Melbourne is home to some of Australia's hottest restaurants, galleries, hotels, shops and bars - provided you know where to look. Here, an insider's guide to the best of this vibrant southern city.

Australia’s second-largest city has always punched well above its weight when it comes to the finer things in life – wining and dining, shopping, the arts, hotels. But unless you’re a local, the city’s charms can remain hidden in alleyways and suburban streets. For the best of everything Melbourne has to offer visitors, we asked five experts to give up their secrets – the places they love the most in their hometown. From an off-the-beaten-track café to what is possibly the smallest gallery in the world, these are their favourite haunts.

The experts
Hotels: Simon Westcott
Simon is co-founder and managing director of the Asia-Pacific arm of Mr & Mrs Smith, a boutique hotel guide and booking service launched in Australia and Southeast Asia in 2009.

Restaurants: Jake Nicolson
Having worked at The Square in London and Spain’s elBulli, Victorian chef Jake returned to Melbourne and is now running the kitchen at Circa, The Prince, one of the city’s finest dining establishments.

Bars: Barrie Barton
As co-founder and creative director of Melbourne-based Right Angle Studio, Barrie has been in charge of projects as diverse as cinemas, bars and bespoke hotel rooms. His company’s ThreeThousand email newsletter pops into the inboxes of thousands of Melburnians each week, informing them of the things they should be seeking out.

Arts: Jane O’Neill
One of the brains behind the Art Aficionado tours, Jane leads groups to explore Melbourne’s lesser-known galleries, from small commercial enterprises to artist-run initiatives. She’s also the in-house curator for the city’s Art Series Hotels.

Shopping: Fiona Sweetman
As the owner of Hidden Secrets Tours, Fiona has spent the past seven years scouring the laneways and arcades of Melbourne – in fact, that’s the name of her most popular city walk – and discovering the best local designers and retailers.

Hotels
Villa Donati
Situated in leafy Richmond in Melbourne’s east, opulent Victorian terrace Villa Donati is within easy reach of fantastic restaurants, cafés and cool clothing stores. In its previous incarnations, the historic building was an archbishop’s residence and a massage parlour (though not simultaneously); these days it plays host to just four elegant bedrooms. A European-style breakfast room, communal lounge and luxe touches such as ornate fireplaces, handpicked furniture and objets d’art make for a chic B&B stay. Hot local tips for eating out include Pearl Restaurant + Bar, Union Dining and Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder.

Crown Metropol
Home to acclaimed restaurants, high-end boutiques and a cloud-piercing top-floor bar, Crown Metropol is a box-ticking boutique hotel in Melbourne’s bustling riverside Southbank. The modern black-and-white rooms feature king-size beds, oversized showers and streamlined workstations, making them perfect for “bleisure” trips. Dazzling skyline views come as standard with City Luxe King rooms; Bay Luxe abodes boast Port Phillip vistas. If you’ve come up trumps at neighbouring Crown Casino, opt for the stylish Apartment on the 25th floor. Nearby dining rooms Spice Temple and Bistro Guillaume get my nod for smart bites.

The Lyall Hotel and Spa
A contemporary crash pad located just metres from Chapel Street, South Yarra’s chic shopping strip, The Lyall Hotel and Spa features home-away-from-home comforts, gallery-esque communal spaces, a slinky champagne bar and a seductive day spa. The 40 apartment-style suites have separate living areas and kitchens, making them ideal for long stays (raid nearby Prahran Market for a stash of gourmet fare). If you’re feeling flush, plump for the Platinum Suite – this vast penthouse has played host to the likes of Gwen Stefani, Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson over the years.

The Blackman Hotel
One of three Art Series hotels in Melbourne, The Blackman blends cutting-edge design and bold art with a host of fabulous facilities, including casual café-style dining, a state-of-the-art gym, and bicycle and Smart Car hire for easy jaunts around town. Affordable bedrooms run from open-plan Studios to Junior Suites and the Penthouse with private rooftop balcony. An in-house curator is on hand to talk you through Australian artist Charles Blackman’s large-scale paintings and sculptures, which adorn the reception area and rooms. All this, just a stone’s throw from the centre of town.

The Prince
Iconic St Kilda hotel The Prince is a fixture on Melbourne’s after-dark scene. Hidden behind the graceful Art-Deco façade is a weekend’s worth of experiences, making it a one-stop shop for dining, drinking, sleeping and pampering. Downstairs, there’s rated restaurant Circa, the Prince, the pumping Bandroom (cue earplugs on the weekend), dimly lit Mink vodka bar and the applauded first-floor Aurora Spa Retreat (be sure to book a session when you check in to your room). Upstairs, 40 handsome accommodations feature modern furnishings and a contemporary, neutral colour palette of white walls, stone, rattan and wood.

Duchess of Spotswood
One of my favourite spots for breakfast is just over the West Gate Bridge. The coffee is amazing, and there’s always a special on – something a bit different, like fried duck egg with pork jowl. The other great aspect is that you can have a really hearty breakfast or something lovely and light, like grilled bruschetta with ricotta, heirloom tomatoes, avocado and lemon zest. It’s well worth the trip over the bridge.

Stokehouse
This is the ultimate spot for a long lunch – and during the summer months, champagne on the balcony in the late afternoon as the sun sets is a must before you have dinner. It’s the view of St Kilda beach and the bay that gets everyone here. There’s a downstairs area, too, that’s a busy beach bar and grill serving terrific simple fare such as pizza, pasta and lovely fresh fish – perfect for the setting of sun, sea and sand. But I recommend upstairs where the menu is contemporary Aussie, using great produce – there’s also a brilliant wine list and some very knowledgeable and talented staff to assist with choosing the perfect drop.

East Imperial
This restaurant is fantastic for midweek yum cha lunches. The produce is extremely fresh and it’s clear the kitchen has some highly skilled chefs. A lot of the dishes are handmade, and the service is friendly and professional. You can order à la carte so the food arrives at your table in prime condition, which doesn’t always happen when you choose baskets off the trolley carts that are so typical of this type of cuisine. I always have the Shanghai Little Dragon Buns, which are steamed dumplings with soup inside, and pan-fried, custard-filled pancakes.

Attica
In my opinion this is Melbourne’s finest restaurant for contemporary food – in fact, it’s on the San Pellegrino top 100 list of restaurants around the world. Chef Ben Shewry’s food is quite unique and is based predominantly on foraged ingredients. A degustation menu is offered – including a dedicated vegetarian list – and might feature dishes such as marron with leek and native pepper or artichokes with salt-baked celeriac and Pyengana cheese. 

Middle Park Hotel
This pub serves classic British fare – dishes like Scotch eggs, pot pies, Sunday roasts and the chef’s ploughman – and is great for lunch. All the ingredients are fresh and the steaks, which are a highlight, are sourced from some of Victoria’s best-known producers. Plus, they have a late-night bar that’s open till about 1 a.m. and there are hip rooms in the recently opened hotel upstairs.


Arts
Sarah Scout
Tucked away on the first floor of one of the few remaining Georgian buildings in Melbourne, this gallery is an elegant domestic space showcasing progressive contemporary art by early and mid-career artists. Directors of the gallery Kate Barber and Vikki McInnes are both experienced curators and bring to the space a strong sense of integrity and dedication.

Von Haus
Just below Sarah Scout is this intimate wine bar and restaurant suffused with the irresistible smells of the daily menu. Von Haus is a perfect hideaway if you want to escape the buzz of the city. The name refers to Eugene Von Guerard, the Austrian artist who once lived in the building.

Utopian Slumps
Take a stroll up the delightful Guildford Lane to discover one of Melbourne’s most dynamic contemporary art galleries. Melissa Loughnan, the director of Utopian Slumps, has an unerring eye for the best of contemporary art from Australia and New Zealand. There is a good balance of humour and reverence in the regular monthly exhibitions.

TwentyByThirty
There is a cult of exhibiting in overlooked or unusual spaces in Melbourne and TwentyByThirty is probably the smallest exhibition space of them all. Positioned at the entrance of tiny speakeasy Bar Americano in Presgrave Place, it measures just 20 x 30 centimetres. The space has hosted all manner of exhibitions, from video works to miniature dioramas to post-apocalyptic sculpture.

The Cullen
Look no further than The Cullen for the ultimate crash pad in Melbourne, replete with bold, thought-provoking art by Adam Cullen, winner of the Archibald Prize in 2000. The Cullen Art Hotel boasts a super team of amenable staff, is just across the road from the Prahran Markets, and is blessed with the superb in-house restaurant, Hutong, one of the best dumpling bars in town.

Bars
Gertrude Street Enoteca
Enoteca is the sort of place where you can feel like you’ve “made it” without looking like a tosser. It was one of the city’s first proponents of the Slow Food movement and there’s a kind of low-fi European elegance to all they do. Browse the walls rather than the wine list – Enoteca is more like a library than a bar. The lighting is also very good, which makes it a forgiving place for a date.

The Boatbuilders Yard
Located on the rapidly emerging South Wharf Promenade, this is probably one of the best big bars in the world, mainly because you don’t feel like you are at a big bar when you are there. Designed by Melbourne architectural luminaries Six Degrees, it combines beer, food and a really great view of the city. If you’re in Melbourne during summer, this is the place to be.

The Bottom End
Melbourne does lots of pretty, “world’s most-liveable city” venues, but occasionally you need something kind of crazy and wild. The Bottom End is a newcomer located – surprise, surprise – at the bottom end of the city. Melbourne’s concept bar wunderkind Michael Delaney-Korabelnikova has opened a hybrid pub/disco/bar/pleasure-palace that serves the most ridiculous “dude food” in the city. Go there just after work if you want to shock your colleagues or at the tail end of the night if you want to shock yourself.

Atrium at the Sofitel
Like many people, Melbourne can look better from a distance. Atrium Bar at Sofitel provides the perfect chance to fall in love with the city from the safety of 35 storeys above the streets. You are unlikely to have the best wine, cocktail or service of your life here, but you will have the best view, so it’s a great place to go if you want see the lay of the land.

Gerald’s Bar
Until Gerald’s Bar opened, Carlton was the sort of suburb you would only go to with your 80-year-old mother. But with Gerald’s, all of a sudden, Melbourne’s cool kids have a new favourite. Located in an inauspicious shopfront on Rathdowne Street, Gerald’s offers an exquisite combination of wine, cured meats and more significant meals. The best thing about it, however, are the staff, who are more like a movie cast than a workforce. Some are moody, some are genial, some are helpful and some a bit prickly, but they all really know what they are doing.

Shopping
Chiodo
In this store, located in the basement of an old city telephone exchange, you’ll find a few well-known international brands (Commes des Garçons, Junya Watanabe), as well as designer Andrew Chiodo’s own shirts and jackets that are all made in Melbourne. With their considered detailing, they create a whole new version of businesswear. The space is beautiful with its high ceilings, and the ever-changing furniture (sometimes, even sporting equipment is on display) is great, too.

Shelley Panton
This little backstreet store in Middle Park is just an amazing treasure trove, but not in a messy way. Shelley is a potter and, rather than put the wheel out the back, she’s given it pride of place in the store. You can see her products laid out on tables, among locally printed tea towels, handcrafted furniture and amazing artworks. It’s a feast for the eyes, and a surprisingly intimate retail experience.

Aēsop
I love Aēsop, as much for its provenance and design as for the product. The company has many retail outlets but I adore visiting and sharing the Flinders Lane store, which is made of industrial-grade cardboard – such a simple idea, but also soothing and inspiring. The design comes courtesy of local Melbourne architectural firm, March Studios (in collaboration with Aēsop’s owner Dennis Paphitis), and the product sits so well within it. The front shelving area allows the whimsy of the visual merchandising to jump out at you. Aēsop is a range of botanically based skin- and hair-care products, and the smell in the store is enough to make you want to re-mortgage your house.

Fokus
Centre Place is one of those Melbourne back alleys famed for its street art, and Fokus is a surprisingly streamlined space at its chaotic heart. The store sells funky eyewear from local and international designers, and fabulous jewellery from up-and-coming Australian makers. But some of my favourite pieces here are the leather satchels: Agenda’s textured pieces are all made in Melbourne, as are the fab screen-printed pieces by Woot’n Wright. If you need a present for the man or woman in your life, this should be your first stop.

L’uccello
In a past life I made wedding dresses, so for me this is a glorious place to visit. Owner Kim Hurley has found a magical room in the Nicholas Building – the original committee room, I am told – from where she sells amazing vintage haberdashery, fabric flowers, crafty bits, gorgeous books and more. It’s partly a step back in time but is also a place where creative ideas are hatched. Local fashion designers, milliners and arty types flock here for globally sourced products. •

Photography courtesy of respective establishments.

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia fly to Melbourne from all Australian capital cities and many regional centres.
• Jetstar. 131-538; jetstar.com
• Qantas. 131-313; qantas.com
• Virgin Australia. 136-789; virginaustralia.com.au

where to sleep
• The Blackman Hotel. 61-3/9039-1444; 
artserieshotels.com.au/blackman
• Crown Metropol. 61-3/9292-6211; crownmetropol.com.au
• The Lyall Hotel and Spa. 61-3/9868-8222; thelyall.com
• The Prince. 61-3/9536-1111; theprince.com.au
• Rendezvous Melbourne. 61-3/9250-1888; rendezvoushotels.com
• Sofitel Melbourne. 61-3/9653-0000; sofitelmelbourne.com.au
• Villa Donati. 61-3/9428-8104; villadonati.com
• Mr & Mrs Smith has a comprehensive listing of the city’s top hotels. mrandmrssmith.com

where to eat
• Attica. 74 Glen Eira Rd., Ripponlea; 61-3/9530-0111; attica.com.au
• Circa, The Prince. 61-3/9536-1122; circa.com.au
• Duchess of Spotswood. 87 Hudsons Rd., Spotswood; 61-3/9391-6016; duchessofspotswood.com.au
• East Imperial Chinese Cuisine. 323 Rathdowne St., Carlton; 61-3/9347-3322; eastimperial.com.au
• Middle Park Hotel. 102 Canterbury Rd., Middle Park; 61-3/9690-1958; middleparkhotel.com.au
• Stokehouse. 30 Jacka Blvd., St Kilda; 61-3/9525-5555; stokehouse.com.au

where to drink
• Atrium Bar at the Sofitel. L/35, 25 Collins St., Melbourne; 61-3/9653-7744; sofitelmelbourne.com.au
• The Boatbuilders Yard. 22 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf; 61-3/9686-5088; theboatbuildersyard.com
• The Bottom End. 579 Little Collins St., Melbourne; 61-3/9629-3001; thebottomend.com.au
• Gerald’s Bar. 386 Rathdowne St., Carlton; 61-3/9349-4748.
• Gertrude Street Enoteca. 229 Gertrude St., Fitzroy; 61-3/9415-8262; gertrudestreetenoteca.com

where to get arty
• The Cullen. 164 Commercial Rd., Prahran. 61-3/9098-1555; artserieshotels.com.au/cullen
• Sarah Scout. Level 1, 1a Crossley St., Melbourne; 61-3/9654 4429; sarahscoutpresents.com
• TwentyByThirty Gallery. 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne; twentybythirtygallery.com
• Utopian Slumps. 33 Guildford Lane, Melbourne; 61-3/9077 9918; utopianslumps.com
• Von Haus. 1 Crossley St., Melbourne; 61-3/9662 2756.

where to shop
• Aesop. Shop 1c, 268 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; 61-3/9663-0862; aesop.com
• Chiodo Basement. 114 Russell St., Melbourne; 61-3/9663-0044; chiodo.net.au
• Fokus. 18 Centre Place, Melbourne; 61-3/9650-8454; fokusmelbourne.com.au
• L’uccello Studio. 205, The Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston St., Melbourne; 61-3/9639-0088; luccello.blogspot.com
• Shelley Panton. 88 Park Rd., Middle Park; 61-3/9537 0737; shop.shelleypanton.com

further information
Check out the Tourism Victoria website for additional tips on travelling to Melbourne. visitvictoria.com