Experience
Melbourne
Melbourne doesn’t really do landmarks, it does layers.
Grab a flat white (or a magic, matcha, or mont blanc), pass a laneway art installation, stumble across an impromptu jazz session in Carlton Gardens, follow the scarf-clad footy crowd after a match at the ‘G’ (Melbourne Cricket Ground), then go out for just one martini at Siglo (quintessential rooftop bar) and stay for three more.
There’s a version of this city that’ll click for you. The weather keeps things interesting. Sun, wind, sporadic rain, sometimes all before lunch. So yes, dress in layers. You’ll see what we mean.
Here’s a starting point for digging a little deeper. Not exhaustive, but perhaps a good excuse to stay longer. Everything is a short walk from the W Hotel Melbourne or worth travelling further afield for.
Our Obsession
Coffee and Cafes
Walking distance
Patricia
Greta
Dukes Espresso
Market Lane Coffee
Brother Baba Budan
Traveller
Vacation Coffee
Little Rogue
Bench Coffee Co.
Code Black
Everyday Coffee
Regulars
A tram ride away
Acoffee
Proud Mary
279
Small Batch Roasting
Good Measure
Florian
Aunty Peg's
St Ali
Industry Beans
Seven Seeds
The Perfect Pairing
Pastries and Bakeries. Bonus, they all serve great coffee!
Walking distance
Lune
Bakemono
Raya
Agathé Pâtisserie Petite
Publique Bakery
Hector’s Deli
A tram ride away
Morning Market
Florian
Bread Club
Falco
To Be Frank
Dua
Austro
Masses Bagels
Baker Bleu
Butter Days
A1 Bakery
Ovens Street
Loafer Bread
Zelda Bakery
Eating Out
Melbourne dining staples
Walking distance
Cumulus Inc.
Supernormal
Tipo 00
Chin Chin
Taqueria Sin Nombre
HuTong Dumpling Bar
Kirk’s Wine Bar
Cellar Bar
Marmelo
Lee Ho Fook
Reed House
Ho Liao / Ho Jiak
Embla
Soi 38
Tipo 00
Patsy’s
Maha
Trattoria Emilia
+39 Pizzeria
Pho Thin
Shandong Mama
Shujinko Ramen
Hakata Gensuke
Mamasita
Farmer’s Daughter
MoVida
A tram ride away
Marion
Manze
Neighbourhood Wine
Carlton Wine Room
Builders Arms Hotel
Royal Oak Hotel
Jim’s Greek Tavern
Scopri / Bar Olo
Daphne
Bistra
Bar Idda
Pipi’s Kiosk
Brico
Worth the trip
Rare Hare
Montalto
Foxey’s Hangout
Zonzo Estate
A La Grecque
Du Fermier
Eating Out - Make it special
The hottest seats in town, book ahead!
Walking distance
Yiaga
Reine & La Rue
Gimlet
Flower Drum
Vue De Monde
A tram ride away
Zareh
Cutler and Co
France-Soir
Minamishima
Attica
Cutler
Navi
Stokehouse
Enter Via Laundry
Worth the trip
Osteria Tedesca
Brae
Barragunda
Lake House
Royal Mail
Laura
Sweet Treats
Gelato, Icecream, and desserts. All within walking distance
Walking distance
Piccolina Gelateria
Pidapipo
Brunetti Oro Flinders Lane
Kariton Sorbetes
Kori Icecream
Gelateria Primavera Spring Street Grocer
Hareruya Pantry CBD
Afterhours
Bars and nightlife
Walking distance
Caretakers Cottage
Gimlet / Apollo Inn
City Wine Shop / The European / Siglo
Bijou Bottle Store
Embla
Bar Lourinhã
Vinesmith
Cumulus Inc.
LB’s Record Bar
Music Room (Level 1 HER)
Curious
Nick and Nora's Melbourne
Cookie
Rooftop Bar
A tram ride away
Bar Carnation
Clover
Bar Bellamy
Old Palm Liquor / Bahama Gold
Gerald’s Bar
Alberts Armadale
Black Pearl
Where architects shop
Design-led retail
Walking distance
Up There
Craft Victoria
Pieces of Eight
Supply Store
The Paperback Bookshop
Metropolis Bookshop
Mecca Bourke Street
Queen Victoria Market
Above the Clouds
Dot Comme
Saloon Store
Marais
Christian Kimber
e.g.etal
P.A.M. Store Melbourne
Alpha60 Chapter House
Incu
Reina Store
Dinosaur Designs
A tram ride away
HAVN
Cibi
Martin Fella Vintage
Ma House Supply Store
The Hub General Store
Clothing The Gaps
Uro Bookshop
Made in Japan
Mud Australia
Pan After
Culture Capital
Galleries, Museums, and Institutions
Walking distance
State Library
ACMI
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
NGV International
Anna Schwartz Gallery
ARC One Gallery
Flinders Lane Gallery
Buxton Contemporary
ACCA
A tram ride away
Melbourne Museum
Heide Museum of Modern Art
Worth the trip
TarraWarra Museum of Art
McClelland Art Gallery and Sculpture Park
Spy Some Architecture
Get a Feel for our Built Environment
Walking distance
Melbourne Place
The Capitol
Arts Centre
M Pavilion
The Nicholas Building
Manchester Unity Building
ANZ Gothic Bank
Melbourne GPO
Parliament House
333 Collins Street
InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto
A tram ride away
Robin Boyd House
Royal Exhibition Building
RMIT Design Hub
Melbourne School of Design University of Melbourne
The StandardX
St Kilda Pier
T3 Collingwood
Sanders Place
Nightingale Village
Worth the trip
Pt Leo Estate
Eva and Marc Besen Centre + TarraWarra
Geelong Arts Centre
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre
Powerhouse Place
Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne
Rest and Reset
Spas and wellness
Walking distance
Botanica Wellness Spa and Clinic
RACV One Spa City Club
Sensu Spa
A tram ride away
Sense of Self, Collingwood
Little Company, Collingwood
Sóma Bathhouse, Essendon
Soak Bathhouse, South Yarra
Comma, Cremorne
Worth the trip
Alba Thermal Springs & Spa
About Time Bathhouse
Peninsula Hot Springs
Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
Lake House Daylesford
Metung Hot Springs
Aurora Spa & Bathhouse
Mitchelton Hotel and Spa
Jackalope Hotel
Shizuka Ryokan Japanese Wellness Retreat and Bathhouse, Hepburn
Stick around longer
Events and shows
Events
Melbourne Fringe Festival (Sept 30-Oct 19)
Arts, comedy, and performance at Trades Hall and beyond.
Melbourne Fashion Week (Oct 20-26)
Runway shows and workshops throughout the CBD.
Fringe Flavours Night Market (Oct 1, 8, 15)
Food and pop-up performances at Queen Victoria Market.
Musicals and Performances
Waitress the Musical
1st to 25th October 2026 at Her Majesty's Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof
Commences 31st October 2026 at Her Majesty's Theatre
The Sleeping Beauty (The Stuttgart Ballet)
9th to 18th October 2026 at Regent Theatre
La Boheme
9th to 18th October 2026 at Regent Theatre
Menopause The Musical
Running through October
Tame Impala Concert
Rod Laver Arena, Wed 14, Thu 15, Fri 16 & Sat 17 Oct 2026
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Oct 16-25: Ten days of jazz in Victoria.