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GuideConcrete Playground's Most-Read Food Stories in 2016
From Melbourne's own cheese toastie drive-through to a free dumpling festival and a 15-acre chocolate estate. Yes, estate.
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GuideMelbourne's 50 Most Popular Restaurants of 2016
Catch up on the year's most buzzed-about establishments.
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NewsThis New York Company Prints Edible Selfies On Cookies, Cupcakes and Coffee
Why just upload your selfies to Instagram when you can eat them?
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GuideYour Guide to Dining Out in Melbourne on Christmas Day
Swap the roast pork for a dozen dumplings this year.
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NewsThis Non-Profit Lets You Book a Restaurant for Valentine's Day and Help End Hunger
A Table to End Hunger is bringing purpose to one of the most stressful days of the year.
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NewsFitzroy Vego Legends Vegie Bar Open New All-Vegan Dessert Bar Girls & Boys
Vegan soft serve, cakes and milkshakes.
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GuideThe 27 Best Private Dining Rooms in Melbourne
These Melbourne private dining rooms can house your intimate birthday celebrations, luxe date nights and epic Christmas parties.
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GuideThe 40 Best Restaurants for Group Bookings in Melbourne
These spots are large (and rowdy) enough to host all your mates for dinner.
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GuideWhere to Find the Best Burgers in Melbourne
Classic cheeseburgers, spicy fried chicken buns, and everything in between.
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GuideThe 50 Best Restaurants in the Melbourne CBD
Whether you're after fine-diners or cheap eats, you're truly spoilt for choice when looking for places to eat in Melbourne's CBD.
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GuideThe 14 Best French Restaurants in Melbourne
Live out your Parisian dreams with escargot, caviar, steak frites and lobster thermidor at these exceptional French diners in Melbourne.
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GuideThe Best Beachside Bars and Restaurants in and Around Melbourne
We may not have the abundance of beaches some other cities do, but we do have this nice little crop of seaside venues with options from St Kilda to Portsea and from Williamstown to Lorne.
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GuideWhere to Find the Best Pizza in Melbourne
From giant pepperoni-topped slices to vegan rounds, these Melbourne pizza joints have you covered.
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GuideThe 15 Best Seafood Restaurants in Melbourne
Here's where to find Melbourne's best seafood — across fine diners, messy crab shacks, local neighbourhood eateries and lavish omakase haunts.
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GuideWhere to Find the Best Sushi in Melbourne
These Japanese restaurants and grocers serve up the finest maki rolls, nigiri, sashimi and hosomaki — all stuffed with some of Melbourne's best seafood.
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GuideThe Ten Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne
Discover fine-diners and neighbourhood haunts, or head down to a hidden CBD basement where robots deliver all your fave Thai dishes to the table.
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NewsMelbourne's 15-Year-Old Bistro Morgan Doughnut Whiz Opens Permanent Store
What have you done today?
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NewsMarket on Malvern Is Prahran's New Cafe for People with Allergies and Digestive Issues
Dairy, gluten, fructose, nut or animal product free? This is your happy place.
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The Summer Guide to Melbourne 2016/17
Slap on your invisible zinc and get out there, blue skies wait for no one.
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NewsAnnouncing Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Melbourne Award Winners
The very best new Melbourne bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, events and precincts of the year.
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NewsQueensland's Cult Favourite Burger Bar Betty's Burgers Has Opened in Melbourne
Expect five types of burgers and Shake Shack-style frozen custard desserts.
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BarAmatrice Rooftop Restaurant
16 Stephenson Street, Cremorne
They had us at mini lasagne snacks, and then took it to the next level with uninterrupted views across the city.
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RestaurantD.O.C Osteria
326 Lygon Street, Carlton
20 years on, this Lygon Street stalwart is still one of the city's top Italian restaurants.
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RestaurantReine & La Rue
380 Collins Street, Melbourne
The NOMAD team has taken French fine-dining to the next level in Melbourne.
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BarRuckers Hill
83 High Street, Northcote
This French-accented wine bar and bistro stands out among the crowd on Northcote's High Street.
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RestaurantChiki Chan & Hiki Bar
6 Centreway, Mordialloc
Chiki Chan is serving up playful Asian-fusion fare in Mordialloc — plus plenty of creative cocktails in its adjoining Hiki Bar.
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RestaurantIl Mercato Centrale Melbourne
546 Collins Street, Melbourne
Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale is serving up pizza, pasta, calamari fritti, gelato, cannoli, cocktails, wine and so much more — to have in or take away.
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BarCircl Wine House
22 Punch Lane, Melbourne
Circl is making it so much easier to try rare wines with over 150 drops offered by the glass.
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RestaurantElio's Place
238 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Elio's Place is serving up breakfast, lunch, aperitivo snacks and late-night dinners every day of the week in the CBD.
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BarFlour Child Richmond
432 Church Street, Richmond
You’ve had sourdough pizza, US-style slices and dirty Aussie pizzas, but have you tried pinsa romana?
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NewsAustralia's Best Locally-Made Icy Poles to Cool Down with this Summer
Sunny Boys, move to the back. These local pops, blocks and poles do summer right.
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NewsGelato Messina's Christmas Cake Is a Delicious Festive Response to Sydney's Lockout Laws
Make a creamy cultural statement at Christmas lunch.
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NewsFormer Taxi and The European Chef Tim Martin Is Opening His Own Bar and Restaurant
Prepare your stomach for a dual-venue venture focusing on ageing meat and naturally fermented beverages.
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NewsSoft Serve Sensations Milkcow Open Their First Permanent Australian Store
Soft serve sundaes topped with everything from fairy floss clouds to a shot of espresso.
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NewsThe Yarra Valley Is Getting a New Wine and Food Festival
The two-day event is the first time that the region's big and small wineries have come together to showcase their tipples.
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EventTogether for Lebanon Fundraiser
Sun, 8 Dec, 2024
Abla's, Carlton
Abla’s, A1 Bakery, Alimentari, Larderfresh and Linden Cook are joining forces to raise money for people in Lebanon.
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EventRhys Darby: The Legend Returns
Tue, 8 Apr - Sun, 13 Apr 2025
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
The New Zealand comedian is bringing his first stand-up show in almost a decade to Melbourne.
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EventThe Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale
Sat, 26 Apr - Fri, 30 May 2025
Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
The musical version of JRR Tolkien's classic is taking the hobbits to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre.
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EventLego 'Star Wars': The Exhibition
Sun, 4 May 2025 - Mon, 26 Jan 2026
Melbourne Museum, Carlton
Australia's world-first Lego 'Star Wars' exhibition is soaring into Melbourne in 2025 — from May the fourth, of course.
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EventThis Never Happened Presents
Fri, 17 Jan, 2025
170 Russell, Melbourne
Dance Music record label This Never Happened is back for another Melbourne party that won't allow phones.
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EventThe Rose Street Market
Sat, 23 Nov - Sun, 24 Nov 2024
Rose Street Artist's Market, Fitzroy
Fitzroy's weekly artisan design and art market is a must-hit if you're up for some weekend shopping and wandering.
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EventThe Fitzroy Mills Market
Mon, 25 Nov, 2024
The Fitzroy Mills, Fitzroy
This much-loved Fitzroy market showcases a top selection of local food producers an makers each Saturday.
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EventEtta's Summer Seafood Towers
Fri, 22 Nov - Sat, 21 Dec 2024
Etta, Brunswick East
This incredible wine bar and restaurant is serving decadent seafood towers for just $75 per person every Friday and Saturday afternoon.
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EventPortsea Hotel's Summer Music Series
Multiple single dates
Portsea Hotel, Portsea
The Presets, Jake Webb, Darley and DJ Levi will be playing waterfront gigs this summer at Portsea Hotel.
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EventLong Live Longnecks at BANG
Wed, 20 Nov 2024 - Fri, 28 Feb 2025
BANG at The StandardX, Fitzroy
You can get two-for-one Melbourne Bitter Longnecks and $1 homemade dumplings during this happy hour deal.
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GuideMelbourne's Best New Restaurants of 2016
Honouring the best new arrivals on Melbourne's restaurant scene this year.
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Guide
Melbourne's Best New Cafes of 2016
Honouring the best new cafes on Melbourne's cafe scene this year.
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News
Announcing Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Melbourne Nominees
Honouring the very best arrivals on Melbourne's scene this year — vote for your favourite now.
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NewsAte One Ate Is Glenferrie Road's New 180-Seat All-Day Eatery
Serving everything from coffee and cake to carrot hot dogs and carbonara.
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Feature
Best of 2016 Melbourne
These 30 outstanding Melbourne ventures have been handpicked by Concrete Playground for their combination of originality, innovation, creativity, approachability and sustainability.
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NewsGilson Is the New All-Day European-Style Eatery from the Team Behind Mammoth
It overlooks the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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NewsBrunswick's The Snug Public House Has Launched An Irish Vegan Menu
Hearty staples with a vegetable-focused twist.
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NewsVelodrome Is Melbourne's New Four-Day Arts and Food Truck Festival
Eat, drink — and watch outdoor cinema, aerial circus, medieval performance fighting and Mexican wrestling, too.
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NewsA Cheese Advent Calendar Is the Edible Delight Your Festive Season Needs
Putting the cheese into Christmas.
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NewsThe World's Best Sommeliers are Coming to Australia in 2017
Melbourne will host the greatest food and wine minds in the world.
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NewsTen of the Best Kit Kats That Are Only Available in Japan
We tried them all — from strawberry cheesecake to sake.
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NewsBiggie Smalls to Open a Second Store in Windsor
Chapel Street's kebab stakes have officially been raised.
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GALLERY: Our Barbecue Masterclass with Work-Shop and The Farmed Table
Beers and barbecue lessons on a sunny spring afternoon.
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NewsSix Australian-Driven Bars and Restaurants to Visit in Hong Kong
Who knew you'd find a Western Australian iron ore mine-themed cocktail bar in HK?
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NewsRoyal Stacks' New Game Lets You Earn Free Food
Combining fun with freebies, and virtual burgs with the real thing.
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NewsMelbourne Food and Wine Festival Announces Cracking Lineup for 2017
Cemetery feasts, burger parties and classes from some of the world's best chefs.
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NewsMelbourne's Ten Most Luxurious Foodie Experiences
Not just for special occasions — book a table now.
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NewsHow to Make Beetroot-Cured Kingfish With a Former Tetsuya's Chef
A former Tetsuya's chef shows us what to do.
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NewsNoma's Next Pop-Up Is An Outdoor, Open-Air Restaurant in Mexico
Expect chilli, seafood and mole, all while nestled between the jungle and the Caribbean Sea.
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NewsInstagram Cake Queen Katherine Sabbath Is Crowdfunding a Pop-Up Cookbook
Featuring adorable pop-up sections by Sydney artist Benja Harney.
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NewsWhat Does An Eat Art Truck Chef Cook at Home?
Founding chef Brenton Balicki whipped us up a home-cooked, three-course dinner party.
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NewsNew App FoodByUs Lets You Order Home-Cooked Meals from Your Neighbours
Like UberEats at grassroots level.
