Five Tips for the Best Taste of Melbourne Experience in 2013

For most of the year, Pelican Lawn is not a culinary destination. Generally the offering consists of a few stale crusts and maybe some chips in the bottom a crumpled packet. That is, except for the one weekend when it transforms into Melbourne's foodie Mecca. For four days — November 14-17 — the city's best restaurants will converge on Albert Park for Taste of Melbourne.

Back for its sixth year, the food festival brings all the best produce, food and wine together in one place, as well as the most coveted signature dishes from the Melbourne's best restaurants. Amongst others, returning to the lawn for 2013 will be stalwarts Movida, Albert St Food & Wine and Burch & Purchese, along with some of this years most successful newcomers: Saint Crispin, Tonka, B'Stilla and Bomba. And, as well as whetting your appetite, you can also wet your tongue with the wine tasting, beer chasing or cocktail making events on offer.

With so much on the collective menu, we've put together five foolproof tips to ensure you get every bite, sip and delight out of Taste of Melbourne. The epitome of Melbourne's dining scene awaits.

Be prepared to mix cuisines

It's called Taste of Melbourne for a reason, so don't fill up on your first stop. Quite uniquely, it's the only time Melbourne's best culinary creations will be within walking distance from each other, so make the most of those pins and sample the best dishes from each restaurant. Halve a Huxtaburger, down a Mamasita taco and then head over to Bomba for a selection of Spanish tapas. Plus, you can head to Saint Crispin without the two-month advance booking.

Save room for dessert

In all the excitement you could be excused for being full to the brim by the time main course if over, but the truth is that a real dessert person always has room for dessert. Make a stop at Albert St Food & Wine for one of Philippa Sibley's lemon tarts and — we're warning you — it will be near impossible to walk past the Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio. And there will also be lots of sweet things to take home, with goodies from Cocofrio, Peninsula Fudge and Mörk Chocolate for sale.

Come ready to learn

While Taste of Melbourne offers you much to keep you gastronomically satiated, it also gives you the chance to work on your hospitality skills. Learn how to create and mix classic cocktails at Sensology's 'The Art of Cocktail Making' class or get a few tips on sustainable cooking from Rebecca Sullivan of Dirty Girl Kitchen. You'll also get a chance to see demonstrations from Melbourne's best chefs in the Taste Kitchen, where you can learn how a Huxtaburger is spawned and see Movida's Frank Camorra in tapas mode.

Stock up on groceries

Along with the immediate sensory delights available at every turn, the festival will also have over 100 exhibitors on the ground — meaning you can do your grocery shopping for the week as well. Without a Coles home brand in sight, the best of local and regional produce will be calling your name, with everything from olive oil to specialty coffee and ice popsicles available for purchase. A festival highlight will be the Tasmanian Pavilion, which will showcase all the best produce from our friends in the south, such as Flinders Island Meat, Tasmanian Bakeries gourmet pies and Bruny Island Cheese.

Drink up

Last but not least (and definitely not to be taken as an afterthought), drink up. Despite the warnings your mum gave you, you are hereby given permission to mix your drinks as you flit between tasting local and imported beers in the Beer Hall, sampling the flavours at the Rekorderlig Cider Bar and upping your wine 'knowledge' at the Plumm Wine Theatre. As well as the bar, a number of wineries will be exhibiting their goods — be sure to take home a few bottles from Yering Station or Oyster Bay for later.

Taste of Melbourne will run from Thursday, November 14, to Sunday, November 17, 2013. Tickets start from $25 and are on sale now from Ticketek. Take advantage of the special ticket offer and book two general entry tickets for $40. Just enter the word FLAVOUR into the promotional code box when booking. This offer is valid on advance purchase tickets only and applies to general entry tickets. Crowns (the official Taste currency) can be pre-purchased in denominations of 30 or 50 Crowns through Ticketek.