What's happening in Melbourne
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Pay respects to ANZAC veterans and current serving personnel with the rest of Australia
Get ready to get messy – you're going to get covered in colour at this Holi celebration
Everyone’s favourite chocolate treat is getting its own festival
See works from Victoria's best design students at Melbourne Museum – when they become famous you can say you saw them back when
The Planetarium opens after hours for adults-only film screenings under the big dome
The latest news
Competitions and announcements
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After a cracker of a Saturday night we all know what it’s like to feel a little bit dusty come Sunday morning. When you realise that you’ve got only a few precious hours of weekend freedom left the panic can really start to set in. Luckily the Newmarket Hotel has the perfect antidote. Take the edge off your Sunday mornings with the Newmarket’s Bottomless Martini Brunch Sundays. Their $35 package gives your two hours of delicious drinks down in sunny St Kilda. And despite the name the package includes more than just Martinis. During your two hours you can treat yourself to Espresso Martinis, Bellinis and Mimosas as well as selected beer and wine. Naturally you’re going to want some food to accompany your drinks so the Newmarket has cut its brunch buddies a deal. When you buy the bottomless Martini drinks package you can get any brunch menu item for an additional $15. Nothing pairs with a Mimosa quite like an eggs benny or if you've a sweet tooth get a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with ice cream and candied bacon. There's a mean smashed avo on offer too, complete with tomato, chilli and poached eggs. Or wait around for the lunch menu and getting yourself one of the Newmarket’s hearty ‘big fella’ chicken parmas. There are three two-hour brunch sessions each Sunday. If you’re the sort of person who’s already jogged the Tan before 9am book in for the 10am session. For those who like to sleep in there are 11am and noon brunch sessions available as well. Come for the bo
What's better than getting your hands on a fresh copy of Time Out Melbourne? Getting your hands of a fresh copy for free. This year, Time Out is going quarterly in Melbourne and Sydney – and we're celebrating by handing out copies of our new-look autumn issue across both cities for two days. What's more, our new magazine is packed with all the winners of our 2018 Bar Awards, making it your ultimate guide to Melbourne's bar scene (cheers!). Read on and you'll also find a swag of fun Melbourne International Comedy Festival interviews, new restaurant reviews, and all the best events happening in Melbourne from March through to May. So where can you get it? Free copies will be distributed on Thursday and Friday, March 1-2 between 7am and 10am at following locations: Flinders Street Station (Princes Bridge exit on Thursday and Swanston Street exit on Friday) Melbourne Central Station (Swanston Street exit and La Trobe Street exit on Thursday and Swanston Street exit and Elizabeth Street exit on Friday) Flagstaff Station (William Street exit on Thursday and La Trobe Street exit on Friday) Richmond Station (Swan Street exit) Look for the friendly Time Out crew in white T-shirts, and remember: you can only get your free copy from 7am to 10am this Thursday and Friday. We think you'll like our new look. Time Out Melbourne magazine subscriptions Following a decision by our magazine distribution service to cease all subscription services in 2018, subscriptions to Time Out Me
The best of Melbourne
This is it: the definitive list of the people, the places and the things that make our city so great
From world-beating cocktail lounges to down-and-divey saloons, here's everywhere worth drinking in Melbourne
For a breath of fresh air, head out of the city this weekend with our guide to Melbourne’s best day hikes.
Wander down a cobbled alley to find what these icons are hiding
Behold, our eat-and-destroy list – a guide to Melbourne's best restaurants, from fine dining to cheap eats
If you know where to look, you can get by in Melbourne for a lot less than you'd think
Melbourne area guides
The heart of the city, home to Chinatown and some of Melbourne's best restaurants and arts institutions.
Exceptional Italian food, gelato and coffee, plus an excellent museum and theatre.
Great vintage stores, and don't miss the famous Art Deco Astor Theatre.
Is Kensington the new North Melbourne? It’s a fair call, seeing as this little pocket of northside suburbia is gaining more restaurants, small-scale breweries and property-hunting 30-somethings by the second. Bordered by North Melbourne and the virtually indistinguishable suburb of Flemington, Kensington has northwest charm in spades: there are wide, tree-lined streets, plenty of public transport (the Craigieburn train line and the 57 tram run right through it) and green spaces aplenty. Whether you’re on the lookout for a cheerful breakfast joint, a new walking track or the best African food outside Footscray, Kenso’s the place. Looking for more fun in the west? Check out our guides to Footscray and Yarraville while you're here.
Inventive bars, geek girl boutiques and envelope-pushing eateries. Plus live music institutions.
Multicultural hub, with dining options from all over the world and a thriving food scene.
The wide streets of a country town and a lovely communal feel. Plenty of good bars.
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Let’s be honest, having a car in the city can sometimes be more hassle than it’s worth. The lack of parking and the traffic is frustrating – so why not opt for fast and easy public transport instead? But ditching your wheels doesn’t mean you’re indentured to a life on the rails. Distracted by the tram – the flashy showboater of the city’s transport network – maybe you’ve forgotten that Melbourne has an extensive bus network? For where trains and tram fear to tread Melbourne’s buses are here to get you there safely. Next time you’re heading out leave the car keys at home and hop on a bus. To plan your public transport journey, find your best route here.
Five-star Melbourne cocktail bar Eau De Vie has joined forces with Star of Bombay (luxury small batch, slow-distilled expression of Bombay Sapphire gin) to debut a swanky new Martini service, the Star of Bombay Martini Trolley. The custom-designed liquid nitrogen-fueled cocktail trolley will pay tribute to the ritual of creating an all-time favourite cocktail, the Martini. Inspired by the lush service experience of the classic cocktail trolley, the Star of Bombay Trolley Service menu will pay respects to the great hotels and bars that created some of the most famed Martinis in the world. Cocktails include the Edwardian, which is a riff on the Savoy Hotel's signature Hanky Panky cocktail from 1903; the Captain Ritz, inspired by the Ritz Sidecar (known as the most expensive cocktail in the world); the Simpson Martini, Eau De Vie’s adaptation of the traditional Dirty Martini from the Connaught in London; and the Magda Martini, inspired by the Dukes Hotel in London. For the Martini aficionados, you can also play by your own rules and create your very own personalised Star of Bombay Martini using bitters, brine and garnishes. You can enjoy a single Martini for $24 or enjoy a sample flight of four Martinis for $50. Reservations are essential for the Star of Bombay Martini Trolley experience. Call 03 8393 9367 or head to their website. Find out more about the Star of Bombay Martini trolley experience at Eau De Vie.
Find yourself day dreaming on a mini getaway? Or perhaps of the perfect dinner date? Then this competition will be right up your alley. Red Spice Road is giving away the ultimate foodie tour this month only. Lucky winners will be transported away for a day of money-can't-buy food and drink experiences. First off, your very own chauffeur will take you to the scenic Yarra Valley wine region. Here you'll get to visit the lauded Mac Forbes winery, where you will go on a private guided walk through his vineyards. You get to indulge in a gourmet lunch backed by beautiful views, all while enjoying bottles of wine from the Woori Yallock vineyard. You will then make tracks to the Four Pillars Gin Distillery where you'll go on a behind-the-scenes tour to find how the craft spirit is made. This will be followed by a private tasting (and you'll also get a take home gift bag!) Your journey will culminate in dinner at Red Spice Road in Melbourne's CBD. You'll get to enjoy a tasting menu with matched wines that showcases the restaurant's Thai, Cambodian, Burmese and Vietnamese influence menu. Sound fun? Find out more about Red Spice Road's ultimate day out competition.
Let’s get real: most people these days are stuck in the nine to five, Monday to Friday. Unless they’re game enough to brave the great weekend morning shopping rush, it doesn’t leave a lot of time in the week to sneak in some shopping time. Well, Chadstone has heard your prayers. They know that the fashion fun needn’t stop when the sun sets – and the fun needn’t be restricted to shopping either. Every Saturday evening in April Chadstone will enchant you with their Magic at Twilight event: a celebration of magic, illusion and performance. Whether you decide to fill your night with food, fashion or entertainment (or a bit of each), Chadstone will keep you entranced this April.
Everyone knows that Chadstone is the place for shopping in Melbourne. The massive retail centre (the largest in the southern hemisphere) buzzes daily with fashionistas discovering the latest trends, plus Melburnians from all over town gathering to dine, drink and be entertained. And the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down – in fact, during April things will get a whole lot more magical. Make your way to Chadstone every Saturday night in April for Magic at Twilight: an enchanting month-long evening festival bringing a bit of magic back into our lives. Chadstone will light up as top magicians, illusionists and entertainers quite literally work their magic throughout the centre’s Magic at Twilight stages and spaces. On the bewitching line-up is Charlie Caper (a dashing magician who won the 2009 Sweden’s Got Talent competition – the first magician in the world to do so), James Galea (whose resume includes appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Today, The Late Late Show and Access Hollywood), Perth magician Pierre Ulric and magician-turned-Survivor-contestant Matt Tarrant. Guests will also be able to gaze in awe at the acrobatic marvels of Dandy Man, whose ability to twist, flip and leap is only bested by his sense of chaotic humour. For something completely different check out Dennis Locke – an acrobat and bubble wrangler who creates giant soap bubbles and manipulates them in his mesmerising performances. There’s more entertainment to keep the mini magicians occupied too
Southbank's Waterslide Bar is peddling a swanky new cocktail menu and bar snacks, which make it the perfect spot for a post-work drink or a Saturday night warm up. Both menus showcase the talents of their in-house mixologists and chefs, and combine locally sourced produce with fresh flavour profiles. On the drinks front, the bar menu plays with tipples that have been inspired by bar-going regulars. You may want to order up the Camper which is a rum-infused twist on a smore (marshmallow, chocolate and gram crackers), or perhaps the Melbournian, which is Waterslide's take on a whisky sour with Starward wine cask, chai and honey with a port foam. You'll also find a handy cocktail rubric, which maps out each of the cocktails according to what they taste like to help you pick the right drink. As for food, it's all about shareable bites including starters, pizzas, charcuterie and cheese. Kick things off with fried Buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce, celery sticks and hot sauce; red miso and beer marinated lamb ribs with soy ginger mayonnaise and lotus root crisps; or pumpkin, black bean and corn empanadas. Soft and hard cheeses come served with quince paste and lavosh crackers while cold cuts including prosciutto, sopressa, bresaola and jamon iberico come served with pickled vegetables and grissini. You can also enjoy the chef's selection of both by ordering up a ploughman's platter. Find out more about Waterslide Bar.
Everyone knows that Chadstone is the place for shopping in Melbourne. The massive retail centre (the largest in the southern hemisphere) buzzes daily with fashionistas discovering the latest trends, plus Melburnians from all over town gathering to dine, drink and be entertained. And the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down – in fact, during April things will get a whole lot more magical. Make your way to Chadstone every Saturday night in April for Magic at Twilight: an enchanting month-long evening festival bringing a bit of magic back into our lives. Chadstone will light up as top magicians, illusionists and entertainers quite literally work their magic throughout the centre’s Magic at Twilight stages and spaces. On the bewitching line-up is Charlie Caper (a dashing magician who won the 2009 Sweden’s Got Talent competition – the first magician in the world to do so), James Galea (whose resume includes appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Today, The Late Late Show and Access Hollywood), Perth magician Pierre Ulric and magician-turned-Survivor-contestant Matt Tarrant. Guests will also be able to gaze in awe at the acrobatic marvels of Dandy Man, whose ability to twist, flip and leap is only bested by his sense of chaotic humour. For something completely different check out Dennis Locke – an acrobat and bubble wrangler who creates giant soap bubbles and manipulates them in his mesmerising performances. There’s more entertainment to keep the mini magicians occupied too
Five-star Melbourne cocktail bar Eau De Vie has joined forces with Star of Bombay (luxury small batch, slow-distilled expression of Bombay Sapphire gin) to debut a swanky new Martini service, the Star of Bombay Martini Trolley. The custom-designed liquid nitrogen-fueled cocktail trolley will pay tribute to the ritual of creating an all-time favourite cocktail, the Martini. Inspired by the lush service experience of the classic cocktail trolley, the Star of Bombay Trolley Service menu will pay respects to the great hotels and bars that created some of the most famed Martinis in the world. Cocktails include the Edwardian, which is a riff on the Savoy Hotel's signature Hanky Panky cocktail from 1903; the Captain Ritz, inspired by the Ritz Sidecar (known as the most expensive cocktail in the world); the Simpson Martini, Eau De Vie’s adaptation of the traditional Dirty Martini from the Connaught in London; and the Magda Martini, inspired by the Dukes Hotel in London. For the Martini aficionados, you can also play by your own rules and create your very own personalised Star of Bombay Martini using bitters, brine and garnishes. You can enjoy a single Martini for $24 or enjoy a sample flight of four Martinis for $50. Reservations are essential for the Star of Bombay Martini Trolley experience. Call 03 8393 9367 or head to their website. Find out more about the Star of Bombay Martini trolley experience at Eau De Vie.
