the $500 prize and bragging rights to Australia’s best plain meat pie. So, what exactly makes a “good pie”? According to chief judge Mike French, it comes down to several key criteria: “a base that is two to three millimetres thick with a nice even cooked-through bake. Good lamination on the lid with natural colour. Filling that doesn’t run, is stable and has good sensory appeal (taste, smell, texture and aftertaste).” Victoria’s Buddy Bakery nailed the brief with its chunky meat pie, while WA’s Four Seasons Patisserie and Bakery secured the runner-up spot. 

It's nearly time to bib up, folks! Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) has finally unveiled its exciting 2025 program and we're feeling hungry already.  The mega ten-day festival will return to the city on March 21 with all of your fave MFWF events (World's Longest Brunch in the Royal Botanic Gardens, anyone?), plus heaps of special activations, global chef appearances and collaborations, special one-off culinary creations and other unforgettable food and drink adventures. There's more than 200 events to choose from, so we recommend checking out the program now and filling in your calendar asap. “We’re thrilled to be back in 2025 with a truly special program of events right across Melbourne and regional Victoria,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food and Drink Victoria. “Melbourne’s very own Curtis Stone is headlining the World’s Longest Lunch presented by La Trobe Financial, and one of our country’s most successful cookbook authors, Julia Busuttil Nishmura, is taking charge on World’s Longest Brunch, which has been reinvented for 2025, and that’s just the opening weekend." Photograph: Supplied /MFWF The Special Events Program in 2025 (presented by Square) will see more than 175 events sweep across Victoria with tons of regional action and fun workshops featuring hat-making and winemaking, hands-on tattoo education (with sliders and drinks, of course!) and extraordinary one-off evenings featuring some of the nation's brightest culinary talents. There'll even be

2024 was a massive year for Moon Dog, with exciting new openings in both Footscray and Docklands dominating our feeds – but little did we know, they weren't done yet! Right before Christmas, the craft brewers quietly opened Moon Dog Beach Club on the Nepean Highway in Frankston: a sprawling 2000-square-metre wonderland complete with cabana huts, a giant balcony beer garden and four fully-stocked bars, plus a main stage with a rotating line-up of local DJs.  Photograph: Instant Crush Creative Perfect for summer catch-ups and boozy day sessions, the lively new venue – the fifth from the Moon Dog crew – brings the breezy, glamorous energy of the world's famous tropical beach clubs to Port Phillip Bay. Think cocktails with umbrellas, cushy daybeds and buckets of prawns and beers galore. Wandering in through the lush, foliage-lined entryway, you'll feel like you've stepped into a laidback day party in Copacabana instead of just another bayside bar. Photograph: Instant Crush Creative Grab a friend and tuck into a lavish seafood tower, or bring the whole family along for crowd-pleasing pub eats like fresh fish and chips and parmas, with the fried prawn tacos and Big Kahuna burger also set to be surefire hits. For drinks, expect Moon Dog's signature craft beers and seltzers, along with a selection of spirits, wines, non-alcoholic options and tropical-themed cocktails like Mojitos, Mai Tais and boozy slushies.    Want to dance the night away? The bar is open seven days a week, and

If aliens were to beam down to our city to pick up some Melbourne artefacts, no doubt they'd swing by the American Doughnut Kitchen van at Queen Victoria Market. These sugar-dusted hot jam doughnuts have been giving Melburnians their sweet-and-fried fix since 1950, and we've even crowned them as one of Melbourne's must-try eats. In case you've been living under a rock (or don't obsess over doughnuts as much as we do), let us share the good news that the beloved vintage van has a glossy new bricks-and-mortar store at Prahran Market. Here, you can pair your doughnut with a delicious cup of coffee for the ultimate market breakfast. They've also just announced for the very first time ever new doughnut fillings beyond raspberry jam! Not that we don't adore the OG ones, you can now fill a box with salted caramel, Biscoff, vanilla custard doughnuts and more. We'll take a box, please! There's also a new menu of nostalgia-inducing classic milkshakes and iced drinks. Photograph: Supplied / American Doughnut Kitchen And don't just expect another van. The new shop features a fit-out that pays homage to the truck, with the same open workstation so you can watch all that glorious doughnut magic take place – from the cutting and cooking, to the royal filling and sugar treatment. It's an immersive in-store experience guaranteed to enthral old-timers, little ones and kids at heart alike.  As for the celebrity-status jam doughnuts, not much needs to be said if you've tried them. They've got

Let's give it up for the legends over at 400 Gradi, with the pizza masters once again garnering glowing praise on the world stage for their authentic Italian fare. The 2024 edition of the Top 50 World Artisan Pizza Chains has just dropped, and it awarded 400 Gradi the eighth spot on the global list. It's the third year in a row the restaurant chain has landed in the top ten, after it placed in sixth place in both 2022 and 2023. This incredible achievement means that 400 Gradi is officially regarded as Australia's numero uno pizza and pasta chain right now – but long-time followers and fans will hardly be surprised. Photograph: Supplied / 400 Gradi The pizzeria and pasta restaurant led by Johnny di Francesco is no stranger to global wins. It was the first Australian pizza restaurant to be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (the True Neapolitan Pizza Association), winner of best pizza in the world for its classic Margherita in 2014, and winner of the 2022 Made in Italy Latter Sorrentina Award for its menu of classic Italian delicacies. Given the fierce global competition at this annual event, the fact that 400 Gradi has once again stood out among the rest is no small feat. Since opening in 2008 on the Brunswick East end of Lygon Street, 400 Gradi has evolved into a global brand with locations spanning Victoria and South Australia, plus Dallas in the United States. Hungry to join in the celebrations? We'll catch you at 400 Gradi of world-class 'za! You can f

Australia’s dining scene is by far one of the best in the world – and this fact has once again been confirmed by La Liste, a highly regarded Paris-based restaurant ranking guide that’s just revealed its picks for the top 1,000 restaurants from around the world. This ranking is based on aggregated data from thousands of publications, hundreds of guidebooks and millions of online reviews – so you know if you make the cut, it's a pretty big deal. For 2025, 18 Australian restaurants secured spots in the top 50, proving once more that we live in one of the most delicious parts of the globe. Photograph: Jason Loucas The biggest win of the night went to Melbourne’s legendary fine diner Vue de Monde, which was crowned as the joint fifth-best restaurant globally for 2025. In our Time Out Melbourne Food and Drink Writer Lauren Dinse’s recent review, she wrote that "after a kiss of new life, one of Melbourne’s long-reigning royals of the fine dining scene has awoken from its three-month beauty sleep a stunner". So, we're not surprised it's getting a whole lotta love on the global stage right now. Hot on Vue de Monde's heels in tied sixth place was Sydney’s Oncore by Clare Smyth – a fancy five-star diner helmed by the first British-born woman to earn three Michelin stars. Melbourne’s Attica in Ripponlea was crowned the eighth-best restaurant in the world, while Sydney’s finest diner Quay took out the 11th spot. Regional Victoria’s modern Australian restaurant Brae and Adelaide’s native

Every year, La Liste – a Paris-based restaurant ranking guide – reveals its picks for the top 1,000 restaurants and top 1,000 hotels from around the world. This ranking is based on aggregated data from thousands of publications, hundreds of guidebooks and millions of online reviews – so you know if you make the cut, it's a pretty huge deal. That's why we're super stoked for Melbourne's legendary fine diner Vue de Monde, which has just ranked fifth globally in the 2025 list! This means La Liste currently considers Vue de Monde as the best restaurant in Australia. In our recent review earlier this year, we wrote that "after a kiss of new life, one of Melbourne’s long-reigning royals of the fine dining scene has awoken from its three-month beauty sleep a stunner". So, we're not surprised it's getting a whole lotta love on the global stage right now. It's a remarkable new era for the CBD restaurant, which has recently benefitted from state-of-the-art renovations and exciting menu updates from executive chef Hugh Allen. Photograph: Vue de Monde So which other restaurants caught the eye of the La Liste team?  Hot on Vue de Monde's heels, superstar Attica in Ripponlea took out eighth place in the world (so that's third in Australia). Next we had beautiful Brae ranking at number 14, with Japanese sushi haven Minamishima also making the top 30 at 30th place – a tie with Mornington Peninsula's enchanting winery restaurant Ten Minutes by Tractor. In fact, pretty much all of the restau

Every year, La Liste – a highly regarded Paris-based restaurant ranking guide – reveals its picks for the top 1,000 restaurants and top 1,000 hotels from around the world. This ranking is based on aggregated data from thousands of publications, hundreds of guidebooks and millions of online reviews – so you know if you make the cut, it's a pretty big deal. Now, nine Sydney restaurants made the top 50 for 2025, reaffirming our belief that we live in a delicious part of the world. Tying in sixth place with a near-perfect score of 97 per cent – and taking home the title of the best restaurant in Sydney by La Liste – was Barangaroo’s Oncore by Clare Smyth, a swish fine diner with five-star service, rocking snacks and sparkling views.  Photograph: Supplied In 11th place was Peter Gilmore’s forever-brilliant Quay overlooking Sydney Harbour, followed by The Bentley boys' flagship diner, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, in 33rd place, then our restaurant under the white sales, Bennelong, in 37th position. Josh Niland’s seafood palace, Saint Peter, which recently reopened in Paddington’s Grand National Hotel, was next up, awarded the 38th best restaurant in the world for 2025, with Stanmore’s set-menu stallion Sixpenny coming in at 40th place. Hot on its heels was waterfront pasta haven Ormeggio at the Spit (42nd place); fire-fuelled Rockpool Bar & Grill (45th place); and Pyrmont’s jewel LuMi Bar & Dining (47th position). Photograph: Supplied/Ormeggio at The Spit Congrats to all Sydney re

Cozzie livs hitting you hard? We totally get it – it's becoming increasingly harder to find a cheap meal in Melbourne, especially if you don't know where to look. Lucky for you, we've done the hard work to bring you loads of amazing spots that are serving up tasty dishes spanning a range of cuisines.  From old-school institutions to exciting newcomers, if you're after a frugal feed check out these Time Out Melbourne Recommended Cheap Eats for 2024. (Time Out Recommends 2024 is presented in partnership with Tyro.) A1 Bakery Andrew’s Hamburgers Banh Mi Stand Ca Com Banh Mi Bar Café Sunshine and Salamatea Candied Bakery Cookshop Rotisserie Dodee Paidang El Columpio Good Times Göz City Half Moon Café Hank’s Café and Bagelry Hanna’s Kebab Hot Star Large Fried Chicken I Love Pho Khao Man Gai Malaymas Mr Lee’s Foods Northern Soul Pho Hung Vuong Saigon Pizza Pizza Pizza Ras Dashen Soi 38 Vola Foods Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDS: The 50 best things to do in Melbourne for 2024 The 49 best restaurants and bars in Melbourne for 2024 The 15 best regional venues in Victoria for 2024

Forget what anyone (*cough* Sydneysiders *cough*) try to tell you: Melbourne really is the culinary capital of Australia. The city is home to a growing smorgasbord of excellent drinking and dining options, with spots that are innovative, creative, exciting and downright delicious. And while it's hard to narrow it down, here are a solid mix of the restaurants and bars that tick all our boxes right now. So if you're looking for a tasty recommendation, check out these Time Out Melbourne Recommended Restaurants and Bars for 2024. (Time Out Recommends 2024 is presented in partnership with Tyro.) 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Above Board Al Dente Enoteca Anchovy Babaji’s Kerala Kitche Bansho Bar Josephine Bianchetto Black Kite Commune Black Pearl Brico Caretaker’s Cottage Clover Cumulus Inc Eat Pierogi Make Love Enoteca Boccaccio Etta Farmer's Daughters Flower Drum France-Soir Gerald’s Bar Greasy Zoe’s Hotel Esplanade Japanese Teppanyaki Inn Johnny’s Green Room Johnny, Vince and Sam’s Lagoon Dining Leonard’s House of Love Lulie Tavern Madame Brussels Minamishima Molly Rose Brewery Moroccan Soup Bar Movida Navi Neighbourhood Wine Olivine One or Two Panda Hot Pot Pipi’s Kiosk Ponyfish Island Public Wine Shop Purple Pit Serai The Abyssinian Toddy Shop Waygood Yakikami Young Hearts Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDS: The 50 best things to do in Melbourne for 2024 The 25 best cheap eats in Melbourne f