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We’ve been doing some digging around and have discovered that the north-west of Melbourne (around the Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale area) is an absolute hive of foodie activity. So much so that we went on a bit of a binge to bring you this list of the 34 best places to eat at in Melbourne’s north-west.

Is it really over? It seems like only yesterday that a bright-eyed and bushy tailed Sam Frost (how young did she look back then?) walked back into our reality television lives.

Springtime means sunshine, long evenings and lots of lush, fresh produce, and what better way to bring all of these elements together than a picnic.

We’ve picked our top eight swimsuits—just to make your summer countdown feel all the more official…

It appears that Melbournians have a slight obsession with this Italian restaurant staple appetizer, and we’re thrilled it’s finally getting the credit it deserves. When we let the news slip earlier this month that there is going to be a Garlic Bread Appreciation Conference in 2016, it was met with welcome arms and salivating taste buds. Whether you like it traditional or cheesy, as a side dish or a late night snack, here is where you can find Melbourne’s best garlic bread.

For one day only, one of Melbourne's best fried chicken venues and Melbourne's best bakeries are teaming up to present the best lunch ever: Fried chicken in a croissant. Dear Lord, have mercy on our arteries. 

Melbourne, you are looking beautiful! From vintage fashion finds to drive-in cinema dates, world champagne day celebrations to cider and wine festivals, there’s heaps of things to do in Melbourne this weekend. Don’t believe us? Read on for our round-up of the best events…

Omnilux is LED Light Therapy which is clinically proven to work wonders on the skin. BUT HOW?!

In case you’ve been hiding under a fascinator-wearing rock, Listers, we feel it’s our duty to tell you that racing season is in full swing, and what a year it’s been so far!

It’s official—champagne is the drink of choice when it comes to a celebration. As soon as you hear the cork pop and witness those tiny bubbles cascade into your flute, you know there are good times ahead. There are a range of Melbourne bars that specialise in the most prized bottles of bubbly, but we’ve also added a few of our favourite Melbourne restaurants to this list, in case you’re looking for some champagne to accompany a special dinner. So, without further ado, here are Melbourne's best champagne bars and restaurants. 'Hic!

The Urban List has jumped the ditch and gone international. And my, my…don’t we feel cool.

Jazz bars are seeing a massive revival here in Melbourne, with hidden basement venues and laneway finds topping the charts of late-night drinking spots. Bird’s Basement, the latest jazz bar to be announced in Melbourne comes all the way from New York, bringing with it a legacy of talented musicians and all-round good times.

Remember when you were young, and you watched Back To The Future and Marty McFly travelled to that impossibly distant date far in the future that brought with it flying cars, flying skateboards and super-fly clothing? Well, that date is tomorrow. October 21 2015. Yes, you are old but you’re also a time traveller, so that’s kind of cool. Welcome to the future!

We might be preaching to the beauty-savvy choir, but lately we’ve been revisiting our skincare routine and have come to one conclusion: Prioritising your skin is one of the biggest beauty investments you can make. Yup, if you’re looking to focus on one area that will continue to pay off for years to come, tracking down the best facials in Melbourne and seeking out a skin clinic that’s science-led is the way to do it.

Not heading to Flemington on Cup day but still want in on the action? There are plenty of top-notch venues around Melbourne that’ll be celebrating in style—think big screens, sweep stakes and plenty of bubbles and beer.

We are just weeks away from Halloween so if you're looking for a little inspo, check out our list of Halloween costume ideaa.

We chatted to the Aussie beauty about The Base: her line of awesome bronzing and tanning products, her beauty must-haves, and how life has changed since becoming a mum.

Growing up in Mexico City, Alfredo Pimienta, co-owner of Bridge Road Richmond’s newest addition El Atino & Co, a golden temple of worship for all things Latin American, nurtured a passion for food that has never left him.

In the very best Monday news that we could possibly hope to hear, Carlton’s The Roving Marrow will soon be offering unlimited yum cha on Sundays!

In my experience, people who order pancakes (or similar) are committed to the sweet breakfast cause and ALWAYS order pancakes, hotcakes or waffles for breakfast. In fact, they refuse to dine at cafes that don’t have a sweet, fluffy, buttery offering. There are some pretty stellar pancake options in Melbourne, so we’ve rounded the best of the best, and slipped in a few savoury options for good measure.

Melbourne's favourite food festival, Taste of Melbourne in partnership with Electrolux is without a doubt one of our favourite summer events. There’s amazingly fresh food, delicious drinks, top local producers and even some world-class kitchen talent showing us how it’s done, all in the open air of the beautiful grounds of Albert Park.

It's a week for the foodies! From one-off fine dining dinners to food trucks and movies, we've got something for everyone that loves food even half as much as we do. 

There are two ways to watch Netflix. One is ‘Netflix and chill’ which means you put on a show then have sex with whoever is in the room with you. The second way is to simply ‘watch Netflix’, which means you choose a show or movie to watch then pay attention to it.

There’s one thing my 28 years on this planet have taught me: ‘Adulting’ is hard. Sure, you might want to eat cupcakes for dinner and ride a micro-scooter to work and glue feathers to your forehead and generally make-believe that you’re 3 years old forever, but sooner or later, adult life will require you to pull your (matching) socks up and take responsibility for yourself.

Real talk: is this new hair trend for men going to be gracing the heads of our male companions soon?

Francophiles, listen up: We’ve got just the event for you! Now in it’s sixth year, Paris To Provence, Melbourne’s annual French Festival is bigger and better than ever.

Our patented Bachelorette Power Rankings™ ladder is starting to look a bit sparse now as the show lurches into its final weeks: only three blokes remain.

Arms, like butts can be a a tricky old thing when it comes to working out.

One thing we love about spring: the sun. One thing we don’t love about spring: sunburn. We’re all for amping up the SPF routine as the weather heats up, but one thing we don’t dig so much is the telltale shiny face and extra step in our skincare regimen.

It’s a sad week for southside sippers, with the so-called closure of beloved South Yarra dive bar Sweetwater Inn scheduled for October 17. But fans of the quirky Australiana party shed need not cry into their tinnies for too long, with the owners scouring both sides of the river for a new location to unload their 40-foot container of Sweetwater goodness.

Window service is all the rage at Melbourne’s best cafés, and it’s not just coffee that you can get to go these days. For a range of sweet snacks and luscious lunch options to take away, as well as caffeine in a hurry, don’t waste time navigating your way through the tables, chairs and rogue children to get to the counter. Simply breeze up to the best express windows in Melbourne and place your order then and there. Because your time is precious.

So, by now every man, woman and possum in the three thousands knows that Sydney's gelato experts, Gelato Messina, are set to open a brand new store in Melbourne this summer. Yes, it's serving amazing flavours, as always. Yes, it's in Windsor. And yes, we've got the scoop (ha!) on the opening date for the latest addition to Melbourne's dessert-loving metropolis.

The weekend is upon us, Listers! This week we’ve got Melbourne’s biggest arts festival kicking along, the city’s 22nd Greek Film Fest, poetry slam, Salami Festa and loads of live music. Soak up the spring vibes - this weekend’s all about the outdoors.

Halloween is a month away and, in anticipation of the inevitable last-minute dash to one of Melbourne's best costume shops, madly searching for something other than a witch or a slutty nurse, we’ve cast our minds back over the year that was and come up with 50 Halloween costumes people will be wearing this year.

There’s a stack of Aussie jewellery designers doing their bit to keep you really well accessorised these days! From home studios to internationally renowned brands, there’s stunningly beautiful, intricately crafted and wonderfully wacky jewellery coming from all corners of our creative country.

For those who are looking for the best Day of the Dead parties in Melbourne, you’ve come to the right place.

Grab your diaries, folks, and draw a big, yellow sunshine on Saturday 19th December because the St Kilda Foreshore Slam Beach Festival has named the date for it’s epic summer party! If you’ve ever been to the St Kilda Foreshore Beach Festival before, you’ll know just how awesome this day in the sun is. Celebrating local music with party people Yolanda Be Cool headlining the all-dayer and a host of DJ talent keeping the music going long into the night, the event promises all the summer vibes you can handle.

I have a theory— good food tastes even better when it’s served on or eaten from a beautifully designed and hand-made plate or bowl. The sort that might not be exactly the same as the next one and might not be exactly symmetrical, but has had thought and care put into every aspect of its creation.  I daydream about having a kitchen full of ceramic or stone tableware that’s minimalist in design and maximalist in character.

Is your idea of a weekend well spent filled with gut-wrenching fear? If so, you’re going to want to book in for the incredible Horror Movie Campout, a camping festival for all things gore, paranormal and generally horrifically terrifying, held at Point Cook Homestead this summer.

In Melbourne’s diverse, eclectic, sometimes super confusing foodie scene, the word “artisan” gets flung around an awful lot. From describing fresh breads to the labels on store-bought cookies, you’d be forgiven for thinking that “artisan” simply meant, “officially wanker approved”.

A man in a second-hand bookshop once said to me, “Bookstores, they’re like little sanctuaries, aren’t they?” I remember beaming back at him and thinking good sir, you couldn’t be more right. It’s no doubt Melbourne kills it when it comes to food, drink and the arts, and we’d have to say the same about the city’s bookshops.

Springtime means a hell of a lot of changes: Changes in wardrobe (no more thermals under your jeans, lads), changes in style (winter neck-beard, be gone!) and changes in social calendar (can I get another beer garden sesh, my brothers?). To help Melbourne’s most stylish dudes find the best places to pick up some new garms and grooming tips, we’ve rounded up Melbourne’s best men’s shops and services. Because NOTHING impresses like a man who’s fresh-dressed and ready to step into spring.

One of the hottest names in Australia’s fast-moving restaurant scene, Andrew McConnell, is set to open his very first wine bar later this month. Called Marion, the brand new Gertrude Street venue is set to open its doors on Friday 23 October, when it will be serving up seasonal light bites, weekend brunch dishes and a fantastic selection of drinks to Melbourne’s food-loving finest. Excited much? Of course we are.

When it comes to race day beauty and fashion survival, it’s all about endurance, my punting friends.

Whether you’re a pizza lover, a ciabatta fiend or a fan of some new-age ‘artisanal’ garlic-laced loaf that we haven’t yet encountered here at The Urban List, it’s time to get ready to declare your love for one of the most divisive foods of all time. Yes, Melbourne is getting a Garlic Bread Appreciation Conference, and you’re all invited.

If you’ve invited friends round for dinner and end up having to order takeaway because you’ve run out of time/motivation to cook anything, hold the phone. You don’t have to resort to stodgy pizza or fluorescent Chinese food with a range of Melbourne’s best restaurants offering up some superb takeaway options. Here are our top picks for the best takeaway in Melbourne.

It’s set to be an epic week of activities, for the adventurous, the foodies, and the theatre goers. We’ve whittled down all of the best Melbourne events to our pick of the top five things to do in Melbourne this week.

Deep down, we all fancy ourselves as Patsy Stone or Bernard Black. Champagne for breakfast? A swig of beer to chase away the mid-morning blues? Fill us up. We take our breakfast and booze very seriously, and we like to be able to have both when and where we want them. That’s why we’re lucky to live in Melbourne, with so many licenced cafés only a stone’s throw (or a short stumble) away. Here are the best spots to get your hair-of-the-dog on.

Preparing for a Halloween party doesn’t have to be scary. Whether you’re looking for a full outfit (hello, Rubik’s Cube) or that perfect accessory to complete your look, we’ve done the hard work for you with this list of Melbourne’s best costume shops, ensuring you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for right in time for the big day.

Welcome back to another week of The Bachelorette Power Rankings ™, the world’s most loved weekly performance ladder based on Australia’s favourite dating death match show.

Coffee. Wine. Exceedingly lavish breakfasts. Australia is getting pretty good at a few things, and the latest accolade to add to the ever-growing list is cocktail bars.

As if Friday wasn’t exciting enough, we now have Stir Frydays to look forward to at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market.

Melbourne, you’re a city of two halves: One half who’ll do anything for a deliciously fresh #cleaneating salad, and the other who are MAD for meat. If you fall into the second camp, you’d better have your credit card at the ready today because tickets for The Yaks Melbourne Barbecue Festival 2016 are on sale as of now!

Want to get your point across without saying a word? Enter the slogan tee.

Can you feel it? Summer is in the air which means a few glorious things—the beach, swimmers, and, of course, our old faithful Havaianas.

It’s party vibes and festival madness this weekend, Listers. We’ve got a couple of wine festivals, a new Friday night Asian street fest at the Queen Victoria Market and a few places to catch some great live music. How stoked are we for daylight savings?! Make the most of it and party long into the night. Here are our picks for the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend.

One of Melbourne’s biggest restaurant names, chef Andrew McConnell, has teamed up with butcher Troy Wheeler to bring a carnivore’s dream to Fitzroy next week.

When we first heard whisper of world-famous Japanese eatery Toko’s new Melbourne restaurant, the Japanophiles amongst us were scouring every source we could to track down a phone number and pre-book our table. Approximately 3.5 minutes of messages to our network of in-the-know Melburnians, and we’d identified the location as Prahran’s Greville Street—one of The Urban List’s favourite foodie hubs for a quick bite to eat (St Edmond’s, Oscar Cooper and Palate are all on the famous south-side stretch). Excited much? You betcha.

Decided it’s time to embrace the Halloween trend rather than fight it this year? We don’t blame you. And with Halloween falling on Saturday this lovely October, what further excuse do you need for getting all dressed up and playing tricks on your pals? Now before you rush out and get yourself a killer costume, cast your eyes of some of Melbourne best Halloween shindigs below. We think this year could be the best one yet! 

We dug a little deeper at South Melbourne Market and were blown away by some of the gems we unearthed - really excellent finds that we weren’t expecting. Here are our top 10 discoveries at South Melbourne Market.

There’s no denying that Melbourne loves its Chinese food, from the cheap and cheerful China Town offerings to the up-market David’s or Flower Drum. We may be spoilt for choice, but there is a gaping, Michelin star-sized hole in Melbourne’s Chinese food scene, and Tim Ho Wan is coming to fill it.  

There’s no denying we love the digital world—a magazine just doesn’t cut it when you’re Googling the latest café that’s just hit Melbourne’s coffee-obsessed streets—but sometimes, curling up with a cuppa and a good paper-bound read is just the ticket. That’s where magazines come in; the smell of freshly printed paper, the glossy pages, those long-reads that invite us to discover our new favourite obsession… Magazines are as perfect for idly leafing through while waiting for your Uber as they are delving into for three hours on a Sunday over a home-poured long black.

We’re here to help you out with a list of Melbourne’s best BYO restaurants. And they’re not all cheap-and-cheerful Asian joints (although a few of our favourites do score a mention). So read on and get ready to eat, drink and be merry!

Spring has finally sprung (hurrah!), and with it has come an influx of cocktail party invites. From carnival season to luxe picnics to anything that’s an excuse for a get-together, our calendars are filling up! But when it comes to getting party-ready, there’s a massive difference between looking good, and looking great. Here at The Urban List, we’ve wracked our brains and rounded up the best beauty salons in Melbourne for their hot tips and treatments for the season. Let the beautifying (and the partying) commence!

You’ve got mates coming from out-of-town, as in different state or country kinda out-of-town. Naturally, you want to show off glorious Melbourne, but you also want to flaunt her countryside charms too, she’s not just a one-trick-pony. Like wine. And nature. And wine. There are so many terrific day and weekend trips close to Melbourne, so we thought we’d give you a quick low-down on a few of them.

This November, Melbourne will play host to our first-ever festival dedicated to the wonders of gin. And just in time for the launch of summer!

As digital and in-store experiences blur into one, it’s undeniable that the way we find and purchase items has changed forever. Here are some of Australia’s best online retailers who are delivering the goods.

Live music, epic gin degustations and film nights - summer must be on its way! It was tough to wittle down the list to five this week, but we're confident you'll have a rollicking good time with the events we've chosen. The perfect combination of things to do in Melbourne.

Spring is finally here, and with it comes heaps of hot new things to do in Melbourne this season. From live music to pop-up food events, the must-try luxury ingredient to the must-book hottest restaurant, here are 10 things that are totally #trending right now in our glorious city.

South Melbourne is the little suburb that could. It’s quietly been squirrelling away, building its empire and acquiring a stack load of the coolest places to eat, drink, shop and things to do. We’ve put together our pick of the South Melbourne precinct for you to go adventuring and enjoy.

Emilia's menu is exactly as one might imagine at a traditional trattoria. The food is a magical blend of rich and light and you feel like you’re sitting down to a truly excellent meal that your nonna might’ve cooked. Only the presentation is sophisticated and you’re not force-fed!

November means Night Noodle Markets and we are pleased to say this baby is back for another year on the banks of the Yarra River at Melbourne’s Birrarung Marr.

After all the stress that Christmas gatherings bring, what better way is there to blow off some steam and get into your holiday groove than to dance, drink and relax in the magnificence that is a Melbourne summer festival?

What better way to up your dose of Vitamin D than at one of Melbourne’s best beer gardens?

October is upon us, dear Listers. This month you can expect to get fit at the city’s biggest fitness event, get fat from drinking waaaaay too many epic milkshakes, and get spooky at the best Hallowe’en party in the city. And, if that’s not enough, there’s an extra day off to do what you please, as well as heaps of new openings that you’re going to want to be checking out!

If you think you know what to expect from the Southern Grampians, think again. Forget that grim family holiday when your time on the Gameboy/iPad was strictly limited because, um, nature (thanks Mum), the Southern Grampians is redefining luxury in Victoria’s north-west, boasting HEAPS of hidden gems, including the award-winning Grampians hotel, the Royal Mail Hotel, the most incredible views and the ultimate chill-out activities. Read on for seven epic reasons why you should be getting your chill on in Dunkeld.

Every week we will rate the dudes according to each one’s chances are of winning the whole Bachelorette tournament, with the heroes at the top of the list and the zeros at the bottom.

Say goodbye conventional singlet tan lines and hello to weird shoulder stripes that make your regular clothes a little more difficult to wear—this spring and summer it’s all about off-the-shoulder tops!

AFL! Markets! Movies! If you’re looking for some awesome things to do in Melbourne this week, look no further. Everything you need is right here, folks, to have yourself an epic few days of relaxing, getting cultured, and—yes, that’s right—barracking for your top team in the final to end all finals.

Give us all of the baked goods! From classic French delights, to matcha-flavoured croissants, to a bagel lover’s dream – we’ve rounded up Melbourne’s best bakeries to sink your teeth into. 

If you’re a food fan (and we know that pretty much all of you are) Australian-Italians don’t get much more renowned than gelati maestro and all-round awesome guy, Nick Palumbo. Moving from Adelaide, where he grew up with his Italian parents, to Sydney back in 2002, Nick started Gelato Messina with one very simple aim—to run an amazing gelateria that celebrated traditional techniques and mouth-watering, rich flavours.

World Sake Day is tomorrow, folks! To celebrate this delicious Japanese drink, we’ve put together The Urban List’s Sake 101 — a quick-fire guide to the tasty rice beverage, along with the best sake bars in Melbourne. Not sure what you should be ordering? Read on for the essential know-how…

As Melbourne Festival director Josephine Ridge prepares to usher in the 30th anniversary of this vibrant cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar, she took time out from her crazy schedule to tip off Urban Listers on the must-see shows and her grand ambitions for this year’s line-up. 

Spring cleaning your diet is a great way to create a healthy food environment and reset and reboot some healthy food habits as we start to peel off layers, get outdoors and get ready for a new season.

Earlier this month, the celeb-mad world went crazy—or should that be ‘krazy’— for the latest release from the Kardashian-Jenner sisters. Kim (the one who’s married to Kanye), Kendall (the catwalk model one), Kylie (the youngest one), and Khloe (the, er, one who is also a Kardashian? I don’t know…) have each released an independent app that promises ‘unprecedented and exclusive personal access’ to their day-to-day lives.

The rest of the nation already hates us for our public holiday on Melbourne Cup Day, but Premier Dan Andrew really stuck the knife in when he decided we should have yet another day off in celebration of the AFL Grand Final. Could we be the only city in the world that gets off work for two whole days for a couple of sporting events? Probably.

It’s almost that time of year, Listers! If you know anything about what’s on in Melbourne, you’ll be well aware that spring means a bevvy of race days, which are the perfect excuse to grab a few mates, don your fanciest frocks and suits, and book in a day of revelry at the trackside. This year's most fun racing events—Caulfield Guineas Day, which takes place on Saturday 10th October, and Caulfield Cup Day, on Saturday 17th October—are upping their foodie stakes with the addition of some of Melbourne’s best restaurants.

Second perhaps only to St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest is the best globally recognized festival that gives patrons carte blanche to swig as many froffies as possible. And, like every other city around the world, we’ll be celebrating Oktoberfest in Melbourne with just as much gusto as if we were sipping Kolsh in Cologne, or downing biers in Berlin.

If you love slurping noodles while listening to phat beatz, you should clear your schedule on Wednesday, October 28, when Melbourne’s first RAMEN RAVE arrives at Supernormal.

Footy fans, rejoice! After an arduous six months of spear-tackling, eye-gouging and biting, the AFL grand final has arrived at long last. Pitting the highly-fancied Hawks against this year’s surprise-packet in the West Coast Eagles, Saturday’s clash has all the makings of a classic.

There’s something magic about Tasmania that us ‘mainlanders’ (that’s ‘Tasmanian’ for peeps from the rest of Australia) just can’t get without visiting. A vast roaring wilderness, the ghosts of a convict past and little fellas we call the Tassie Devil make up a place that is equally enthralling and quirky.

Parents are great for some things, and not so great for others. Sometimes their technology struggles are beyond frustrating, sometimes they’re LOL-worthy (that’s Laugh Out Loud, not Lots of Love, Mum). 

It’s the ultimate Food & Wine Festival in Australia: feasting in the forest, beachside drinks and seafood so fresh you basically eat it out of the water.

We’re calling it: The espresso martini is the perfect party-starter cocktail. Combining a caffeine hit with a smooth finish, the espresso martini will take you from exhausted after a big day at the office to dance floor-ready in just a few sweet sips. So here’s cheers to Melbourne’s finest espresso martinis, just in time to celebrate World Coffee Day.

We caught up with Renya to find out how she manages to look so good, even when she’s on the go, which, if you follow her on Instagram, is like ALL THE TIME.

Which fashion trends should you follow and which ones should you ditch? We've got you covered.

Roll up! Roll up, Listers! We've got an epic selection of food and culture for you. There's so much fun to be had in Melbourne this week!

Yeah you’ve moved on from school reports but guess what, you can still be graded. Don’t pretend you don’t wanna know how you’re going in the school of life!

As we prepare to come out of our winter hibernation for another year, it’s not uncommon to feel the sudden desire to swap your usual Saturday scrambled eggs for a fruit salad. We’ve got you covered, Melbourne, with this epic list of the best healthy breakfasts in our fair city. And it’s not all acai and kale (although they do get a few mentions). From sweet to savoury, pancakes to pudding, these are the best Melbourne breakfasts you can order without copping a heavy dose of #foodenvy. 

In the days of Nutribullet spun juices, spiralised veg and kale-ariddled everything, it can be easy to forget the benefits of a humble green smoothie. One that is beautiful to look at, great for your insides and an excellent way to turn over the inner sanctum of your crisper.

Full disclaimer: I snoop on other people’s shopping baskets. It’s a terrible habit and I always feel a smidge guilty when shoppers catch me starring at their 12 bottles of Diet Coke (seriously, if you love it that much, just get the real stuff). But it’s a fascinating insight into our inner worlds. Consider it anthropology, of sorts.

Spring is off to an excellent start here in Melbourne, with a slew of sunny days reinvigorating our cold bones after the frostiest winter in decades. With this newfound energy and desire to spend as much time as possible outdoors, we think now is the perfect time to purchase a bicycle. 

It’s nearly spring racing time! While you sort out the hat and the frock, we’ve taken one for the team and come up with our pick of hampers and catering options available for your big day out. From mini sandwiches and musk sticks through to full blown Japanese platters, here are seven of the best spring racing catering options in Melbourne.

Big news, you guys. Turns out Belinda Carlisle was right and heaven is a place on earth. At least it will be on Saturday, October 24 when the Prahran Market is hosting a CHEESE FESTIVAL.

As if the arrival of Friday wasn’t exciting enough, we’re here to tell you how you can spend your afternoon munching on FREE TACOS.

Listers, I’m going to show my age here. I remember listening to that Pulp song that talked about “Let’s all meet up in the year two thousand,” and thinking, “Woah, the year two thousand. THE FUTURE.” Well, y2k came and went, and suddenly we’re in 2015, looking back on the weird and wonderful trends of the noughties with a cringe-worthy eye-roll. Nokia mobile phones? Hipster demin? THAT double denim Justin and Britney look at the 2001 AMAs?!

To me, the buzzword ‘superfood’ conjures up images of a chia seed donning a mask and cape and quite possibly wearing its tiny undies on the outside.  It’s a favourite term among B-Grade celebrities spruiking their healthy lifestyles on TV ads, but what does ‘superfood’ really mean?

Because we are too damn old to mess with our bronze.

There is so much happening this weekend in Melbourne that you’ll have to set your alarms super-early to fit it all in! Whether it’s Melbourne Fringe Festival madness or drive-in films with food trucks, Chinese Moon Festival celebrations or a trip to Europe with the Italian Film Festival, there’s heaps of events in Melbourne this weekend. Read on for the full run-down…

Okay, so we all know that Australia isn’t exactly leading the way in many respects (looking after the environment is one, native race relations is another…). While there are some epic lessons we could learn from other countries around the world—siestas from the Spanish, sarcasm from the Brits, appropriate winter attire from the Russians—there are also some things that we, as a nation, are incredibly good at.

These days it’s so easy to catch a flight to NZ or Bali when we’re after a short holiday, but Melburnians have some pretty incredible places to explore virtually right on our doorstep.

It’s no secret that Melbourne is renowned for its excellence in hospitality. What people might not appreciate is that sometimes, we like to get a bit weird by taking on an offbeat theme or concept and really running with it. 

The toasted sandwich is the ultimate in hand-held tucker. When bread, butter and cheese come together, they create a symphony of flavour and texture that is, quite frankly, unbeatable at any time of the day or night. 

Wanting to gather your nearest and dearest for one helluva good time, but hate doing the dishes, don’t have the space and catering isn’t your thing? Great news, a stack of Melbourne’s best venues are all set up and ready to host your next celebration. Whether it’s an intimate dinner for 20 or a full-blown cocktail party for 200, we’ve got you covered with our hand-picked favourites.

First it was the Cat Café, then it was Dogapalooza. So it was only a matter of time before someone decided to do something about the rabbit-shaped hole in Melbourne’s cultural landscape.

There are a million breakfast, lunch and dinner options in this coffee-swilling metropolis of ours, but places that manage to do all three – and offer alcoholic drinks to boot – are a rare find.

So Frenchy So Chic is back to take over Werribee Park Mansion yet again in January 2016.

Opening last week, Eltham cafe Second Home is exactly that for co-owner Catherine Westwood.

Lately, Melbourne has become a hotbed of female-focussed events that are taking a feminist slant on everything from literature to politics to porn. Whether you’re a bookworm or a film fanatic, a #ladyboss or just dyyyying to meet other members of Melbourne’s ever-growing girl gang, here are the best events to check out for your feminist fix. Girl power FTW.

Got a job that needs doing? Ask a busy man. And you won’t find many busier than Melbourne chef Shane Delia.

It’s finally safe to say that spring is on its way, and every whiff of freshly cut grass carries us closer to the jewel in Melbourne’s floral crown: the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

When I spoke to the good folk at KFit about writing this article, I put out a full disclaimer: I’m not the sporty type. I wish I was. I wish I was trendy and fit and had matching gym outfits and thoroughly enjoyed green smoothies. But I don’t. So I need all the goddamn encouragement that I can get. This is where I thought KFit might just be my lifeline as I’d be able to nab a friend and take them along for the ride.

Melbourne may be the world’s most liveable city, but it’s fair to say that we face some challenges in the weather department. While most of the country is enjoying some spring sunshine by now, Melbourne is still struggling to crack 20 degrees. 

The third season of The Bachelor Australia is all wrapped up, so now the juicy stuff can start.

From adrenaline junkies to sweet tooths and dog lovers (who isn’t?), September is steamrolling ahead and we’ve got the scoop on the city’s most exciting events.

Here at The Urban List, nothing makes us feel quite as fierce as a freshly glossed set of digits. We may skip the blow dry and neglect our pores, but a fortnightly mani is non-negotiable. For on-point finger works, here are a few of our fave nail bars, battling it out for the title of best manicure in Melbourne.  

I don’t make the rules, people. I just deliver it.

Cringe all you like but flies, cockroaches, worms and ants are all part of the edible bug market infiltrating our cities.

Ahoy, matey! International Speak Like a Pirate Day – Saturday September 19th this year – is finally here, highlighting all things pirate. Started in 1995 by two pirate enthusiasts in Oregon, USA, it’s now an unofficial holiday celebrated around the world. 

This year, the Royal Melbourne Show has upped the ante in the foodie department, with incredible offerings from Melbourne’s best chefs and producers. 

At The Urban List, we love things that make the world a better place, not just for ourselves at Melbourne HQ, but for other people around the world who mightn’t have even heard of our list-loving ways. Melbourne is a hotbed for awesome initiatives—just look at our recent article about Many Hands, an art gallery that gives to charity—and one of the trailblazers of this is Simon Griffiths, founder of water charity-supporting toilet paper Who Gives A Crap.

Bralettes have been dominating our lingerie drawers since we first realised just how damn comfy these non-wired beauties can be. 

Melbourne, what a weekend it’s going to be! Whether you’re a market fiend, an avid crafter, a firm believer in the wonders of food, or a silver-screen lover, you’ll find something up your alley this weekend in our fair city from this epic list. Phew, there are more things to do in Melbourne this weekend than I have fingers to count them on!

While every Australian with a fleeting interest in #AusPol has been walking around starry-eyed for the past two days, the good folk at Gelato Messina have been whipping up something better than a media frenzy. 

The deliciousness that is san choy bow has mysterious origins. It doesn’t have a wikipedia page, anyway.

Last month saw the grand re-opening of much-loved High Street stalwart the Northcote Social Club with a bit of a facelift, a beefed up band room and a new menu from incoming chef Martin De Korte, formerly of Yarra Valley outfit Brownkorte’s Restaurant.

For the second installment of our Close Encounters serues, we're going coastal, meeting renowned restaurateur, Danielle Gjestland of Noosa’s famed Japanese restaurant, Wasabi at her stunning Noosa home and restaurant, and her farm in Pomona.

Amidst all the fruit and veg traders of Harvest Hall at Prahran Market, Maker & Monger is doing a mean trade in #nextlevel cheese toasties and raclette, served from a sweet little French food cart. 

In what is becoming an all too familiar tale, Australia has gone to bed with one guy as Prime Minister – thanks for everything Tony Abbott – and woken up with the news that someone new – oh hey, Malcolm Turnbull – is now in the top job.

Here’s how to take this closet staple from cool to hot, any day of the week. You’ll never wonder how to wear a white shirt again.

It’s no secret that we love hot chips. Load them up with some incredible toppings and, nine times out of ten, you’ve got a culinary masterpiece that we would trek across town for. We’ve been indulging to the max on Melbourne’s best loaded fries during these last few cold weeks, and before the winter chill passes and salad weather kicks in, we plan on cramming in a few more dates with our favourite dish. So, where can you get the best loaded fries in Melbourne? Read on for our five favourites.

I don’t know about you guys, but when I have out-of-town mates come to visit, I’m always a bit stumped as to how best to entertain them. ‘Show me the sights!’ they cry. ‘All the cool places!’ they plead.

Dietitian Jamie Rose Chambers shares her top 10 superfoods: the perfect addition to your spring diet after months of hibernation and perhaps a wee bit too much comfort food. 

We took a few minutes to catch up with the beautiful Whitney Port and the equally disarming Rae Morris to chat make up secrets, handbag must-haves and learnt all about their roles with the Priceline Festival of Beauty. 

Over the past decade, we like to think our style has evolved from mini skirts, fitted Ralph Lauren knits, Juicy Couture tracksuits and wearing pink on Wednesdays, but it’s undeniable that there were some serious style lessons to be learnt from Mean Girls. Let us break them down for you…

Spring has well and truly sprung this week in Melbourne and we are digging it! We’ve got floral arranging, ballet, Italian cinema, rooftop camping and, of course, culinary delights for you to enjoy.

A healthy and delicious dessert recipe that requires no baking and mixing? We're in!

Beci Orpin is a busy woman. If the name rings any bells, it could be from a whole host of places. The Melbourne-based creative has worked with the likes of Gorman on textile print collaborations, co-runs her own homewares label, Aaro Home, designs the colourful graphics that go along with some of your favourite brands (yup, she's responsible for Taco Truck's amazing look!) and has published a library of books that are packed full of her playful illustrations.  

St Kilda bar owner Reg Ridealgh wants you to pull up a perch and “join our little circle of love and dysfunction!” And his new St Kilda venue named—you guessed it—Love&Dysfunction, sounds like just the kind of place we’d want to spend some time, melding a cosy, prohibition-style front bar and lounge with a leafy little beer garden and relaxed vibes.

Need an excuse to give up cooking this week? We’ve selected our picks of the best Melbourne restaurants who are inviting you to dine for half-price. More booking, less cooking!

The Diary of an Uber Driver blog may be a few weeks old, but it has already garnered massive attention around the world. 

Get your manicure booked because the time has come to say goodbye to those trusty ankle, biker and over-the-knee boots and say hello to the gladiator, the flatform, the espadrilles and the slide.

Calling all film buffs: The Italian Film Festival hits Melbourne this month, bringing with it some beautiful slices of Italian silver screen action. Opening on Wednesday 16th September and running at various Palace Cinemas until 11th October, you’ll find a whole host of films on show, ranging from the slapstick to the sombre. Here are our top picks of the Italian Film Festival to catch later this month. Ciao!

You just KNOW it’s going to be an awesome weekend, right folks? This weekend’s things to do in Melbourne installment includes some amazing cultural food events (South India? Mexico? Um…Smoothie-land?), heaps of creative events and all the markets you could ever wish for

Melbourne can be an expensive place, but that doesn’t mean you have to slum it. From bargain blow waves to express lunches at Melbourne’s fine dining establishments, here’s our handy guide to some of the best deals in town. This list may or may not include a $15 blow dry…

Ah, Instagram. Remember when it wasn’t a thing? Us neither. And it’s hard to deny how perfect it is as a visual platform for health and fitness inspiration. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the evolution of the #fitspo hashtag lead to legions of toned, tanned Fitstagrammers taking over our feeds. You know the type: they post great healthy meal ideas, impossibly bendy yoga pictures and sunset-themed motivational posters.

Wrestling with what you want to eat versus what you should eat is one of life’s least enjoyable activities. Sure you could commit to a green salad everyday for lunch, but as much as you pretend to enjoy your less-than-two-hundred calorie bowl of health, you know deep down the entire meal has a similar flavour profile to a tissue.  On the other end of the spectrum, fast food can leave a waft of regret and empty diet promises.

That time of year is approaching again. Whether it makes you cringe, or jump with joy, there is no escaping Spring Carnival Season in Melbourne. All the glitz and glamour can all too often be mulled by the gripping fear of finding the perfect dress, fascinator and accessories (that no one else is wearing!). We're not afraid to say that Spring Racing Season scares the bejeebers out of us because, simply, where do we start?! What can we wear, what can't we wear, which colour goes for what day?! Thankfully for the us, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week showcased a beautiful variety of key Spring Carnival looks, perfect for any level of Racing experience. Whether it’s your first time, or you’re a seasoned professional, here are the brands to watch this Spring Carnival.

Let’s be honest, Listers: 48 hours isn’t a lot of time to get underneath the surface of a city, especially one that’s as chockfull of hidden laneway restaurants and underground bars as Melbourne. If you’re looking for things to do in Melbourne and you’ve only got a weekend to spare, location is essential—you don’t want to be scrimping on your accommodation budget, then having to spend hours on the City’s tramline just to get to where the good stuff is.

Melbourne’s sausage dog race was one thing, but Dogapalooza is taking it to a whole new level with our fair city's first ever dog-friendly music festival.

If The Urban List launching in Perth last month hadn't solidified WA as the hottest state to be seen in, the arrival of Molten Store's Jessy Cameron - Brisbane girl-about-town and all-round accessories wizard - on a whirlwind long weekend sealed the deal. She opened up her travel diary so we could share the best places to eat, stay and visit for a trip way, way out West.

Every time I order breakfast, I face a first world problem. Why do I have to choose sweet or savoury, toast or muesli, fruit or bacon (erm, bacon every time!)? Well gather round fellow breakfast battlers, as a host of Melbourne’s best cafes have come to the rescue with the indecisive eater’s best friend: the breakfast board. Here are a few of our city’s finest.

If you’re anything like us, you probably weren’t one of the lucky few who were willing/able to fork out $525 for a seat at Heston Blumenthal’s famed Fat Duck restaurant when it popped up at Crown Melbourne earlier this year for a six-month residency.

Don't cry because Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is over, smile because it means Spring is here. All of the stunning pieces seen on the runway, which were making us long for warmer weather, come bearing good news—it's finally here. It seems that this year, many of the designers kept their pieces on the same page, creating a seamless runway show that fused together beautifully. If you're looking to welcome the warmer weather ahead-of-the-pack and to bare some serious skin, look no further then our #MSFW Top Trend Report. 

The smorgasbord of unbound creativity that is the Melbourne Fringe Festival runs riot across the city once more this month, unleashing a bumper program packed with over 400 shows from 15 different countries

No longer the domain of the sweet tooth, Melbourne doughnuts have had a savoury do(ugh)-over—think stuffed with brisket or pulled pork, pumped with gruyere, and glazed with bacon bits. Here’s where to get your mitts on the new wave of savoury doughnuts in Melbourne, for better or wurst.  

Wowee, Listers! Do we have a week of activities for you, or what?! Exhibitions, talks and delicious dinners, it’s the perfect week of balance.

I’m not sure if Kanye West was serious/sober when, at the MTV Video Music Awards last week, he declared himself in the running for the United States presidency in 2020. As someone funnier than me on Twitter said, he was probably just so inspired by his own speech that he decided to throw his hat in the ring. Whatever his state of mind/sobriety level was at the time, I really hope he carries through with his threat.

Melbourne, we know you’re a city full of culture-loving trend setters who never miss an opportunity to check out the latest thing. To help you find everything worth eating, seeing and doing in Melbourne, we’ve put together your ultimate September hit-list. Looking for an uptown date spot or an underground food pop-up? You’ve come to the right place. Read on and get trend-hunting…

Bordered by Collingwood, Richmond and Clifton Hill, Abbotsford is an inner-city burb on the up. Home to the iconic Skipping Girl and the artsy hub of Abbotsford Convent, there’s a lot to love about this gem of the north. Here you’ll find some of Melbourne’s best Thai and Vietnamese food, a killer boutique brewery, and the smashed avo of #foodporn fantasies. Read on, for our pick of the precinct. 

South-siders, the north end of Chapel is about to get a whole lot grungier thanks to the sweet arrival of dive bar Two Wrongs located in the old Steer site just a stones’ throw from the Olsen Hotel. Self-described delinquents and young guns Isaac Constantine and Zachary Riggs aim to redefine the dining circuit by breaking the rules for what’s considered restaurant ‘appropriate’ in Melbourne. Think high-end meets lowbrow or fine ‘diving’ in a ghetto-glam locale

They’re blonde, wide-eyed, and would probably fit in your pocket: just a few of the factors to take into consideration when trying to explain why we’ve adored the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen since they were no more than cherubic little faces popping up on our TV screens.

Jazz is having a moment here in Melbourne. With one of Melbourne’s best jazz clubs, Bennett’s Lane, having reopened last week after some impressive refurbishments and Hawthorn venue Lido Cinemas opening an evening jazz bar within its walls, it seems like everyone is loving the late-night jazz vibe. Keen to get in on the live music action? Here are the Melbourne jazz bars you should be do-wopping into right now.

All hail Nutella, the king of the choc-nut culinary world! If you’re a super-fan of this gloriously chocolatey stuff, get ready for a drool-fest next weekend as a Nutella-centric pop-up hits The Alehouse Project, Brunswick East, on Saturday 12th September. Think of it as a day festival celebrating the wonderful stuff, and you’re probably only half way there…

If you’re missing the cool, contemporary take on Thai cuisine that was Chapel Street’s sadly departed Ayatana, have no fear, husband and wife duo Tony and Oh Rungpradit have popped up again north of the river in Collingwood, offering a more relaxed take on tradition in Johnston Street’s newest addition, Son In Law.

Spoon wielders and bowl polishers, ready your Mixmasters; Brisbane’s own baking wunderblog, The Sugar Hit, has become its own book.

Playsuits really represent the epitome of spring, dontchya think? They allow you to do things like ride bikes and sit cross-legged on the floor AND look super cute at the same time. Unlike dresses, they don’t fly up to reveal your private parts when a gust of wind comes along. They also make it easier to get dressed in the morning, unlike pants and tops which need to be coordinated. So. Many. Perks.

You guys, the weekend is almost here! We couldn’t be more excited for everything that’s happening in Melbourne this weekend. From fashion pop-ups to film festivals, dining events to birthday parties, it’s looking like yet ANOTHER amazing few days of awesomeness. So, have we whet your appetite? Are you well and truly dying for things to do in Melbourne this weekend? Thank us later.

Waiter, there’s a doughnut in my milkshake!

Listers, we have your September sorted. Spring has sprung and we’re excited to be celebrating in the very best way possible—Cherry Blossom Festival is hitting town, dishing up a month of delicious Japanese food events.

We try aerial yoga in Sydney and this is what happened...

Counting down the days till it’s hot enough for you to head straight to your regular fro-yo joint to order up big? We don’t blame you! This spring, everyone’s fave snack gets even better, with a stack of new flavours and yummy toppings for you to get excited about. If you want to know the latest and greatest from all the big players in Melbourne’s fro-yo arena, get reading because we’ve got the ultimate fro-yo combos for you to dip your spoon into right now! Here are Melbourne’s best fro-yo combinations.

They say that breaking up is hard to do. To my knowledge, it’s only hard to do when you’re not surrounded by lashings of alcohol and a friendly bartender. Whether you’re the one planning to sever the ties or the one expecting to be let off the hook, where you choose to part ways is a key ingredient to break-up proceedings. From the super-luxe to the down-right dingy, here are Melbourne’s best bars for break-ups.

Along with food and drink, artistic events and live entertainment, Melbourne’s market game is rather strong. While you won’t be hard pressed to find food, fashion and design markets throughout the year we’ve picked a list of ten market highlights to kick off with this spring.

The Great Ocean Road—it’s one of the world’s great drives, and Melburnians are lucky enough to have right on their doorstep. It’s obvious to all that the views are great, and the beaches are brilliant, but knowing where to slam on the breaks and stop for a bite is a different matter.

Listers, September is here and with it comes another ten epic things to do in Melbourne this month. From cocktail dates in a jail (yes, we’re serious) to must-see gigs, disco yoga sessions (yes, again, we’re serious) to food festivals from around the world, it’s shaping up to be a month of sheer brilliance on all fronts.

You might have noticed we’re massive fans of sexy Chapel Street Japanese joint, Mr. Miyagi. Heck, we bang on about the nori taco to anyone that’ll listen. So we’re just a little excited to hear about their plans for expansion, with a new, as-yet unnamed adjoining bar set to throw open its doors this spring. 

It’s the stuff of culinary fairy tales. Take two of Melbourne’s leading eatery entrepreneurs—Maurice Manno and Dan Zeidan—the men behind the Grace Darling Hotel and Lazerpig Pizza Parlour—and one incredibly visible, vast location with a big old ‘For Lease’ sign on the side. Add a sprinkle of serendipity and —bang—Mavis the Grocer is born.

We’ve got a cracker of a week lined up for you, Listers. A gallery opening for a good cause, a walking tour, a night market and a whole lot more that you’ll want to get booking ASAP so as to not miss out.

What we and our female friends in fashion think is totally amazing, sometimes leaves our dear male companions shaking their head in confusion.

Ah, profile pictures. The window into the soul in today’s digital age, amirite? Your profile picture speaks a thousand words, so it’s vital that you pick one that’s going to speak a thousand of the right words. Not sure what your profile pic is projecting? Read on for our handy guide to today’s most common headshots…Which one are you?

A gastropub is a fairly recent invention and it can be hard to pin down exactly what one is. Not quite a bar and not quite a restaurant, a gastropub is somewhere that puts a near-equal emphasis on quality eating and drinking; somewhere that welcomes beer drinkers and wine snobs, non-fussy eaters and foodies alike.

The trends and products straight out of Seoul that you need to know about, now!

Honestly, who doesn’t love yum cha? It’s the perfect meal for those of us that can’t decide what to order—order everything! Yum cha comes in different forms, some times served via a little trolley, sometimes dumpling based, usually with tea, always delicious. We’ve wrapped up our pick of Melbourne’s best yum cha.

Whether it’s planning a road trip with your best mate or a fully fledge suit-and-tie affair, choosing the perfect spot to meet can be a nightmare. Do you want somewhere lively or quiet? Just drinks or dessert too? Whatever your intentions are, we’re sure you’ll find something to like in this list of the best Melbourne cafes for a meeting!

Fans of the ever-popular Touchwood and Barry are in for a treat with the imminent arrival of Armadale’s Mammoth cafe. Jamie and Loren McBride, the husband and wife team who so successfully nailed the hip Melbourne cafe brief in Richmond and Northcote, are at in again, this time going solo with their Armadale venture. 

Melbourne has one of the most vibrant creative scenes in the world. Whether you’re a fan of underground street art or prefer something a little more sophisticated, this city has it all. We’re also more kind-hearted than many international contenders—just talk to anyone who’s lived in London or New York and we can guarantee that they’ll agree. So, what happens when you put awesome art and an eagerness for helping others together? This brand new art collective just might have the answer.

If, like us, you’re lusting after sun-filled summer days already (we’re sooooo close!) – we hear you, and we raise you 8 of the best statement shades. Come on, sunshine!

If you’re looking for things to do in Melbourne and you’ve only got a fifty left to your name, you’ve come to the right place. We love a bargain just as much as we love a blow out here at The Urban List, so round two of this epic list contains a great mix of the thrifty and pricey options to keep your days filled.

Happy birthday, Melbourne! Yup, our glorious city turns 180 years old this weekend, and with it comes heaps of awesome events to keep you savvy Listers busy. From amazing degustations, to inspirational seminars, to chances for getting crafty, we’re blown away by this weekend’s line-up. Want to know what we’re talking about? Read on for our hit-list of things to do in Melbourne this weekend…

Can I get a hands-up for everyone else who lives south of Victoria Street, that cries themselves to sleep at night, riddled by the unshakeable misery evoked by what can only be described as one of the shittest things about living in the southside? We are way too far away from Melbourne’s best pho. Alas!

If someone had told our grandparents that we would be able to order booze to be delivered to our doorsteps via these handy beeping devices that we know as smartphones, I think they would have agreed that humanity has reached its pinnacle of advancement. Welcome to the future, Gran, because online booze delivery is back thanks to the good folk at Blackhearts and Sparrows.

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about bottled cocktails, barrel aged cocktails, and cocktails that generally involve none of the flair us booze hounds are used to seeing. From our side of the bar, there are obvious pros (you’ll never have to wait for a cocktail again!) but some dubious cons (what am I actually paying for?). 

There aren’t too many desserts that have a strong unified following like the sticky date pudding has. Just mention this bad boy and people’s eyes glaze over as they recall fond memories of sweet butterscotch sauce, lashings of ice cream and heavy spoonfuls of yummy rich pudding. While it’s not considered the most contemporary of desserts, it’s a go-to for many nostalgic Melbournians and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! We took the liberty of rounding up 7 of the best sticky date puddings in Melbourne—all offering something a little different. Check ‘em out and get sampling!

The national day to say ‘Onya, Dad!’, Father’s Day, is the mandatory spoil-Dad-day. So we’ve come up with this list of top things to do and places to eat with Dad in Melbourne, this Father’s Day.

Our crew on the west coast have some big news—cue the maracas and jump on the conga line, kids, ‘cause we’re going west—The Urban List Perth launches today!

Who doesn’t love a Melbourne meal special?! A good meal deal offers the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends, eat out, save moola, and make you feel like you have a social life mid-week. Parma or steak night, anyone?

In news that will excite of kidults of Melbourne, a serious influx of fun is on its way. If you’re sad about the departure of Glow Festival’s open-air ice rink this Sunday, dry your eyes and get excited for the FASHION BALL PIT popping up in Emporium as part of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week’s Shop The City weekend later this month. If that’s not enough to get you pumped (I repeat, BALL PIT FOR GROWN UPS), November will see an epic PAINT PARTY to usher in the arrival of spring, and December puts the cherry on top with the WORLD’S LARGEST STREET WATERSLIDE taking over Lansdowne Street. Let the games begin.

Wouldn’t Charles Henry James—one of Fairfield’s original champions of development, community and hospitality back in the late 1800s—be proud of one particularly people-friendly café that’s popped up on the Station Street radar recently? That being, CH James.

What makes something cool? That quintessential factor is something the self-proclaimed Cool Hunter, Bill Tikos, has no doubt been asked to define countless times over his past decade spent scouring the globe for "it" design, architecture and art.

Spring has almost sprung, folks, which means there’s a tonne of epic food-focused events popping up on our calendar. If you’re looking for things to do in Melbourne and you’re the night market type, then look no further. Flavour Exchange, our favourite Melbourne night market for all things food and drink, is taking place on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September, bringing together the absolute best in local producers for two nights of eating, drinking and good times.

It’s set to be a week of deep thinking and full stomachs. From dinner at a bayside wonder to a ‘yoxing’ event, we’ve narrowed down the list things to do in Melbourne, to keep you entertained this week. 

Whether your job defines you or is just something you do for to earn some sweet dollies, it does tend to give a fair bit away about what kind of person you are. Scratch the surface a little further, sniff, and even deeper truths are revealed.

Melbourne knows how to do glamour and it knows how to do beauty, so it makes sense that there are a handful of truly top-notch beauty bloggers that are helping you through your skin woes and guiding you towards the perfect smoky eye. Below our pick of the best Melbourne beauty bloggers.

Melbourne has a pretty epic music scene, there’s always a gig to catch, a festival to go to or a concert to look forward to. Here’s our list of 10 Melbourne gigs that are not to be missed, but obviously we’ve barely scratched the surface.

There is literally nothing more hilariously cute than watching a sausage dog run, amirite? I mean, they’re not exactly designed for efficiency. The only thing we can think of that’s got more cute-factor is an entire pack of Dachshunds running en masse… And that’s EXACTLY what Melbourne’s very first sausage dog race is all about!

Everyone loves a secret, and what could be more underground than a Melbourne bar that’s actually in a basement? While it may sound like a novelty, you’ll be surprised to learn that Melbourne is full of bars below street level, and not only that, they’re damn good. Whether you’re into arcade games, Tiki drinks or just like to be in the know, here are Melbourne’s most underground bars. Literally.

As an honourary Melburnian who emigrated here from a fairer (read: colder) isle, I’ve been doing everything I can to earn my rite to the title. My research has led me to do some strange things in some even stranger places. Soy flat whites? Kale juice? Yah Yah’s?! Here are 47 things to do in Melbourne that you should have to tick off before you can call yourself a Melburnian.

Ever dyed your hair or opted for some highlights over summer only to find that your ends have been completely ruined? Yeah. Me too. Being a slave to balayage for years and years seriously takes its toll on your locks.

Here at The Urban List, we’re clucken’ crazy about fried chicken, and for good reason. Juicy in the middle and crispy-coated, fried chook—when done well—is a beautiful thing. Yup, from Belle’s famous hot and saucy bird, to Mister Miyagi’s ‘MFC’, we’ve finger-licked our way across town in our never-ending quest for poultry perfection. And we think we’ve found another tasty bird in Brunswick East’s all-new fried chicken restaurant and takeaway, F.A.T. Fried & Tasty.

If you’ve ever passed Brunswick Street boozer, The Old Colonial, and wondered what the heck was going on inside, well, you’re going to LOVE what we’re about to tell you. The Fitzroy pub is in the throes of a transformation, thanks to brothers-in-law Vince Sofo and Paul Adamo, and will open next month as an EPIC five-storey eatery, with four incredible venues split across its floors.

Nude lipsticks seems to be a source of endless fascination for women. Probably because the word ‘nude’ covers a whole colour spectrum, from pink to brown to peach to purple. It’s everything and anything. It’s nothing, but it’s definitely something.

If you’ve been paying attention, Listers, you’ll know that one of our biggest stories of the year so far has been the announcement of St. Jerome’s – The Hotel, the very first camping hotel in Melbourne. Not only is the luxury hotel Melbourne’s very first tent-based pop-up, it’s also situated on the roof of CBD shopping precinct Melbourne Central, making it the only location of its kind in the city. We tried it out ourselves and seriously, this place is next-level.

If you’re looking for things to do this weekend in Melbourne, folks, you’ve clicked the right link. This weekend is all about ice skating, silver screen heroes and food from around the world. Got a spot in your diary that needs a-fillin’? Read on...

A Bloody Mary has mysterious powers. Mixed right, it can redeem all Saturday night’s mistakes and act as a magical cure for your hangover. Legend has it, it was created out of curiosity in Paris in the 1920s, when the Prohibition-era delivered lots and lots of tinned tomato juice. Another theory — with a pleasurable gruesome streak  — is that the Bloody Mary dates back to the rule of the ruthless Queen Mary I of England and that the tomato juice represents the blood spilled. Either way, this bitchin’ breakfast juice is one of the few cocktail recipes that allows the person mixing it to translate it into whatever the hell they want it to be.

We don't like to gloat but WE DA BEST. We've topped the pops as the world's most liveable city for the fifth year running, and not just cos we bribed the Russians with zonuts. We don't like to gloat (kidding, we love it!) but we'll be lording it over our Sydney sisters, Brisbane brothers and Perthworm colleagues for a few weeks at least. In no particular order, here are 10 reasons Melbourne is the best City in the world.

There’s a string of new late-night venues popping up around the city right now, with some of the best restaurants in Melbourne transforming themselves into after-hours dive bars where things can really get loose. The latest one on our radar is Thundercat, south-side restaurant Tokyo Tina’s evening incarnation. Thought they were all about bao and beers? It’s time to think again.

Today I baked my face. It didn’t involve an oven and the end result wasn’t cupcakes nor cookies, but rather a flawless photo-shoot ready complexion.

Hot chocolate is having its moment in Melbourne right now, and there’s one in particular that’s been breaking Instagram. The Hash Hot Chocolate at Hash Specialty Coffee is presented on a wooden board: a little beaker full of rich, melted MORK chocolate, sitting next to a towering cup of snow white fairy floss. Pour the choc over the floss and voilà–a cup of the smoothest, thickest, most decadent hot choccie you’ve laid lips upon. Sound sickly? After a recent visit to Hash I can vouch it’s not, with the fairy floss the perfect foil for the bitterness of 85% cocoa. Clever.

They may not quite look the part, but feel free to consider Hershy Ash and Dino Esposito your new Nonnas. The reluctantly-titled 'hospitality consultant' and ex-Da Noi chef have teamed up to introduce a little piece of Little Italy to Windsor with Abbondante.

Blame it on the ‘70s revival but the humble sheep-skin coat has taken the coat game by storm, stealing our heart in the process. Gracing the backs of some of our favourite outer-wear loving celebs, the shearling jacket is not just a statement piece; you’ll find it’s surprisingly versatile, able to be worn from day-to-night, and styled from high to low. We show you how to work the shearling jacket every day of the week.

With so many awesome Melbourne restaurants and bars at your fingertips, you’d think choosing first-date venues would be a snap! Wrong, Listers. First dates are a peculiar, precarious beast, so don’t underestimate the advantage of some thoughtful consideration.

Melbourne is blessed with an abundance of fantastic homewares stores. So much so that this city can be a little dangerous for those of with a design-eye and a penchant for browsing. We’ve spent many a weekend dragging our significant others through the best homewares stores in Melbourne, whittling down our list of favourites to just five. Clear some boot space; here are our fave 5 Melbourne homewares stores.

Yes, we admit it… We have a total girl crush on Jennifer Hawkins and we’re pretty sure we’re not alone. Pay attention people, we may be able to steal her secrets!

When it comes to weekends, we’re all about getting out the stretchy pants (or muumuu, whatever your eat-till-you-burst garment of choice may be) and hitting up an epic day of food, wine and awesome company. And where better to indulge than at Melbourne’s very own Federation Square, which hosts the VIC100 Wine Awards, complete with matched cheeses and one of Melbourne’s best pop-up restaurants, in a couple of weeks’ time?

There’s a stack load of cool stuff happening in Melbourne this week, as always it was tough whittling it down to a list of five. Kick off your week with a dessert degustation and finish it with a German Haus Boat Party to have a truly epic seven days.

Gym junkies and creatures of comfort rejoice, leggings are now completely acceptable pants, thanks to fashions latest trend…

Nothing beats kicking back and sipping on an ice-cold beer, amirite? Well, nothing, except kicking back and sipping on an ice-cold FREE beer! If you’ve read the headline, you’ll already know that we’re giving away an entire year’s worth of the tasty stuff to one lucky reader, thanks to Peroni. Sounds almost too good to be true? Here’s how that year’s supply of beer can be yours.

What is it about the witching hour that sets our restless thumbs a-twitching? We send myriad texts when we’re drunk. Stuff like ‘where are you?’, ‘I’ll see you at Fridays’, ‘my phone’s about to die’ etc. But let’s just establish that sending a text while you're drunk is VERY DIFFERENT from sending a Drunk Text. Drunk Texting requires the revelation of your darkest subconscious with awkward and debilitating results.

Etsy is a funny game. One day, you spend hours and hours trawling its digital shopping aisles, never a gem to be found, and then the next, you land upon a shop that makes you squeal with excitement in a matter of minutes. To help you navigate the craft mecca’s ups and downs (and avoid regretsy…), we’ve rounded up a hit list of the eleven best Etsy stores that call Melbourne home. You’re a crafty lot out there, folks!