Your ultimate guide to Melbourne
Discover the city's best things to do, culture, dining, nightlife, bars and theatre
What to do in Melbourne
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Five hidden secrets of Victoria Harbour
Melburnians like to think we know everything about the city in which we live. We know where to find the cheapest coffee or the best dumplings in the city, but there are certain things that even a life-long Melburnian may not have an index of knowledge about. Case in point: Victoria Harbour. Victoria Harbour is a precinct of Docklands, located where Collins and Bourke streets meet beside the picturesque harbour. With its direct connection to the CBD via Collins Street, Vic Harbour is a mix of residential, office, retail and community spaces. It’s ready to be explored, so hop on the tram and make a day of it. Find out even more about Victoria Harbour on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Here's what happened at Little Creatures Live at GABS Beer Cider and Food Fest
What do jugglers, can-can dancers and drummers have in common? They all wowed crowds at GABS Beer, Cider and Food Fest in Melbourne last weekend (May 19-21), thanks to a certain West Australian brewery who are known for being more than a little bit quirky. Last week, Little Creatures took their travelling roadshow series to Collingwood pub the Gem. This time, they went from cosy pub to the big stage, setting up a huge pop-up beer and performance space at one of the largest beer festivals in the southern hemisphere. It was hard to miss the red and white-striped umbrellas, Kombi van, and elevated stage smack bang in the middle of the Royal Exhibition Building. Thirsty beer-lovers gravitated to the bar, where friendly Little Creatures brewers served up six of Creatures’ tasty beers, including a Festoon White IPA brewed specially for GABS, as well as the winter seasonal Fire Falcon Hoppy Red and their new single batch Dreadnought Foreign Extra Stout. (Praise be to whoever invented tasting paddles!). Suddenly, all eyes rose to the stage on top of the bar. A team of marching band-style drummers erupted into a thunderous performance, lighting a fire under beer-lovers in even the farthest corner of the room. Throughout the day and night, performers seemed to suddenly appear on the stage, each one completely different from the last. Minds were blown when a team of acrobats lifted each other in increasingly difficult positions, and when a bevvy of colourful can-can dancers whipp
Blanc de Blanc
After sizzling hot runs in Sydney, London and Adelaide, Blanc de Blanc is finally making its way to Melbourne for a season of Champagne-fuelled cabaret. The evening of adults-only circus, dance, acrobatics and other antics will be heating up the Spiegeltent at Map 57, a brand new arts precinct in St Kilda. This winter cast of quirky performers – comedians, models, show girls, singers, contortionists and aerial artists – will turn the night into a mad romp that begins in a sophisticated Parisian cabaret venue and slowly transforms into a crazed nightclub party. Expect bubbles, burlesque, balloons, sequins and tops off, for a hands down good time. "If Baz Luhrmann made a nightclub it'd be like this" – Time Out Sydney Find out more about Blanc de Blanc.
Lunch like Van Gogh at No35
Taking inspiration from the National Gallery of Victoria’s latest exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons, this gastronomical adventure will see you getting creative with your lunch at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins' No35 restaurant. Sofitel’s executive chef John Savage has prepared a menu that is equal parts creative and delectable. On arrival you'll receive three tubes of edible 'paint' sauces. The amuse-bouche will transform into an artistic endeavour, in which you can make your very own edible work of art on housemade bread. To follow, you'll enjoy French dishes such as warm egg salad Lyonnaise; beef bourguignon with braised beef, potato purée, sautéed mushrooms and red wine sauce; followed by crème caramel with Cognac-soaked raisins. So whether you're a Van Gogh fan, a creative foodie or just looking for a sensory food adventure the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins has a lunch you'll want to try. Bookings are essential. Find out more about Lunch like Van Gogh at Sofitel on Collins' No35.
The 50 best pubs in Melbourne
Pubs are as integral to Melbourne as trams and coffee – a supporting beam in the architecture of our great city, and one from which to hang other fundamentals of our character like music, food and footy. The pubs below are the ones that stand out as supporters of that culture. Some of them have taken home gongs at the Time Out Pub Awards. Others have been named among Melbourne's best live music pubs or best pubs to watch the AFL. We hope you have as much fun exploring Melbourne's pub scene as we do. Bottoms up!
How to spend a day in Melbourne CBD on $50
Down to your last fiddy and need to take someone out for a day in Melbourne? There’s actually a surprising amount of things you can do with a crisp pineapple. Our first tip: stick to the CBD, where you can get around in the free tram zone. 1. Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens: Free Start off by wandering through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Everyone does the walk around the Tan, but head deep into the gardens to check out the vast plant collections and landscapes. Our favourites are the Arid Garden, which showcases many exotic desert plants and cacti and the lush Fern Gully that looks like something out of Jurassic Park. 2. Get a snack at Shortstop Doughnuts and Coffee: $9 Visit this little laneway doughnut shop for a fresh, delicious doughie like this maple glaze and walnut number, which you can watch being made in the open kitchen, coffee in hand. Shortstop gets their coffee from local roaster Market Lane, known for their serious blends. 3. Go on a self-guided tour of Melbourne’s arcades: Free (if you don’t buy anything) Window shopping is infinitely more interesting at the Royal and Block Arcades. Start at Royal Arcade’s Bourke Street Mall entrance and get a feel for how Melbourne’s 19th Century shoppers spent their well-earned shillings. Cross Little Collins Street to enter Block Arcade and pay close attention to the beautiful mosaic tile floor and stunning glass canopy. If you have more cash to spare, stop by the arcade’s excellent cafes and shops offer
