Winter Foodie Weekend in Melbourne

Friday night 

Arrive in Melbourne. You must be hungry after your journey!  

If you haven’t already made a reservation for dinner, head to Flinders Lane - between Swanston and Spring Streets - for dozens of great dining experiences. Have a bit of fun walking the three blocks, reading menus and deciding where you’d like to eat. Or perhaps create your own degustation by having some snacks at a few venues.  Prefer solid recommendations? Try Lucy Liu for pan-Asian fusion or Cumulus Inc for euro-inspired modern Australian.

Try an after dinner night cap at one of the great bars in the neighbourhood such as Trinket (enter through the cupboard!) or The Apollo Inn. 

Photo: Lucy Liu

Saturday morning

You’re booked in for a late lunch food tour, so a mid-morning brunch is your best bet. Try Antara 128 at the eastern end of the CBD or the ever popular Higher Ground if you’re closer to Southern Cross/Docklands.   

Saturday afternoon

Meet your tour guide in Bourke St Mall for your Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walk. You’ll sample savoury, sweet, food and drink over 3 hours all while exploring Melbourne’s laneways and arcades. You definitely won’t be hungry afterwards!  

Saturday night

Make sure your booking for dinner is late, as your food tour only finishes at 4.30pm. Perhaps some light style food, such as sashimi. For a budget-blowing showstopper, book in at Minamashima. You’ll need to jump on the 48 or 75 tram to Richmond for this one. For something in the CBD, try Kisume. If you’re a bit more adventurous, try Japanese/Italian fusion at Alt.  

For an after dark tipple there are more cocktail bars in Melbourne than you could possible try, but Black Kite Commune, Whitehart, Yarra Falls and Caretaker's Cottage all have distinctly different vibes and are all worth a visit.  

Queen Victoria Market

Sunday brunch 

Coffee, a pastry and a wonder around one of Melbourne’s markets is a fabulous way to spend Sunday morning. At Queen Vic Market (1.5km*) try Publique and at South Melb Market (2km*) try Agathe. If cheese is more your taste, try a toastie from Maker & Monger at Prahran Market (6km*). Expect a queue at all of these places. *Distances from Southern Cross Station.  

Roll away to the airport to take your flight home - at least you’ll be too full to eat the plane food! 

Top 5 Melbourne Laneways for Coffee (updated July 2024)

Melbourne: Home of the Coffee Snob

Melbourne is known as the home of the coffee snob – a badge many wear with pride! Melbourne sits on a half square mile rectangular grid of streets. In between these main streets, you’ll find about 200 laneways, many of which will house cafes! No wonder we have about 1000 places to get a coffee! The coffee culture is dominated by espresso mixed with milk. Think about the style of a caffe latte, or as Aussies prefer to call it - a flat white.

Of course, black coffee is widely available. If you want espresso straight up, ask for a short black. To dilute it in water, call it a long black. For a cup of American black coffee, ask for filter or ‘batchy’ (short for batch brew).

Many of the laneway cafes are tiny with just a few seats and most people electing to grab their coffee takeaway (to-go). Worried about consuming all those disposable cups? If you bring your own cup - such as the Melbourne made ‘Keep Cup’ – your barista will be happy to make it in that. Many cafes sell a version of the Keep Cup if you’d like to nice souvenir.

Degraves St

Melbourne’s most famous laneway (read: alleyway) is Degraves St and there’s certainly great quantity of places to get a coffee, but two are known as the choicest. Fieldwork Coffee is a wonderful example of the Melbourne coffee scene with just a few seats to sit and house roasted coffee. They call themselves a ‘modern Australian micro roastery’.

Rankins Lane

Melbourne’s laneways just off Little Bourke St really punch above their weight for world class coffee. Here in Rankins Lane, you’ll find two of the most famous.

Brother Baba Budan is probably Melbourne’s favourite laneway café. Opened ‘circa 2003’ by Seven Seeds coffee roasters it consistently serves some of the best ethically sourced coffees in Melbourne. The communal table in the front window is the best seat in town to soak up the sweet beats pumping through the stereo while you sip.

Head around the corner deep into Rankins Lane for Manchester Press. Here you’ll order coffee roasted by Ona coffee – another roaster that takes sustainability and ethics in coffee sourcing very seriously. Manchester Press is a great place to go if you’d like some food with your coffee.

Somerset Place

Also in the same Little Bourke St neighbourhood this laneway is a great place to find amazing coffee. Captains of Industry has been quietly tucked away up the rickety staircase on level 1 for years offering coffee, booze and haircuts. They probably won’t make a fuss about the coffee, but it will be roasted dark and roasted locally. And it’s a lovely quiet space to sit if you need some laptop time.

If you’re really up for some of the tastiest coffees in Melbourne, head to the end of this Melbourne laneway to Blue Doors. They use coffee roasted for them by Cartel Coffee Roasters in Geelong (1 hour down the highway). Cartel roast a blend for them for milk based coffee that is entirely unique. Exotic coffees are also a highlight here.

Crossley St

At the eastern end of town are some of the most enduring eating and drinking experiences in Melbourne – many of them Italian.

Pellegrini’s on Bourke St (corner Crossley St) is credited with introducing espresso to Melbourne in 1953. It’s been in the same family since 1974 and they bought it from the Pellegrini brothers themselves. The late owner, Sisto Malaspina, has a permanent memorial out the front. That’s how much Melbourne loves this place. Don’t come here expecting the best coffee in Melbourne. Come here for a piece of living history.

Around the corner is a tiny almost literal hole in the wall called Traveller. Like Brother Baba Budan, it’s also owned by Seven Seeds. Look for the neon sign of a shoe. A coffee from Pellegrini’s side-by-side with a coffee from Traveller tells you where Melbourne coffee has come from and where it’s going.

Equitable Place

This is another hectic laneway during the week as office workers descend upon this place during their lunchbreak. The tiny Two Conversations coffee is consistently good and also offers some healthy snacks. Head towards Little Collins St and just around the corner to Industry Beans. The minimalist, also clinical Modbar layout serves wonderful coffees including some modern additions for milk lovers such as Bubble Cup (a coffee drink mimicking bubble tea) and an iced latte with the additional if Australian native wattleseed.

Drinking decaf in Melbourne

Most cafes these days will have a decaf option, but if you’re looking for some of the best there are two clear standouts. The decaf at hugely popular organic coffee roaster Dukes, is hard to differentiate from the standard variety. It has complexity and body which is something many other decafs lack. We’d happily drink it with milk or without. You will probably need to stand in line along Flinders Lane with the rest of the crowd, but it’s worth it!

One of our favourites - mentioned above - is Industry Beans and their decaf is also top notch in flavour. The beans are decaffeinated using the ‘sugarcane process’ which utilises the enzymes from the sugarcane plant to leach the caffeine from the coffee beans. But if that is getting a bit technical - don’t worry too much. Just enjoy the coffee!

WANT TO DRINK THE BEST COFFEE IN MELBOURNE?

COME JOIN US!

Walk Melbourne Tours will help you get the best out of your stay in Melbourne. Our Coffee Lovers Walking Tour will take you to visit four coffee houses and cafés around Melbourne’s laneways, sample a selection of different coffee varieties, and uncover all the secrets of brewing the perfect coffee. Click Here for more info.

Coffee Lovers Walking Tour by Walk Melbourne

Top 5 Things To Do In Melbourne This Winter

The Charm of Winter in Melbourne

Winter in Melbourne is undeniably charming. Sure, it can be a bit cold and windy, but all the more reason to layer up in all your favorite jackets, scarves and boots to explore the city with a hot drink in hand.

There’s also lots of indoor activities that go beyond the shopping malls. We’ve got you covered for culture in June, July and August.

01 Rising Festival

(June 01-16)

Melbourne’s Winter Contemporary Arts Festival celebrates the darkness with light installations and theatre shows of all kinds. Whether you’re a contemporary art lover or just curious, they’ll be something for you in the extensive 2-week program.

More Information

02 NGV Winter Masterpieces: Africa Fashion

(from May 31)

NGV Winter Masterpieces is one of the most popular things for Melburnians to see every year. It features a visiting exhibition from world-famous galleries. This year, it’s developed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, featuring over 200 works illuminating a thriving fashion scene as dynamic and varied as Africa itself.

More Information

03 QVM Night Market

(Wednesdays nights from 5pm until Aug 28)

The long running and incredibly popular Queen Victoria Night Market continues through until the end of August with food trucks, entertainment and craft stalls. With more than 40 food and drink vendors you’ll definitely have to prepare yourself for a bit of FOMO in choosing what to have for dinner!

More Information

04 Melb International Film Festival (MIFF)

(Aug 08 – 25, cinemas across the CBD)

One of the longest-running film festivals in the world, the Melbourne International Film Festival celebrates its 71st year of screening quality cinema in Melbourne. The program covers a multitude of genres, including Australian cinema, music docos, animation and more. One of the best reasons to attend MIFF is to see cinema in some amazing spaces, including art-deco The Capitol Theatre, designed by Walter Burley-Griffin and Marion Mahoney-Griffin in 1924.

A great afternoon would be attending the Foodie Discovery Walk, followed by an early session at MIFF.

More Information

05 Lume: Da Vinci

If it’s raining outside, what better place to take yourself than an indoor immersive art gallery to celebrate the life of one of the world’s great geniuses, Leonardo Da Vinci. You’ll be completely surrounded in his story with light and sound. Once it’s finished you’re close to all the eateries at South Wharf to treat yourself.

More Information

Winter in Melbourne is a great time to get involved in the cinema, art and theatre that makes Melbourne Australia's cultural capital. Once you step out of the galleries and cinemas, spend 3 hours with us exploring the laneways and eating delicious food…. including some warm drinks! Join any of our winter delight walking tours.

Exploring the Best of Melbourne City Tours: A Local’s Guide

Laneways and arcades: Why a walking tour is better than a coach tour

People who live in Melbourne - Melburnians - have a few favorite topics of conversation. We’re sports mad, we love to discuss the ever-changing weather and we’re obsessed with food and drink, especially coffee. Everyone will have a favorite coffee shop or lunch spot and the more obscure and tucked away down an alleyway, the better!

The problem for visitors is that it is hard to find these local places.

You can probably find the iconic sports venues (such the Melbourne Cricket Ground or Melbourne Park) yourself using the tram, but when booking a Melbourne city tour you should be looking for a local who can show you the small places that really make you feel like you’ve discovered something! These places can only be found on a walking tour that takes you places the coaches simply cannot go.

Upgrade your sightseeing to a delicious adventure

Why limit yourself to just a Melbourne city tour walking through the laneways? Melbourne is well known for its multicultural and diverse food scene. This doesn’t just apply to fine dining but also to street food style snacks and the best venues are often found in the laneways. Your Melbourne city tour is so much better if it includes modern Australian eating, such as Chinese dumplings, specialty coffee, sweet treats in unexpected places … and lots more.

Melbourne's History & Culture

A city tour of Melbourne should be designed to allow you time to reflect upon the city's rich past and its transformation into the present-day cosmopolitan hub. Our walking city tours will leave with an appreciation of the history of the city from the 1850’s and an explanation of how we got the modern and very liveable city we are today. Best of all, we’ll open your eyes to the way the city developed by talking about the laneways and buildings as we walk through them.

Expert Guides Provide an Insider's Perspective

All our local guides are passionate about sharing their favorite stories of the city with you. Having an expert guide with you allows you to have your personal questions answered and share a laugh along the way! We’ve dug up the best and most unique stories in Melbourne’s history to share with you. All our walking tours are small groups so that you can interact with the guide and also with the other participants. Your experience of exploring the city will be so much richer for joining our hosted groups.

But don’t believe us! Tara visited in May 2023 and gave us 5 stars. She said “What a wonderful way to spend a day in Melbourne! Our guide was great at sharing stories and the inside scoop on where to find fabulous food. We finished with new knowledge, good memories and satisfied bellies.”

Visit our tours page to pick the Melbourne city tour that is best for you!

FAQs

How do I spend a day in Melbourne?

Melbourne has so many wonderful things to see and do, but the city is renowned for fantastic eating and drinking and it’s myriad of alleyways, or ‘laneways’ as the locals call them. So why not combine the two of those things and join a foodie walking tour of the laneways of Melbourne. Our Foodie Discovery Walk is a perfect introduction to the city, it includes a lunch composed of 6-7 generous tastings and your local guide will give lots of ideas of ways to spend the rest of your trip.

What are the best tours in Melbourne?

At Walk Melbourne Tours we combine history and delicious tastings while exploring Melbourne’s famous laneways and arcades. All our guides are locals with a passion for sharing their favorite parts of Melbourne. So naturally we think our tours are the best in town!

Where can I see the Melbourne skyline?

• Take a walk along the southern bank of the Yarra River, known as Southgate.

• Stand on the Batman Bridge (near the Melb Convention Centre) or the Princes Bridge (near Federation Square).

• Stand on the balcony at The Shrine of Remembrance.

• Head up 88 floors to Melbourne Skydeck at Eureka Tower

• Treat yourself to a 5-star meal at Vue du Monde on level 55 of the Rialto Tower (bookings essential).

• ….or for a really great view (a few kilometers from town), head to the southern point of Albert Park Lake. This is also part of the Australian F1 Grand Prix track. The closest tram stop is Middle Park Station on the 96 tram.

What should I wear on the tour?

Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for walking and the weather. We will spend time outside, so if it’s cold, please wear a jacket. If it’s raining, please bring a jacket or umbrella. If it’s hot, please bring a hat and some water. None of the venues we visit are formal, so casual clothing is great.

How long do the tours last?

The tours typically last 2.5-3 hours, but it’s not all walking! We stop several times to eat and drink on every tour (tastings are included in your ticket price) and typically don’t walk more than 2km/1.2mi.

Are the tours suitable for children?

Our tours aren’t really suitable for kids under 10 years old, unless they’re adventurous eaters. If you think they will have all the tastings, they are charged at full price. If you’d like to bring them along, but you don’t think they’ll eat, they are welcome to attend free of charge. But please let us know in advance so we can accommodate seating for them (our venues are small). You are welcome to buy them extra tastings along the way. All kids over 10 years old are charged at full price. If you have any questions, please get in contact.

What is the maximum group size for the tours?

We never have more than 10 people per tour guide.

Do I need to book the tour in advance?

Bookings are essential. Please visit the Melbourne Tours section of our website.

Welcome To Melbourne LionsCon2024 delegates!

At Walk Melbourne Tours, we’d like to extend a huge welcome to LionsCon2024 delegates! While you’re visiting Melbourne, we’d love to enhance your visit and show you the parts of Melbourne that you might otherwise miss.   

The Perfect Introduction to Melbourne for Busy Visitors

Our tours are perfect for international visitors who want a fun introduction to Melbourne but have a limited timeframe. Especially if you like to eat! Foodie walking tours are a convenient and efficient way to experience the best of the local landscape in a limited but enjoyable timeframe. This is why this small group tour is perfect for LionsCon2024 delegates visiting Melbourne this June. 

Since 2012, the team at Walk Melbourne Tours have been offering unique experiences to explore the local cuisine and culture in Melbourne. Our Foodie Discovery Walk is perfect for conference delegates to get to know the city in the most delicious way in a small group.  

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour - special rate for LionsCon2024 delegates

Melbourne is famous for life inside the alleyways, which are known locally as ‘laneways and arcades’. Our Foodie Discovery Walk explores many of the laneways and arcades, shedding light on their history and how they fit into contemporary Melbourne life. 

Melbourne’s Famous Laneways

 We don’t just walk through the laneways - we stop to eat, drink and soak up the atmosphere. All our tours are small groups (max 10 people) so you’ll get to know your fellow foodies as well. Perhaps they will also be LionsCon2024 delegates! 

 This tour showcases Melbourne's diverse and multicultural food scene that the locals love, highlighting the best quality examples in the city of everything we choose. We offer savory and sweet stops and food and drink. There’s something for everyone and you’ll definitely be satisfied by the end! 

Discount Code

Don’t forget to use the code LionsCon2024 at checkout to enjoy $10 discount per ticket on this tour.

 How to Book the Foodie Discovery Tour

It’s so easy to book our Foodie Discovery Walking Tour. 

• Go to www.walkmelbourne.com.au

• Click Tours or Book Now

• Select your date on the calendar

• Don’t forget to use code LionsCon2024 for your $10 discount per ticket. 

These tours have a maximum of 10 people per day, so please secure your spot early to avoid disappointment. 

We’re so pleased to extend the warmest of welcomes to LionsCon2024 delegates in Melbourne and look forward to showing you the best of our city.  

Top 5 Melbourne Laneways for Food (and drink!) (updated April 2024)

If you didn’t dine in a Melbourne laneway cafe or restaurant, did you even come to Melbourne? While in some parts of the world you probably don’t walk down the alleyways by yourself, in Melbourne laneways are where all the cool stuff happens. Here are some of the best as per May 2023.

AC/DC Lane

Yes, this street is named after the 1970’s rock band who - although they formed in Sydney - made Melbourne their home. For hard core fans, check out the 1975 video clip to ‘It’s a long way to the top” which is filmed on Melbourne’s main drag, Swanston Street. Those same fans should definitely dine at one of the restaurants in AC/DC lane if not just to check out the street art memorials to the members of the band no longer with us.

Some of Melbourne’s tastiest morsels from tops chefs are down here and you’ll be surprised to find the entrance to the restaurants feels like the back door that the garbage gets taken out. This is pretty common in Melbourne and the best example if Melbourne’s top modern Indian fusion restaurant called Tonka, by Adam d’Sylva. It’s a great example modern Australian dining but book ahead – they’re often busy. Or try his outstanding South East Asian fusion (3 minutes walk away) at Coda.

Chinese immigrants have had an impact on Melbourne since the goldrush of the 1850’s to the present day, so modern Chinese food is a must have. You’ll see Lee Ho Fook within spitting distance from Tonka.

And of course, Melbourne’s best Peruvian restaurant rounds out the trio in AC/DC Lane. Pastuso not only serves ceviche, but has a ceviche menu. If you’re not into seafood, their meat dishes are also outstanding.

Niagara Lane (with bonus Melbourne laneway nearby)

There are really only two places to eat in Niagara Lane, they are both worth it! Tori’s bakery describes itself as a ‘sweet escape from bustling life’ which is perfectly apt! While it lies just metres from the traffic of Lonsdale Street, Tori’s has a feeling as if you’re relaxing in living room enjoying beautifully baked treats. While this Melbourne laneway cafe is more of an afternoon tea stop, next door is definatly for dinner. Alt is all about pasta, but not as you know it. Using elements of Japanese cooking, experimentation (and moody lighting) is the name of the game here. So maybe leave Nonna at home.

If you want bonus Melbourne laneway dining nearby, head across Little Bourke St to Warburton Lane for Myrtle. Think French style food with Australian native ingredients with a vibe that screams ‘Melbourne laneway bar’.  

Drewery Lane

There is something for you at both ends of the day in this Melbourne laneway. For your morning coffee, head up to the Little Lonsdale end, for two Melbourne laneway cafes. Grab a coffee from Little Rogue and a treat from Bakemono. Note that Bakemono bakes according to a schedule, so if you’re after something specific, note the times on their website.

Later on you might like to visit the other end of this Melbourne laneway for lunch, dinner or drinks. The magnificent four stories (named HER) house multiple venues to suit your changing mood. A French saloon at street level, SE Asian fusion food upstairs at BKK and cocktails on the HER rooftop. Check out two enduring pieces of Melbourne laneway street art - the Kardashian selfie (which the city council promptly censored with black lines) and the mosaiced wall erected by Legacy Australia to honour families of defence force personnel who have been injured or killed.

Hardware Lane

Up until recently, Hardware Lane was tricky to navigate to avoid the tourist traps. But it’s having a local renaissance with a few notable openings. Try to ‘most authentic pho outside of Hanoi’ at Pho Thin, Melbourne style Italian food at The Hardware Club, Israeli roasted cauliflower with a cult following at Miznon and some good Asian fusion at Rice Paper Scissors. And if liquid is more your style on the corner with Little Bourke St offers the ever enduring and classy Kirks’ wine bar or one of the best Melbourne laneway cafes at Maker.

Centre Place / Degraves Street

There’s no doubt that these two Melbourne laneways - separated only by 3 steps across the zebra crossing at Flinders Lane - are the most famous in town. You’ll see locals rushing to and from the train station pushing through the groups of walking tours trying to soak up every detail. While some of these Melbourne laneways cafes are sometimes better for people watching than for great food and drink, there are some notable exceptions.

Definitely try a flat white (or an iced latte) at Fieldwork Coffee in Degraves. The gelato at Pidapipo is among the best in the city as are the dumplings at ShangDong Mama mini.

Experience Melbourne's Laneways with Laneway Tours

WANT TO EAT (AND DRINK) LOCAL IN MELBOURNE?

COME JOIN US!

Walk Melbourne Tours will help you get the best out of your stay in Melbourne. Our walking food tours include tastings, a bit of Melbourne laneways history, and a lot of tips about how to best spend your time here. We aim to show you places and share flavors that you wouldn't find on your own. Coffee, sweets, dumplings and bars are our favorite things and we have Melbourne walking tours to feature all of these delicious delights. Click Here for more info.