Discover Melbourne’s hidden gems with our hand-picked guides
Are you looking for great restaurants in Melbourne CBD or popular bars in St Kilda? Then look no further. Our dedicated concierge team has pored over hundreds of Melbourne establishments with countless hours of research – eating, drinking, shopping and exploring their way around this great city. Our goal is to ensure that our guests get to experience the very best of Melbourne.
We are happy to be able to share with you the fruits of their labor. Below is a list of our most popular guides for you to download. Be sure to check back regularly or follow us on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates.
City Guide
Melbourne is a city of endless creativity when it comes to eating, drinking, shopping, and culture. Amongst the many options on offer it can be difficult to sort the great from the good – so here we present our guide to Melbourne’s very best so that you can go forth and indulge in the results of our tireless research! P.S. Some of these recommendations might be a tad difficult to find, so be alert – blink and you might miss it!
CBD Westside Guide
The CBD is full of wonderful restaurants, cafes, bars and more. With so much of Melbourne’s very best on the East side of the CBD, it is easy to forget about everything on the West… but we haven’t! So here we present to you our CBD Westside guide to help you find all of those wonderful hidden hotspots that rival the rest in the CBD.
North Melbourne Guide
North Melbourne is actually a hidden gem. Situated right on the CBD fridge, you can walk to it from most central Melbourne locations. Bordered by the Queen Victoria Markets, we absolutely love this place for a chill breakfast, dinner, drinks or regular old hang in an unpretentious, ‘just-grungy-enough’ atmosphere.
St Kilda Guide
One of Melbourne’s favourite suburbs for just hanging out and kicking back in, St Kilda has a number of diverse areas; bustling Acland Street is café central, Fitzroy Street has an eclectic selection of eateries and bars, whilst the beachside exudes a laidback and relaxed vibe. Lately, the intersection of Barkly, Grey & Inkerman Street’s has become home to some uber cool venues, whilst Blessington Street (at the intersection of Barkly) is where the low-key local crowd tends to hang out. Here’s our We Know Melbourne guide to the best of St Kilda…
Lygon Street Guide
The world renowned Lygon Street in Carlton is the Little Italy of Melbourne. Amongst the many options on offer, it may be hard to sift through the deluge of Italian fare. Never fear, with your We Know Melbourne guide in hand let our concierge team direct you to Lygon Street’s very best, we’ve even recommended some non-Italian places that won’t be in your everyday guide.
Chapel Street Guide
Well known as Melbourne’s premier shopping street, Chapel Street has two distinct zones. At the South Yarra end, you’ll find designer clothes shops and run-of-the-mill cafes. But cross Commercial Road into the Prahran/Windsor end and you will discover a hotbed of cool cafes, relaxed bars and an abundance of unique boutiques and second-hand shops – hence why you’ll find most of our recommendations are for this area, for it’s where the locals like to hang! Here’s our Grand Guide to Chapel Street and all of its delights…
Sydney Road Guide
Sydney Road is known to many as the Middle Eastern heart of Melbourne. With Lebanese, Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi bakeries, restaurants & fresh produce stores dotting the strip we are spoilt for choice in this wonderfully multi-cultural district. Although, Sydney Road isn’t just known for its Middle Eastern choices there are many great beer gardens to sit back in and enjoy a drink, as well as some quirky shopping, and excellent restaurants… just a short tram ride from the city, Sydney Road is one of our favourite multi-cultural stretches of road.
Richmond Guide
Homewares, furniture stores, cafes, bars, direct factory outlets & a Vietnamese quarter – what an eclectic place Richmond is! Broken up into three distinct & unique areas: Bridge Road, Victoria Street, and Swan Street. Bridge Road is a shopper’s paradise with various direct factory outlet and boutique shops along this popular strip. Running parallel to Bridge Road is Victoria Street – famous for its distinctly Vietnamese culture. Swan Street is home to fantastic pubs and bars that are very popular with sporting crowds due to its proximity to the MCG. Linking all three together is Church Street.
Brunswick Guide
To the north of the city, past the hustle & bustle of the Italian end of Lygon Street, you will arrive in Brunswick! It may seem like a long trip but it’s really not that far on the tram. Brunswick is an emerging suburb in the food & wine scene filled with great cafes, restaurants, bars & unique shops! Only the locals know about these places… until now!
Collingwood Guide
Once known as a rather down-at-heel part of town, Collingwood is now one of Melbourne’s hottest spots for dining and shopping. Whilst there is still a ‘rough diamond’ element to some parts of Smith St (which is actually the border of Collingwood & Fitzroy), look beyond this and you will be delighted by the fabulous little restaurants, creative bars and interesting shops dotted around. Meanwhile, Gertrude St (which crosses Smith St) is downright chic whilst still maintaining its bohemian roots. So on your Collingwood sojourn, take your sense of adventure and a big appetite!
Brunswick Street Guide
One of Melbourne’s most colourful streets, Brunswick St has long had a distinct bohemian edge – but now is more mainstream with hot dining spots and some rather swish cocktail bars. The strip is great for a cheap meal, a relaxed drink or a spot of shopping in its many creative little boutiques. Between people watching, eating, drinking and shopping… you won’t be bored on Brunswick Street!
Thornbury Guide
Over the last few years, Thornbury has transformed from a quiet, sleepy suburb to a vibrant suburb with many dining and drinking opinions. If you want to experience like a hip Melbourne local, Thornbury is the place to be.
Northcote Guide
They say Melbourne is a flat city, but anyone traveling to Northcote will disagree. Just up past the famous Rucker’s Hill (check out the view of Melbourne CBD as you go up) lies the quaint, unassuming neighbourhood of Northcote. On both sides of the High St you’ll find unique shops, bars and cafes which make it definitely a stop to be added to any Melbourne itinerary.
The Southside Guide
In between the densely populated CBD and Melbourne’s favourite beachside suburb St Kilda, you’ll find South Melbourne and Port Melbourne. Two of Melbourne’s oldest and much-loved areas. The locals know the hidden secrets like the back of their hand, now that you have your trusty We Know Melbourne guide you will too!
The Bayside Guide
Brighton, Hamptom, Elwood and Beaumaris sit snugly upon the coast, just past St Kilda. Lose the inner city hustle and bustle with this area famous for its ladies who lunch – for a good reason: The food is incredible! Find fashion, family fun and something for the dog too with our guide to the Bayside area.
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