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Smäk me, this health focused Scandinavian inspired restaurant is seriously cool. Located off Chapel Street, Smäk Food House has a very clean, minimalist vibe (but not minimal enough to make it pretentious), alongside the kind of menu that would turn any nutritionist on. 

Located in the back streets of Newtown in Geelong, the Gold Diggers Arms is an iconic neighbourhood public house that perfectly balances contemporary dining with classic gastropub dishes.

If you're looking for Melbourne's most comprehensive skin and body hub, you can't possibly look past North Carlton beauty salon, Duquessa. Specialising in cosmetic treatments in Melbourne, ranging from LED light therapy, to safe dermal fillers, to the latest celeb-endorsed vitamin treatment, the stunning northside salon is all about getting the absolute most out of your skin. 

Remember when your mum forced a bob cut on your innocent little head and your so-called-professional-hairdresser failed to leap to your defence? Sooth your childhood haircut trauma at The Blowout Bar.

It seems as if Market Lane Coffee is slowing taking over the Melbourne coffee scene one suburb at a time... but we certainly aren't complaining. Their fifth store is conveniently located in a beautiful old heritage building near Parliament Station, across from the ridiculously lush Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens.

OPENING JUNE 2016

Skip your typical weekly dinner date and run amok at AMOK Restaurant this weekend. Offering modern, Cambodian cuisine, this traditionally decorated restaurant serves a seasonal menu championing vibrant Khmer flavours.

The stellar Doughnut Time team has done it again—opening its doors to a second stand alone outlet on the northside, satiating our constant, neverending need for M&M topped bundles of fried dough.

Espresso is their name and coffee is their game—and United Theory bascially wins the game each and every time. Unified Theory's aim is simple: bring its customers the best curated coffee from the best local bean roaster extraordinaires.

The Glass Den is a shining beacon of breakfast-y light in Coburg, nestled in the old Pentridge Prison site and headed by Mini Pakchima—a head chef with a fondness for Thai infusions.

With 5 distinctly different spaces within it, The Cellar Door is a game changer in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. This unique venue, made up of three stories, is the latest brewery from Croydon favourite The Public Brewery. With the aim of showcasing the best and latest produce from the Yarra Valley, The Cellar Door is a brewery like no other. 

Organic, sustainable, seasonal, free range, handcrafted AND ethical food? Where has Little Sunflower been this whole time?

Fitzroy, please welcome the new Sicilian kid on the block, Mr Ottorino. Mr Ottorino will bring your tastebuds back to Italian flavours from the 50's and 60's but with humble modern flair. 

If you’re in dire need of a pooch-friendly, pizza-filled hideout (because, who isn’t), you’re in luck. Newly opened Honeycomb Hideout is accepting visitors at the rear of Footscray’s fresh, no-frills Italian restaurant Fox In The Corn.

When the weekend rolls around, especially when it gets really cold in Melbourne, the majority of the city heads to the warmth of the big shopping centres to ease their aching bones. Once there, we tend to give in to the average chain cafes and food courts, accepting our ill-tasting food fate.

Located on level three at Emporium shopping center, Supercharger is the ultimate PT-approved restaurant if you're in need of a quick and cheap nutrition boost. Their colorful and cleverly designed menu takes all the hard work out of eating healthy, boasting a wide range of protein packed options and more superfoods than you can even dream of.

Vegans, it’s time to pho-king freak out. Newly opened GOODdays offers vegan Vietnamese food on Sydney Road, with half the menu dedicated to vegan-friendly dishes. Think house-made vegan mushroom and tofu spring rolls and fragrant four mushroom pho. We’re pho into this menu.

In this day and age, if we want something, we want it now, and when it comes to spray tans in Melbourne, we’re no different. Thanks to Melbourne beauty newcomer, Sunspray 24/7, spray tans are the latest service to get the round-the-clock upgrade we wished they had from the get-go. 

In need of a beauty lift that’s low maintenance and high impact? Simply Brow & Lashes’ Northcote studio is our go-to for everything lash, brow and body hair-related. From full sets of eyelash extensions for wide-eyed fluttering, to the latest brow shaping techniques that’ll leave you with *that* Cara Delevigne look, to precision waxing and IPL hair removal, their in-house experts are our beauty saviours.

We honestly can't keep track of how many best pizza awards 400 Gradi have under their belt, and now the "world's best margarita" is finally coming to Eastland shopping center. No longer will you eastsiders have to travel across the river to get your hands on pizza extraordinaire Johnny Di Francesco's authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

From the team behind some much loved favourites (Tall Timber, Rustica Canteen and Short Straw to name a few) comes the next great cafe to the bayside suburb of Carnegie. With the kitchen under the helm of Chef Ryan Lording (former head chef of Tall Timber) you're in for a treat at Left Field.  

Hochi Mama, located in the CBD, offers crisp and vibrant modern Vietnamese food with a menu that is all about sharing with your mates. Although, we highly doubt there would be much sharing going around, seeing as their menu is full of drool worthy, "yes I actually do mind if you eat that last bit" chopstick lickin' options. 

Positioned in the famous Hardware Lane in the CBD, the modern Asian-inspired White Mojo is such a hit amongst eager brunch-goers that a second store in Balwyn is already underway. And with a seriously creative menu and staff so friendly that they'll put your real friends to shame, we completely understand why.

Wave goodbye to the mosh pit inside Messina and curly lines at Pidapipo, this family-friendly ice creamery deep in the Melbourne ‘blurbs has some of the best ice cream in the city. And, there probably won’t be a half hour queue.

Named after one of the original owners of St Kilda’s ancient George Hotel, Freddie Wimpoles is Melbourne’s latest old school bar boasting a range of craft beers, American-style deli food and a poolroom. Housed in the former George Hotel, Freddie Wimpoles features a rustic, neon-lit interior perfect for post-swim drinks.

Imagine the scenario: You and a handful of mates head to one of Melbourne’s latest underground cocktail bars, ready for a night of drinks, nibbles and good times. When you get there, one of the venue’s staff asks you a little about your interests—are you a Disney princess, a horror fan, or still binging your way through ‘Orange Is The New Black’?—then leads you to an awesome private room, filled with props and puzzles. When she doesn’t return, you reach for the door, thinking there must’ve been a mix-up. It’s locked. What the hell is going on?!

For over 20 years, this foodie institute has been serving up greatness, food comas, and 'gramm-able food porn. Nestled in the gateway of the botanical gardens, Cafe Domain is about as Melbourne as you can get. Open 7 days a week, this spacious and light filled cafe has a unique and varied menu that will satify everyone. 

Zero Gradi is the gelateria you need in your life that you didn't realise was missing! Younger sibling to old favourite 400 Gradi, 400 Gradi Cicchetti and Gradi, Zero Gradi churns out fresh gelato every day to compliment your carbo loading food comas (from one of the Gradi's or elswhere) and all your Brunswick gelato cravings.  

Nutrition power house restaurant Supercharger opens their second doors in the heart of Prahran. If you're a health conscious foodie or if you just need to make up for your over indulgent weekend, you can now get all your protien, superfood and kale fix just minutes off Chapel Street. All the classics are still here for you to pick and choose from and if you haven't tried their menu before, make sure you hit up their silken tofu with shiitake in white bean miso. You may just consider going vegetarian after this!

Previously nestled at the back of the unassuming Kines cafe, The Break Room has now moved to the Collingwood Mastercraft warehouse. A move which may happen again—because this is basically just a pop up plastic box with a stool in the middle and a couple of pink baseball bats on hand.

We think Fred Gets us. He 'gets' healthy eating and he 'gets' Melbourne’s takeaway needs for busy (cough, lazy) working bees. This particular Fred also gets how sometimes, mostly on our couch and Netflix days, we definitely need our food delivered.

Any sweet tooth will attest that the logistics of eating a waffle on the go is a lot like attempting to eat your Nonna’s spaghetti with chopsticks. One chopstick. A brilliant Melbourne, waffle-loving duo has the artery-clogging solution: Waffle Pops. Traditional crispy on-the-outside, chewy on-the-inside Belgium waffles are served on a stick and covered in 12 extravagantly sweet toppings. 

Brae has won every award imaginable—especially considering it's a restaurant with no set menu, a solid 130kms from Melbourne’s CBD, and placed happily aside a crumbling cemetery.

With 18 years of experience under his belt, Owner Darren Favretto and his team of dog-lovers can sure be trusted to take care of your pup. In fact, Darren only hires staff who have a dog of their own, which is important because, let’s be honest, dog owners and non-dog owners are completely different breeds.

Are you looking for the best chicken in Melbourne? Well, you're going to need to give Gami Chicken & Beer on Little Lonsdale Street a finger-licking try.

Now calling Melbourne her home, award winning Parisian Interior Designer, Nadia Aber-Griffith has set up her new showroom in Toorak Village. With 15 years experience under her belt, having worked on esteemed projects like the Hotel Duret in Paris, you know it’s going to be good. Nadia’s design philosophy centres on inspiring, motivating and empowering… amen to that!

Cornerstone & Co. in Hampton is everything that you could possibly wish for from a local cafe. Sitting pretty on the corner of Ludstone Street and Kingston Street, it sports a bright interior with comfortable modern furniture—and most importantly, a finger lickin' menu. 

Owners and siblings Charlotte and James Tizzard are keeping it real with their weekend dive bar operation, Hard Rubbish, in deepest Preston. On a shoestring budget, sourcing their retro chic décor from Gumtree and a bitta hard rubbish (of course), the pair have successfully converted the old massage parlour (yep, the kind you’re thinking of) into a bar where the locals flock to drink and snack.

The Bandroom Balcony at Prince of Wales has a new resident of the Southern Asian persuasion. Say hello to POW Kitchen, where executive Chef Daniel Hawkins and Head Chef Woosun Choi are bringing you flavour-packed bites and top shelf cocktails in abundance.

Melbourne's pizzeria scene is one that just keeps on giving, and the latest restaurant to toss a mozzarella-covered slice into the ring is Tutti I Sapori. With over seven years experience in the inner north, the Fitzroy North restaurant is the latest Melbourne venue to receive membership of the prestigeous Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in Naples—a mark of Italian quality and expertise that is overseen in Australia by 400 Gradi's head chef, Johnny di Francesco—for its Margherita Verace pizza, the traditional kitchen is about much, much more than dough and passata sauce.

The sister restaurant of Kin on Chapel Street, West of Kin focuses on modern Asian fusion. Headed by Alex Kim and Sam Pizone, the menu is a seasonal, beautifully fresh affair. Highlights include the Jiangxi style chicken bao, Yunnan style lamb ribs with sesame seeds, and sweet and sour soy lacquer, quail terrine and tart of beetroot. 

The drool worthy/life changing Doughnut Time team has finally opened the doors to a stand alone outlet to satiate hoards of doughnut-mad Melburnians.

Laneway Greens is nourishing the bellies of CBD workers and shoppers with their wholesome breakfast bowls, salads and smoothies. With so many healthy cafes cropping up in the ‘burbs, we are very excited to find this one right in the centre of the city. Pick up a blackberry and coconut chia pudding or macadamia and buckini granola bowl from these guys in your mad rush to the office. Or, if you feel like some liquid nutrition, their blended-on-the-spot smoothies are boasting out-of-this-world flavours including apple and cinnamon, and blueberry, banana and maple.

Following the (obsessive) demand of Royal Stack’s flagship store on Collins Street, the burger team have bought their addictively fresh burgers to Brunswick. Paying homage to Sydney Road’s heritage, the second Royal Stacks burger joint boasts halal-friendly options and middle-eastern inspired frozen custard. Think rosewater and pistachio, baklava, and kanafah from St Kilda-based 7 Apples. Tick, tick boom!

Saké, one of our favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, has branched out to open a sibling venue in the city's gastronomic hotspot, Flinders Lane. Saké's new venue is definitely a crowd pleaser: split over two levels, the venue delivers standard dining on the top floor, a moody bar and open courtyard on the bottom floor—and even a dining room with a private garden. Think delicious Japanese fare paired with a sake degustation, and you're getting pretty close to the perfect private dining experience...

Surely, Melbourne is approaching its maximum capacity of gelato per capita? Well, not according to lines outside Prahran’s newest eatery Joylati! Run by the experienced Italian duo Cristino Vedovato and Fabrizio Locatelli, Joyalati only uses fresh fruit and organic milk and sugar to churn their creamy creations, so you can rest assured that your gelato is some of the finest dessert in Melbourne.

Tucked away in an alley arcade off Bourke Street, owners Ying Hou and Meiyan Wang (affectionately going by ‘mama’) are dishing up some of the freshest dumplings in town. Their infamous fillings, including a vegan zucchini mix and moussey mackerel, are unique and have their origins in Tantai, a little fishing town in the Chinese Shandong Peninsula. Dumplings are not the only specialty mama is servin’; be sure to also sample her handmade noodles. Pair these dishes with one of the tasty craft beers or ciders on offer and you’re laughing.  

A wet waddle away from St Kilda beach sits Pelican cafe-restaurant. Featuring an all day menu from breakfast to dinner, Pelican is ideal for everyone from hungry beach-lovers to your post-work crew.

Don’t waste your time feeling guilty at The Guilty Moose— with brunch dishes this good, calorie counting can be damned as far as we’re concerned! Expect flavour-packed meals, superb coffee and a get-up-and-go vibe at this Albert Park hot-spot.

It’s certainly not located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, but Spencer Street’s newly opened Caribbean grill and island bar, Pretty Mama, more than makes up for its lack of watery surrounds.

If you’ve ever wondered where you could find a smart, vintage hat for the gentleman in your life, we have the answer. Fitzroy’s Smart Alec not only sells, but specialises (we're serious) in unique, classical hats for the dapper gentleman.

If you ever need to measure Melbourne’s obsession with quality-baked goods, Baker D. Chirico’s Easter lines are a good indication. Brace yourselves for the moshpit-like lines inside this slim, Carlton shopfront. And yes, it’s worth it.

The latest venture from the team who brought us Brother Thomas (much love), Beer Wine and Calzone is a no-frills, laid-back pizzeria, ideal for a messy lunch or post-work pit stop.   

Essendon's booming cafe scene has welcomed many new additions lately, however if you're looking for a local legend that's been on the scene for more than a few months, you can't go wrong with family-friendly cafe, Friends Of Ours. Celebrating all that's good about cafe culture—great coffee, hearty and delicious food, and a relaxed vibe where anything goes—the buzzing venue is a hotspot for both locals and those passing through. 

Praise the Lord Brighton! Fantastically authentic Italian food has just landed smack bang on your doorstep.

Whoever said it was hard to shop for men clearly hasn’t visited The Windsor Annex. The space is as considered as the quality of clothing at this particular retail store—there’s no florescent lighting or worn-down fitting rooms here—and with fantastic gents and ladies labels, it's a must-visit for you fashion-savvy readers. 

This creatively named Carlton café boasts a simple menu which judging by its small, dedicated following of locals, is definitely hitting a sweet spot. The breakfast menu is dominated by baked eggs with a variety of fillings, including chorizo, tomato, black pudding and cheese.

OPENING LATE SEPTEMBER 2016

If you’re looking for Lemon, Middle and Orange and you think you’re heading the wrong way, go a little further. A former paint factory nestled between industrial warehouses and steaming factories, Lemon, Middle and Orange has stuck (somewhat) to its roots.

All you guys out there in your 20’s and 30’s are well acquainted with the struggle of finding a well-tailored suit at an affordable price. Thankfully, the 4-man crew behind the bespoke menswear lifestyle brand, Saibu no Akuma ('devil in details' in Japanese), are here to solve your problems.