How to Spend 24 Hours in Melbourne in 2026

If you’re visiting from interstate (or entertaining someone who is) we’ve got you covered. This hit list has more than you’ll be able to visit in 24 hours, but consider it a starting point.

Breakfast

When it comes to breakfast, few cities do it as well as Melbourne. For classics such as folded eggs and ricotta hotcakes, don’t go past Archie’s All Day in Fitzroy, or Terror Twilight in Collingwood. If you’re venturing south side for some shopping on High Street, Armadale, then Moby has you covered. In the city, Higher Ground is your spot. And visit Florian in Carlton North for a charming Euro breakfast of gruyere omelettes and porridge with seasonal fruit.

But the most exciting breakfast spots go beyond “Melbourne brunch”. Japanese cafe Chiaki is known for ochazuke, a Japanese dish that sees a broth – traditionally made with tea – poured over a bowl of rice and toppings. Another Japanese venue is Ima Asa Yoru, where you can find one of the city’s best breakfast sets; then there’s Cibi, which Harry Styles visited while in town. Cham, Roslyn Thai, Ondo (in the CBD and Armadale) and Moon Mart are great places for Asian breakfasts, pastries and drinks inspired by Thailand, Korea and Japan. And at El Columpio’s original Fitzroy location you’ll find the best Mexican breakfast in town. 

Melbourne also does bakeries better than most cities. Baker Bleu, Urbanstead, Akimbo and To Be Frank are some of the best spots to pick up sourdough loaves. For cakes and other treats, it’s hard to go past Butter Days Bakery from Dessert Masters winner John Demetrios, “Scandinasian” Collingwood Yards bakery Dua, or Carlton’s Madeleine de Proust, known for inventive takes on the French classic. Laminated pastries are the go at Monforte and, of course, Kate Reid’s Lune. And gluten-intolerant friends are taken care of with cookies and canelés at Kudo.

Lunch

It’s hard to beat lunch at Julie, a dreamy and relaxed restaurant at the Abbotsford Convent, followed by a drink and snack at sibling venue Cam’s Kiosk just around the corner.

Spending time by the water? Grab a table at Stokehouse Pasta & Bar for wine and an easy meal overlooking the water. Or stop by Ellie’s Kiosk, author Ellie Bouhadana’s summer takeover of Stokehouse’s Beach Box. In 2025, beachside St Kilda became an especially exciting place to dine with Yang Thai, a next-level Southern Thai-style chicken shop, and El Columpio’s seafood shack, where you’ll find an exceptional seafood tower for two. 

In Collingwood, Shannon Martinez’s Smith & Deli is a great spot for a quick salad or sandwich (and everything there just happens to be vegan). Or head to Richmond for banh mi with fine-dining pedigree at chef Thi Le’s Ca Com, right next door to her excellent Vietnamese restaurant Anchovy. Or go to Cremorne for Korean temple food prepared by two top chefs at lunch-only restaurant Sogumm.

In the city, check out Peck’s Road for ube doughnuts and a Filipino take on banh mi. Visit Melbourne’s unofficial Thai Town on Bourke Street for spots like Thai Baan and Nana Thai, or the city’s official Koreatown on Healeys Lane for street food from Seoul Toast Bong. And don’t miss Indonesian spot Makan for some of the best satay in Melbourne.

Dinner

Even the Obamas visited chef Dave Verheul’s CBD spot Embla when they were in town. It’s one of the quintessential Melbourne places and is known for its exceptional wine list. If you’re looking for a bucket-list-worthy experience, Hugh Allen’s new fine diner Yiaga is hard to beat, and intimate Richmond Japanese restaurant Minamishima, with its gold-wrapped sushi, will be unforgettable (just make sure you have a reservation before your trip).

John Rivera’s Filipino hotspot Askal and Mika Chae’s modern Korean restaurant Doju are two of the city’s most exciting offerings. Audrey Shaw’s Carnation Canteen is a buzzy Fitzroy favourite. But Tom Sarafian’s Collingwood spot, Zareh, was the hottest restaurant of 2025 and an absolute must-visit – if you don’t have a booking, you can try your luck at one of the walk-in-only footpath tables.

Other old faithfuls include Supernormal, Gimlet and Cutler, all by restaurateur Andrew McConnell’s Trader House, as well as in-demand Italian spots Tipo 00 (which we have on good authority David Sedaris loves) and local gem Scopri. For French, there’s France-Soir and its wine bar Le Splendide (where photos are not allowed) in South Yarra, and Entrecote in nearby Prahran. And for Cantonese, visit Supper Inn or Victor Liong’s Lee Ho Fook.

Coffee

Alicia Feng’s tiny Fitzroy coffee shop Calere is easy to miss – except for the lines that form on Gertrude Street in the mornings. Stop by for Ona Coffee and hard-to-find brews made using beans from Yunnan, China, all served in gorgeous custom ceramics.

Disciple Roasters is a “coffee cellar door” for serious fanatics. It’s hidden on a backstreet in Brunswick (does it get any more Melbourne than that?) and features eight to 10 different espressos every day, plus pour-over options priced anywhere from $5 to $200 or more. But don’t come here looking for a latte or a flat white – there is no milk (cow’s or otherwise); you have to go next door to sibling business Kohi No Deshi for that.

Since starting in 2009, Market Lane has been a major driver in Melbourne’s specialty coffee scene. Owner Fleur Studd has been a significant behind-the-scenes player in Melbourne coffee for a while now, and you’ll find Market Lane coffee shops at Prahran Market, the Queen Vic Market, South Melbourne and elsewhere around town.

If matcha’s more your speed, Tori’s has one of the city’s best strawberry matcha drinks, as well as refreshing matcha spritzes. There’s also Hareruya Pantry in both Carlton and the CBD, as well as Matcha Mate, which just opened in Collingwood and has a (vegan) coconut matcha drink worth planning your trip around. And Matcha Kobo, outside Melbourne Central, is where the team stone-mills the green stuff in-house.

For chai, check out the street cart turned permanent cafe Original Chai Co at the Queen Vic Market.

Pubs and bars

If you’ve done some south-side shopping along High Street, Armadale, and need to unwind, stop by Albert’s, a European-style wine bar in a stunning arcade with tables that spill onto the footpath.

North of the river in Carlton, Bar Bellamy has an ever-changing cocktails list and exceptional anchovy-topped devilled eggs. It sits next to its more casual sibling Melitta Next Door, where you’ll find plenty of footpath seating and a Sunnyboy-like signature cocktail.

Gimlet’s sibling venue, the 30-seat cocktail bar Apollo Inn in the CBD, feels like stepping into another era, while Byrdi at Melbourne Central is lauded for its innovative techniques. 

Compact 24-seater One or Two in Chinatown is known for traditional and adventurous cocktails, as well as its list of 50 small-batch whiskies. Venture north side and check out Brunswick’s Bar Spontana for wild-fermented beers and excellent Thai food, or head to Carlton for expert highballs at Atsu.

In the CBD, get to Caretaker’s Cottage – a tiny bluestone pub (number 19 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list) that feels like the best kind of house party – and its excellent sibling spot around the corner, Three Horses. If the weather is balmy, the rooftop bar and pool at Le Meridien (Le Splash is now open to the public (previously only hotel guests had access) if a swim and a sundowner is more your speed.

Above Board is a little more hidden but just as much fun, as is Hawthorn’s Bar Selecta, a listening bar from a powerhouse team including a former Flower Drum bartender. Round out the night at Slowpoke, where you can take in 360-degree views of the city with a Martini in one hand and a slider in the other.