Guidebook for Melbourne

Jess & Tim
Jess & Tim
Guidebook for Melbourne

Food Scene

Price range: $7-15 per person. This place is an institution for dumplings. Cheap dumplings, poor service, yet you always go back for more. For around $12-14 they have an all you can eat menu.
21 locals recommend
Shanghai Dumpling House
23 Tattersalls Ln
21 locals recommend
Price range: $7-15 per person. This place is an institution for dumplings. Cheap dumplings, poor service, yet you always go back for more. For around $12-14 they have an all you can eat menu.
This is my favourite place *MUST TRY* for foodies who love to share plates. Fusion Asian, funky and modern. Our menu (~$65 total): Pulled Pork rollups (Tim), King Fish sashimi (Jess), twice cooked grass fed beef short rib (to die for!! We both love this dish. MUST TRY) and plain rice. We love sitting at the kitchen table to watch them prepare meals. You will find every other Melburnian loves Chin Chin too. You cannot book, so to avoid the 1 to 2 hour waiting time arrive between 5 - 5.45pm or after 9.45pm, or lunch time. If you have to wait, head downstairs to their Go Go cocktail bar, and order my favourite La Provence sweet/sour cocktail. Meatballs restaurant nearby is also an excellent choice for a quick snack. Chin Chin can be a noisy environment and is perhaps not suited for the older demographic.
552 locals recommend
Chin Chin
125 Flinders Ln
552 locals recommend
This is my favourite place *MUST TRY* for foodies who love to share plates. Fusion Asian, funky and modern. Our menu (~$65 total): Pulled Pork rollups (Tim), King Fish sashimi (Jess), twice cooked grass fed beef short rib (to die for!! We both love this dish. MUST TRY) and plain rice. We love sitting at the kitchen table to watch them prepare meals. You will find every other Melburnian loves Chin Chin too. You cannot book, so to avoid the 1 to 2 hour waiting time arrive between 5 - 5.45pm or after 9.45pm, or lunch time. If you have to wait, head downstairs to their Go Go cocktail bar, and order my favourite La Provence sweet/sour cocktail. Meatballs restaurant nearby is also an excellent choice for a quick snack. Chin Chin can be a noisy environment and is perhaps not suited for the older demographic.
Hole-in-the -wall coffee shop as recommended by our German barista guest who competed in the MICE World Cup Tasters Championship in Melbourne. He said The Cup of Truth serves good coffee and we believe him....Tim & I are big kids and don't appreciate coffee, but rather a good cuppa tea, hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake :) To get there, exit right out of our apartment, walk about 20 metres and go downstairs to Campbell Arcade underground subway to Flinders Station. It is only open Monday to Friday.
14 locals recommend
Cup of Truth
12 Degraves St
14 locals recommend
Hole-in-the -wall coffee shop as recommended by our German barista guest who competed in the MICE World Cup Tasters Championship in Melbourne. He said The Cup of Truth serves good coffee and we believe him....Tim & I are big kids and don't appreciate coffee, but rather a good cuppa tea, hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake :) To get there, exit right out of our apartment, walk about 20 metres and go downstairs to Campbell Arcade underground subway to Flinders Station. It is only open Monday to Friday.
This place is only good for one thing only... Kothu Roti. Sri Lankan Kothu Roti is like the fried rice to Chinese, Paella to Spanish, Biriyani to Indian or Risotto to Italian cuisines. They serve it in vegetarian, lamb (the best), chicken, beef (I think) or seafood. Tim loves this place, as do I. It costs about $10 and is good eat in or take away.
Jolly J's Restaurant
550 Bourke St
This place is only good for one thing only... Kothu Roti. Sri Lankan Kothu Roti is like the fried rice to Chinese, Paella to Spanish, Biriyani to Indian or Risotto to Italian cuisines. They serve it in vegetarian, lamb (the best), chicken, beef (I think) or seafood. Tim loves this place, as do I. It costs about $10 and is good eat in or take away.
Did you know Melbourne has the largest Greek population of any city in the World - outside of Greece? With that comes MasterChef's George Calombaris Greek street food, Jimmy Grants. Jimmy Grants is slang for 'immigrants' where he pays homage to his Greek heritage and blesses Melbourne with good food. For $11 try the Mr Papadopoulos souvlaki for slow cooked lamb (it's small, but sooo delish), or the Cypriot Grain Salad for vegos. I think the salad is gf too.
Jimmy Grants Emporium
330/287 Lonsdale St
Did you know Melbourne has the largest Greek population of any city in the World - outside of Greece? With that comes MasterChef's George Calombaris Greek street food, Jimmy Grants. Jimmy Grants is slang for 'immigrants' where he pays homage to his Greek heritage and blesses Melbourne with good food. For $11 try the Mr Papadopoulos souvlaki for slow cooked lamb (it's small, but sooo delish), or the Cypriot Grain Salad for vegos. I think the salad is gf too.

Drinks & Nightlife

Looking for hipster haven? If you like something a bit different and very Melbourne, head over to Section 8. The space is full of graffiti and has old wooden pallets and milk crates strewn about.
87 locals recommend
Section 8
27-29 Tattersalls Ln
87 locals recommend
Looking for hipster haven? If you like something a bit different and very Melbourne, head over to Section 8. The space is full of graffiti and has old wooden pallets and milk crates strewn about.
This amazing bar in the Rialto has great views of Melbourne without paying the The Eureka Sky Deck entry fees. The bar is part of Vue De Monde fine dining. Be sure to dress up. Prices start from $15.
297 locals recommend
Lui Bar
525 Collins St
297 locals recommend
This amazing bar in the Rialto has great views of Melbourne without paying the The Eureka Sky Deck entry fees. The bar is part of Vue De Monde fine dining. Be sure to dress up. Prices start from $15.
Like whiskey? This is a true hidden gem in Melbourne that is sure to impress - but good luck finding it! You'll find this place hidden away in Malthouse Lane, just a small lamp above a door you will walk straight past. Wait for people to exit to see where the entrance is, and go early to avoid the wait. Perfect for winter too.
127 locals recommend
Eau De Vie
1 Malthouse Ln
127 locals recommend
Like whiskey? This is a true hidden gem in Melbourne that is sure to impress - but good luck finding it! You'll find this place hidden away in Malthouse Lane, just a small lamp above a door you will walk straight past. Wait for people to exit to see where the entrance is, and go early to avoid the wait. Perfect for winter too.

Essentials

Supermarket and convenience store. More of an 'express' style store.
24 locals recommend
Woolworths Flinders Street (Metro)
262 Flinders St
24 locals recommend
Supermarket and convenience store. More of an 'express' style store.
Cheaper than Woolworths Metro for all your supermarket and grocery needs.
130 locals recommend
Coles
Separation Street
130 locals recommend
Cheaper than Woolworths Metro for all your supermarket and grocery needs.
A discount variety store selling a great range of affordable products and knick knacks for only $2.80! You'll walk out with stuff you don't need! Great to travel, beauty, kitchenware, and other random things.
Daiso Japan
276 Flinders St
A discount variety store selling a great range of affordable products and knick knacks for only $2.80! You'll walk out with stuff you don't need! Great to travel, beauty, kitchenware, and other random things.