A$5-A$12st-kildaDaily 8am-9pm
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
A$1-A$5cbdTue, Thu 6am-2pm; Fri-Sun 6am-4pm
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
A$10-A$18cbdWed evenings Nov-Mar, 5pm-10pm
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
A$7-A$12yarravilleMon-Sat 8am-5pm
Phuoc Thanh inside Footscray Market is the banh mi benchmark for Melbourne's west: house-made pate, house-picked vegetables and a queue that never shortens.
Order: Banh mi with pork, pate and pickled vegetables
A$15-A$20yarravilleTue-Thu 11:30am-2:45pm and 5pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-2:45pm and 5pm-10pm, Sun 11:30am-2:45pm and 5pm-9pm
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
A$12-A$18fitzroyMon-Sun 11:30am-9:30pm
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