Need lunch, but don’t feel like going to a cafe or splashing out on a restaurant? Ophelia is the ultimate in-betweener. The European-ish menu is matched by a retro aesthetic, complete with a floor to ceiling record wall and vinyl spinning all day.

Top local restaurants and bars (like Aru and Bar Bellamy) love the loaves at this this micro-bakery. Head to this suburban shopfront for its famous sourdough, as well as fruit bread, fougasse and fluffy focaccia.

A vast light-filled eatery from the crews who brought us first-rate cafes Bawa and Sloane Ranger.

This cafe with a hidden kids’ area welcomes dogs and serves breakfast gnocchi and sticky-date hotcakes.

A pun-tastic cafe with a Bali-inspired vibe.

Tucked along the Epping line, it’s a little cafe with a big character.

This organic cafe serves an entirely vegan and raw menu. Chef-owner Yoko Inoue's cooking showcases the benefits of macrobiotic and organic raw food. Although most of the menu takes its cues from Japan, Inoue often just cooks what she feels, so dishes such as beetroot spaghetti and raw lasagne are common.

Melba organic coffee and a Middle-Eastern inspired menu.

Enter through a red door for good coffee and a reprieve from your busy city life.

Locals love this one for its simple food, reliable coffee and pleasant courtyard.

This one-stop shop has eclectic vintage clothing and homewares, plus designs from small-scale sustainable makers (with a spotlight on Japanese labels).

The colourful consignment store helps rehome your unloved clothes and inject colour into your wardrobe with pieces from your own neighbourhood. Expect bright and bold pieces up to size 24 from labels including Acne, Yohji Yamamoto, Alpha60, Obus, Suk Workwear and Arnsdorf.

A light-filled all-day European bistro, bar and deli stocking fresh pasta, fancy tinned fish and other staples.

A well-priced collection of local and international bottles.

Dondurma is a type of stretchy, Turkish ice-cream. And it’s pretty hard to find in Melbourne. Cuppa Turca specialises in the stuff. If you want a break from gelato but still want to scratch that sweet, frozen itch, this is your pick. Plus there’s colourful Turkish delights and shatteringly crisp baklava.

A playful dispensary where you can make your own lip balms, body lotions and tea blends.

This boutique bottle shop and wine bar sits opposite a historic cinema. Buy a bottle or a wine by the glass, snack on tinned fish and charcuterie, and spend an afternoon watching cinemagoers pass by.

More than 100 crates of jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and more.

Step inside a beautiful maze of organic wholefoods.

A colourful underwater-themed vintage and costume shop in the north.

Freshly baked sourdough, single origin coffee and Nancy Wilson on the record player.

Lovingly handmade, unique pieces that shy away from mass production runs and favour a little bit of personal history

Melbourne-designed practical and travel-friendly garments.

Inside the unassuming north-side nook, you’ll find French-leaning fare accompanied by a generous list of drops. It’s steered by an ex-Bistro Thierry chef.

Everything is made in-house at this vegan diner. Stop by for some of the best falafels and fatteh in town and watch owner Ahmad Al Alaea – donning his signature cowboy hat – work in the open kitchen.

Brother Bon aims to make vegan food accessible (and enjoyable) to all. Its pan-Asian brunch and dinner menus hit all the right notes with fragrant noodle soups, dumplings, stir-fries and gua bao. Also on the menu are Vietnamese-style cocktails, as well as Australian beers and wines.

If you forget to book at this cosy neighbourhood restaurant, grab a seat at the bar, order a spritz and picture yourself in the streets of Palermo as you wait for a table. You’re in for home-style Sicilian fare, nostalgic Italian desserts and a welcoming vibe.

This compact 25-seater flips beef and plant-based cheeseburgers, and serves southern fried chicken and vegan Cocowhip sundaes.

The tables at this bustling Indian joint fill up early – and for good reason. Go for its all-star curry menu that features creamy lamb pasanda, paneer makhani and staff-favourite eggplant curry. Plus, find house wines in glass tumblers, plus sweet mango lassi.

A wholly untraditional pizza joint that’s lots of fun.

This lively spot isn’t just a first-rate spot for doro wat and other Ethiopian dishes – it’s a pillar of the community, with live jazz on weekends. Tear some injera and dig in.

This vegetarian Israeli street food spot is a local favourite. It’s slinging loaded pita pockets, refreshing salads, two flavours of falafel, shakshuka and smoky roasted vegetables. Plus, satisfying smoothies that’ll make for a whole meal.

“A touch of innovation without being scary or confronting” is how owner-chef Scott Pickett describes the menu here, and he’s bang-on.

Pizza Meine Liebe (German for "pizza my love") rode in with a new wave of produce-driven pizza joints – and it’s still around for a reason. Come for thin, slightly chewy bases topped with clever combos, woodfired to perfection.

A welcoming spot for whiskey dates, cocktails with friends or just sitting at the bar. Make mates over a beer and bowl of pickle fries, while you learn your ryes from your bourbons.

This wine bar and music hub, in a heritage-listed theatre, feels like a hidden cave. Come for its lo-fi wines, DJs and fun vibes. The best part? The vintage Altec Landing sound system that once graced the Sydney Opera House.

The clever veg-forward wine bar created by two former Neighbourhood Wine and Bar Romantica head chefs. In the sunlight-filled dining room, or under the fairy light-studded lemon tree out back, order smoky-sweet turnips, brown butter fish and boozy amaro sorbet.

This wine bar has a particularly welcoming design, with plump, comfy couches; carefree decor; a sharehouse-esque fairy-lit courtyard; and huge light-bringing windows. And the food is just as accessible – it’s a changeable, veg-led affair.

It’s froths and no fuss, every day of the week.

A bar devoted to literature, whiskey and snacks from Ireland.

Your favourite northside block party – every day of the week – in a former Morris Minor factory. Choose your own adventure across a handful of rotating food trucks, more than 35 beer taps and 699 of your closest friends. Plus, there’s a games arcade, DJ sets and trivia night.

A tasteful venue for a relaxing drink on the edge of Northcote.

This dimly-lit pub sits in a converted 19th-century church – and is adorned with wine barrels, wagon wheels and a large, wrought-iron chandelier. Get cosy inside, or head to the rear courtyard for hearty pub classics alongside Victorian wine and beer.

A bastion of live music for two decades, this is the spot to see buzzy acts from Melbourne and beyond. As well as the bandroom, it’s got an all-weather deck that blends into the rest of the pub, plus exceptional parmas and roasts.

The ideal place for a couple of quiet pints.