Street food$A$5-A$12st-kildaDaily 08:00-21:00
Acland Street in St Kilda is lined with European patisserie windows selling cakes since the 1950s: Black Forest, cheesecake and lamingtons in a heritage row.
Order: Polish apple cake or black forest slice from any of the long-running shops
Street food$A$1-A$5cbdTue, Thu 06:00-14:00; Fri-Sun 06:00-16:00
American Doughnut Kitchen at Queen Victoria Market has fried jam donuts in the same formula since 1950: hot, sugar-dusted and still sold from the red caravan.
Order: Cinnamon-sugar jam donut, fresh-fried and handed through the window
Street food$A$10-A$18cbdWed evenings Nov-Mar, 17:00-22:00
The Queen Victoria Market Night Market runs Wednesday evenings in summer with street food traders, live music and the outdoor energy the CBD loses each night.
Order: Rotating seasonal stalls: Korean pancakes, Vietnamese banh mi, Greek souvlaki
Street food$A$15-A$20yarravilleTue-Thu 11:30-14:45 and 17:00-21:30, Fri-Sat 11:30-14:45 and 17:00-22:00, Sun 11:30-14:45 and 17:00-21:00
Laksa King in Flemington has set the Melbourne standard for the dish since 1998: asam and curry laksa at honest prices in a room worth the detour.
Order: Curry laksa with fish cake and tofu puffs
Street food$A$12-A$18fitzroyMon-Sun 11:30-21:30
Huxtaburger on Smith Street launched Melbourne's smash burger era in 2012: the double patty, American cheese and secret sauce that started the city format.
Order: Huxtaburger with American cheese and pickles
Street food$A$10-A$15cbdMon-Sun 11:00-23:00
Ta-Ke Don on Little Lonsdale Street is the CBD's fast donburi counter: katsu, karaage and tempura over rice for A$10 small, A$15 large with curry.
Order: Karaage donburi with Japanese curry sauce