The Ten Best Things to See and Do at Taste of Melbourne

Taste of Melbourne, one of the best restaurant festivals in the world is landing in Albert Park on 15 November, and running until Sunday 18 November. It brings together great restaurants and producers under the one roof. This year Taste of Melbourne is taking things outdoors to Albert Park taking over the lakeside Pelican Lawn. 15 of Melbourne's top restaurants including Taxi Dining Room, Albert Street Food and Wine, Mamasita, Movida and The Alyesbury, just to name a few, will be there creating entrée sized portions of some of their signature dishes. The producers making an appearance include Dal Zotto Wines, Stone & Wood, Cacao Fine Chocolates, and too many more to name. Evening sessions will run on all four days of the festival and lunch sessions will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The festival is quite sizable and if your anything like us you will want to try every thing. To make things a little easier for you here's Concrete Playground's top ten festival picks.

1. Acqua Panna Experience

There is something romantic about Italy. The wine, the food, the vespas. The Acqua Panna Experience will bring you the finest of Italy for the whole four days with an authentic Italian café experience. Sample pizzas from Remo Nicolini, sip Sanpellegrino and Ketel One vodka cocktails will even be whipped up using the best Sanpellegrino has to offer. When in Rome, right?

2. Sensology presents The Art of Cocktail Making

Cocktails, they are delicious creations and those sneaky bartenders make it look much easier than it actually is. The expert mixologists from Sensology will help you out in their fun and very informative cocktail making classes. With a range of different drinks being taught over the four days including the espresso martini, the mojito and the whisky sour, you'll be sure to find something you enjoy.

3. Sustainability Living Pop Up

Sustainable Living, hosted by the team at Dirty Girl Kitchens is here to teach us all a thing or two about sustainable practices. Each day a different restaurant will take over with Matt Milkinson's Bishop of Ostia and Pope Joan taking the reigns on Saturday and Darren Robertson's Three Blue Ducks featuring on Sunday.

4. Plumm Wine Theatre

It is great to know your stuff when it comes to wine, but it isn't always that easy. Gournet Traveller WINE is bringing us the Plumm Wine Theatre along with a series of interactive and fun wine sessions. There will be some of the best wine buffs in the industry there to guide you and Nick Stock, one of our best wine critics, will be hosting two wine tastings in each session. Matt Skinner, wine writer and presenter will also be running one tasting per session where he will teach you all about the right glassware for your wine. Apparently we only need five different glasses? Other sessions will include Summer of Riesling, Sake Samurai School and Pinot Peninsula.

5. Best in Taste Awards

On Thursday night, Taste will be holding a Best in Taste Awards where we hear some big names will be on the judging panel. Think food writers, producers; these guys know their stuff. International guest chef for 2012 Nuno Mendes of Viajante will be joining the stellar judging panel. The highly sought after title of “Best in Taste 2012" is making its Australian debut right here in Melbourne. With all the delicious dishes on offer here, we are just glad we don't have to make the deciding vote.

6. Jaguar Champagne and Dessert Bar

Champagne and dessert, two of our favourite things. Taste is putting them together in the Jaquar Champagne and Dessert Bar where The Botanical will create delightful petit fours just to you, including truffles and financier griotte. It's a little classy and the perfect way to take a moment to put your feet up in style.

7. Dilmah Chef's Skillery

An exciting line up of chefs including Peter Kuruvita from My Sri Lanka will bring a unique skill to each session. Chefs will teach guests everything from knife skills to filleting a fish. Peter Kuruvita will be creating dishes utilising Dilmah Tea itself. Guests will also get to chat to the chefs after the presentations and ask those questions you've always wanted to ask yourself.

8. Malaysia Kitchen

Adding a little bit of heat to the festival will be the Malaysia Kitchen Australia which will take guests on a journey of the senses. Guests will enjoy a range of dishes that will showcase the diversity of Malaysian cuisine with a number of Melbourne's loved Malaysian restaurants on board with dishes including Laksa and Char Kway Teow on the menu. Don't miss Poh from Masterchef as she whips up Prawn & Pineapple Curry on both the Saturday and the Sunday.

9. Rekorderlig Cider Bar

It's spring and that means cider drinking weather has arrived. Rekorderlig take cider to the next level with weird and wonderful flavours from Strawberry-Lime to Wild Berry. At Taste of Melbourne you will be able to head on over to their bar, sample all of their exciting flavours and take a little time out from the hustle and the bustle of the festival. Some of Melbourne's top bartenders will also be on hand to show you how to best serve your Rekorderlig.

10. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Masterclass

Hosted by Kyla Kirkpatrick aka the Champagne Dame this is a masterclass for all you Champagne lovers out there. Kyla will take guests on a tour of Champagne educating on grape varietals, production techniques and a little history thrown in there as well. There will then be the all important tastings of Laurent Perrier's range including some exclusive offerings for this occasion only. We hear there will be some food and flower matching involved in what's shaping up to be a very unique event. There will be 11 sessions run over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For all ticketing information and timetables head to www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au