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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.

Glen Waverley is inviting in a new generation of Asian cuisine—and boy are we happy to see it. The fourth venue from brothers Nolan, Brian Taing and partner Joe La, Workshop Bros Glen Waverley is an inventive all-day diner.

Waffles are what the Cookie Monster might term a ‘sometime food’, but there’s a hole-in-the-wall cafe in Richmond where that is definitely not the case.

Heads up, burger fiends. There’s a new player in town. L.A. Burgers has popped up on Toorak Rd in South Yarra (just opposite the station), and it’s doing—hands down—some of the best burgers we’ve tasted this year. That’s a big call, so let’s pop the hood on this bad boy and check out the engine room.

Kew’s brekky grapevine has been working overtime in recent weeks, which is probs why Brandy Kew is heaving at 8am on a school day, just four weeks after opening.

A 60s-inspired fashion boutique inside St Paul’s Cathedral? Yep, it does exist.

If there’s any Year 10 Italian left in your brain, you’ll know that ‘cucinetta’ translates roughly as ‘little kitchen’, a moniker here that feels entirely appropriate. This place isn’t much bigger than the average King-sized mattress. In a lot of ways it feels more like a randomly generated dinner party than a restaurant—albeit one with Nonna-quality food.

We’ve got a love/hate relationship with fast food fried chicken, which generally fluctuates in direct synchronicity with our blood-alcohol content. Basically, the more beers, the better it tastes. But there’s a new chicken joint in the CBD, from Singapore by way of NYC, that’s set to shake up the fried chicken game.

Richmond seems to be dotted with thousands of backstreet industrial gyms (must be all those warehouses lying around), but finding one that isn’t a sweaty, GloboGym muscle palace isn’t always easy. Enter The Richmond Gym: an accessible fitness space that’s all about good technique and old-fashioned fun.

It was a long time coming, but Wilson & Market is finally complete. The Brasserie (open as of right now) is the last in a three-part rollout that began with hole-in-the-wall Mr Wilson’s Tuckshop back in March. A cafe was added in June, and now there’s a classy wine bar and bistro to go with it, transforming a quiet pocket of the Prahran Market into the ultimate all-day dining venue.

Open the door to Eltham’s Third Chapter and two things become pretty obvious. One, this is a beautiful space. And two, the locals must bloody love it.

Tipo 00 may have changed the Melbourne pasta game, but chef and co-owner Andreas Papadakis was pretty adamant that this place was going to be different. “No pasta,” basically says it all. Osteria Ilaria might have Tipo’s soul, but it’s going to be its own beast.

Time to upgrade your plastic-fantastic Casio? We know just the place. German watch brand Kapten & Son has just opened Australia’s first ever bricks and mortar store, and—hells yes—it’s in Melbourne. Prahran to be precise, tucked down King St just opposite the Town Hall (look out for the blue anchor sign as you’re walking down Chapel).

It’s not often Friday night rolls around and you think ‘Man, I’m really craving Armenian’. But as anyone who’s dined at CBD hotspot Sezar will tell you, Armenian food is a spice-filled bag of surprises.

Cancel your plans to Italy. This place is the next best thing. The Tempo Pizzeria team have over 30 years’ pizza-making experience and even travelled to Italy to be officially certified at "Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana". We don’t know exactly what that means, but it sounds pretty damn Italian, so just go with it.

Call off the poodles—we’ve found the best French baguette sandwiches in Melbourne.

You’ve probably seen them around: velvety soft raincoats, oozing Scandinavian sophistication and a certain you-know-you-want-me vibe. Rains coats are already stocked in boutique stores all over the world, but it’s only recently the brand has lashed out and started its own concept stores. The first two were in Denmark (Rains’ home country), then came Paris...and now Melbourne.

Pure South reopened this year with a new look space and a killer Tasmanian menu. Upstairs you’ve got Pure South proper: an upmarket dining room with beautiful views over the Flinders St footbridge. Downstairs is the newly revamped P.S. Bar & Kitchen.

Roald Dahl fans will know Henry Sugar as the guy who robbed casinos by ‘seeing through’ playing cards (a short story that caused some of us, not naming any names, to spend many late nights practicing with a deck and a candle). For everyone else, it’s Carlton North’s new bistro and wine bar, a saucy little number from Michael Baker (Hell Of The North) and Daniel Mason (Cookie and The Toff).

Be The Duck has opened on Burnley St, and our list of Melbourne’s Best Cafe Names has a brand new addition. Yep, this place has been a long time coming. Burnley St, particularly the bit north of Bridge Rd, isn’t known for having an awesome foodie spread. But thanks to chef and owner Tom Skocic, that’s all starting to change.

Local label ELK prides itself on contemporary accessories, hand-crafted leather goods, and stunning original footwear. So it should, because this is some seriously cool stuff.

It’s finally here, guys. Shannon Bennett’s long-awaited Melbourne Benny Burger is officially open for business tomorrow. 

For FeeFee’s owner, hospo-pro-turned-DJ Fiona Meiklejohn, this place is all about “music, booze and a rocking good time.” Sounds bang on for ‘LoJo’, the lower end of Johnston St between Wellington and Hoddle. It’s a beer-soaked, rock n’ grunge strip that thinks acai bowls are a government conspiracy, and FeeFee’s Bar looks like it’s going to fit right in.

Smell that? That’s the smell of passionate souls, handpicked roses and exquisite perfumes wafting from New York sensation Le Labo in Fitzroy. Trust us, this place will change the way you buy fragrance forever.

Fitzroy St may be the answer to the question ‘Where’s the nearest kebab?’, but it’s never really exploded onto the Melbourne foodie scene. The good news is, that might be about to change...Introducing St Luja, a smoke-infused restaurant, cocktail and whisky bar that’s riding Fitzroy St’s upmarket wave.  

Well, you can add another well-designed café to Glenferrie Rd’s booming Hawthorn portfolio. Ten years ago the best meal you could get round here was a baked potato on the corner of of Burwood Rd. Now it’s like some sort of never-ending Disneyland buffet. If you put your mind to it, you could eat at a different venue every day of the month, and still have room for more.

Now this is a story all about how...some guy invented crazy baklava combinations that stretched the boundaries of culinary possibility.   

The latest John Curtin Hotel takeover is here, and it’s fried to crispy perfection. Sonny’s is the last in a great chain of Curtin kitchen residents (first there was Huxtaburger, then Bluebonnet Barbecue, then Leonard’s House Of Love got in on the action) and it might just be the best of the lot. We’re talking 24-hour brined chicken, pressure fried and crispy AF.

Tutto Bene is the perfect example of Southgate’s phoenix-like emergence as a serious Melbourne foodie destination. This isn’t just a place for Langham guests, pre-show theatre goers and the occasional tourist. Not anymore. Thanks to a reno’ and refresh in 2016, it’s now a schmick trattoria-style Italian eatery, with a menu built around organic, bio-dynamic produce (not to mention some of the best views in town).

Every good Melbournian needs a Burger Bucket List: a handwritten scroll that chronicles all the ridiculous triple stacks, fried chicken breasts and unnecessary croquette-stuffed monsters to eat before we die (let’s face it, probably of some sort of cheese-related illness). Well hold on to your napkins, because we just found a brand new Nashville-style burger bar in St Kilda, and it’s an absolute ripper.

If there’s anything you can count on after a long week, it’s Friday night drinks. But if you’re getting tired of the same-old-same-old in the CBD, it might be time to cross the river. Southgate’s Waterslide Bar needs to be top of your list.