month-long celebration of our culinary delights and tasty beverages kicks off tomorrow in Melbourne. Look.Stop.Taste is all about exploring and discovering the incredible food our city has to offer.

The event, presented by the City of Melbourne, coincides with the recent opening of the State Library’s Gusto! A Culinary History of Victoria, an exhibition of 250 items sharing Victoria’s culinary heritage.

It’s really very easy to get involved. Just head to the State Library and grab a Look.Stop.Taste map, look through the list of 30 participating venues, stop at your chosen destination(s) and taste the dish and accompanying beverage that restaurant has selected to showcase their produce. Think of it as your own personal culinary treasure hunt, with a map to guide you and an appetite to persuade you.

Curator of Look.Stop.Taste, long time Broadsheet food writer Hilary McNevin, says the event is a celebration of all that is delicious, generous and relevant in Melbourne dining right now.

“People can expect delicious flavours from some of our leading restaurants around the city,” says McNevin. “They can see and taste Melbourne's culinary present, explore its diversity and hopefully, see how lucky we are!” The selection of participating venues is impressive, as are the dishes they have on offer.

Chin Chin have a chicken dumping and egg drop soup with cabbage, spring onion and white pepper with a Singha beer, Saint Peter’s will spoil you with a lasagne di casa and a glass of 08 Chestnut Hill Nabbiolo, while Maha have a chicken tagine, Iranian figs, corn bread and sujoc with a glass of Wanderer Rose, Yarra Valley.

Fancy something sweet? Head to Grossi Florentino Restaurant for a chocolate soufflé with Mt Buffalo hazelnut praline, Bridge Road Brewers ice cream and a glass of All Saints Grand Muscat. And with most dishes coming in at around $20 you can afford to sample more than a few.

These venues are only a small snapshot of what is on offer. Head to the Look.Stop.Taste website to peruse the full listing of restaurants, dishes and when they are available.

“The restaurants were chosen on differing cuisines and also their historical connection to Melbourne,” says McNevin. “Businesses chose to be involved for various reasons, but the exhibition excited them and to be a part of something like that was important to all of them.”

Look.Stop.Taste is a gastronomic adventure allowing people the opportunity to visit places they enjoy or may have never visited before. Grab yourself a map and let the culinary treasure hunt begin.

Look.Stop.Taste runs from August 18 to September 16.

*Maps for the event are available at the Gusto! Exhibition, participating venues and online.

slv.vic.gov.au/event/look-stop-taste