What's happening in Melbourne
The best things to do this week
Feast on Victorian produce, craft beers, and wines at Malvern's food festival
Explore Abbotsford Convent like never before, with a massive program of arts, food, markets, performance and live music
Melbourne Music Week kicks off this year with a celebration of queer music at ACMI
Aussie rockers You Am I will be bringing the house down at Melbourne Town Hall during Melbourne Music Week
Discover locally made homewares, fashion and food at this north side market
Lose yourself in a psychedelic musical experience held in complete darkness
It wouldn’t be Melbourne Music Week without this night of free gigs and dance parties across the city
Three of Melbourne's most promising artists are playing a triple bill at ACMI
The latest news
Competitions and announcements
Get ready to rock with one of Broadway's most beloved new musicals, now playing in Melbourne
See bold minimal sculptures at this exhibition of recent work from the Irish artist
See all the high octane action in person without having to spend a cent
Find your style match with independent makers and designers at this three-day art, fashion and design festival
Ladies and gents, suit up at this custom tailor in Richmond and enjoy a discount on your first order
The best of Melbourne
Wondering what to do in Melbourne? Take a look at our ultimate bucket list: 50 fun things to do in Melbourne, plus what makes the city great, from the food to the festivals and everything in between.
Expert tips for exploring the city's best attractions for zero dollars
From world-beating cocktail lounges to down-and-divey saloons, here's everywhere worth drinking in Melbourne
Behold, our eat-and-destroy list – a guide to Melbourne's best restaurants, from fine dining to cheap eats
When you think Melbourne, some of the words that come to mind surely must be 'coffee', 'laneways' and 'street art'. Street art covers almost every nook and cranny of our creative, colourful city, but there are more highly concentrated clusters than others. These are the street art hotspots that any self-respecting 'grammer should be snapping: the city's ten best street mural hotspots, in all their spray-painted laneway glory. Continue your art journey through Melbourne at these free galleries, or purchase your very own piece of art at one of these weird and wonderful shops.
If you know where to look, you can get by in Melbourne for a lot less than you'd think
If you're looking for a break from the inner-city grid, there's no better cure than a day trip from Melbourne.
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.
Kensington has northwest charm in spades: there are wide, tree-lined streets, plenty of public transport and green spaces aplenty.
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.
Our guide to casual dining in Melbourne with American Express
Twirling spoons at the ready? We’ve scoured Melbourne’s many Italian restaurants to find these Nonna-approved pasta dishes, from pillowy soft gnocchi to tangy pesto just made to be sopped up with bread. The best part? You’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that these venues welcome American Express. Buon appetito!
Melbourne is home to excellent Chinese restaurants that serve up dim sum with serious style. Whether you're after an elegant banquet, a hangover-soothing repast or some steaming hot dumplings, these restaurants have some seriously great dim sum dishes. At all these venues, you’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that they welcome American Express.
You can find something cheap and delicious on almost every street in Melbourne – the city has never had an issue in feeding the masses for less than a tenner. It's not all dims sims and jam doughnuts either: in the world's most liveable city, $20 will get you treats like goat's cheese churros, pillowy xiao long bao, and pear and black pudding tarte tatin. And when it comes to the bill you can pay with confidence, knowing these venues take American Express.
Plant eater or not, the thrill of landing a plate of crunchy, just-fried falafel is the stuff of every food nerd’s dreams. These deep-fried balls of goodness can look and taste slightly different depending on which country they come from. Syrian and Lebanese falafel tend to have a chickpea centre, while Egyptian ones are usually made of ground fava. Use our cheat sheet to track down your favourite version in Melbourne, and pay in confidence with American Express.
A good stir-fry is all about the breath of the wok – that magical combination of heat, impeccable timing and squeaky-fresh produce that transports you straight to the backstreets of buzzy Asian cities. Whether it’s a smoky char kuey teow, crunchy Laotian noodles or an upgrade on the classic beef and black bean, we’ve sought out the best stir fries in Melbourne. Check out the diverse range of dishes that come alive in the wok, and pay in confidence knowing these venues welcome American Express.
We love a good rooftop and a pub will always earn an extra special place in our heart if it’s got a great beer garden – so it’s agreed by almost everyone – dining in the sunshine is always a good idea. With that in mind, we scoured the city for the best terraces, balconies, rooftops and gardens, where you can enjoy an alfresco snack and a brew or two. Then, when it comes to getting the cheque, you can pay in confidence knowing these venues welcome American Express.
Melbourne’s vibrant food scene has no shortage of treats that won’t bust your weekly budget. From tasty Mediterranean and Asian classics to Middle Eastern and American dude food, these are all excellent dishes by chefs at the top of their game. All these venues take American Express. Would you like a complimentary side with your meal? Check out these Side with Amex venues.
Creative sushi chefs and excellent produce make Melbourne a great place to explore the magical combination of rice, seaweed and protein. The fact that it makes for a swift, filling and inexpensive lunch makes sushi an irresistible siren song to busy workers and students, who flock to the hundreds of restaurants that fill every corner of the city. To make things even easier, at all these venues, you’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that these venues welcome American Express.
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Think sidelines are for softies? If you’re the type who likes to throw yourself headlong into the athletic action, boy does Queensland have the line-up for you. The Sunshine State puts on ocean swims through impossibly clear water off a tropical island; sends mountain bikers off on trails through the tropical north’s rainforests; and lets serious fitness buffs take a test of endurance in one of the country’s most famous beach cities. There are also adventure marathons, because, you know, a regular marathon just doesn’t feel challenging enough sometimes, as well as triathlons that feed into full-blown festivals. Given the A+ locations of all these events, there’s every reason to celebrate your achievements with a holiday (could there be a better excuse?) If in the north you can cruise from Cairns to Port Douglas along a magnificent coastal road then venture through rainforest and crater lakes on the Atherton Tableland. Or, if southbound, you can split from the coast and walk trails through the Springbrook and Lamington National Parks (‘cos you like to keep moving), or chill at a cute B&B in the mountains of Montville or Maleny (‘cos you’re absolutely buggered). So: ready to start training?
Something very long, very colourful and very hungry is coming to the Arts Centre Melbourne for a limited season. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show brings Eric Carle’s classic children’s picture book to life on stage in a masterful theatrical performance. Tots and tykes will watch wide-eyed as the Arts Centre Melbourne uses a veritable menagerie of colourful puppets (there’s 75 in total) to recreate the much-loved book. Since it was first published in 1969, the gluttonous caterpillar has delighted children as it ate its way through one apple on Monday, all the way through to its junk food feast on Saturday. As well as watching Carle’s famous caterpillar eat and (spoiler alert) grow into a beautiful butterfly, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show also enchants children with faithful adaptations of three more of the author’s picture books: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, The Very Lonely Firefly and Mister Seahorse. The Australian-made theatre production lifts Eric Carle’s dainty, tissue-paper collage illustrations off the page with the help of New York puppet studio, Puppet Kitchen. The show has been created by Jonathan Rockefeller (a past protégé of Australian director Baz Luhrmann) and directed by Naomi Edwards (who previously directed a children’s opera titled When Moon Dust Falls). The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show will take to the stage at Playhouse for five days only from November 28 to December 2. The 50-minute show is best suited for children aged three to eight. Th
This is the first survey Australian exhibition of the Irish-born artist who's set to represent Ireland at next year’s Venice Biennale. For her illustrious two decade career, she’s used just about every material imaginable – concrete, leather, jesmonite, fabric and plastic – to create striking but minimal sculptures. She draws her inspiration from the minimal art of the 1960s and '70s, as well as classical architecture and pop culture. The exhibition at ACCA brings together recent work from the past decade with brand new commissions.
With Christmas creeping up, now's the time to lock in your festive celebration details. Organising food and drink is easy, but making your party slicker than the rest is the tricky part. Fotobox Australia is all about capturing parties and events in the most fun and dynamic way possible. Try one of their Mobstas to capture all the Christmas and holiday cheer. It's the next generation of roving photobooths for hire. With the Mobsta, you can snap a branded 3D animated GIF, Boomerang or stop-motion GIF on the spot. The best thing about it? It's handheld and totally portable, meaning it can pop up anywhere at your event. After you've snapped your moment, you can have it sent to your email instantly. For events and brands that means heaps of great social interaction, and for you, it means red hot chrissie content. Fotobox is offering you one hour free if you book a Mobsta between November 26 and December 23. Exclusively for Time Out readers, this deal means you get the required three-hour minimum Mobsta time at your event with the final hour valued at $150 on the house – just remember to use the code TIMEOUT during your consultation. Book your Mobsta roaming photobooth and find out more here.
During summer in Queensland it’s all systems go on fun and frivolities. The southeast corner in particular becomes a flurry of activity, including sporting tournaments, music festivals, art exhibitions and much more. As 2018 ticks over to 2019, you can watch all the tennis action in Brisbane, let your hair down at one of the country’s biggest folk festivals, and enjoy a spot of polo by the beach. Culture buffs can peruse international works of contemporary art, while sports nuts sit it out for three days at the Gabba with eyes fixed on a cricket ball. In between the formalities there are plenty of other places to chill/explore (depending on your energy levels), including Brisbane’s inner-city beach at South Bank, which makes even locals feel like they’re on holidays; the hill with a view, Mt Coot-tha; and wine trails through the Granite Belt. You can also head offshore to Stradbroke, Moreton and Fraser Islands, the latter being the world’s largest sand island, or get lost in the hinterlands behind the Gold or Sunshine Coasts. Of course, the coasts are also ripe for beachy stuff, so bring your towel and a surfboard.
Dogs are welcome, nay, encouraged at the Prince Alfred’s new Sunday sessions. Hair of the Dog is the pub’s new Sunday sesh where the drinks are flowing, the specials are ample and your mutts are part of valued clientele. Every weekend Richmond’s Prince Alfred will help you shake off your Saturday night hangover better than your dog shakes off after a bath. Bring your Staffy, greyhound, Frenchie or poodle variation down to Prince Alfred from 11.30am every Sunday and nurse yourself back to a functioning human in the pub’s gloriously sunny beer garden. To ease your transition into the week, the Prince Alfred’s bar will be slinging Bloody Marys for $12. More of a wine drinker? The venue is also doing ‘Clicquot hour’ where punters can score glasses of the extra spesh Champagne for $19, or try a glass Veuve Clicquot rosé for $22. The best part is Clicquot hour is every hour at Prince Alfred and the friendly team will even serve you popcorn to enjoy while you sip. Prince Alfred has even come up with a way to avoid those big ol’ puppy eyes from making you feel guilty about eating and drinking in front of your pet. The Hair of the Dog Sunday sessions will also have puppy snacks, freely available so your favourite family member (it’s true, don’t deny it) won’t go hungry. The pub’s big, leafy beer garden is just asking to be sniffed and explored by your pooch, pupper or very good boy. Prince Alfred’s Hair of the Dog Sunday sessions are on every Sunday from 11.30am to 1.30pm.
Jameson is hosting a blockbuster festival called JJ's Place filled with live music, exclusive beer and whiskey tastings and delicious snacks for one-day only at the Easey Street showroom. The best part? It's free entry, with your first round on the house for you and a mate, if you register on the site. JJ's Place promises a packed and exciting day with your pals, especially if your crew are music lovers. The festival is headlined by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, with sets from Bec Sandridge and Bitch Diesel to boot. The tunes will be flowing the entire event with PBS Djs between live sets. The festival also boasts the launch of Jameson Caskmates IPA editions, a blended Irish whiskey finished in IPA beer barrels. The hoppy, smooth whiskey will be served up the way it is best enjoyed, with fresh lemon and tonic. There'll also be other delicious selections from the Jameson Caskmates family to try: the stout with soda and orange; the hard shandy; and a limited edition Young Henrys Irish pale ale boilermaker. Alongside whiskey tastings, you'll also get the chance to watch a live barrel charring with the Jameson master distiller and Master cooper. JJ's Place has also got great snacks to pair with all that delicious whiskey and beer, teaming-up with local burger faves, Leonards's House of Love who have cooked up a Jamo-inspired dish, 'Mates Plates. Round-up your mates and register for JJ's Place here.
If sitting around sipping bevvies and eating delicious canapés with some of Australia’s cricketing legends sounds like a good time to you, then gather round because this is something you need to know about. On Friday, November 23 The Duke is holding another of its seasonal rooftop sports luncheons, hosted by Liam Pickering and featuring guest cricketers Damien Fleming and Brad Hodge. The luncheon takes place just before the Australis vs India match at the MCG (which begins at 7pm), so you can enjoy it before heading off to the game. It will run from 1-4pm and costs $110 to attend. The price includes a three-hour drinks package (featuring Furphy beer and house wine) and roaming nibbles, as well as the opportunity to meet Fleming and Hodge. Damien Fleming, otherwise known as the ‘Bowlologist’, is one of Australia’s great swing bowlers. He first played for Australia in 1994 against Pakistan and was the only Australian to take a hat-trick. Brad Hodge made his debut on the international stage in 2005 when he joined Australia’s team against India, and he has made over 17,000 first-class runs. His batting average sits just under 50, and he now focuses on T20 matches. Some of the Duke’s past sports luncheons have included stars such as Ian Bothan and Kevin Sheedy.
San Telmo doesn’t muck around. This gaucho steakhouse run by a bunch of Melbourne hospo gringos lays its carnivorous scene at the entrance, where some impressive bits of cow sit dry ageing behind glass. It’s a memorable welcome, the voluptuously marbled fat a promise in writing of good things to come. Step further into this temple de carne in Melbourne’s parliament barrio and you’ll come face to face with the open kitchen and its centrepiece parilla, where glowing hot coals are shovelled around by a brow-mopping chef who really ought to be paid danger money. The people have spoken, and the people want meat. They want meat in a lair that’s just like being transported to Buenos Aires, where cowhide in its various forms covers the menus and every other available surface. The people also want fried broccoli. The must-order dish at San Telmo is their contribution to the oeuvre known as good veg gone bad: florets of broccoli fried in batter until they scream for crunchy mercy and buried under a salty cheese blizzard of grated pecorino. You could easily sit down with a plate of these babies, a glass of something off the all-Argentinean wine list and call it lunch. But there are more strings to the San Telmo bow than steak and fried broccoli. There’s a vitello tonnato playing tribute to the nation’s significant Italian population; tissue-fragile pieces of eye fillet, dabbed behind the ears with tuna mayo and given a classical kick with capers and parmesan. There’s a born-to-be-mild
Bottomless brunches are more common in Melbourne than ticket inspectors on trams (though decidedly more enjoyable). In a city filled with avocado toasts and piddly Mimosas, there’s one place that’s doing the weekend staple a little differently. Starting November 10 the Smith is hosting Brunch with Soul, a new bottomless brunch with a divine difference. Every Saturday while you’re enjoying your endless drinks and the brunch menu, the Smith will be switching things up Sister Act-style with a live gospel choir roaming throughout the Prahran venue. Praise be – finally a brunch that lets you enjoy music from the hallowed halls while downing a sweet selection of spritzes. The Smith’s brunch drinks menu features six pretty-as-can-be spritzes to try plus house wine, beer and sparkling. For a hit of citrus try the Pamplemousse Spritz, a zingy mix of grapefruit, pinot gris and soda. Or for something botanical try the Lavender Bomb: Bombay Sapphire Gin with lavender, prosecco and soda. While the choir spreads the gospel (music) you’ll be enjoying one of the dishes on the Smith’s heavenly brunch menu. Go classic with the Smith’s almost hangover-curing egg and bacon burger (it somes sandwiched with a salt and vinegar hash brown). Those wanting to balance out their drinks with some wholesome fare can opt for the vegan and gluten-free coconut rice pudding, which comes topped with roast banana and berry compôte. Or just lean into the boozy brunch and get the Aperol French toast with gr
