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You couldn’t pick a more Melbourne spot. The southern end of Smith St, just near the Gertrude St intersection, with the sun shining, coffee brewing, and the 86 groaning as it heaves round the corner. That’s the home of Collingwood’s newest Nepalese-themed brunch bar, Proud Sprout.

Burgers and cocktails for lunch? It’s par for the course at Hightail, the CBD’s latest uber-cool concept bar.

We haven’t been this excited about a new launch in years. Dessert queen Christy Tania’s boutique ice-creamery is open for business, and the child inside us is weeping hysterically.

Now that we’re all grown up (for the most part), we’re all looking for ways to workout that aren’t necessarily traditional, aka boring or difficult. Cue Bounce Inc. It’s like the creators of Bounce were listening to our thoughts and answered our prayers, because if you’re looking for a way to get that heart rate up without having to buy a gym membership, continue reading.

There’s something vaguely spacey about Light Years, the new Camberwell caff from Simon Ward, owner of Fitzroy’s (dearly departed) Hammer & Tong. It might be the way the morning light blasts in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, like the arrival scene from Spielberg’s Close Encounters. It might be the interior styling: a Southside mash of brushed concrete and ovoid golden curves, arcing through the ceiling like some ancient solar map.

Foodies who hate fitness: this is one workout you’re actually going to enjoy. S3 has recently opened a stunning basement studio in the heart of Melbourne, specialising in low-impact, high-energy barre classes.

It feels like Melbourne’s Indian scene is getting a high-concept shake up. Out with the Butter Chicken, in with the crispy skinned salmon, confit tomatoes and mustard-infused coconut sauce. It’s probably long overdue. Don’t get us wrong—there’ll always be times that call for a plate-sized garlic naan—but it’s cool to see chefs pushing the curry envelope a little.

For vino-lovers Jeremy and Suzy Honisett, a good bottle of plonk shouldn’t be a question of money.

If you haven’t heard of The Food Repository, prepare to have your world rocked very gently. It’s a small-batch food market, created by owner-operator Joni Marcelis, and it’s just opened its first bricks and mortar store in Fitzroy.

There is no platform 7 at Glen Waverley station, which lends Platform 7 (Glen Waverley’s newest brunch bar, just across the street) a nice ‘Platform 9 and 3/4’ type vibe.

Want to save money off your final bill at Supernormal Canteen? Feast your eyes on Urban Feast, the ultimate card for foodies. For just $100 you'll get $500 worth of value and will see you heading to some of the finest eating establishments in town. Find out more about Urban Feast here.

When the menu features a pink fairy floss-topped martini (it comes in original or vanilla), a banana espresso martini (coffee, vodka, banana foam and banana chips) and a salted caramel mocha martini complete with toasted marshmallows, you know you’re between a rock and a hard place. Better order the lot?

Every once in a while you stumble on a suburban cafe that’s just special. You can usually tell by the amount of time it takes you to text a friend something like ‘OMG we’re coming back here omnomnom’. At Buenos Dias, we were sending that text within about two minutes flat.     

Aburi sushi, if you didn’t know, is when the chef carefully crafts a delicate jewel of perfect, blushing sashimi…then blasts it with a superheated flame thrower. The blue flames sear one side of the sushi, leaving the underside raw. What you get is the best of both worlds—the oily meatiness of cooked salmon, tuna or kingfish, plus the palate-cleansing satisfaction of tender raw fish.

The humble egg. You can fry it, bake it, boil it, poach it, scramble it...throw it at houses that displease you. Few foods come so perfectly packaged for their culinary destiny, apart from, perhaps, the banana.

There are some things Melbourne will never get sick of, including overpriced homewares, sport and Jane Bunn’s relentlessly sunny demeanour. Tacos are also on that list. There seems to be no upper limit for the amount of tacos Melbourne is happy to consume in any given week. The city has taken Mexican cuisine to its fluttering heart in the same way it did Italian espresso and Greek fish and chip shops.

Dolce House is the kind of place that makes your dentist huddle under the stairs and weep. A frosted sugar temple, dedicated to the gods of all things sweet and moreish. One minute you’re cruising the sleepy backstreets of McKinnon, the next you’re sitting at a table stuffing house-made brownies and artisan gelato into our gob.

Bloody YES. This is what we’re talking about. A Peruvian charcoal chicken bar from the guys behind Pastuso and San Telmo, kitted out with empanadas, house-made chicken salt and—hold your breath—dulce de leche soft serve.

The Silverlake Social, a nod to the LA suburb that shares its name, is appropriately fitted out like a glorified West Coast American bar. Complete with a winding bar top, cosy stools, television (permanently displaying US sports) and neon lights—it's authentically American and yet somehow feels more Melbourne than most spots along Chapel Street.

A long-running bayside institution, Coffee Traders has built its rep on two things: bloody good coffee, and sincere, friendly service. The first caffeine addicts usually rock up at 6am (some even help unpack the furniture, just to get their coffee faster). On weekends, there’s a line out the door.

Newmarket Hotel was always going to be architecturally eclectic. The group behind Middle Park Hotel, Imperial Hotel and The Duke (so yes, they know what they’re doing when it comes to pubs) have revamped St Kilda’s favourite local.

Cute name, right? It’s a reference to a kid’s book: Clever Polly And The Stupid Wolf. A fable which, for Lou Chalmer and her brother Rohan, represented the battle between small, independent winemakers and the huge chain brands that squeeze them out. Clever Polly’s was the result: a warm little West Melbourne wine bar. Moody, chic and intimate.

You won’t need much more than a dish and a spoon to enjoy yourself at Camberwell’s best hidden gem. An established local favourite, Dish & Spoon’s obvious focus on charming, knowledgeable service keeps brunch-lovers coming from Melbourne’s far and wide suburbs.

Perched above Melbourne’s most achingly cool laneway (Centre Place), Lustre Bar is a bit of a CBD institution. One of those venues that lives in the back pocket of your brain, laid-back and snug, just waiting for you to climb the stairs and give it another go.

The humble piece of toast. It’s not usually the part of breakfast that gets us frothing, although Vegemite and a good inch of salted butter on crusty sourdough is still probably 15% more fun than anything cooked up by Walter White in a lab.

It’s hard to find a place where both vegans and carnivores would be chuffed to spend a Saturday night (at least until Meatmother goes crazy and branches out into tofu steaks). But, as anyone who lives at the top end of Nicholson St knows, A Fan’s Notes manages to straddle the meat-veggie divide like an absolute champ.

Oriental Teahouse has been a Chapel St staple for nearly 14 years. As much a part of the furniture as The Jam Factory’s familiar red brick façade, or a late-night Lamb On Chapel garlic kebab. But this year it’s undergone a significant revamp, styling itself as a premier Shanghai-style dumpling and teahouse. An old dog with a few new tricks.

Hold on to your chopsticks, Melbourne. An NYC-style Japanese concept restaurant just opened on Chapel St...and its specialty is sushi pizza.

As a wise Richmond local once said, “You can never have too many pubs.” Melbourne’s inner east isn’t short of a boozer or two, but they tend to be focused on frothies from the tap, not contemporary bistro dining. Union House has been designed to plug that market gap.

As humans, we have all of the modern convenience of the supermarket at just a short walk or drive away, but since the dawn of time, our humble pets have struggled to find the same convenience of a grocery store that serves their particular needs. Well, that’s all changed with The Pet Grocer opening up a permanent shop in South Melbourne.

Fancy a sanga? Richmond’s new sandwich shop has gone back to basics: quality bread, delicious fillings, and a double shot Axil latte to wash it all down. Happiness is a pretty simple recipe when you measure it in sandwiches, and for Hector’s owner, owners Dom Wilton, Jason Barratt and Edward Ring, this place is all about making people happy.

Affectionately know as PA's, Prince Alfred Hotel is a Richmond local's dream.

The Paris end of Collins St has long been home to the crème de la crème of Melbourne fashion. But that might be about to change. Flinders Ln is throwing its impeccably styled hat into the ring with its new menswear store: MASONS.

South Melbourne may lack many things (car parks spring to mind) but brunch isn’t one of them. Joining the pack of good lookin’ youngsters, My Son, Joy has just opened its extremely allergy-friendly doors on Coventry Street, directly across from the South Melbourne Market.

The Corner Store’s tagline says it all: “Open from first latte to last drinks.” It’s a classic super hero venue: brunch by day, bar by night.

The best part of holidays is obvs eating all of the foods – so honestly, why do we bother booking holidays anymore? If you’re after an authentic taste of the southern Malay archipelago, Sijori Malay in Bundoora has got you covered.

Train station food doesn't get us too excited (beyond the odd 10pm potato cake). But now that STN Northcote has landed in Melbourne, we don’t know what to think anymore.

+39 is the extension you dial to be connected to Italy. And when we want a direct link to traditional Italian dishes here in Melbourne, we visit the widely acclaimed +39 Pizzeria and Antipasteria.

How many times have you spotted a marsupial, just walking along, and thought: ‘That pouch looks really convenient. I wish I had a pouch to put stuff in.’ Must happen to us at least a couple of times a day. Well rejoice, because a new Aussie boutique has developed a range of products that celebrates the humble marsupial.  

One of Hooked’s larger locations, the old school fish ‘n chipper prides itself on serving quality seafood—and it shows.

Need to get inspired to get moving? Well Universal Practice are here to show you the ropes (literally). Just one year on from the launch of their first store yoga and pilates studio in Richmond, Universal Practice have officially opened a second space, this time in Fitzroy.

It’s one of those kick yourself ideas. A pre-loved bookshop that’s also a wine bar, full of cozy ambiance, dog-eared paperbacks and top-notch plonk. Why didn’t we think of this before? Wine and reading already go bloody well together; it was only a matter of time until some genius worked out how to monetize the combo.

You might know this place, but it looks a bit different these days.

Tired of seeing the same fjallraven and Longchamp backpacks on everyone from uni students to cashed-up Toorak mums? We feel you. Finding a bag that’s actually unique (and not just spruiked as ‘unique’ by a brand’s marketing team) is actually kind of hard. Especially in an age where Instagram is making fashion increasingly generic and homogenized.  

'Work hard, stay humble' is the motto at Hendriks Cafe, which is pretty good advice for life in general. It works for Hendriks, who have gone from strength to strength since opening in 2015. The hard work is down to owners Lee Eman and Chloe Dam, who pretty much built the place from scratch (with a little help from Chloe’s dad, Harry). The humbleness comes natural, despite becoming one of Mordialloc’s most popular morning bruncheries.

Everyone’s favourite Greek brunch bar has undergone a good old-fashioned pivot. Demetri’s Feast built its rep among Richmond locals (and the foodie blogosphere) on brekky fusion like baklava French toast: eggy brioche topped with Greek yogurt, orange blossom syrup and walnut praline. It was widely regarded as some of the tastiest, and balls-iest, breakfast going around. Pop by on Saturday morning and you had to queue just to get a spot.

Shopping is hungry work. Everyone knows it. So for retailer Country Road, the logic was pretty simple: let’s just cut out the middle man and open our own cafe. The result is The Brighton Buoy, an in-store eatery in collaboration with the guys at The Almond Milk Co.

Following the success of the first Wings of Glory in South Melbourne, owners and creators Jen and Steven Lo are psyched to open their second installment, which is setting up shop in the heart of the CBD.

Once upon a time, the golden goodness that is St Gerry's Greek doughnuts and other world-sourced desserts were onaccessibleble from a roaming food cart at pop-up events around Melbourne.

It’s fair to say that the plan to turn Melbourne’s Docklands into a thriving centre for gastronomy and urban culture kind of, well, fizzled. It’s a brave Melburnian who announces to their mates, ‘Good news guys, we’re heading to Docklands!’. But just like Southbank—another location that’s unfairly written off—there’s a bit more to Docklands than shoebox apartments and a giant Ferris Wheel that melted shortly after installation.

Yes, while there is indeed much to do on Chapel Street, you’ll soon realise that there is more excitement happening off Chapel. Especially when you find out that the creative masterminds behind the Bird Watching Society and Lady Grange have combined forces to bring Melbourne its next party hotspot, inspired by the notorious Japanese outlaw sub-culture.

Apparently, so local legend has it, it used to be schoolboy sport to sit on top of the high wall separating Yarra Street from South Yarra train station and applaud the gentlemen leaving the former Paradise Girls brothel.

Influential designer Piero Gesualdi is best known for his Australian first 500-seat eating and drinking hall, Rosati’s. But his latest venture Mondopiero is seriously stepping up the game in retail destinations. It’s the ultimate style chic for just about anything retail/art. Located in quirky hub of Fitzroy the 400sqm space has an insane collection of furniture, art, personal accessories, fashion, homewares and beauty products from all around the globe.

Why mess with a bun if it ain’t broke? That’s essentially the motto at Andrew's Hamburgers, and for the last 70 years, it’s been working a cheesy, greasy treat. A classic on Melbourne’s bacon-loving scene, Andrew's Hamburger’s have recently expanded their burger empire to the CBD.

Every Melburnian should know the name of the best Indian place within driving distance of their front door. It’s just one of those basic life skills. Sometimes nothing else’ll hit the spot quite like a big bowl of goat Bhuna Masala or (statistically more likely) Butter Chicken and an A4-sized garlic naan.

You could drive past The Spot without batting an eye. It’s tucked underneath one of the new apartment developments at the top end of Nicholson St—a cosy little coffee klatch with a Middle Eastern twist. You can smell the Rumble coffee from the street...but there’s also a lemony twang of sumac on the air. The first sign that this place does things a little differently.

Zaatar is a bit of a Melbourne institution, but if you’re one of those southsiders that refuse to cross the Yarra, you’ve probably never heard of it. Shame, because this place does some of the best traditional zaatar pizzas in the city. Crusty flat bread topped with thyme, sesame seeds, oregano, salt, tangy sumac and a good lug of extra virgin.

Everyone’s favourite elongated bar, The Long Room, has closed its doors after 12 years in the business (may she rest in peace). On the plus side, owners Simon Jones and Greg Kahan have created something new in its place: The George On Collins. A refined all-day eatery where you can grab a mid-morning latte and a post-work Old Fashioned, all in impeccable style.

In the early 90s, John Dib opened a little takeaway store on Blackburn Rd in Mt Waverley and called it Piccolino. Twenty-five years later, the place is still going strong. Just to clarify, when this place first became cool, a movie ticket cost like $6, Bill Clinton was President and REM were just hitting their straps. Puts it all in perspective, eh.

No.18 Ramen is somewhat of an anomaly on Bridge Road. Nestled between miscellaneous, aging shop fronts—locals fuelled by the promise of traditional and modern ramen keeps this no-frills restaurant persistently busy.