Everything We Know About Picnicking in Melbourne

From Saturday September 18, 2021, Melburnians are once again allowed to get out for a picnic.

Make the most of the season with our comprehensive guide to picnicking in Melbourne. We’ve got advice on the best spots to unfurl your rug, what to eat and drink (oysters and champagne? hummus and a fancy yet cost-effective goon sack?), and even how to negotiate the surprisingly complicated social politics of picnicking. See you on a sunny patch of grass somewhere.

How To Instantly Check What’s Within Your 15-Kilometre Lockdown Radius

City FileThese handy tools will draw a circle round your house, so you know where you can picnic, exercise, shop for supplies and pick up your next takeaway meal.

How To Instantly Check What’s Within Your 10-Kilometre Lockdown Radius

City FileThese handy tools will draw a circle round your house, so you know where you can exercise, shop for supplies and pick up your next takeaway meal.

This Nifty Website Is a Simple Way to Find the Overlap Between You and Your Mates’ Respective Ten-Kilometre Radiuses

City FileDropping two pins on this map will help you identify what I like to call “the Friendship Venn Diagram”.

A Round Up of Everything You’ll Need to Impress at Your Next Picnic

Art & DesignStylish gingham mat? Check. Matching reusable plates and utensils? Check. Classic whimsical wicker basket? Check. Esky, bottle-opener, cheese knife? You betcha.

Eleven Fun and Fancy Goon Sacks To Jazz Up Your Next Picnic

Food & DrinkPerk up your next park outing with 1.5-litre bags of Margarita, Negroni and Espresso Martini; three-litre sacks of riesling and shiraz; four-litre boxes of cold coffee; and more.

Park Life: How to Perfect the Minimum-Fuss Picnic

Food & DrinkMake your next outdoor meal as hassle-free as possible with these simple tips – from the best snacks and drinks to pack to the best places to spread your rug.

Literally a List of 27 Hard Seltzers Sold in Australia, Because Summer is Coming

Food & DrinkIt took time, but we’ve collected nearly every brand of boozy sparkling water currently available in Australia, from family-run startups to multinationals such as Smirnoff. Among them we’ve got seltzers with native ingredients, seltzers that taste like strawberries and cream, and an eight per cent alcohol beast geared for messy, messy nights.

Locals Have Reclaimed Northcote’s Golf Course During Lockdown – and They Don’t Want to Give It Back

City FileThe 24-hectare site has been a much-needed green oasis in recent months, not to mention a prime picnic spot. Many are hoping it’ll stay that way.

How to Navigate the Unexpected Social Politics of Picnicking

City FileSandwiched between the hermit winter and the al fresco summer is the spring of picnics – a breeding ground for awkwardness, faux pas and petty friendship-group politics. Here’s how to avoid being a wet (picnic) blanket.

The Team Behind a Mini Wine Bar Empire Is Diggin’ Through Its Cellars to Bring Natty Wines to Your Home – Or Straight to the Picnic Rug

Food & DrinkThe folks at Toorak Cellars, The Moon and more are delivering booze that’s normally poured out at their five venues. There’s same-day delivery, and they can bring their bottles (plus antipasti packs) to your inner-city picnic spot.

12 to Try: Create Picnic Envy With These Fancy Outdoor Feasts (And Some Drink Suggestions, Too)

Food & DrinkA seafood spread with freshly shucked oysters; a 15-pack of fluffy katsu sandos; a cheesy Parisian “pique-nique” from a south-side bistro; and park-perfect high tea (with scones). Plus, vino delivered to your picnic blanket, a boozy lemonade stand, and a cold-coffee goon bag.

A Guide to Building a Charcuterie Board of Regional Produce

Food & DrinkThere’s no better way to sample fresh Victorian produce than with a charcuterie board – and the best part is that you can to choose exactly what’s on it. In partnership with Visit Victoria, we showcase some regional favourites that also deliver, allowing you to taste your way across the state from the comfort of home. Then, when the time is right, you can visit these producers yourself.

Twelve of Melbourne’s Best Picnic Spots To Visit All Year Round

ActiveThese green spaces are near the city but still have plenty open areas for picnicking. Explore native bushland, artists’ gardens, or a sculpture-covered island in the middle of the Yarra.

Say No to Single-Use and Yes to These Reusable, Colourful Cutlery Sets in Convenient Carry Cases

Food & DrinkBYO cutlery for your next picnic, regional trip or to take work (so you can stop misplacing your silverware). And, in coronavirus times, the creator thinks they’ll come in handy at your favourite restaurant or cafe.

Keep Your Cool: How to Use an Esky Properly

Food & DrinkNo matter how many times you’ve stocked an esky, we’re willing to bet you’re still making some basic mistakes. Follow these simple tips and you’ll never drink a lukewarm tinnie again.

Go Boat Lets You Captain Your Own Eco-Friendly Picnic Boats on the Yarra

City FileOr sit back with glass of rose in hand and the wind in your hair.

Other Series

Newly Opened

How To Instantly Check What’s Within Your 15-Kilometre Lockdown Radius

How To Instantly Check What’s Within Your 10-Kilometre Lockdown Radius

This Nifty Website Is a Simple Way to Find the Overlap Between You and Your Mates’ Respective Ten-Kilometre Radiuses

A Round Up of Everything You’ll Need to Impress at Your Next Picnic

Eleven Fun and Fancy Goon Sacks To Jazz Up Your Next Picnic

Park Life: How to Perfect the Minimum-Fuss Picnic

Literally a List of 27 Hard Seltzers Sold in Australia, Because Summer is Coming

Locals Have Reclaimed Northcote’s Golf Course During Lockdown – and They Don’t Want to Give It Back

How to Navigate the Unexpected Social Politics of Picnicking

The Team Behind a Mini Wine Bar Empire Is Diggin’ Through Its Cellars to Bring Natty Wines to Your Home – Or Straight to the Picnic Rug

12 to Try: Create Picnic Envy With These Fancy Outdoor Feasts (And Some Drink Suggestions, Too)

A Guide to Building a Charcuterie Board of Regional Produce

Twelve of Melbourne’s Best Picnic Spots To Visit All Year Round

Say No to Single-Use and Yes to These Reusable, Colourful Cutlery Sets in Convenient Carry Cases

Keep Your Cool: How to Use an Esky Properly

Go Boat Lets You Captain Your Own Eco-Friendly Picnic Boats on the Yarra

Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Food & Drink

City Directories

Our Network

Follow Us