Eat in South Yarra and Prahran, Melbourne

France-Soir

• ★ 4.4
• French
• $$$

Order Steak au poivre with pommes frites and a glass of Burgundy

France-Soir has been Melbourne's Parisian bistro since 1982: the menu barely changes, the wine list is legendary and the room feels uncannily right.

Aegli

• ★ 4.4
• Greek
• $$

Order Wood-roasted lamb with orzo and feta

Aegli on Coventry Street leads Melbourne's new Greek wave: regional Hellenic flavours, smoked saganaki and lamb shoulder in a South Melbourne room.

Moon Mart

• ★ 4.1
• $

Order Iced matcha latte

Moon Mart on Clarendon Street is a Japanese-Korean cafe: char siu bacon-and-egg rolls, egg sandos and matcha lattes with a loyal South Melbourne crowd.

Butter Days

• ★ 4.6
• $

Order Long black with Scandinavian-inspired pastry

Butter Days in Malvern is a Scandi-inspired pastry shop: laminated doughs with fine-dining precision and a short opening window that rewards early arrival.

Bar Selecta

• ★ 4.1
• $

Order Sake with vinyl soundtrack

Bar Selecta in Hawthorn is a Japanese listening bar: vinyl on the turntable, chosen sake and shochu in a room that treats music as seriously as drink.

St. Ali

• ★ 4.2
• $

Order House blend espresso and specialty single origins

St. Ali in South Melbourne is among Melbourne's original specialty destinations: a roastery-cafe in a warehouse that helped define the city's coffee scene.

Axil Coffee Roasters

• ★ 4.0
• $

Order Signature blend espresso

Axil Coffee in Hawthorn anchors Melbourne's eastern cafe corridor: loyal following, house blend, full breakfast menu and a roastery supplying the city's best.

Tivoli Road Bakery

• ★ 4.4
• Bakery
• $

Order Country sourdough loaf and sausage roll

Tivoli Road Bakery in South Yarra is the neighbourhood institution: daily sourdough, sausage rolls and granola from scratch in a small bakery off Toorak Road.

South Melbourne Market

• ★ 4.6
• Market
• $

South Melbourne Market has been the suburb's food anchor since 1867: independent stallholders, fresh produce, the original dim sim stall and a Saturday crowd.

Prahran Market

• ★ 4.4
• Market
• $

Prahran Market on Commercial Road is Melbourne's highest-quality food market: artisan producers, premium butchers, cheesemongers and coffee at the entrance.

South Melbourne Dim Sim

• ★ 4.5
• Chinese
• $

Order Original South Melbourne deep-fried dim sim in a paper bag

The South Melbourne dim sim is a Melbourne birthright: invented at this stall in 1949, deep-fried in a paper bag and eaten standing on the market footpath.

Bistro Gitan

• ★ 4.4
• French fine dining
• $$

Bistro Gitan on Toorak Road West is run by three of Jacques Reymond's children: French bistro plates with Spanish and Italian touches in a South Yarra room.

Tall Timber

• ★ 4.0
• Brunch
• $$

Order Smashed avo with fermented chilli and seeds on sourdough

Tall Timber in South Yarra is the suburb's most consistent brunch room: house-roasted espresso, solid weekend kitchen and avo toast that never needs updating.

Journeyman

• ★ 4.1
• Brunch
• $$

Order Persian feta potato croquette with fresh corn salsa and poached egg

Journeyman on Chapel Street in Windsor is a consistent south-side brunch room: direct-trade Dukes espresso, seasonal produce and a loyal following since 2014.

Revolver Upstairs

• ★ 4.6

Revolver Upstairs on Chapel Street is Melbourne's most enduring dance club: a 36-hour weekend licence, a multiple-room layout across a terrace building and a booking history that spans everyone from local DJs to international electronic acts.