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I’m calling it: wine’s glory days are over. If you’re looking for a tipple to wash down a good meal, craft beer is the way to go. These days young Australians, men and women alike, have developed an affection for this ancient nectar, fuelled by the emergence of a thriving craft beer industry. An equally boisterous appreciation for great food has meant that pairing craft beers to your dish is now a respected pastime, with aficionados taking great pleasure in matching their meals with complementary beers. In that spirit, we’ve even suggested a beer from the James Squire range to go with some of the best dishes in town, as well as highlighting  some beer and food pairings that work just as well in the comfort of your own home.

http://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/search/eyJyZXN1bHRfcGFnZSI6Ilwvc3lkbmV5XC9zZWFyY2giLCJrZXl3b3JkcyI6Imx1eGUiLCJkaXN0YW5jZTpmcm9tIjoiLTI3LjQyOHwxNTIuOTkwNCJ9When bread is quite literally the bread and butter of your business, you’d expect nothing less than the owner to know their way around a satisfying brunch on a Saturday morning. This is most definitely  the case for Jono Harvey, the creative brains behind one of Sydney’s most successful café and bakery chains, Luxe.

They say that good things come to those who wait. The day we dropped by Ebenezer Coffee and Wine Bar—the much-lauded Black Rock day-to-night eatery—we’d been waiting in traffic for almost an hour trying to get through the CBD (roadworks along the entirety of Flinders Street…really, Melbourne?!). By the time we got to the bayside venue that’s been on everyone’s lips, it was going to take a LOT to turn our road rage-weary frown upside down. With the promise of mouth-watering boutique wines, incredible local produce and the best terrine in town, our hopes were high.

You guys, it’s almost the weekend! When Friday fever hits The Urban List HQ, we love nothing more than hitting up a venue that serves tasty food, epic drinks, and a playlist of guilty pleasures. Here are 8 of the best bars in Melbourne where you can find food, drinks and a dancefloor. Now bring on the weekend!

As much as we love hitting up the latest Flinders Lane opening or dropping by the southside’s new, trendy yoga studio, sometimes we just gotta get outa town, know what I mean, Listers? Nothing beats a day spent trekking around the hills in the Dandenong Ranges, or relaxing in countryside style at a Daylesford day spa. Looking for your next day-long getaway? Read on for our six favourite out-of-town escapes that you can get to and from in a day.

Flat, lifeless hair is literally the worst. Hours upon hours upon yet more hours have been spent by every one of us attempting to tszuj our hair for voluminous waves a la every celeb ever, only for it to fall flat ten seconds later. Nightmare.

You guys, July is almost over! We’re cramming some awesome events into the last week or two of the month—expect cycling (well, watching Le Tour de France), crafting (…or buying stuff that other people have crafted if you’re as creatively challenged as me), and a whole lot of tasty food and drinks events. Here’s our pick of things to do in Melbourne this weekend!

Listers, if you’ve been loathing this winter weather as much as we have, you’re on the look out for the perfect dish to help you defrost, and will be stoked to hear about our favourite Melbourne mussel nights. Soups have been getting a bit boring, but winter nights need not be so dull with glorious mussels (king of the shellfish?!). We’ve wrapped up top mussel nights in Melbourne—grab your spoon and go.

If you live in Melbourne and you use The Internets, chances are you’re familiar with design maven, TDF Open House visionary, and all round legendary gal, Lucy Feagins, creator of Australia’s most popular design blog, The Design Files. (Helllooo lady crush).

Uber, literally EVERY one of your awesome collaborations makes us want to take a ride around the city, even if we don’t need to go anywhere! The company’s latest on-the-go treat is all thanks to Gelato Messina, who have developed a mouth-watering UberX Scoop flavour which will be given out to new Uber users in Melbourne and the surrounding area this Friday, so long as they use the promo code ‘ICECREAMOZ’ and select the ‘ice-cream’ option when booking a ride.

Getting my nails done straight up intimidates me. From the under-the-breath tuts from the technician at the state of my cuticles, to choosing the right colour for my pasty fingers before immediately regretting it, I wonder how this could possibly be an enjoyable past time? But, as a hard-hitting journalist with a Friday morning free, I bravely put my hand up to be the guinea pig for a stiletto nail road test. TBH, I was curious—stiletto nails look hella’ cool on RiRi, maybe I’d be a natural…

Allergy-friendly food just got a whole lot easier to find now that specialty food producer Foddies is opening a new Melbourne cafe! Yep, in just a few short weeks, Albert Park will play host to the delicious low FODMAP food cafe, offering scrumptious meals to those with food allergies and intolerances—and we couldn’t be happier!

Lights in the Attic cafe—a blink-and-you’ll-barrel-past-it ground floor dwelling in the bend of Camberwell Road—throws monumental shade on its local cafe contemporaries. The Hawthorn East cafe boasts internationally trained cooks, a reinvention of your mainstream breakfast menu, and an expansive, floodlit space to while away your morning.

It seems kinda unfair to the rest of Melbourne that one little suburb should boast the lion’s share of epic cafes. It’s home to some of the best coffee goin’ round, breakfasts that’ll bring a tear to your bacon-loving eye, and fitouts to flip out over. So which ‘burb are we banging on about? Sorry Fitzroy, not today. Today, we're looking at South Melbourne. More specifically, we’re counting down our Fave 5 South Melbourne Cafes—the must-visits if you’re brunching in the area.  

With a proliferation of fresh places offering pizza in Melbourne—from peppy take away joints to legit Italiano ristorantes—perhaps it’s time for the humble crust to return to the spotlight? Here are 8 new Melbourne pizza makers you’ll want to dish out your next cheesy dough fix.

Gather round Listers—today we're launching an awesome-sauce new piece of beauty content we think you’ll love as much as we do. 2 Minute Face will give you a monthly squiz into the bathrooms and cosmetic bags of our favourite beauties (real life ladybosses, not just pretty faces), and spill their hottest tips for on-the-go awesomeness. Ain’t nobody got an hour in the morning to phaff about, so the focus here is on the fast-track to great-face.

Hair obsessives, it-girls and those too lazy or busy to commit to regular salon appointments and hours spent styling every morning, listen up!

There are some cracking things to do in Melbourne this week, Listers, ranging from the cultured (check out Thursday), to the cooking-focused. Read on for five awesome dates that you should definitely get in your diary…

When winter hits in Melbourne you know it’s time to retreat to your favourite cosy corner in one of Melbourne’s many delightful cafes. Some may provide you with a fireplace to sidle up to, others are offering blankets to beat the chill, and some coffee shops are just so darn adorable that your tempted to take up permanent residency. Here is a list of the most inviting and cosy cafes in Melbourne for you to while away the hours, BYO good book.

Whether it’s spicy jerk-rubbed chicken, rich and creamy goat curry, or the most delicious rum cocktails we’ve ever sipped from a freshly cut coconut, Melbourne’s food scene is booming with an influx of Caribbean flavours. Hot on the heels of the Mexican and American BBQ takeover we’ve been loving lately, could this be Melbourne’s next food trend? Here’s the tastiest names you should be dropping, including Melbourne’s best Jamaican food, rum bars and all-round Caribbean winners.

Ever reminisce on life before Google? Every car had a refidex, and disputes over celebrity birthdays would rage on for months. Since its conception and rise to prominence as a distillery of all human knowledge, Google has infiltrated our lives and earned our absolute trust to the point where we will ask it anything (ANYTHING). If you’re not afraid of a little harsh insight into your twisted whims, go to your web history, find the last thing you Googled, then scroll to see what it really says about you.

The Starman has landed. Blockbusting exhibition David Bowie Is… falls to earth, touching down in Melbourne’s Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI). Packed with over 300 objects plundered from his extensive archive, the exhibition, originally hosted by London’s V&A museum, brings with it a cornucopia of the chameleon-like star’s most distinctive fashion statements.

This week the Carlton Club is opening up six rooms for contestants to create their own bars as part of their annual Bar Dream competition. We visited each Bar Dream bar and spoke to their creators about their inspiration behind their work—some of the ideas must be seen to be believed.

There’s something about Stray Neighbour. The diverse elements of the new Preston restaurant fit together snugly like an easy-to-master puzzle. Inside an old panel beater’s workshop, there’s a bar, a sit down diner, a pool table surrounded by booths, and a beer garden which somehow all sit seamlessly alongside one another.

Like any die-hard fan, we’re always searching for that hidden gem, that yet-to-be-discovered moment of brunch bliss, the one breakfast to rule them all, some might say. And, Listers, we reckon we’ve found it in St Kilda.

A blow dry is a blow dry, we hear you say. WRONG! My friend, so, so wrong.  Some leave you with a stronger love affair with your hair than others. The volume, the wave, the curl, the oomph from the roots… it’s an exact science, mastered only by the very best hairdressers in Melbourne? We’ve put out the call and we’ve spoken to all our friends with rich-girl hair to bring you our go-to guide for a banging blow dry in Melbourne.

Listers, if you’re a little wary of coming off more Drescher than Delevigne, we’ve prowled the high streets to bring you our pick of Urban-List-approved leopard print. So test the wildlife waters with 8 of the Best Leopard Print Accessories and remember, it’s a neutral.  

Why I brunch where I brunch comes down to several factors—the coffee, the cheery staff, the ability to get a table after 10am on a Saturday (curse you, all you weekend earlybirds…). But lately, I’ve been selecting my cafes of choice based on how absolutely jaw-droppingly stunning they are. And perhaps you’re the same, Listers. 

From the moment Marty McFly stepped into his self-lacing Nikes and jumped onto his jet-powered hoverboard, the future seemed like a pretty appealing place. However, none of Doc Brown’s creations quite matches my excitement for what’s about to hit Melbourne, Listers. Yes, DRONE-DELIVERED BURGERS (yup, that’s a burger, delivered to you by a tiny air-borne computer-controlled drone) are a real live thing, and it’s all thanks to Monash University, Mr Burger and a high-tech aerial photography company called XM2.

Got a few hours that you’re looking to fill with some of the most awesome things Melbourne has to offer? This week, we’re all about culture (from David Bowie to local legends), craft markets (fashion, interiors, art, we’ve got it all!) and special foodie events (high tea, experimental degustations, pop-up food truck parks…). Read on for our top things to do in Melbourne this weekend.  

Everyone has a dream. Ours is to stay at any and all of these boutique hotels in Australia. For your next minibreak, why not discover some of the gems that are lying on your doorstep (or are just a short plane ride away).

Combining their industry experience, the owners of Sydney Road favourite, Two Little Pigs are opening a new haunt in the Brunswick East sector of Lygon Street. Following their Sydney Road success, John Ioannou and Terrance Farrugia are turning up the heat and the calories for a store dedicated to what is both Fried and Tasty.

Introducing our Close Encounters series—a glimpse into the lives and inspirations behind some of Australia’s leading creative influencers. For our first installment we had the pleasure of meeting the creative mind behind Iconic Australian label, Mimco, Cathryn Wills at her home in Melbourne’s Brunswick East. 

Though I hadn’t seen the original Magic Mike, I got the impression while watching the sequel that Mike’s Pony dance (maybe that should be in capital letters, actually: The Pony Dance) was some kind of transcendental moment in that first movie, and critically important in the ontogenesis of his character.

Wraps are basically the dream on-the-go food item—a combo of all your favourite ingredients, conveniently combined in one easy-to-eat parcel of deliciousness. Your mouth is watering already, amirite, Listers? Here are 7 of our absolute must-try wraps and souvas to be found in our favourite Melbourne cafes and lunch spots. Pro-tip: Keep this handy for your next lunchtime craving!

Get ready, ‘cos a brand new street-food market is opening very soon in St Kilda! Yep, on August 1st, the Southside will say hello to the very colourful, the very cool, Hank Marvin! Named after cockney rhyming slang for when someone is ‘starving’, the new Alma Park digs will make sure it caters for just that: people who want to eat!

Giddyup Mule is located in the front of the Art of Cycling building, a cycling-inspired indoor training studio for the actively inclined. It comes as no surprise then that the food and beverages on offer at the Yarraville cafe are perfect for the health conscious, offering Vitamin-packed smoothies, raw sweet treats, and breakfast classics with a conscious health twist.

If you’ve ever been to hidden Fitzroy cocktail bar The Everleigh, you’ll know that they take their cocktails seriously, which is why we are SO excited to announce the Gertrude Street crew’s latest CBD venture, Heartbreaker. Combining the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles with some damn fine hard liquor, the soon-to-open Russell Street venue sounds like juuust the slice of American retro that Melbourne needs right now

Cocktail lovers, there’s an American visitor hitting our shores next month, bringing with them some of the best cocktails in New York! That’s right, Please Don’t Tell (known by all the cool kids as PDT), the secret East Village speakeasy that’s turned out countless top-rate bartenders and won awards the world over is popping up in Fitzroy’s The Black Pearl for one weekend only this August.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a croissant, you’d know that tomorrow is Bastille Day. Oh, how we love the French, with their effortless sense of style and penchant for champagne with every meal (…isn’t that how everyone lives in France?). To celebrate all that’s good about Europe’s capital of culture, wine and cheese, we’ve rounded up our 15 favourite things the French have given the world. Looking to celebrate Bastille Day in Melbourne? You’d better start with one of these.

After such a wild and woolly weekend, you'd be forgiven for wanting to stay indoors. Well, almost. This week in Melbourne is jam-packed with fun things to do, see and, of course, eat. So get amongst it, Listers! Here are five of the best things to do in Melbourne this coming seven days. 

What a time to be alive. No longer do we have to limit our outrage to stuff that actually affects us personally, like someone putting bagged dog poo in your wheelie bin or that person at work who doesn’t sneeze properly, nowadays we can get infuriated at everything in the world courtesy of the interwebs.

What is Forrest Gump’s password? 1 Forrest 1. So says today’s letter board at the new Bancroft Brewers cafe in Elsternwick. It seems to alternate between self-proclaimed “dad jokes” and—with tongue firmly in cheek —objectifying the baristas manning the La Marzocco machine here.

To market, to market—Finders Keepers Market is back for a three-day extravaganza at the Royal Exhibition Building. As well as the usual hot design talent, there’ll be vintage sellers, bands, DJs, food trucks and a dedicated food and produce section. 

Bonjour! Your favourite French-Melbourne establishments have gone all out to help you celebrate the most French day of the year. Special menus and events to satisfy every Francophile in town have been created, and for that we say ‘Merci!’. Browse our top picks for spending this Bastille Day in Melbourne.

Well Listers, the carb-loading season is well and truly upon us. We may be one month into Melbourne’s coldest winter yet, but that’s no excuse to be cooped up at home on your days off! We’ve put together a list of the best things to do in Melbourne this winter, so peel your lovely selves out of bed and get cracking. No red noses or frostbitten toes will be involved, pinky promise.    

Whether you’re looking to leave an intoxicating trail of scent wherever you go, need to prolong the life of your blow-dry or are simply looking to refresh your luscious locks, the hair gods have heard our pleas and present us the with next-gen of beauty bag must-haves

Lads, we know how out-of-hand bucks parties can get—it’s all well and good until someone starts a fight/pashes a stripper/ends up spending a night in jail (or, worse yet, Geelong – just kidding!). In an effort to help you betrothed Listers avoid the slippery slope of King Street on a Saturday night, here are our top recommendations for Melbourne bucks parties that’ll leave you feeling refined, gentlemanly and a hell of a lot more worthy of the company of the finer sex on your big day.

Holy truck, the burger-loving duo behind Bourke Street’s Grand Trailer Park Taverna, Dani Zeini and Josh Lefers, have teamed up with Jimmy Hurlston of Jimmy’s Burgers and Easey’s, hit the high road and headed out west!

When the grand dame of cinematic celebration in Australia, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), fires up the projectors and takes over the city once more for its 64th outing, the recently added Capitol Theatre bows out as the Greater Union replacement venue, adding instead Exhibition Street’s Comedy Theatre.

The right red lipstick brightens the face, turning an average outfit into a knockout, and speaks volumes without you have to say a word. Pucker up, ‘cause we’re bringing you 8 of the best red lipsticks.

It’s time to say goodbye to overly-complicated contouring and hello to contouring’s effortlessly cooler younger sister, strobing.

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is now officially Anna Wintour approved! The Vogue Fashion Night Out (for the uninitiated, it’s basically a VIP shopping event on steroids) is coming to Melbourne for the first time. We only wonder what took them so long?!

At a loose end this weekend? Not any more, you’re not. We’ve pulled together an EPIC list of things for you, your friends and foes to do. From Friday through to Sunday, we’ve got you sorted. 

South Yarra has a new kid on the block, and as the last standing house on Wilson Street they are throwing one heck of a house party. You would be forgiven if you had to do a double take and fumbled in your pockets for the keys to a Delorean as you passed Leonards House Of Love. It’s a step back in time into “a log cabin with a ski chalet in the 1970s feel,” explains co-owner Mark Catsburg.

We’ve been duped by less-than-listworthy American BBQ in Melbourne before. Until now, that is. Listers, meet The Gem Bar and Dining Room—home of the most authentic American BBQ this side of Texas. 

A recent incident involving several thousand champagnes and a meat pie has caused me to question my lifestyle choices. My job involves eating out, like, a lot, and a typical week’s grub includes your fair share of canapés, trendy food stuffs (doughnuts, you delicious bastards), tempting office deliveries, and unexpected mid-week dranks—I know, it’s a rough gig, but somebody’s got to do it. 

If you love a good snoop around interiors that you’d usually only dream of peeking inside, then grab your diaries and get Open House Melbourne penned in them! That’s right, Melbourne’s annual festival of architecture and design (or creeping around other people’s properties, you decide…), Open House is headed our way later this month.

Here’s one for you art lovers, cultured folk and night wanderers: Nite Art is returning to Melbourne, bigger and better than ever.

You’ve jumped on the Dry July Bandwagon and you’ve dragged yourself through the first dry weekend of the month (and probably your first in a while). The rest of the month is looking pretty boring, amirite? Fear not, Listers—we’ve rounded up Melbourne’s best mocktails for you to console yourself with! Whether your whole wolf pack has committed to going booze-free for the month or you’re a lone ranger on this one, these Melbourne bars and restaurants will keep the whole gang happy.

When I first heard that Glenferrie Road, Malvern, was going to be home to a multi-level Italian restaurant, rooftop bar, art gallery and food and wine store I was a little bit like, WTF? But upon dining at Sagra, ’m totally sold on the concept. 

As we are in the thick of the colder months, the summer stubble has been outgrown and replaced by many parading the streets of Melbourne with their winter whiskers. Whether your excuse is a fashionable face-warmer, an occupational-friendly barista beard, or you’ve lost your razor, the team behind the Mid Winter Beard Fest are using the excuse to help raise funds and awareness in the fight against melanoma.

It's frosty outside, which means it’s high time to explore Melbourne’s best pubs with fireplaces—all the better to defrost and unwind. Here are our Fave 5 cosy Melbourne pubs to snuggle up in this winter. 

Listers, our beloved National Gallery of Victoria (so that’s what ‘NGV’ stands for…) has announced its summer blockbuster and it’s a biggie. This summer, Melbourne’s biggest art gallery plays host to Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, a double-whammy exhibition showcasing art by two of modern art’s most famous and controversial figures, opening this December.

We’ve all seen the photos—crowds of people covered from head to toe in powdered pigments and paints in all the colours of the rainbow. But you thought Holi only happened in India, right? Wrong. Melbourne is getting its very own festival of colours to celebrate the onset of spring. What better way to kick out those winter blues than pelting your mates with paint?!

There are loads of opportunities to jump in to Melbourne’s art scene this week with a few live music events, an epic gallery opening, and a film festival. Foodies need not despair, there’s something on the weekend for you too!

With all the wrist-buzzing reminding me to “Move! Exercise! Stand!” (and my absolute failure to do any of those things) I was starting to feel pretty crap. I was starting to hate my Apple Watch a little bit.

Listen up food truck lovers: Trailer Park at The Village will be mixing it up again in August, dedicating each weekend to a different global region. You’ll get the chance to stuff yourselves with food from North America, South and Central America, Europe and Asia.

Pick yourself up off the couch and don your finest lululemon or Lorna Jane; it’s time to kick winter’s butt and play tourist in your own city. Enter Melbourne's Capital City Trail—a 30-kilometre bike track that winds its way along the Yarra River through the inner city ‘burbs. 

In Australia we seem to have developed quite an unhealthy obsession with celebrities in recent years, and here at The Urban List we like to consider ourselves at the forefront of this disturbing movement/cult. In that spirit, we have produced this interactive quiz that will help you, our readers, to determine which Australian celebrity is your spirit animal. Once you find out who your special famous friend is, we recommend you make it your life goal to force yourself into that person’s life, until you are either besties or married. Good luck. 

Whether you’re a diehard sports fan or somebody with an aversion to footy and cricket, it’s impossible to not enjoy the Tour de France. The world’s leading bicycle race, where competitors complete 21 grueling stages equaling around 3,500 kilometers over 23 days, is watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Essentially, all you need to know is that the race leaders wear coloured jerseys, 10 Australian cyclists including dual national road champion Simon Gerrans are competing, and that the rolling French countryside will have you planning that next European holiday. Here are five spots to watch the Tour de France in Melbourne, plus our pick of French-themed venues where you can truly get into the spirit of the race. Vive la France!

Whether it’s food, fashion, books or homewares that are on your lust list, North Carlton is the perfect mix of hidden gems and established names. Simply take a wander through Rathdowne Village on a bright, sunkissed morning and you’ll be stopping every ten paces to check out this buzzing café or that tiny bookshop. Heading there at night? There’s a hive of epic wine bars and great pubs that’ll serve you some of the best vino to be found.

Bucking the pop-up trend, independent movie experience Speakeasy Cinema has found a permanent, 100-seater home in a former art gallery space in Fitzroy’s Victoria Street.

We’ve searched Melbourne’s streets for the top ten star spangled banner wielding venues celebrating the 4th of July in style. You’ll be red, white and blue with envy if you miss out. 

Everyone who knows anything about the finer things in life knows that truffles are one of the most luxurious foods out there. Whether you’re shaving them into sauces, steeping them in oil, or cooking them into canapés, truffles are THE BEST when it comes to giving a dish a touch of flavoursome class. But how do you make the most of them? How do you grow them, or train your dog to find them? What even ARE truffles anyway?!

Listers, if you think of mussels purely as a summery seafood dish, you clearly haven’t experienced Dr Morse’s epic mussel night. That’s right, Thursday nights at the iconic Abbotsford bar and restaurant are dedicated to mussels, glorious mussels—just the ticket to warm your belly this winter. 

A perfume represents you. It tells the world how you’d like to be viewed. Super cute and girly? There’s a scent for that. Think you’re pretty edgy? Your perfume should reflect this. 

To celebrate (or commiserate?) Maccas’ newly announced all-day breakfast menu, here are 10 of the best all-day breakfasts in Melbourne we’d rather be eating than Ronald’s soggy sausage McMuffin.

If you and Sunday Mornings haven’t met in a while, here are 10 ways to ease the pain of sobriety during Dry July.

This weekend, you can get your art on with Marina Abramovic, stuff your face with Polish pierogi, and scare yourself senseless at Lido Cinemas' horror classic screening. What’s that, you’re looking for live music, roast dinners, and 4th of July parties too? Read on for the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend. It’s gonna be a busy one, Listers!

We caught up with Maddy King, model, girlfriend to massive hunk Kris Smith, Pilates enthusiasts (she’s the face of KX. Read: we want her abs), and all-round healthy honey, to find out how she spends her days, how she manages to stay looking so fresh with her busy schedule—she’s a model, Nutritional and Herbal medicine student, and Netflix fan—plus workout tips for us untoned laymen, and diet advice (Gelato Messina is allowed!).

Some of winter’s best seasonal produce is available right here in Melbourne, Listers! It would be an awful shame to let it go to waste. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of 10 of the best Melbourne markets in July (it’s not all food, don’t worryyyy).

We took to the Yarra Valley, an hour outside of Melbourne’s suburbs, to discover that there’s more to the region than wineries. Yes, really. Keen to discover the hidden gems you need to know about? Check out these top finds—100% worth the trip.

While ogling exotic Insta snaps makes me wish I’d budgeted for some winter fun in the sun, NOTHING makes me more jealous than when mates who have been jet-setting return from their winter breaks fresh-faced, glowing, and looking infinitely better than my pasty self. How is it that even just a week in the sun can give you that to-die-for post-holiday glow?

To help you whittle down July's must-do’s to a manageable number, we’ve whipped up the MINI Edition, counting down our top 10 things to do in Melbourne this July! How many can you tick off?

Here are 10 things us foodies need to stop doing and saying right now.

Mulled wine—that sweet, heady mix of red wine, spices and fruit, served hot—is one of the best things about winter in Melbourne. Here are some of our favourite spots to sip the delicious drop. 

Flinders Lane, probably the tastiest street in the Melbourne CBD, just got tastier with the arrival of Woody P!

We don’t mean to alarm you, but rumour has it there’s a suburb in Sydney that is moving in on Melbourne’s vibe.

We’ve rounded up 16 of the best spots for American food in Melbourne—here’s to the good ol’ US of A.

Behold, dear Listers, our epic round up of Melbourne’s best new restaurants, cafes and bars, opened during the first six months of 2015.

The Urban List and Suntory Whisky are giving you the chance to win tickets for you and three mates to a 6-course whisky pairing dinner...

We’re heading for the heart of winter, and our cravings for rich, hearty food are growing every day. On the top of that list is a larger than life lamb shank, where the meat has been cooked for hours on end so it slides off the bone with ease. 

If we can take anything from the recent skinny jeans debacle, it’s that hopefully now fashionistas and hipsters are more aware of the dangers of fashun. But it also means we can shine a light on some of the other risks they are taking when they kit themselves out every morning. Being cool can be a death trap.

Looking for things to do in Melbourne this week? Of course you are! Get ready for a meaty, musical and, um, philosophical week in Melbourne, Listers. Diaries out, ‘cos here are our top five things to pencil in for the next few days.

Whilst others have been counting calories, we have counted out 50 MORE Epic Fat Feeds Melbourne has to offer. The stuff of Cheat Day dreams. 

Put sausages into a slow cooker with some other tasty bits and bobs (yes red wine I am looking at you, darling) and what you get is one big bowl of warm goodness that makes you feel like you have your feet on the ground. Get involved. You won’t regret it.

Just about everyone we know who’s in the ‘in’ crowd when it comes to Melbourne’s best cocktail bars has been RAVING about Japanese whisky. Whisky? What’s the big deal?! I mean, the Scottish have been making it, quite literally, for centuries. Surely there’s not much the Japanese can teach the land that gave us kilts, Braveheart, and deep fried Mars bars.

Listers, this round up of Melbourne’s best Sunday sessions is precisely the thing you need to give you that get-up-and-go on the last afternoon of the weekend. Here are our top picks for a spot of Sunday socialising…

Already thinking about lunch plans? If you’re keen to wrap your mouth around a lunchbox full of goodies by one of Melbourne’s top chefs, delivered right to your doorstep, you’d better be quick!

After a fiery burger where every bite brings a new hit of heat? Meet Australia’s hottest burger—Get That India’s The Bombay Burner, Gloves & Goggles – Krakatoa!  

Yes, boys and girls, we’ve done the hard yards to bring you a list of all things healthy when it comes to our fave middle meal. Introducing our line-up of the best healthy winter lunches in Melbourne. And if you want to throw a doughnut in for dessert, that’s totally fine too!

Dogs are fine and dandy, but when it comes to the style stakes, cats are where it’s at. Behold 8 of the best cat lady buys, miaow and forever.

Calling all pastry addicts and donut fans! Flour Market, Melbourne’s best market for baked goods and all things sweet and tasty, has announced its latest event and it’s looking like a good ‘un! 

I may have joked about the cold weather before Listers, but this is getting ridiculous. Not to worry, there are plenty of warm‘n'cosy events happening this weekend, from new foodie events to workshops, and outdoor markets to indoor films! Check out the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend! 

The rise of the in-and-out, no fussing about espresso bar means there are a crop of great standing-room-only spots to grab your Melbourne coffee fix in a flash. Here are our favourite tiny cafes and espresso bars in Melbourne.

We took two minutes to chat with Tom Davidson from Patch Cafe in Melbourne, while he whipped up the most epic sandwich ever for us.

This month, The Urban List Melbourne’s communications executive and authority on all things booze and burgers, Clare Acheson delves into her lust-list for ten things that are knocking her socks off.

From Melbourne’s best restaurants and cafes, here’s a list of 50 dishes (in no particular order) that you most definitely should have eaten in 2015 so far!

The duo behind Fitzroy's vegan hot-spot Smith & Daughters have branched out to open Smith & Deli—a Jewish-style vegan deli. Meat-free Reuben anyone?

The world loves potatoes. Whether they’re fried or steamed, simple or loaded, sweet or regular, we don’t discriminate! We’ve rounded up 12 of the best potato meals in Melbourne for your ever-lasting carby cravings.

End of financial year generally means it’s tax time—yuck. But on the brighter side for the gainfully employed, it can also mean it’s bonus time! The sensible people in your life (Oh heeeey Mum and Dad) would want you to squirrel it away in the bank somewhere, but we’ve come up with a list of far more enjoyable ways to fritter your bonus away.

At The Urban List we love supporting the little guy, so we’re letting you in our Fave 5 milk bars in Melbourne. Bring us back some Fads, wouldya?

It’s officially bloody freezing now so we’re hankering after a right tasty Sunday roast to keep us toasty on the inside. Actually, who says we need to wait to Sunday? Here are our picks of the best roasts in Melbourne.

Of all the food trucks chugging around Melbourne, the Trailer Made van has always aimed a little bit higher than your average. They've moved in more permanently with the desirable object emporium in Fitzroy that is The SuperCool. 

There’s plenty of entertainment and events for you this week, Listers! Get in to the groove of your week with a spot of mediation and wrap it up with a night at the movies. Here are five awesome things to do in Melbourne this week—get involved! 

Mad Max is and will always be an Australian institution and for decades the Mad Max franchise, with its violent and unrelenting disposition, has been cited as the unlikely source of inspiration for designers, all revelling on its dusty, leathery, post-apocalyptic panache as a glossy yet rough alternative to steampunk. 

Humankind has been getting hammered ever since the Incas discovered that drinking fermented fruit juice made for a much more enjoyable death than disembowelment. Over time humans built up a resistance to the fermentation, but still the hangover remains. 

I love dogs. I love their tiny dog faces and their cute dog paws and their shiny, wet dog noses. So, without further ado, here’s Melbourne’s best brunch venues where you’ll find other people and their very pat-able, all-too-cute dogs.

Whether you’re a vegemite and vino kinda person, or a butter, sugar and Baileys hot chocolate fan, at Myrtles Crepes and Coffee in Northcote, you’re in for a treat.

Friday? More like Fri-YAY! We’ve found the perfect place to kick off your weekend’s indulgences…

To help get you through the colder months, we’ve rounded up four of the best winter wellness trends—from those that’ll warm your bones to those that’ll help keep your mind happy—that you absolutely need to check out this oh-so-cold season.

Australians have a pretty sweet deal, in general, but that doesn’t stop us complaining about pretty much everything. Here are 15 reasons why living in one of the world’s most prosperous nations isn’t all toast and vegemite. 

It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t addicted to under-eye concealer. Hungover? Need it. Tired. Gotta have it. Bags the size of Brazil? Get it on my face. Here are 8 of the best under-eye concealers.

Some of Melbourne’s best foodie events are happening right now, Listers, so get your insatiable hunger ready because you’re going to need it to eat your way through this weekend. Here are our picks for the best things to do in Melbourne over the next few days!

[Stoke] Bar + Kitchen head chef Sam Webb has a lot of respect for his upstairs colleague Ollie Gould, executive chef of Stokehouse City, but when it comes to eating out himself, he’s not really into the white linen trappings of fine dining.

These vegan and gluten free truffles have a delicious silky texture and you won’t believe they’re not made from chocolate.

If you love chocolate like we love chocolate, you’ll know that Melbourne is pretty good at the sweet stuff. We've pulled together a list of Melbourne's best chocolate desserts. Enjoy!

Meat lovers, it’s all well and good knowing about the best steak restaurant in Melbourne, or being first through the doors of the latest American BBQ grill. It’s even better to know how to cook the perfect steak yourself. But what’s really rocking our meat nerd socks right now—and setting us apart from our meat-fan mates—is tapping into the knowledge of Melbourne’s best butchers or, more specifically, the meat maestro that is Peter Bouchier.

If you’re a gin lover, and I know many of you are, get ready to sip on some tasty cocktails paired with the most exquisite food because Bombay Sapphire’s Project Botanicals pop-up is back! 

Need a reason (or ten) to get out of bed on cold wintry morning when its less than 5 degrees outside? No worries—we’ve hit the streets to track down Melbourne’s best breakfasts for winter! 

There is a puppy at the centre of Melbourne’s coolest city-fringe cafe—figuratively, not literally. “Mr Hendricks is our English staffy!” says co-founder Ryan of the “common link” he and his three siblings and fellow founders—Simon, Jonathan and Sarah—named their 18-month old eatery after.

Remember when ombre came into fashion? You couldn’t pick up a coffee without running into a friend who had just had their ends dipped. Well, beauty buffs, meet the new colouring trend Melbourne’s best hair salons are touting as this season’s must-have—tortoiseshell.

For the benefit of Melburnians’ tastebuds and for one weekend only, Little Big Sugar Salt will be home to the best American barbeque in town, paired with a few special fermented beverages, and no, we’re not talking about Kombucha.

Here are the six top reasons that back-up why taking up a yoga class and becoming a master bro-gi (yogi + bro = bro-gi) is one of the best things you’ll do this year.

Some of Melbourne’s most exciting events are kicking off this week, Listers! After your cruisey four-day week, no doubt you’ll need a pick me up (or two...or five). Here are five awesome things to do in Melbourne this week!

‘What’s wrong with all the girls in this town?’ I hear you say. ‘How is it that an ostensibly normal, non-freakish looking guy like me can’t get laid?’ Well, I’m glad you asked. We are going to address the radical notion that it is not, in fact, the girls who are the problem in this situation.

I’ll be honest with you, Listers. I think Tinder is a great way to meet people, and I know of a fair few Tinderellas who have met passable Prince Charmings thanks to the right-swipe of romance. But I also know—as I’m sure you do—heaps of people that have had dates from hell. Read on for seven Tinder dates you’re guaranteed to have if you’re swiping in Melbourne…

Hangover cures just got waaayyyy more exciting than a half eaten kebab and a Macaas drive through run, thanks to the launch of the St Kilda Burger Bar (STKBB) in the Grosvenor Hotel’s already-existing drive through bottle shop! 

All hail the margarita! This refreshingly zesty salt-rimmed cocktail is a firm favourite with The Urban List team, so much so that we’ve scoured Melbourne’s best cocktail bars and Mexican hideouts to bring you the best of the classics and the tastiest tequila tipples with a twist. Keen to find out where to get your hands on the best margaritas in Melbourne? Read on, and get ready to rack up a hefty cocktail bill!

Gin, glorious gin! We thought it’s high time that we tackled the topic of where to find this magical spirit in our fair city. Whether you muddle it with tonic, mix it with fruit, or simply sip it on its own (er, you might want to check that…), you’ll find all the gin you need at the seven best Melbourne bars for gin-lovers. Sip sip!

Recently, we’ve been discovering our newfound love of South Wharf Promenade and, more to the point, its bounty of food and drink venues. Japanese! Thai! Bavarian! Modern Australian! And all housed within a handful of incredible refitted cargo sheds that are over 130 years old, who would have thought. That’s right, people. You can keep your far-flung foraging eateries and your back-alley BBQ joints, because some of the best restaurants in Melbourne can be found right on the CBD riverbank.

From pants that look like they’re from another galaxy, to a little bit of animal print (don’t pretend you don’t love it), with yoga pants as hot as these, you’ll want to head to class just to show them off.

The infamous Flour Market has dedicated a hole day (ha!) to celebrate the donut. Because they couldn’t possibly cram all the doughy goodness of the beloved donut into their main event, they have created a sideshow and we are reaping all the benefits.

After only a four-day week we have no doubt you’ll be simply bubbling with energy this weekend Listers! You’ll certainly need it for this (unfortunately) normal-length Sat and Sunday, there’s heaps to check out so don’t miss this weekends best events.

There’s no better place to enjoy the best of what Victoria has to offer than Flavour Exchange, Melbourne’s top seasonal night market. Read on to win tickets to their four seasonal events!

So simple and yet so scrumptious, dumplings are surely one of man’s greatest inventions. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as dipping a tiny parcel of deliciousness into your sauce of choice and stuffing it in your face, amirite? We’ve rounded up the best dumplings in Melbourne from some of our favourite Chinese restaurants for all you dumpling-aholics out there. 

Pie. Pie. Pie. Is there much else better in this world than pie? Nope. Perfecting pie, or at least the consumption of pie throughout winter is what it’s all about #lifegoals. 

Over two massive days this June, Prahran Market will cater for both the hard-core truffle maniacs and occasional truffle indulgers in Melbourne. Hosting an abundance of truffle-y infused creations from some of this city’s best chefs, there’s no better way to pamper yourself this winter.

Stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW and set your alarms for tomorrow morning, Listers, because from 9am this Wednesday, you can get your hands on these life-changing Nutella-filled doughnuts, injected with a sizeable portion of everyone’s favorite choc-nut spread, right here in Melbourne’s beautiful CBD. Just look at that picture! I’ll bet you’re drooling, right?!

Perhaps World Donut Day slipped through your buttery fingers last week on the 5th of June. A jam-packed day at work where you were left to pick up the crumbs, whilst the rest of the world’s celebrations flew under your radar, leaving you no time to celebrate what is holey with your loved ones.

We stalked a few of our favourite fashion goddesses and found the perfect way to style this delicious dress every day of the week. You are most welcome. 

This super cute suburban hotspot, sitting pretty on the main street, serves up honest, unassuming brunch and delicious coffee to locals craving home-style dishes with a modern twist. 

Melbourne yoga lovers, rather than make you sort the delicious from the not so desirable, we’ve literally bent over backwards to uncover five fancy Melbourne yoga gems. So pop on your lululemons, roll up your mat, and hotfoot it, Listers! 

There are plenty of foodie goodies to keep you nice and cosy in Melbourne this week, Listers! Some of the best events of the season are coming up, and since you’re scot-free this Monday we expect you to tick off every single one. Here are five awesome things to do in Melbourne this week!

So here's the thing: planning that perfect, well-curated, cohesive and hard-working wardrobe that ensures you always look your best while always looking like yourself takes all too much time, and is not that easy at all.

One of our favourite dumpling hotspots in Melbourne, New Shanghai in Emporium, turns one this week! And to celebrate, New Shanghai’s awesome chefs are giving you FREE BUNS—yup, you can wrap your mouth around some of their tasty pan-fried pork buns from 11am–12pm from tomorrow until Thursday without having to part with a single dollar!

This month Eddie Tamir, owner of Elsternwick’s Classic Cinema and Belgrave’s Cameo, will open a brand new picture palace, Glenferrie Road’s Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, complete with a rooftop cinema. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Northcote is nothing more than hippies and, uh, hippies. In fact, its buzzing High Street is home to some of Melbourne’s best cafes, restaurants, independent shops and chill-out hubs. 

If we had to name one of our favourite things in life, coffee would rank pretty highly. So when we found out about next Sunday’s Coffee Fest, taking place at the Immigration Museum, we nearly jumped out of our skins with excitement (or maybe it was that fourth double shot…).

One can now enjoy sipping away from one hand and backhanding down the line with the other. Join us as we explore Melbourne’s best bars with ping pong tables.

After a massive seven years of negotiations, legal waffle and glimmers of hope, the beautiful Astor cinema is set to open its doors again as of next week. Hurrah!

Whether you favour yours sleek, ladylike, sporty, or with look-at-my-bells-and-whistles, there’s a watch out there with your name on it, even if you don’t go by Marc or Michael. Here are 8 of the best watches we’ve clocked.

Walking around the morning of Melbourne’s Queen’s Birthday public holiday, you’ll spot a few too many grouchy headaches and red-tinged, sleep deprived eyes. There’s no better time or place to grab yourself a coffee or well-deserved breakfast with our list of some of Melbourne’s best cafes open in Melbourne this Queen’s Birthday Monday.

Hello winter, how I haven’t missed you. Luckily, Victoria’s only winter public holiday is early in the chilly season, this Monday in fact! Shake off the winter-blues with our guide to the top things to do in Melbourne this Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Thanks to The Dairy Kitchen, one lucky Urban List reader has the chance to win the ultimate gourmet cheese hamper worth $200!

It’s here, Listers. Zero more sleeps to go before the much-anticipated Winter Night Market at Queen Vic opens with a big bang (and an even bigger crowd judging by last year’s attendance record)!

Meet the hoppy hour—Melbourne’s best happy hours for beer drinkers that feature brews you actually WANT to sip on. Time to get thirsty!

Offering a range of luxury wellness experiences, South Yarra's Studio PP is one of Melbourne's best exercise studios. 

Emojis, as they say, are windows to the soul. A single digital image of some bunny ears, for example, is able to convey more than a novel or an epic poem ever could. The predilection to certain symbols also reveals an awful lot about the person who sends them. We reveal what your emoji spirit animal says about your personality. 

They say the third born child is the most free-spirited, fun loving and outgoing, and in my opinion that’s certainly the case with Windsor’s Tokyo Tina. From the trio behind Hanoi Hannah and Saigon Sally—here's our verdict on the modern Japanese restaurant.

I know it looks like all we do here at The Urban List is float around Melbourne, eating burgers and quaffing espresso martinis, but the truth of the matter is that we all work pretty hard. So we're big fans of Sunlighten, the only steam-free sauna in the city, and the best sauna in Melbourne to book in for some body-warming me-time.

It is generally accepted that men suffer far greater body image pressure than women. Thankfully the body-positive phenomenon of dad bod has emerged in the last few weeks. Why is it a phenomenon? Because the internet said so.

Listers, it takes a LOT to get us excited about leaving the house in winter, but if there’s anything that’ll do it, it’s food. Meet Flavour Exchange—Melbourne’s tastiest foodie event that brings together the best producers in Victoria for two nights of CBD deliciousness this June.

We know it’s pretty tempting to get your hibernation on this winter, but it just won’t do, Listers! Welcome to the June MINI Edition, counting down the top 10 things to do in Melbourne this month. You’re welcome.

As per usual, there’s plenty to do in Melbourne this week, Listers! From shopping to eating, eating and more eating, here are the best events in our city. 

Take our totally reliable quiz to find out where you should really be living. One-way ticket not included. 

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors! After all, there’s nothing that will get the blood pumping like shopping (even if it’s for groceries), and this June there are some fabulous events you simply cannot miss. So we’ve put together a list of Melbourne’s best markets this winter just for you!

Beer gardens. They’re strictly for summer, right? Heck no! Here are Melbourne’s best beer gardens for winter drinks, complete with heaters, awesome food menus, perfect pints and more.

It’s with much excitement that we’ve found a fresh newcomer to Melbourne’s active-wear scene to share with you—Talbot Avenue, the ultimate hybrid of lifestyle and fitness apparel.  

When hunting for the best dumplings in Melbourne, we often find ourselves surrounded by chaos in China Town. Bring on Melbourne’s newest dumpling oasis, New Shanghai—a paradise filled with all of our Chinese foodie desires!

Whether you’re chasing a pared-back pair or look-at-my-feet kicks that steal the limelight (we call them attention sneakers), there’s a pair to see you through any style situation. Hi-Tops, trainers, fringed or embellished, here are eight of the best sneakers.

From foodie events to fashion sales, fun with florals and funky tunes, there’s a bunch of amazing things to do in Melbourne over the next few days, Listers. Add to your iCal and go.

From the purveyors of fine drinks, good times and bocce, the team behind Mr Wow’s Emporium is set to expand its horizons with its new venture, Pixel Alley, opening this Friday.

Whether it’s an ice cream sandwich, the perfect taco, or a plateful of BBQ meat that melts in your mouth, meet the Melbourne food truck elite.

Macaroni and cheese—is there more drool-worthy a combination?! Maybe it’s just me, but with the slew of epic American style restaurants and awesome foodie hybrids on menus right now, it certainly feels like mac’n’cheese dishes are in their prime.

Each month one member of The Urban List team will be sharing their current obsessions, and—shock—not all of it’s edible! This month, Urban List Content Director, Kim Barnard shares her new favourite everythings: from the best burger, to her new Apple watch, here’s what on her radar.

We catch up with the gorgeous Sarah Todd (of Masterchef fame) for a quick chat as she whips through the her best waffles recipe.

If you’ve spent the recent cold spell crying out for take-away so that you can eat it from the comfort of your doona, hey, join the club! To help you dine from the comfort of your sofa during the colder months but avoid packing on those winter pounds, we’ve put together this awesome healthy hit-list of healthy takeaway options.

Listers, if you love tucking into a juicy, cheese-covered (usually), relish-drenched (ALWAYS) slice of meat crammed between two glossy brioche buns, then this is the one that you’ve been waiting for. These are the five absolute best burgers in Melbourne for your meat fix.

If you have a hankering for affordable and flavoursome Moroccan street food, head to Brunswick Street’s latest hole-in-the-wall eatery, B’Stilla Cantina. Brought to you by Jason Jones, the mastermind behind Mamasita and of course B’Stilla in South Yarra, at B’Stilla Cantina it’s all about the cheap and cheerful.

At The Urban List HQ, we’re practically experts in the 3pm treat—we love nothing more than indulging in something sweet and tasty, usually with a cuppa (or our fourteenth coffee of the day…). What are we chomping on? Here are 10 of the best 3pm treats you can find in Melbourne.

You’ll be pleased to hear this week is all about eating, eating and more eating! Some of Melbourne’s best annual events will combine charity dinners with fantastic meals, guests or produce so you can dine (aka stuff yourself silly) guilt-free in the upcoming week! Keep an eye out for new openings too, we’ve heard it’ll be quite a challenge to visit them all (but we’re sure gonna try!). 

Flares, boyfriend, drop crotch, Mom jeans, Dad jeans, skinnies. Truth of the matter is: whatever kind of jeans you’re currently sporting, chances are your butt looks like a sack of potatoes of undisclosed shape and size.

Everyone knows the cure to cold weather (not literally) is a hearty, juicy roast. But one can’t always be bothered slaving in the kitchen for hours. We’ve rounded up the best roast events happening around Melbourne this June, as part of MFWF’s annual Roast Collection. 

If you’re anything like myself, the word truffle evokes a confusing mix of emotions...luckily there's an exclusive, secret truffle dinner in Melbourne next month.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already aware of the amazing epicness that is frank, the Melbourne-based skincare brand that makes the greatest coffee body scrub we’ve ever polished our precious skin with. Well, we’ve got exciting news, beauty babes! As of June 1st, frank is launching its first ever facial skincare range to suit your every caffeinated beauty need.

For over a year now, Patch cafe in Richmond has been one of Melbourne’s best cafes for guilt free indulgences. How they’re able to produce so many delicious options that are actually good for us, we’ll never know… But we are more than happy to leave it to the professionals.

Listers, we know that times can be tough. We’ve all had that week where all we’ve got to our name is a bunch of overdrawn Mykis, incomplete coffee loyalty cards, and a single crumpled twenty. So, when you’re next in that sitch, here are 20 things to do in Melbourne that are worth breaking that last note on. #struglife

Add some black ankle boots and a leather jacket for a bit of city cool, or heels and a bright clutch for Friday night draanks—you can go either way with an LBD and that’s why we love them so. Here are eight of our faves right now…

Good Beer Week, one of Melbourne’s best festivals (in our humble opinion), is closing this Sunday. So Listers, your weekend had better be jam-packed with beer, post-beer and pre-beer events! If this list of things to do in Melbourne is anything to go by, you’ll have no problemo filling your diary this weekend. 

Get those credit cards ready for a workout because Vogue Online Shopping Night is back!

After three years working his magic at the Spring Street Grocer, Anthony Femia is about to strike out on his own with Maker & Monger, a collaboration with an as-yet top secret Melbourne artisanal cheesemaker.

Dry patches! Dull hair! Neon spray tans! They’re all common winter beauty mishaps that can be solved with a few simple swaps. Read on, beauties, and you’ll be wowing your way through winter.

The Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular is a three-day celebration for all things beer, which brings together over 120 breweries from around the world in Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. Yup, there’s going to be more than THREE HUNDRED different beers to sip on. You’d better be thirsty!

Listers, when it comes to coffee, we’re pretty serious about what goes into our cuppa. And if we had to choose one Melbourne coffee roaster to serve our caffeinated needs for the rest of time, we would have to pick Fitzroy cafe and boutique roastery Industry Beans.

Growing up, the importance of looking after my skin was something my mother attempted to drill into me. “Don’t waste your money on clothes,” she said. “Invest in your skin instead!” In typical fashion, I didn’t listen and grew up regretting not following my mother’s sage advice. Now, when Melbourne’s best facialists and skin experts talk, I listen.

Former Attica assistant manager Michael Bascetta and chef Vicky Symington loved their fine dining gig in arguably one of Melbourne’s best restaurants, but there was one element missing for the pair: they wanted to connect with the locals, one-on-one. 

No matter what your connection to the written word might be, the Emerging Writers’ Festival has a little something for everyone. Here are our top picks of what to catch at the annual event, which starts later this month.

Sorry for being the grinch of the situation, but as pretty much half of the population in Game of Thrones has been warning us all along, Winter is coming. Well, perhaps not so much in Queensland due to the current weather identity crisis, but when Winter does come, one better be prepared.

There are plenty of stellar events happening this week, which deserve your attention, Listers! Some of Melbourne’s best and biggest occasions are on for one day only, and in true Melburnian spirit we have no doubt you’ll be racing around to attend them all.

As we know, men are less adaptable to change than women and can’t concentrate on as many things as once. Consequently, while dozens of lady-trends can exist at the same time, with all of them evolving rapidly, a man-trend will slowly emerge as a thing, gradually take hold as blokes wrap their heads around it, then hang around for a good while. 

Want to learn where to get a sharp shave in the CBD, or track down the best men’s fashion in Melbourne? Then you’ll love these man-spirational must-do’s that are coming up. Read on…

You generally choose your own pet so the when you see people walking around with a particular breed of dog, it is quite easy to make snap judgements about them which are completely true. Some folk buy docile, friendly dogs, others decide they want to live with hyperactive mini-tornadoes. Likewise there are those who think a cute and cuddly pup suits their image, while other people want something that makes them look badass. Here’s a list of 21 of the most popular dog breeds in Australia, and what they say about their owners. 

Men of Melbourne (well, those that read The Urban List), we know you’re a stylish bunch, which is why we’re practically leaping out of our loafers to tell you about The Festival of Steve, a day-long celebration of Melbourne’s best men’s fashion, accessories, style advice and more, which takes place at The Kelvin Club later this month.

Here are 8 of the best cosy knits to rock as the mercury drops—best worn while sipping on a hot chocolate.

Get excited, Listers! The best Good Beer Week event involves bottomless beer PLUS an epic four-course feast—WIN!

When it comes to de-stressing, unwinding and really pampering ourselves, it can be tricky to know where to start—there are just sooo many treatments out there, with so many claims to fame! At The Urban List, we’re lucky enough to have tried out most of them, from acupuncture, to aromatherapy, to that trusty end-of-day glass of wine on the sofa (works every time…). So, without further ado, here are the top three relaxation treatments in Melbourne that you absolutely need in your life.

Events this weekend make up a truly Melburnian mix-and-match scene. From music to food, parties to books, there’s plenty on this list to keep you busy and warm, Listers. Check out some of the top things to do in Melbourne this weekend!

From an ostrich wearing pearls, to a pig with a top hat, Melbourne’s bars, pubs and wiener shops all have a creature near and dear to their heart that has become nearly as famous as the establishment itself. Here’s cheers to Melbourne’s most loved mascots; if only they could talk, oh the stories they would tell…

Whether you’re planning a staycation, have visitors in town for a night, or are here on holiday yourself, here are six of Melbourne’s best day tours to make sure you discover the best of what our beautiful city has to offer.

Before you ask how you tell the difference between an iced coffee, a spritz, a pour over and a cold drip, read on, because we’ve scoured the streets and talked to the pros to bring you an incredible guide to Melbourne best cold coffees. 

It’s no secret that we have a complete and utter love for denim; our heart beats true for that indigo hue. However, we’ve parked our ol’ faithfuls in lieu of fresh white jeans, which you best darn believe can be worn each and every day of the week.

Gimme food trucks and gimme them now, people! That’s right, Melbourne food truck emperors The Food Truck Park are popping up in Richmond from TOMORROW until the end of May, where they’ll be serving up some delicious street food, thanks to Melbourne’s best food trucks.

Gluten-free, paleo and clean eaters may want to look away now (as should 5:2 eaters if you happened to click through to here on your fast day). Pronounced bib-loh, Bibelot is a brand new dessert parlour and high tea salon from the evil geniuses behind Chez Dré.

Let’s be honest, Listers: Melbourne does a lot of things really well, but one that often gets overlooked in a sea of VB tinnies and imported long-necks is the local craft beer scene, which is BOOMING.

Because, you know, it hasn’t been frantically talked about by everyone on the face of the Internet already. Inspired by how China has fuelled the fashionable imagination for centuries, and thus inspiring a permutation of this idea via models, celebrities and designers (not all of whom took the theme to heart), the 2015 Gala went by as fast as it came, and by Monday night it was already a wrap as far as social media was concerned. Taking the time to properly scroll, dissect and digest, here’s a few things we took from the 69th Edition of the Met Ball.

This week is all about keeping the warm in and the cold out Listers. We’ve rounded up some of the best events in Melbourne you simply can’t afford to miss, rain or shine (more likely rain). Here’s our round up of top things to do in Melbourne this week!

While a certain southside cinema may be on the bench right now, The Astor, on the corner of Carlton’s iconic Lygon Street and Elgin, has reopened after a short gap following the departure of tennant, legendary Carlton premiership player Peter “Percy” Jones.

Abbotsford’s Lulie St Tavern is teaming up with Cluster Trucks to bring you oh-so conveniently located food trucks for the rest of May and all through June. It’s going to be a partaay. And a cheap one at that!

Listers, let’s talk cognac. I’m guessing if you’re reading this—it being a dummies guide and all—you are just as confused as I was when I started delving deeper into a drink that, for a long time, I assumed was pronounced ‘cog-knack’. (Protip: It’s not. Because nobody would drink ANYTHING that sounds that un-sexy.)

If the Caribbean delights of jerk chicken and rum punch sound like something you can get down with, head to Franklin Street tonight for the opening of Port of Call Saloon Bar & Grill.

Mum. The woman we owe so damn much too. And nothing ever seems enough for the woman we vomited on and pooped on, and then whose shoulders we cried on and as we get older the one we consider our best and closest friend. But you know what helps? Butter. Love, and lots of butter. All housed in the form of these delightful French pastries—the financier. A pastry cooked in the banking district in Paris for—yep, you guessed it—financial types. It is a simple almond cake, leavened by egg whites, moistened with nutty browned butter and baked into a small mould. But such simplicity is deceiving: this baked delight is exquisitely refined. It is springy, sweet and nutty with an exterior that's as crisp as an eggshell and the perfect fodder from mum this Mother’s Day.

Whether it’s all studs and hardware or soft and slouchy, a good leather jacket is a classic for a new breed of woman. Here are 8 of the best.

From last minute Mother’s Day shopping and feasting, to closing nights, exhibitions and pop-up shops and eats galore, you’ll be running flat out to get through this ultimate list of Melbourne weekend events. 

Adam Wilkinson, formerly of Armadale’s Woodstock and Prahran’s Greville Street highlight St Edmonds, will soon open the cheekily named Denis the Menace, a new cafe in Cremorne.

Listers, it may shock you and rock you, but we’ve recently discovered there’s more to brunch than avo on toast, and it can be found on the amazing Sri Lankan fusion menu at Fitzroy cafe, Pavlov’s Duck! 

Depending on what state they’re in, the two little (or, errrr, not so little) features perched above your eyes have the ability to make you look shocked, tired, grumpy or, worst case scenario, OLDER.

Listers, I’ve been staring at a blank screen for a few minutes trying to pen this first sentence in a way that does the subject matter justice, and I just. Can’t Do it. BACON. How the hell can I sum up bacon with mere words? To me, dear reader, bacon is comparable to a religious experience. All hail the church of bacon!

Here at The Urban List, we’ve always been a bit perplexed by the lack of good cafe options in leafy East Melbourne, especially considering it sits right on the edge of the city and is chock full of gorgeous buildings. Thankfully a trio of top dudes with links to some of Melbourne’s best cafes—Northcote’s Barry and both Pillar of Salt and Touchwood in Richmond—are about to sort that out...