Melbourne was just named the best city in the world by Time Out, making it the first Australian city to be No. 1 on this list.
The publication surveyed thousands of people across dozens of cities, asking what they love about where they live, then combined those responses with insights from its experts.
As a local who grew up in Melbourne, the results only confirm what I’ve been saying my entire life.
If you visit — and you absolutely should — here are a few things I recommend. Also, before we start: The pronunciation is “Mel-bin,” not “Mel-born.”
Take in the incredible street-art scene
Melbourne’s laneways are home to some of the best street art.
To take in as much as possible, I’d recommend taking a tour led by a working street artist.
I did one last year, and even though I’d walked these laneways my entire life, the guide still surprised me by pointing out a Banksy piece reportedly worth tens of thousands of dollars in a spot I’ve passed hundreds of times.
Taste our world-renowned coffee
Melbourne has the best coffee in the world. I say this with complete bias and total confidence.
Between the high-quality beans and local passion for well-crafted drinks, it can’t be beat.
While you’re here, try our signature local drink, a Magic. It’s a double ristretto with a smaller pour of steamed milk, stronger and more concentrated than a flat white.
Order one and the barista will know you’ve done your research.
Take advantage of our diverse culinary scene — and be sure to try some Greek food
There’s a lot of culinary diversity to enjoy throughout the city’s different neighborhoods.
For starters, Melbourne has one of the largest Greek populations outside Greece, and we’ve got great food to show for it.
The best place to experience it is Oakleigh, a suburb about 20 minutes by train from downtown Melbourne. I suggest heading to its pedestrian mall lined with Greek restaurants — on a warm evening, every table spills outside.
At any of those spots, order a souvlaki, which often consists of seasoned meat with fries stuffed inside a pita, and some saganaki, fried cheese that tastes far better than it sounds.
Oakleigh is just the start of your culinary adventure in Melbourne, where each neighborhood almost feels like a different country.
Carlton is the Italian quarter, Brunswick has a strong Middle Eastern influence, and there are Ethiopian, Indian, and Korean clusters scattered across the inner suburbs. The toughest decision is which country to eat in first.
I head to Richmond, Melbourne’s Vietnamese quarter, for steaming pho once a month, and every time I’m downtown, I end up in Chinatown.
It’s widely considered to be the oldest Chinatown in the Western world. I go there for cheap dumplings if I’m in a rush or Peking duck if my wife and I are out for dinner.
Try some of Melbourne’s many hidden bars
Melbourne is famous for its hidden bars and speakeasies, so it’s not surprising that many of our best spots have no signs at all.
For years, my flatmate and I ran tours through some of these secret spots, taking people to bars behind dumpsters that seated six people and even ones made of storage containers.
Most of them would have the same reaction to each: How is there a bar here?
My favorite spot is through Pizza Pizza Pizza, a pizza shop in the city. Walk past the counter and through a door at the back to step into a full cocktail bar. Be sure to grab a slice of pizza on the way out.
To find others, you may want to chat with locals or book a hidden-bar walking tour through the city.
Even if you don’t understand the rules, order a meat pie and start cheering at an AFL game
Melbourne is the sporting capital of the world, and we have several arenas that host live events.
In my opinion, the sport you must see here is Australian Rules Football (AFL). It’s full contact, no helmets, no pads. There are 18 teams, and the majority are based in Melbourne, which tells you everything.
The rules are complicated and don’t matter. What matters is being inside a stadium with 100,000 people who care about nothing else.
Order a meat pie, which is our version of a stadium hot dog. Don’t ask what’s inside it — it’s about as mysterious as what goes into a hot dog.
Once you’ve burned the roof of your mouth and spilled tomato sauce (ketchup) down your shirt, you can call yourself a Melburnian.
AFL usually runs from March through September, but Melbourne fills the rest of the calendar with massive events like the Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Any of them would be worth checking out while you’re here.
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