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A stalwart of Chapel Street, South Yarra, the organic Gorman store proves sustainable can be fun. With signature prints, knitwear and accessories, Lisa Gorman has produced a label that appeals to the Melbourne woman, catering to fashion and function.

On the ground floor of the Cathedral Arcade, right between Flinders Lane and Swanston Street, is Lenko, a quirky boutique with something for everyone. From the fashionable to the fun, Lenko offers threads and accessories for men, women and kids, all in the one place. Everyone loves Lenko.

On Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, Mozi is a sunny homewares haven. Cushions, plates and linens in pretty colours, candles and soaps, prints and patterns adorn the store, appealing to the 1950s housewife in all of us. Great for gifts, or to brighten up your own abode.

Our favourite hip-hop yoga studio has moved, and the new digs are SERIOUSLY pretty. Now sitting in a white-walled loft above Swan St in Richmond, Yoga 213 is an LA-inspired yoga practice that's generating a fair amount of Melbourne buzz. Mostly because they swapped the meditation tapes for some Kanye.  

On Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, edgy designer Alpha60 has made a name for itself. With clean lines and a sophisticated feel, Alpha60, created by brother and sister team Alex and Georgie Cleary, is a modern design dream. Stock up on monochromatic pieces with an urban edge.

Among the cool and cosmopolitan retailers of Chapel Street Prahran, Alpha60 stands out with its signature sleek and monochromatic style and class. Conceived in 2005 by siblings Alex and Georgie Cleary, Alpha60 is a label synonymous with Melbourne and design.

When searching for a shoe that's special, look no further than Zomp boutique on Little Collins Street in the CBD. With a host of shoe brands in stock, including Robert Robert, Jeffrey Campbell and Beau Coops, you are sure to find something to suit the occasion.

When you are spoilt for choice, it's an easy decision to head to Zomp on Chapel Street South Yarra for all your footwear needs. Heels, boots and sandals adorn the shelving in this minimalist store - here, it's all about the shoes. Zomp also stocks a selection of beautiful bags. 

Keeping burgers simple yet dellicious is the secret to Huxtaburger's success – their CBD shop on Fulham Place, Huxtaburger II, offers just six kinds of burgers on a brioche bun. With a cult following in Collingwood and now among the worker bees, the combo of a burger, beer and crinkle cut fries has the masses lining up. Vegetarian and gluten free are also catered for.

Found on the corner of Little Bourke and Little Williams Streets in the Melbourne CBD, Patricia Coffee Brewers is standing room only and does a roaring trade in takeaway coffee. Sourced from Seven Seeds, Market Lane and Proud Mary, the sensational coffee and smattering of pastries make this a popular pit stop on the way to work.

Pei Modern, at Collins Place on Collins Street, is Mark Best's hatted restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch weekdays, and dinner Monday to Saturday. A mouth watering, modern Australian menu of fresh market produce makes for a great bistro experience. An inner city sanctuary.

The bright, white space of Hammer & Tong 412 is as inviting as the casual elegance and delicious food this eating house and coffee bar in Fitzroy offers. Owners Dennis Ferreira and chef Simon Ward have a wealth of hospitality experience at the likes of Vue de Monde, which is immediately evident from the food, to the fitout and service. Serving up classics with a twist, Hammer & Tong offers is a great option for brunch and lunch, but are no longer serving dinner as of June 2015.

Famed for its live music and housed in a former church, the Wesley Anne on High Street is one of Northcote's best loved pubs. With a menu featuring above-standard pub fare and an extensive beer and cider list (in addition to a few international wines), the relaxed nature of this pub will see you tapping your feet in time with the tunes.

Fonda Richmond has a slightly more intimate feel than it's brother and sister Fonda's. Might be a side effect of Swan St's laid-back vibe. This place feels more 'Date Night' than 'Night On The Town'.

A cycling store that doubles as a café, The Little Mule specialises in breakfast and lunch on Somerset Place in the CBD. The team are famous for their sandwiches and fresh seasonal salads and soups, in addition to killer sweets. Get on your bike and discover this gem.

Head over to St Kilda to Milk The Cow, to indulge in two of life's greatest pleasures. The fromagerie and bar opened in 2012, and is all about the very best of cheese and wine, combined with superb hospitality. Enjoy something French and creamy, with a matched wine or signature cocktail – or take the lot to go. With over 100 cheeses, you are spoilt for choice.

A hard day's work and life stresses can often result in us citing the need for a strong drink, and Whisky & Alement, Melbourne City, delivers. A speciality whisky bar with over 500 varieties in stock, the bar has only four items on their 'bar snacks' menu, noting that their business is booze. Beer, cider, wine and cocktail drinkers are not forgotten – the menu has more than a few to choose from, and if you are really keen on picking your single malts from your world whiskeys, there are classes to sign up for.

A hidden gem in Fitzoy, The Panama Dining Room boasts views of the Melbourne CBD and surrounds through the stunning arch windows, and serves amazing French-inspired food. With dining in the restaurant or at the bar, a serious list of cocktails and wines to choose from, and a Sunday Roast lunch, The Panama Dining Room is an excellent choice for dinner, drinks or a special occasion. Kitchen open from 6pm.

Winner of several bar awards, Eau de Vie On Melbourne's Malthouse Lane is a self-proclaimed speakeasy, taking their customers on a journey through time to remember when martinis were the drink of choice and the bartender knew everyone's secrets. Tapas is good and cocktails are great here, in a dimly lit, jazz infused escape from the city.

The hardest bars to find are often the best, and it will take some looking to discover Ferdydurke, located up some stairs and around the corner off Tattersalls Lane. On arrival, take a look at the impressive list of cocktails (ask for help, there are many!) or chow down on some Eastern European bar snacks, or a hot dog. A seeming mash up of a range of cultures, eras and diversity, Ferdydurke will keep you guessing.

The Royal Saxon on Church Street in Richmond makes for a lovely lunch spot, or an ideal place to dine and drink, seven days a week. A lengthy list of beverages is available, and food has a distinctly Italian flavour, with pizzas a fave with punters. With two floors of indoor/outdoor spaces to enjoy, it's a great spot for a date, or Sunday session with your best mates.

A cocktail bar and restaurant, Seamstress is named for the old textile warehouse it inhabits and the décor of dresses and coat hangers that adorn the walls. As with all good Melbourne bars, Seamstress can be found up a few flights of stairs, with the restaurant on one, and the cocktail bar on two. Shared dining is key and with a few mixed drinks, you can try and test all manor of flavours. Cocktail Nirvana.

Located in St Kilda East, The Local Taphouse is a neighbourhood tavern that should be at the top of every beer lover's hit list. Boasting a stellar selection of craft brews, it's little wonder The Local was labelled 'best beer bar in the land' by renowned beer journo and author of The Beer Bible, Willie Simpson. The tasty pub grub is cooked – and matched – with what's on tap, so plant yourself in the rooftop beer garden and spend the day (and night) celebrating all things beer. 

If fairytales and fables are your things, visit Goldilocks on Swanston Street and be whisked away to another world where cocktails are the star. Inventive and clever, the staff experiment with old classics and new methods to create drinks that are sure to impress. With a recently opened rooftop bar, Goldilocks is set for summer, providing a place to hide from the big bad wolf. Small bar bites are also available.

For ten years, Peony Haute Parfumerie in Hawthorn has been Melbourne's sweet-smelling home of artisan fragrances, and purveyor of beautiful home, bath, body products, and luxurious gifts. Stocking beautiful fragrances from all over the world, including Keico Mecheri, Miller Harris and Robert Piguet, Peony is a delight to the senses, where you'll be sure to find the perfect scent for even the most fickle nose. Also offering specialist services for weddings and corporate.

For the young, and young at heart, Chapel Street's quirky Pawn & Co, with their all night licence, is sure to please.  A dimly lit establishment serving the usual suspects plus absinthe cocktails, Pawn & Co also lives up to its name – everything in the bar is for sale. Make them an offer, 1920s style.

Just down the coast in Brighton, The Little Ox is a local favourite for coffee, catch-ups and cake. The café is all things bright and beautiful with a gorgeous space perfect for meeting a mate or working away on your laptop in a corner. The menu includes the best of brunch and lunch fare, with a few fancy ingredients to spice things up. Fresh and fun.

On the foodie strip that is Flinders Lane, The Meatball & Wine Bar is one of the most popular options, offering specialty meatballs and a great list of wines that will satisfy those in need of a snack and drink, or a meal and several drinks. All meats are sourced locally and the team recommend letting them guide you when making your choice. May we recommend the most excellent meatball sliders?! Oh and make sure you save room for the Whoopie Mac dessert! For the earlybirds, The Meatball & Wine Bar on Flinders Lane also serve brekkie - yum!

Located on Market Lane and open every day for lunch and dinner, Shoya Japanese is spread over six levels, creating that rare mix of fine dining and casual sharing.

Palmz hosts one of the finest rooftop environments that Melbourne has to offer, occupying the top level of The Carlton Hotel on Bourke Street. One simply cannot surpass this location on a fine summer's evening. Adorned with tropical palm trees and those iconic plastic pink flamingos, one may approach the bamboo Tiki bar with the knowledge that Palmz is a true oasis of the Melbourne metropolis.

Located on Flinders Lane lies the original Barre Body studio, where the female population of Melbourne flock in their lycra to get their downward dogs and arabesques on. Fusing yoga, pilates and ballet barre and developed by Melbourne-born fitness guru (and founder of Urban Remedy), Emma Seibold, Barre Body classes are designed to give you a full body workout, creating a long, lean, dancer's physique. Classes are fun and dynamic - choose from Barre Body, Barre Moves or traditional yoga.

The ballet barre trend shows no sign of slowing down in Melbourne, if the dedicated following of Barre Body in Windsor is anything to go by. One of four studios in Melbourne, Windsor is a beautiful, clean and tranquil space where classes combine barre, yoga and pilates for an intense and fun top to toe workout. With a variety of classes on offer, there is no chance of boredom.

The Rowena Parade Corner Store is a casually charming cafe and old school milk bar in Richmond, with a decidedly Greek flavour. Serving the local community for awhile now, the store is full of retro signage, tinned tomato-lined shelves, and homely furniture. Grab the family and drop in for some spanakopita or a BLT, enjoy the sunshine in the courtyard, and pick up some milk and provisions on your way out.

Located opposite the Carlton Gardens on Rathdowne Street, Epocha restaurant and bar is only a stone's throw from Melbourne's CBD. The stunning 1884 Victorian terrace home setting is a testament to the meaning of Epocha as 'a measure of time'. The food follows suit with an array of European sharing dishes complemented by regional wines. The staff at Epocha will invite you to feel right at home, and if you feel like settling in, make sure you pop upstairs for a nightcap at Hannah's Bar.

Housed in an old shoemaker's shop, Carolina in Brunswick East is your serious go-to destination on Nicholson Street for all things breakfast & lunch, with an impressive cocktail list to boot. With it's very own fully fledged beer garden/courtyard out back, who could possibly resist a few cold ones on a sunny afternoon?

Ocha has been impressing Melburnians for over 16 years, with the Japanese favourite outgrowing its first premises to move into the Bee Hive building on Church Street in Hawthorn. Their impeccable combination of seasonal Australian cuisine with traditional Japanese techniques has seen them winning fans and awards. Our pick? On the last Monday of every month, Ocha hosts an epic 10-course degustation evening in their modern yet understated restaurant.