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NewsA Guide to Food and Drink in New Zealand's Christchurch Region
Opportunities for memorable eating experiences abound.
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NewsAustralia Could Be Getting Its First Centre Dedicated to Food Culture
Will smashed avo be written into history?
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NewsMeet Northcote's New (and Only) Algerian Restaurant, Camus
Feast on seared goat shoulder, Algerian lasagne, and pistachio ricotta doughnuts.
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NewsThese New Chocolate Blocks Let You Stack Your Favourite Flavour Combinations
Fancy shortbread, fairy floss, watermelon, blackcurrent or matcha choccies — or a combo of a couple?
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GuideThe Best Mexican Restaurants in Melbourne
Head to these spots for seriously good tacos, rare mezcals and many, many margaritas.
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GuideThe 25 Best Chinese Restaurants in Melbourne for 2025
From Chinatown institutions and neighbourhood haunts to CBD fine-diners and contemporary Asian-fusion eateries, here are our top picks for when you have a hankering for some top Chinese cuisine.
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GuideAll the New Melbourne Restaurant and Bar Openings to Try This Summer 2026
Melbourne’s newest restaurants and bars are setting the tone for summer 2026 — from rooftop spritzes to laneway wine bars, here’s where to eat and drink next.
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NewsTen Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants You Should Visit in Victoria
Life is short, so it's imperative that once in a while you plan a road-trip to sample some of regional Victoria's exceptional food.
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GuideThe 25 Best Restaurants in Melbourne for 2025
From high-flying fine-diners in the CBD to tried-and-true neighbourhood haunts — these are the Melbourne restaurants we'd recommend to a friend (you, dear reader).
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GuideThe 50 Best Restaurants in the Melbourne CBD for 2025
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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NewsWhere to Find the Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne
Whether you like your scoops creamy, salty, vegan or sandwiched, you can find them in our guide.
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GuideThe Best Private Dining Rooms in Melbourne
These private dining rooms have you got you covered from private bartenders to suckling pigs, martini trolleys to luxurious sashimi platters.
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GuideThe 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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GuideThe Best Bakeries in Melbourne
Crusty sourdough loaves, flaky croissants, shiopans and shokupans, cookies and doughnuts, bagels and ficelles, pies and pasties, and everything in between.
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NewsA Restaurant Dedicated to Avocados Is Opening in Amsterdam
All the creamy, green deliciousness you could ask for.
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NewsMelbourne Is Getting its First All-Vegan Pizza Joint, Red Sparrow Pizza
Nine vegan pizzas, five types of vegan cheese.
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NewsTen Australian-Owned International Restaurants Worthy of a Holiday
For when you're overseas, but want to be close to home.
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Guide12 Killer Summer Recipes from Some of Australia's Best Chefs
Entrees, mains and cocktails from Porteno, Kitchen by Mike, Matt Stone, Big Poppa's and more.
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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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RestaurantLune Croissanterie
Situated beneath the Ritz Carlton at 670 Lonsdale Street, the mega store marks Melbourne's second production site.
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RestaurantTres a Cinco
3-5 Hosier Lane, Melbourne
The vibrant menu showcases classic dishes cooked with love and care, and packed full of flavour.
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RestaurantMamasita
1/11 Collins Street, Melbourne
The always-evolving menu spans snack plates and taqueria plates, tacos to generous sharing mains, all anchored by an enviable selection of margaritas and cocktails.
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RestaurantCoupette
90 Queens Bridge Street, Southbank
As a hotel venue, it moves seamlessly from morning coffee to late-night cocktails, and is well-suited to everything from a quick snack to a celebratory meal.
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RestaurantPinto Tiramisu
106 Leicester Street, Fitzroy
While the classic tiramisu variety is a menu staple, other flavours that change with the seasons may include strawberry matcha, gingerbread, or chocolate hazelnut.
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RestaurantFrankie's Tortas and Tacos
30 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
With some of the rarest and highest-quality tequilas and mezcals on offer, Frankie’s has even launched an agave club to help educate and showcase premium agave spirits.
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RestaurantBar Yarra
234 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Perfect for a post-work pop-in, Bar Yarra's boasts an impressive happy hour from 5 to 7pm, and even hosts DJs spinning nostalgic vinyls for Throwback Thursdays.
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RestaurantSantito
174 Smith Street, Collingwood
While the smell of fresh tortillas and spit-roasted meats may be familiar, Santito brings a refreshed energy and new direction to the Smith Street site.
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RestaurantGimlet at Cavendish House
33 Russell Street, Melbourne
Andrew McConnell's elegant cocktail bar and European bistro serves up caviar, champagne and truffles aplenty.
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RestaurantCleo, Hyde Melbourne Place
130 Russell Street, Melbourne
The rooftop drinking and dining destination welcomes Eastern Mediterranean flavours and old-world cooking techniques.
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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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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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EventFebruary at Peninsula Hot Springs
Tue, 27 Jan - Fri, 27 Feb 2026
Peninsula Hot Springs, Fingal
Soak up summer while it lasts with midweek two-for-one bathing, Lunar New Year festivities and romantic Valentine's escapes.
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EventSt Kilda Festival 2026
Sat, 14 Feb - Sun, 15 Feb 2026
St Kilda Foreshore, St Kilda
This beloved summer staple is back, serving up another edition loaded with exceptional local music talent and feel-good community vibes.
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EventDewberry Roller-Rama by The Body Shop at Queensbridge Square
Fri, 13 Feb - Sun, 15 Feb 2026
Queensbridge Square, Southbank
The fragrance of the 90s is officially back, so celebrate with a free, nostalgic roller rink experience happening over Valentine's Day weekend.
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EventRoyal Stacks 10th Birthday Celebration
Multiple single dates
Royal Stacks, Melbourne
Throwing it back to 2016, this Melbourne-born burger spot is celebrating a decade of mouthwatering takeaway with free burgers and OG prices.
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EventLaunch Weekend at Upstate Oakleigh
Sat, 28 Feb - Sun, 1 Mar 2026
Upstate Oakleigh, Oakleigh
Get in a high-energy workout in the southeast, as this rapidly growing brand of Pilates studios launches its latest wellness destination in Oakleigh.
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EventAfrica Film Festival Australia
Fri, 27 Mar - Sun, 29 Mar 2026
Cinema Nova, Carlton
Carlton's Cinema Nova will host three days of award-winning African films.
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EventJackalope Cinema 2026
Sun, 1 Mar - Tue, 31 Mar 2026
Jackalope Hotel Mornington Peninsula, Merricks North
Make your Mornington Peninsula stay even more picture-perfect, with this month-long open-air cinema program.
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EventUNO Social Club at Hotel Esplanade
Mon, 2 Feb - Mon, 2 Mar 2026
Hotel Esplanade, Saint Kilda
Combine nostalgia and nightlife, as this card game experience transforms this much-loved Melbourne pub into an UNO-themed escape.
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Event15th Birthday BBQ Summer Series at Toorak Cellars
Sun, 1 Feb - Sun, 15 Mar 2026
Toorak Cellars, Armadale
No ordinary backyard barbecue, this seven-week birthday celebration sees top Melbourne chefs team up to showcase their masterful skills with the tongs.
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EventRooftop Pickleball at Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street
Wed, 21 Jan - Sat, 28 Feb 2026
Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street, Melbourne
Level up your pickleball skills in style, as this CBD hotel brings back its sunny rooftop court for the tennis season.
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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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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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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.
