The Best Foodie Locales To Check Out In Melbourne
2022-02-25
Check out all the things to do in Melbourne and don't miss out!
Melbourne and Melburnians has been through a lot over the last two years. The longest pandemic lockdown in the world has caused a lot of struggle and a lot of heartache. And many businesses haven’t been able to stay afloat.
But Melbourne is now back in business, and supporting small business is at the top of many city dwellers lists of things to do. Whether that’s eating out, buying local produce or just getting outside and exploring all that this great city has to offer.
One of our blog categories is “Living In Australia” and our Community Manager Felicity is a born and raised Melburnian. We have interviewed her for our blog before.
This month we decided to shine a spotlight on the best foodie areas of the city of Melbourne and the best places to eat in the city, with a passionate Melburnian food lover to guide us.
Whether you’re heading to Melbourne for an event, a city getaway or simply want to explore more of your city, we’ve got you covered.
Over to Felicity.
The Melbourne CBD
If you’re new to Melbourne, your first stop will probably the CBD. Melbourne’s city centre is well known for its many laneways and arcades, jam-packed with hip coffee shops, cafes and street art. Melbourne is world famous for its coffee after all!
Centre Place, AC/DC Lane, Hardware Lane and Degraves Street are CBD institutions, and where to head to fuel up on world-class coffee and an enjoyable brunch.
The Melbourne CBD is also home to Chinatown, Australia’s oldest Chinatown and one of the longest-running in the Western world. Here, you’ll find a never-ending array of authentic Chinese restaurants, fun karaoke bars (don’t miss Charltons Bar) and hidden little spots perfect for a cosy night cap.
Local recommendations:
My favourite parts of the Melbourne CBD are Spring St, known as the “Paris End” of the city and home to some stunning theatres, the 150 year-old Queen Victoria Market (load up on fresh produce and local crafts here) and the many beautiful parks and gardens that dot the CBD. Places like Flagstaff Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Treasury Gardens are places I’ve spent many a morning enjoying a latte while taking in a moment of calm amongst the city noise.
Inner-City Hotspots
The neighbourhoods that fringe Melbourne’s inner-city are diverse and fun to explore.
There’s the achingly hip suburbs of the inner-north, the non-stop main roads of the city fringe, the traditional European neighbourhoods still serving up authentic cuisine, and the exclusive suburbs of the inner-east. Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs are now arguably the most popular places for visitors to Melbourne to live it up and eat up big, and for so many reasons.
Local recommendations:
Inner-north suburbs like Fitzroy and Brunswick are now the places to be. With a plethora of too-cool coffee shops, vintage clothing stores, bars and restaurants.
And of course, I can’t leave off what is arguably Melbourne’s most famous food strip, Lygon Street in Carlton, an institution in the inner-north. Since the 1950s, this has been Melbourne’s “Little Italy”, serving up the best pizza, pasta and espresso outside of Rome.
I love the leafy streets of Camberwell in the inner-city and it’s famous Camberwell Sunday Market that raises money for Rotary. There is nothing like a top notch coffee and food truck jam donuts to keep me going. Bridge Road in Richmond is an icon of Melbourne food.
Footscray and Yarraville in the inner-west have completely reinvented themselves, and are now culturally diverse melting pots. Footscray’s South-East Asian and African food is unlike any other in the city.
Melbourne’s Bayside & South East
The City of Bayside is a coastal Melbourne region home to some of the cities most high-end suburbs, great shopping, epic food and some of the best coastline in the entire country. A day in the Bayside is never wasted.
Location recommendations:
I grew up in Melbourne’s Bayside. I regularly head to the eccentric beachside suburb of St Kilda, and hit the cafes and famous cake shops of Acland Street. Brighton and Hampton have some of the best cafes and restaurants in this part of Melbourne, while breakfast in Black Rock, Elwood or Mentone followed by a walk along the beach track is the best way to spend a weekend morning.
In the greater South-East, I adore the foodie hotspot of Carnegie, home to one of the best food strips in the city, and if you love Greek food, Oakleigh is the place to head for proper gyros and moussaka. Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece, and Oakleigh has been a mini-Greece since post-World War II, cobblestone streets included. While you’re in that area, you must head to Springvale. This neighourhood is Melbourne’s Vietnamese corner, and heading to this area for pho or bahn mi is something you need to experience.
I could write thousands of words about everything that Melbourne has to offer, culinary-wise and simply as a beautiful city you won’t forget.
What are you favourite parts of Melbourne for great food?
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