Lauren Dinse

Whether you've got a spreadsheet full of present ideas finalised in October, or you're the type to wait for inspiration to strike on December 24, we've got a gift guide to suit all your gift-giving, stocking stuffing needs.  Want some more Christmastime sparkle? Here are the best boozy advent calendars. Plus, where you can buy a real Christmas tree in Melbourne.

From Queen Vic’s Summer Night Market to Welcome to Thornbury and Grazeland, food trucks are everywhere these days – and there are more than ever to choose from. If you need help sorting through the options, work your way through our round-up of the best meals on wheels around town. Smoky, chargrilled skewers, molten cheesesteaks and fully loaded vegan fries are at your disposal, just as long as you know where to find them. Prefer a sit-down meal? Here are the 50 best restaurants in Melbourne. Looking for a bevvy? Visit one of the 50 best bars in Melbourne.

November 2023: While cheap eats definitely ain't as cheap what they used to be, there's definitely a few gems around the city where you can get an excellent feed at a steal. From ace banh mi rolls and Lanzhou-style lamb burgers for under a tenner to world-class lasagne, New York-style pizza slices and more, Melbourne's dazzling array of affodrable eats still caters to a variety of tastes and budgets. 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 laneaways and hidden alcoves are brimming with cheap street eats, smashable pub deals and dinner options you can enjoy under $25, so you can stop counting your hard-earned pennies and start eating instead. Looking for a drink to wash it all down? These are the 50 best bars in Melbourne. Want to kick on? These are the best late-night bars across the town. 

Nov 2023: The heat is dialling up in Melbourne and so are our cravings for crisp tipples and refreshments. From sunshine-flooded rooftop bars to classy watering holes harking back to bygone eras and historic cocktails, our guide to the top 50 bars in melbourne needs to be in your bookmarks if you're a sucker for a good drink. You've got the entire summer to tick each one off the list – we'll see you there! Melbourne has some of the best 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’ of Heartbreaker. 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 cheese-snowed plate of beef carpaccio. If you're looking for a bar to head to, we've rounded up the top 50 bars that we're really excited about right now, many of which happen to be winners of the Time Out Food and Drink Awards for 2023. 

Melbourne's ice cream and gelato scene has evolved significantly over the last few years. The past was uncomplicated: decisions such as cone or cup, vanilla or chocolate, and Flake or no Flake were as flamboyant as things got. Now we have choices like ice cream brioche or tacos, fairy floss clouds or candied bacon, and charcoal, sea salt or ube. No matter how you roll, here are the super-duper scoopers serving Melbourne’s best ice cream, gelato and soft serve.  Looking for somewhere to eat your ice cream? These are the best beaches and the best picnic spots in Melbourne.  Time Out's 100 Days of Summer calendar is here to help you plan your entire summer in Melbourne.

Put on your Santa hat and don your finest fake white beard for it's time for you to play Saint Nick. These small businesses have made everyone's lives easier by putting together things like premium wine, ham, locally sourced cocktail ingredients and even beach essentials into beautiful boxes or hampers. All that's left for you to do is add it to your cart and send it to your loved one. That includes the person in your family who makes all the snacks in the house disappear. This one is especially for them.  Looking for fun things to do this summer? Check out what's on in Melbourne between Christmas and NYE, or how about a boozy advent calendar? 

From the United States to Korea and Taiwan, fried chicken spans nearly every country and culture. Not everyone can meet their fierce standards, but these joints have come pretty damn close to perfecting the ancient art of battering and deep-frying poultry. Want more tasty bites? Check out Melbourne's best Korean barbecue joints. Looking for gut-friendly alternatives? These are the best gluten-free eateries in Melbourne.

Sun’s out, fun’s outdoors as winter-weary Melburnians emerge from hibernation for a cold pint or glass of wine in these hot city oases. While Melburnians are a hardy lot, huddling under gas heaters in beer gardens year round, there is something special about the blossoming of the city’s outdoor drinking spots when the warmer weather hits. Whether you like your beer gardens grungy and graffitied or lush and green we have a list of the best options for having some fun in the sun. While we're talking booze, be sure to check out our favourite rooftop bars and the best happy hours in Melbourne.

Perhaps you just can't face the kitchen this Christmas, or maybe you don't have somewhere to go for a festive lunch? It could be that Christmas simply isn't for you and you're just looking for somewhere to hang out on December 25. Melbourne can sometimes feel like a ghost town on the most merry day of the year, but we've rounded up a selection of restaurants and cafés that will be open and sharing in the Yuletide spirit. If you are looking for other great ways to spend the day, these are the best things to do in Melbourne if you don't celebrate Christmas. And here's where you can spot the most beautiful Christmas lights.

Opening presents on Christmas Day is great, but you know what's even better? Getting to open presents for the 24 days leading up to it. Thanks to whoever invented the advent calendar, you can milk the festive season for all it's worth. Most advent calendars are filled with chocolates or toys, but for those who like to turn their celebrations up a notch we've rounded up the best boozy advent calendars. Pre-order one now so that you can taste top-notch beers, wines, ciders and spirits throughout December. And if you're feeling generous, these make great gifts too.  Looking for other great gift ideas? Check out our round-up of the best Christmas hampers in Melbourne or go shopping at the best Christmas Markets in Melbourne. 

The best bánh mì has bread with crunch, but not so much that it scrapes the roof of your mouth. It’s fluffy and light, but not so flaky it completely disintegrates into your lap. It’s the perfect vessel for liberal amounts of pâté, a Vietnamese condiment called egg mayo butter – either egg mayo is spread on one piece of bread and butter is spread on the other, or the two are spread on top of each other – fresh cucumber, pickled carrot (and daikon if you’re lucky), generous sprigs of coriander and chilli massaged into its crevices, a dash of Maggi seasoning and the protein of your choice.  The traditional bánh mì thịt nguội (bánh mì filled with cold cuts) was eaten as a control wherever we could alongside one other roll for variety, which has produced our rankings for some of Melbourne's top bánh mìs. Love things between bread? Here are the best sandwiches in Melbourne. Prefer those sandwiches toasted? These are the best toasties in Melbourne. 

At the beginning of spring when the sun comes out to play, Melbourne's glorious rooftop bars draw in flocks of thirsty revellers with their crisp, cool bevvies and sweeping city views. Maybe it's the higher altitude, but drinking is just more fun from above. So start climbing those stairs – or keep your fingers crossed for a lift – and check out Melbourne's 26 best rooftop bars now.  Looking for an après-drink bite? Check out Melbourne's best late-night eats. How about another drink somewhere different? We've rounded up our favourite laneway bars in the city.   See full screen

There’s plenty to get excited about at Queen Victoria Market (QVM) right now. A swish new food hall has just opened, the Summer Night Market is back and in very exciting news, Brick Lane Brewing is about to open a new double-storey venue in the heart of the market precinct.  Brick Lane Market will feature a 120-seater dining room, 150-seater terrace, raw seafood bar and a produce-driven ‘market to plate’ menu that supports the market’s network of growers, It's set to be one of the hottest spots in the city to grab a beer and a feed this summer. The folks have been collaborating with QVM – a place it describes as its "spiritual home" – for more than half a decade on the space, which will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, November 29 (coinciding with the commencement of the Summer Night Market).  Expect a thirst-quenching array of 36 beers on tap (including core faves like the One Love Pale Ale and the Hi Fi Dry Zero Carb Japanese Lager, plus bespoke new beers exclusive to QVM), tastings at the kitchen bench (perfect for a post-shop bite) and evolving daily specials based on seasonality. Further menu details are soon to be announced, but we’ve been told that most of the fresh produce on the menu will be sourced from traders within the market, a tight-knit community collaboration to excite foodies and small businesses alike.  Other drinks on the list will shine the spotlight on Victorian producers such as Starward, Little Lon, Saint Felix and more, with a selection of

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 2024 lands in Bendigo on March 16 and 17 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. Last year, a staggering 60,000 attendees stormed through the gates, and we reckon this year's event is gearing up to be just as riotous.  Some of the best pitmasters in the barbecue biz will be serving up food throughout the weekend including Two Smokin' Arabs, Bluebonnet, Hoy Pinoy, Smokestack BBQ, Fancy Hanks, Red Gum BBQ, Black Iron Smokers, Heat Beads Meat Wagon 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 Aussie Idol darling James Johnston, Chayce Beckham, Zac and George, The Wolfe Brothers, Amy Sheppard, Casey Barnes, This Way North, Fanny Lumsden, Lane Pittman, Southbound XO and the Buckleys.  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-fa

One of the most anticipated Northside openings of the year, Pincho Disco from the Kickon Group is an ode to new-age Latin American eats, extravagant cocktails and live entertainment. Expect a journey of flavours hailing from across the entire content – from Colombia, Peru and Chile to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil – in signature dishes thoughtfully prepared by head chef Diego Cardenas and his team. The share-style menu features traditional mole paired with ‘pinchos’ (translating to ‘skewered’, generally referring to small snacks of meat and vegetables), ceviche and aguachiles, wood-fired meats, modern Latin American desserts – including a rotating Soft Serve of the Day – and more. A snapshot of the menu includes a purple corn tortilla of rainbow trout with matcha, burnt pineapple and charred lime, Argentinian-style provoletta cooked to a golden crust and the Peruvian olive and octopus tostada.  After training in kitchens around Colombia, Peru and Spain (including a stint under one of South America’s most respected chefs, Harry Sasson, who features in World’s 50 Best), Cardenas’ ambition is to now bring a world-class gastronomic experience to Melbourne. The kitchen is overseen by the Kickon Group’s culinary director Jake Furst, who was recently crowned 2023 AHA Victorian Chef of the Year for his work on the menu at Terminus Hotel in Fitzroy North. “I look forward to offering Melburnians a dining experience that shines a spotlight on the flavours and memories of home, whilst inc

Can't wait for Christmas Day to celebrate? Launch into the silly season early this summer at Victoria by Farmer's Daughters. The riverside restaurant has teamed up with Four Pillars (you know, only the best gin distillery in the world) to host a series of boozy festive Sunday sessions on the terrace.  Every Sunday in the lead-up to Christmas, the two-hour brunch slots will rock your socks off with bottomless Four Pillars Christmas Gin cocktails, Victorian wine and beer, and share-style plates for just $90 a head. There'll also be a super-cute Christmas pop-up shop on site, perfect for all your gift-buying needs! But a long lunch of libations and festive fare is in order first. You'll usher in the holiday spirit with free-range roast turkey and ham with Bloody Shiraz 'mock cranberry' sauce, fried chook with marie rose aioli, charcoal grilled lamb and Christmas pudding-spiced barbecue sauce, mince pies, spud salad and more. The bottomless cocktails are based on Four Pillars' popular spiced Christmas Gin, including the Conversation Starter (cherry syrup, sweet vermouth, soda and orange), the Jolly Spritz (hazelnut liqueur, lemongrass, ginger syrup, lemon, cherry bitters and soda) and the Santa's Nightcap (orange marmalade liqueur and chocolate bitters).  A vegetarian menu is available to request when you book, and all Sunday session visitors get full access to the adjoining Christmas pop-up store. Expect bundles of premium Four Pillars products, gift boxes, Christmas puddings,

Next time you pop into the Auburn, you might barely even recognise the place. The local Hawthorn community has been gifted with a multi-million-dollar expansion to their favourite watering hole, with a new artrium-style dining hub within the adjacent Regan Motors site, kids' playground and extensive beer garden additions.  Standing proudly on the corner of Auburn Road and Victoria Street since 1888, the historic pub is a popular spot for drinks, pub grub and post-work gatherings. The new upgrades provide the perfect excuse to revisit the local destination this summer, with a new woodfire pizza bar, picnic tables and an extended sunny lawn area for family-friendly afternoons. The adjoining dining hub is a casual, laidback space for wining and dining, which includes a function space and sprawling deck to catch the rays during happy hour. Patrons visiting post-reno won't be met with too alarming a change, though, with the hotel retaining the charm and community hub nature its known for. The exterior of this Hawthorn East mainstay has a commanding, fortress-like presence along the skyline as you approach via its namesake road. Inside the Auburn, however, you’re greeted with a pristine warmth akin to an upmarket country pub. Big screens populate most walls, with bar staff more than happy to accommodate requests for background music to be subdued in favour of blaring commentary. The elegance of the connecting wine room permeates a touch of class into the front bar, carried over in

Named ‘Julie’ after chef Julieanne Blum, who’s earned her stripes as the head chef at Cam’s Kiosk over the past six years, a brand new restaurant situated in one of Melbourne's most idyllic locations aims to offer thoughtful produce-driven dishes in a warm, dinner party-like atmosphere.  Along with the recent revival of the Abbotsford Farmers Markets, Julie is a refreshing burst of new life at the national heritage-listed Convent, which has been victim to several rapid venue and program closures over the last few years. One of those was legendary pay-as-you-feel restaurant Lentil as Anything – one of Melbourne’s most tragic hospo casualties from the pandemic lockdowns. But the Convent is reawakening and replenishing its offerings, with Julie's opening a sign that plenty of good things are afoot. Julie’s menu is designed to rotate frequently according to the seasons and the creative whims of the kitchen talent, with ingredients sourced largely from the Convent’s dedicated veggie garden. Think grilled ox heart with borlotti beans, artichokes and salsa verde; herb-crusted whole flounder with roasted chilli butter; free-range chook; octopus ragu anelletti (small rings of pasta); and more. Julie may be Cam’s Kiosk’s sophisticated older sister, but the female-led kitchen retains the same unpretentious feel and focus on seasonal simplicitiy the latter restaurant has been championing for the last 13 years. Expect rustic country fare with a modern refined edge.  A lush wine list has b

If you've had the pleasure of ducking into Heidelberg West's UGO Cucina Popolare before, you'll know these folks know how to craft a damn good sanga. Purveyors of perfect panini and A-grade coffee since 2020, the beloved café has now brought its Italian lunch magic to the Northside in the form of a summer pop-up that will run until the end of the season. Fantastico! You'll find it tucked away on Gore Street at the upcoming Fabbrica development, slinging simple Italian food done well every Friday through Sunday. Do yourself a favour and order the signature slow-cooked porchetta panini, which is available from 11am with five different spins on the juicy meat marvel: the OG (semolina foccacia), the UGO (giardiniera, salsa verde and spelt foccacia), the Elvis (capsicum, lemon, caciocavallo and potato foccacia), the Calboni (broad beans, mint and coca foccacia) and the Filini (brussel sprout spread, mustard dressing and onion foccacia).  Can’t eat meat? There’s also a vego panini you can get your hands on, with eggplant caponata, burrata and barese focaccia. For brekky options until noon, you’re spoilt for choice with porchetta, honey and pecorino-snowed waffles, English muffins given the sausage and burrata treatment, and egg and avo bagels with pickled onion.  UGO is a project from the Cannoleria team, so you can also treat yourself to freshly piped Sicilian-style cannoli, biscotti, cakes and  coffee. For more info about UGO’s original outpost in Heidelberg West, head to the web

This summer is set to be a summer like no other and Domaine Chandon gets it. Recognising our need for a weekend getaway and a tipple, it's that time of the year again for the much-loved winery's Garden Spritz Picnics: a chance to sit back, soak up the sun and sip the day away. Chandon's Garden Spritz is the perfect drink to enjoy in the warmer months, a blend of sparkling wine and handcrafted orange bitters. This refreshing bevvy will cover the drinks front of your package, ready-to-serve and ready to share, with extra Spritzes available for purchases both by the glass and by the bottle.  So what else will these bougie picnic baskets include? We've got the scoop on all the goodies you can get your hands on, from cured meats and cheeses to dips and dessert to finish on a sweet note. Check it out: Sourdough baguette with salted local butter San Daniele prosciutto with pickled vegetables Citrus-marinated Mount Zero Olives Fava bean hummus Artisan cheeses with walnuts, grapes and lavosh  Salad of drunken chicken, grilled broccolini and shitake mushrooms  Orange and almond cake with fresh berries Upon arrival, you'll be provided with blankets and cushions to lay out on the winery's lawn with gorg views of the lush vines and stunning Yarra Ranges, before receiving your perfectly curated picnic basket filled with nibbles to pair with your tipples. The picnic experience is priced at $65 per person, and includes all of the above. To find out more, head to the website. For the direc

Ever since Molly Rose opened its expanded venue space earlier this year and hired new Thai-born chef Ittichai Ngamtrairai, the beloved Collingwood brewery and beer garden has transformed into a charming destination for A-grade cold ones and cleverly paired eats.  Now, founder Nic Sandery and his team have decided to take a moment’s pause to celebrate the brewpub’s success and they're inviting you to join in the party. The special event 'Smile, Enjoy!' on Sunday, November 12, will shine a light on the art of food and beer pairing, allowing attendees to marvel at the interplay between flavours in an afternoon of sips, smiles and superb eats.  Joining the party will be a bunch of Nic’s fave breweries from around Victoria and wider Australia, each partnering up with a food legend to create their very own power pairing designed to blow your mind. You’ll get to taste their creations, plus the chance to sign up to join the brewers for a Matchmakers Masterclass, where they’ll dig deeper into the science of their flavour fusions and reveal their secrets about the ideation process. “I am really lucky that my career has taken me around the country and that I can call some of the best brewers in the country friends,” Nic says. “When I was curating the breweries for Smile, Enjoy! I was able to text, email and call 5 mates who all said yes straight away and we ended up with a list of brewers who are going to bring a stellar lineup of beer.”  A single ticket costs $130 and gets you access t

Thirsty for fresh blood? No, we’re not implying you’re a vampire, although when you get a load of the wines that will be available for tasting at this event, you might just start to feel like one. Fresh Blood 2023 is a tour from legendary wine experience creators the Fruitful First, and on Saturday, November 12, it’s landing in Sydney for the first time ever. The event, which will be held at the purveyors of good times and natural wines, Odd Culture Newtown, is all about celebrating Australia’s tastiest new lo-fi winemakers (fresh blood) to the scene and a couple of gems that are making waves globally. Fresh Blood started in East London in 2019 and has since gained worldwide popularity for spotlighting progressive Aussie wine culture at the cutting edge. The Sydney edition will begin with three hours of tasting different drops, followed by a further hour to relax and enjoy the experience. Upon entering, you’ll be given a take-home Plumm glass and a printed list, so you can take notes as you sip.  Explore the world of winemakers from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, many of whom will be there on the day to cure your curiosities on all things vino. And yes, newbies are totally welcome, so if you don’t know your grenache from your gamay, you’ll be in good company. Each ticket holder also gets a $10 bottle token and a $10 snack token to redeem on any menu item from noon to 3pm. “I remember seeing these event posters in London back in 2019 featuring young Aussie wine

Along with Bomba, the recently relaunched Movida Aqui and Bar Lourinha, Spanish food lovers now have another spot to add to their CBD hit list. Say hola to Beso, a brand new buzzy restaurant housed within the stylish boutique Hotel Indigo. Across the road from Southern Cross Station, it’s planting a 'kiss' (the English translation of the word 'beso') on the end of Flinders Lane that's historically tended to get a lot less attention, with its bold new approach to contemporary Spanish cuisine and glamorous dining room.  The kitchen is spearheaded by Ana Cortes Garcia, who formerly earned her stripes as the head chef at acclaimed Lee Ho Fook, with each dish a reflection of Garcia's reverence for Spanish tradition, globally inspired culinary techniques and premium local produce. The ambitious chef brings with her a strong cultural pedigree, having spent eight years cooking in Spain and soaking up all the wisdom of her local food culture through relationships and on-the-ground experience. Wandering into the airy, elegant dining room, you can anticipate a broad array of modern Spanish-inspired dishes split into tapas, share-style raciones and hot dishes from the Parilla-style grill. A date night meal could start with plates of juicy chicharrones (pork jowl, desert lime togarashi and picos), spicy morcilla toasties and blistered okra with Moroccan lemon, before progressing into a course of heartier eats. Think oxtail dumplings with potato and Lanzhou chilli oil, escabeche mussels wi

A lively all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant has just landed at The District Docklands, delighting curious visitors with its enormous buffet of spicy and savoury flavour-packed dishes and cook-your-own ingredients. Spearheaded by a team of master chefs with more than 20 years of traditional Korean culinary experience, a dinner at Seoul Garden is the next best thing to hopping on a plane to the South Korean capital itself.  If you're familiar with Korean barbecue, you know the drill: choose what you want and cook it how you please. But Seoul Garden takes things to the next level, guiding you on a journey through some of the most loved eats in Korean cuisine in a glitzy maze-like dining room. Think traditional army stew, japchae noodles, tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken, succulent braised beef short ribs and mandu (Korean dumplings). The star of the show is the fresh meat, of course, which you can cook yourself on the hotplate at your table. There are more than 30 varieties of meats to choose from, including premium cuts of Wagyu karubi, chuck eye roll, Wagyu deckie and the famous LA-style galbi. The fatty cuts of rich marble Wagyu melt in your mouth after a flash on the pan, pure indulgence alongside the ssamjang (Korean spicy dipping sauce) and crisp salads. To enjoy unlimited portions of these delicacies, plus more from the 100-plus dishes on offer? At a price point under $50? It's unheard of in Melbourne.  Shin Qin, the restaurant's co-founder, describes Seoul Garde

Did you know that in 2023, solo dining in Australia rose by about 14 per cent year-on-year? That’s right – more of us are taking ourselves out on foodie dates than ever before, according to a new study shared from OpenTable. Three cheers for self-love! Based on data from 110,000 diner reviews, OpenTable has also announced its Top 50 Restaurants in Australia for 2023. More than half the venues were regional, and Victoria took the crown as the state with the most restaurants on the list. We had seventeen make the list, Queensland had fifteen and New South Wales came in third with thirteen. Take that, Sydney! Serai (the winner of this year’s People’s Choice Favourite Restaurant gong at Time Out Melbourne's Food and Drink Awards), Vue de Monde, Yugen Dining, Donovans and Il Solito Posto were among several Melbourne restaurants that nabbed top spots in 2023.  Country wineries also shared the limelight, making up 14 per cent of the top 50. We Victorians favoured Brown Brothers in the heart of the King Valley, Phillip Island Winery and Coombe Yarra Valley, plus six more destination darlings worth driving out of the city for. Check out the full list here. Photograph: Gareth Sobey Using data from its extensive diner network, the restaurant booking platform has also revealed some fascinating insights into Aussie dining trends.  The food items we’re mentioning more in reviews include ramen (which topped the list with a 19 per cent increase year-on-year), followed by spaghetti, mushroo

Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, we'd bet more vino is bought and consumed than any other time of the year. But how do you choose a drop that will please everyone? One that will pair excellently with those barbecue prawns or that ultra-rich glazed ham? And how do you stock up on the best bottles without breaking the bank? Laurent Rospar, head sommelier, curator and wine expert at Little Prince Wine, was kind enough to share the answers to all your burning questions – plus, a few extra tips on how to keep your wine game flowing well into 2024. Bookmark this guide for the next time you find yourself in the bottle shop feeling stumped! Thanks for helping us out, Laurent! What's your number one tip for buying wine for the festive season? My number one tip is to try to go light on alcohol. Champagne can kick up the party quickly, so if you’re looking for something more mellow and budget-friendly, choose a Tassie sparkling instead.  What wine would you recommend to go with a classic Christmas lunch? For example, a turkey or glazed ham and roast veggies. I tend to lean towards crisp, fresh whites for a traditional Christmas lunch. A Canberra riesling or an Alsacien wine will work exceptionally well. For reds, I myself like a cabernet franc with turkey or ham. If you need an all-rounder that complements your main dish and traditional sides, grab something versatile and medium-bodied, like a pinot noir. If you’re serving a lamb roast, reach for a robust red wine like a cabern

The days are getting longer, summer’s getting hotter and so are the opportunities for some romantic sun-kissed nights out. Why not take someone special on a picnic date in the park? Maybe you can’t be bothered making sandwiches or packing a basket, but that’s where Twilight Picnics comes in. Twilight Picnics is Melbourne’s first ever luxury picnic service for gourmand get-togethers outdoors, celebratory occasions and everything in between. There are three pre-packed picnic boxes to choose from, all filled to the brim with premium goodies from some of Melbourne’s most loved local producers. Slather your fave cheeses from Milk the Cow and gourmet dips from Nahedas Choice onto bread from Cobb Lane Bakery, with Mount Zero olives, cakes from Sweet Bakes, seasonal fruit from La Manna and Sons and gourmet charcuterie meats also making an appearance in the beautiful boxes. Photograph: Arianna Harry Photography Feeling a bit bougie? There are optional upgrades like Siberian caviar from Black Pearl, matched wine pairings and bottled cocktails from the Everleigh if you really want to take your picnic up a notch – and totally impress your date. To facilitate enlightening and intimate conversations, you can also add the “Where Should We Begin” game from world-leading psychologist and relationships therapist Esther Perel. But Twilight Picnics isn't solely suited to matters of romance; the service is perfect for small family catch-ups and park brunches with friends too.  How you curate y

From historic neighbourhood watering holes to hip new bars with sunny beer gardens, our vibrant pub culture is a big part of what makes Melbourne such a great city to live in. In fact, we'd argue we've got some of the best boozers in all of Australia. We love them for their vibes, sure, but it's also what you can eat and drink there that draws us in by the droves. (This writer's partial to a mid-week steak and a pinot.) But have you ever wondered what the most popular meal and drink of choice is? Well, wonder no more. New research by pub app the Happiest Hour has just revealed Sydney and Melbourne’s respective favourite pub meals and drinks, as well as those we're now shunning. Parma lovers, the results may surprise you. In sad news for pies, the flakey hand-held bite ranked at the bottom of the list in both cities, while the legendary parma (Sydney calls it “parmi”, but we reckon they’re wrong) only got a vote of love from 39 per cent of Melburnians and 26 per cent of Sydneysiders. That's a sharp slip from its ranking near the top of the list a decade ago. RIP. Photograph: Supplied / Australian Venue Co At 53 per cent, juicy burgers are the most-loved eats of choice in Melbourne pubs, a fact that should come as no surprise if you've sunk your teeth into one of these bad boys. Pizza is closely followed at 50 per cent. Across the border, Sydneysiders share our love for a slice of 'za, but tacos also took up a top spot on their list of faves. Joonas Karppinen, co-founder of t

Come with me, and you’ll be… in a woooorld of pure imagination! No, you don’t need to teleport to the set of the beloved 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – you just need to hop in the car and head to Highpoint Shopping Centre. On November 11, Australia’s largest-ever lolly shop opened its doors in an attempt to smash the Guinness World Record with the world’s biggest pick ‘n’ mix selection of candies. How lucky are we?! Sorry not sorry, family dentist. The renowned lolly purveyors from Tom’s Confectionery Warehouse have designed this new megastore with all the whimsy and wonder you’d expect: an M&M’s-inspired speckled walkway, a ginormous array of pick ‘n’ mix counters and even a giant human claw that’s able to drop both children and adults into a sea of lollies, chocolates and other treats. Strap yourself in, grab as many as you can and then take your loot home with you (as well as some hilarious snaps for the ‘gram.)  Photography: Supplied Head in to discover a carnival-like universe of wild and wacky characters such as a life-sized dinosaur that moves and roars, plus a candy throne, a Simpsons character chair, and of course, lollies. Tons of them, in fact – Tom’s houses more than 30,000 sweet treats from across the globe, including the US, UK, South Africa, Netherlands, Turkey and beyond.  At the beginning of your journey, you’ll be given a huge warehouse bucket to fill up with all your old faves plus new international treats that perhaps you’ve heard

Think you know food pronunciation? Can you confidently say everything from tagliatelle to tteokbokki? Just weeks after we revealed all the pasta names we mispronounce, yet another study has just dropped the bombshell that there's a whole linguistic universe of food-related words that are tying our tongues up in knots. Whether you'd rather avoid the embarrassment of getting your favourite meal wrong when you ask for it at a restaurant, or you're simply curious to see the results of the research, we'd bet there's at least one of these words you haven't been saying the right way.  Topping the list for most mispronounced dishes is gyros (correctly pronounced as “yi ros”), that famous hand-held Greek snack made up of a soft pita bread stuffed with grilled meats, fresh salads, and piping hot chips. The second hardest dish to say is pho (pronounced correctly as "fuh"), the Vietnamese bowl made up of soul-enriching broth, noodles, rare beef, and fragrant herbs. And coming in third place is gnocchi ("no kee") from Italy, those delightfully pillowy dumplings made from potato. Remitly, a US-based financial services provider for immigrants, conducted the research by pulling together the names of 2,700 dishes from more than 165 countries around the world and then combined that with search terms including "what is" and "how to pronounce". The team then analysed the data to see what dish names were searched for most regularly over the previous year – and now the results are in. Photograph:

Summer is about to go off like an uncorked bottle of Champers this year, with several reopenings of bars, beer gardens and popular rooftops bringing Melbourne’s outdoor dining and drinking scene back to life. In good news for Carlton locals, Lygon Street’s Johnny’s Green Room is one of them.  For months, the elevated terazza-style drinking destination was closed to the public while owners Jamie Valmorbida and Luca Sbardella planned an ambitious relaunch. After a long winter of waiting (and much curiosity), it’s now been revealed that Johnny’s Green Room will open its doors again to the public this December, with brand new food and drink offerings and a creative redesign.  The team have joined forces with award-winning designer Dion Hall (Music Room, Supernormal, Rare Hare, Pidapipo Laboratorio) on the renovations, which include a semi-retractable roof that will enable the bar to stay open all year round, so you don’t need to let a spot of drizzle interrupt your drinks! And a famous new line-up of talent is also set to transform the space just in time for the reopening date.  Renowned chef and author Karen Martini is swooping in to lead the kitchen as the new culinary director, while one of Australia’s top cocktail mavericks, Matthew Bax (Bar Americano, Tippling Club), will be overseeing the drinks.  Expect a European summer-inspired menu, celebrating fresh produce and authentic Italian flavours with a touch of contemporary flair. “We’ve designed the food offering so that it r

Planning for this revamp has been years in the making now, but the wait is finally over: Vue de Monde, its sister bar Lui and Vue Events are set to reopen on November 8 at Rialto Towers, following a three-month beauty sleep.  Both the dining room and kitchen at Vue have been fully refurbished, while the menu has evolved to become an 18-serving series of culinary enchantments – not too far of a stray from the globally recognised fine diner’s usual brand of refinement, but with just enough changes to thrill returning and new visitors. (Don’t fret – that mind-blowing chocolate soufflé hasn't gone anywhere.) Executive chef Hugh Allen and the senior culinary team have collaborated closely with exceptional Aussie producers to highlight local seasonal ingredients. Dishes from the opening menu include grilled lamb sweetbreads with asparagus sourced from Koo Wee Rup and fermented macadamia sauce; padrón peppers stuffed with heirloom eggplant cooked in wild nasturtium oil; and grilled marron tail with a fried native herb paste followed by a warm marron roe custard.    Photograph: Jason Loucas “Taking a few months away from the day-to-day has helped us create what we believe are really special menus across the restaurant and the bar,” says Allen. “We’re looking forward to showing our regulars the changes we’ve made, but also welcoming new guests to the venues.” As far as the look goes, the swank factor remains. However, various key elements of Vue’s dining room have seen exciting ne

A fresh cupcake is good. A fresh cupcake in as much time as it takes to push a button? Even better. But if you're worried a cupcake from a vending machine would taste like those sad, stale, unloved creations you spot on the counters of corporate office cafés around the CBD, think again. A collection of vending machines filled with sweet treats from none other than Cake Creations by Kate (the beloved local bakery renowned for its drool-worthy, hand-crafted goodies) have popped up around Melbourne. Since launching in 2015, the business has become a cult hit on social media thanks to Kate's mini cupcakes, chunky melt-in-your-mouth cookies and A-grade macarons.  So how do the cupcake vending machines work? Each morning, a fresh new batch is placed into the machines, which feature state-of-the-art technology and are imported from Italy. You can choose from boxes of four, six and 12 mini cupcakes, in a variety of flavours such as Biscoff, cookies and cream, lemon and vanilla rainbow. Each box ranges from $13 to $30 (depending on how many cupcakes you want to fill up on), perfect for sharing with friends and family, or gifting on the go! 25-year-old baker Kate (who learned all her baking skills from her grandmother) says it's an easy way to keep up with soaring demand for cakes from her flagship store in Point Cook and other pop-up locations.  "We wanted to make things easier for our customers, as some travel over an hour just to visit our stores," she said. "We have hired more bake

Keen for some good, thirsty news to lift your spirits? The 2023 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) just went down in London Town, and Australia's very own gin hero Four Pillars won International Gin Producer of the Year for the third time. That's right, Four Pillars produces the Best Gin on Earth. We're pretty chuffed.  While this alone is a huge deal in itself, the rocking distillery and gin brand also broke some records on the night. It's the first time any gin producer from around the globe has won the award three times, with Four Pillars having beaten out all other contestants in 2019 and 2020 prior to this year's event. The IWSC is the world's largest and most prestigious spirits competition and attracted more than 4,000 entries from international distilleries, with gin being the biggest category of them all. "Back in 2013, we set out with the ambition to make world-class gin, so to win this award three times is simply mind-blowing," said co-founder and distiller Cameron Mackenzie, who was in London to accept the award. "I kind of knew we had a chance when two of our gins scored 98 points but kept it on the lowdown until last week when I dusted off the kilt! It’s a massive thrill for our team back at home and for the Australian spirits industry overall, and even sweeter that Four Pillars celebrates 10 years of making gin this December". The two gins that scored 98 out of 100 points were Four Pillars' Bloody Underhill Vineyard Shiraz Gin 2022 and Single Bar

Need a good excuse for a foodie road trip? In partnership with Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has launched a 10-day regional program jam-packed with eating and drinking experiences all over Victoria from November 10 to November 19, 2023. Start your engines – it’s going to be a rocking start to the summer.  If a fresh ocean breeze is calling your name, the Gippsland Seaside Weekender will keep you entertained with the ever-popular Village Feast, which rolls into the picturesque town of Inverloch on November 18 with Adam Liaw at the helm. He’s joined forces with Thi Le (Anchovy, Jeow, Ca Com), while plenty of other big hospo teams will be there on the day to partake in the flavour-filled fun. Clink glasses, enjoy the live music – that is, ARIA winner Alex Lloyd of ‘Amazing’ fame, plus several other local musicians – and break bread with old and new friends from lunch until sunset. There’ll be free drink tastings, a kids’ zone, and of course, an abundance of food. Tickets to The Village Feast are $35 for adults, with free entry for children aged 12 and under.  Perhaps the biggest signature event on the program is the World’s Longest Lunch, which will be hosted in two locations this year. More than 150 people will dine together in the Yarra Valley at Hubert Estate and in Ballarat at The Goods Shed. “Victoria’s produce and culinary talent is world class – and what better way to celebrate this essential part of our culture than heading out to our regions to sa

How many times have you visited an Italian restaurant, taken a squiz at the menu and thought: “Do I even know how to pronounce this word?” While most of us feel fairly confident with popular words like ‘spaghetti’ and ‘macaroni’, an interesting new study shows that many of us still get it wrong.  Preply, a language e-learning platform and app, scoured through Google search data to discover which pasta names non-Italians around the globe are routinely butchering, and ‘spaghetti’ and ‘macaroni’ actually made the list, along with 38 others that proved to be total tongue twisters. ‘Gnocchi’ was the most mispronounced name, with the majority of people calling the popular pasta type ‘NOTCH-ee’ or ‘G-KNOCK-ee’ instead of its correct pronunciation, ‘NYOHK-ee’.  Preply research revealed that a whopping 153,000 people search Google for pronunciation guidance on gnocchi each year. ‘Spaghetti’ and ‘penne’ followed in second and third place with 101,460 and 33,890 searches respectively each year from people looking for pronunciation tips. The study also picked up on the history of how each type of pasta came to be named. For example, did you know that ‘vermicelli’ means ‘little worms’ and that ‘linguine’ means ‘little tongues’?  With World Pasta Day coming up on October 25, there’s no better time to polish your pronunciation skills (and your smarts on different pasta types) – especially if you plan on ordering your fave plate at one of these Melbourne venues hosting special deals and even