This three-storey love letter to Gippsland and its produce is by Alejandro Saravia, the chef behind CBD classic Pastuso. There's a deli with house-made pastrami rolls; a suave restaurant with a focus on cooking with flames; and a greenhouse-like rooftop oasis.
This sandwich spot from a trio of experienced hospo players was supposed to open in March 2020. One pandemic and a long Fitzroy pop-up later, Nico's has made its way back to its original home in the CBD. Come for jazzed-up Italo-Japanese-leaning sangas, strong coffees and sweet shakes.
At Greta, you'll find breakfast pasta, crackling-coated porchetta rolls and free aperitivo snacks. Swing by this olive and mustard-toned sandwich and wine bar for Axil coffee and Penny for Pound pastries, or linger with a Martini made with Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin.
Descend a dark spiral staircase into this basement cocktail bar wrapped in a cocoon of timber, where you’ll find theatrical drinks with smoke, bubbles and art.
Across five rooms and three balconies, indulge in theatrical cocktails bubbling with liquid nitrogen, tropical boozy yuzu-pineapple punch bowls for four (served in a huge bronze swan), champagne towers, ridiculously large 15-litre bottles of Mumm, and fancy canapés.
At this Japanese-influenced bar from the owner of Izakaya Den, you'll have a hard deciding whether you prefer the drinks or the food. The solution? In order to make your mind up, you should order copious amounts of both.
Tang (formerly known as Great Eastern Foods) has been stocking Asian groceries at their Russell Street residence for over 35 years. Come here for noodles, dim-sims, sambal, soy and sake.
Come here for Japanese and Malaysian cuisine including hand rolled udon noodles, Kurbata Pork and umeshu (plum wine). Hometown has a large range of sweets from across the Asia.
This is one of two Korea Marts on Elizabeth Street. Visit for an unsurpassed array of kimchis, gochujangs and other Korean specialties. There are also plenty of frozen dumplings to take home and one of Melbourne's best line-ups of specialty rices.
