• header_melbourne

Melbourne News

General News

6 Socially Aware Eateries That Make The Planet Smile

Sick of not being able to finish off the enormous pile of avocado that accompanied your eggs on toast? Watching as the waiter scoops the remainders into the bin of the local café kitchen. Food waste strikes again. Cue the guilt. Believe it or not, there are some hospo-superstars that...

Melbourne Music Week’s 10th Birthday is looking like a big one!

There’s nothing we love more than celebrating Melbourne’s arts culture. We have a notoriously talented music scene, and we’re the music capital of the world, which is why there’s an entire week dedicated to it! Melbourne Music Week is not just about standing in a crowd watching live music. You’re...

Sugar Republic’s Christmasland is Back! A sugary, interactive wonderland for all ages

There’s no such thing as being too old for Christmas, so gather up your nearest and dearest and head down to the Macrobertson’s Chocolate Factory in Fitzroy this November! After the sold out success of its debut year, Sugar Republic’s Christmasland will be running from the 10th of November right...

Need those noodles? Get slurping at our favourite ramen joints.

If I could only have one meal for the rest of my life, I’d choose ramen. Noodles + soup = a match made in heaven, especially when you go to the right place. These 5 ramen restaurants have been tried and tested, and have rightfully earned their place among the...

4 Pines Are Giving Us A Welcome To Brunswick

Imagine an oasis with solar powered energy, bio-dynamic composting, reusable plates, recycled furniture, a line-up of glorious food trucks, and an abundance of beer. A place where people can eat without feeling diner’s remorse as their food scraps and plastic dishes are thrown into the bin. This dream is very...

Going to The Fringe Festival? Check Out These Restaurants Before Your Show!

It’s time once again to revel in the weirdness and uniqueness of Melbourne. Running from September 12th to the 29th, the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival is bigger and better in 2019. There are over 400 exciting and strange acts and shows which range from stand-up comedy to drag shows. There’s...

Melbourne Fringe Festival Is Back!

Witness the Melbourne Fringe Festival transform the city into an artistic platform that presents 450+ works in 170+ venues from over 3,000 artists. From September 12th – 29th 2019, the festival will hold events that pushes and breaks artistic boundaries and inspire new ideas. Participants will be tested outside of...

Pub Trivia Venues for Every Night of the Week!

Here at Hidden City Secrets, we love our pub trivia. It makes us feel that those hours spent on Wikipedia and reading weird poetry wasn’t a complete waste of time. If you can relate, visit one of these bars that hosts trivia nights every week. Grab your mates and show...

Bop and Jive at Bird’s Basement Jazz Venue

Fancy yourself as a jazzy guy? A bit of a hep cat? A big band Betty? A lover of jazz? If you identify as one, or all, of these, Bird’s Basement is where you need to be. One of Melbourne’s best live music hotspots, Bird’s Basement has been spreading the good...

The Ultimate CBD Venue Destination for your Next Event

Set in the cosmopolitan heart of Flinders Lane, Garden State is a multifaceted, beautiful assemblage of spaces that will definitely take you on a wondrous adventure that encompasses full grown trees and illuminous, glowing pendant lighting. Each setting has their own personality, signature stylings and work together to creative a...

Collingwood’s Favourite Vegan Pizzeria Opens Its Doors In Prahran

Following their Smith Street success, the cult favourite pizzeria have just opened their doors to the south siders. Currently open 5-10pm Wednesdays through to Sundays, the new location at 260 Chapel Street Prahran is already welcoming a sea of regulars and newcomers alike.  Fitted with vintage style vinyl booths and...

Satisfy those Pizza cravings at this South Melbourne Italian Restaurant

A charismatic escape away from the hectic streets of South Melbourne, Mister Margherita is the kind of restaurant you can expect to see a chef making a pizza whilst singing along to That’s Amore. The outside light infiltrates through the windows, which brightens and fills the space during the day,...

Its the F*cking Catalina Wine Mixer

Call it a nation-wide collaboration if you will, Welcome to Thornbury and South Australia’s Howard Vineyard are bringing the biggest (or smallest) event of the year to our beloved north-side food truck park, on the 14th of September. A perfect opportunity to have a few wines wearing a Captain’s hat,...

5 Things To Do For Father’s Day in Melbourne

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and for most of us this means frantically looking for a way to show the big man how much he means to you. But instead of serving up the remnants of charcoaled toast in bed with a side of crumbs tossed through every...

White Night Reimagined Re-Introduces Itself to Melbourne

Get ready to engage all five of your senses as Melbourne celebrates performance art, music and food across three nights in August. From Thursday the 22nd – Saturday the 24th  of August (this weekend), you will witness the city host large-scale performances, culinary/music offerings and art installations. This iconic event has undergone a transformation...

5 Fun Bars You Need to Check Out This Weekend

Sometimes, your regular wild weekend drinks need somewhere a little bit “extra” to spice it up. From sinking golf balls to sinking Harry Potter-inspired cocktails, these fun bars  will take your next sesh to the next level. GG EZ Basement 93 – 95 Queen St, Melbourne Australia’s first dedicated e-sports...

5 South-East Asian Restaurants To Ease Your Wanderlust

I’ve been there. You wake up, check Instagram and see that your friend is enjoying the paradise-like weather in Bali. You get out of bed, fighting the freezing Melbourne morning and on the train, you check the app again. Now your friend has boomeranged herself enjoying Balinese cuisine. Your stomach...

South Yarra Rooftop, Cocktail Lounge, Bar and Dining All in One Venue

From the outside, The Osborne Rooftop and Bar could have passed as any ol’ south-side hotel. Plonked on the corner of Osborne St and Commercial Rd, with a history dating back to the early 1900’s, the humble white brickwork gave no hint of the charm concealed beyond. But, the second the...

5 Bar & Restaurant Combos for an Easy Night Out

To the lazy bums, the disorganized and the overly prepared, Do I have the perfect plan for your next night out! Below I have compiled a cute little list for you where I have coupled bars and restaurants within close proximity from each other in and around Melbourne. It is...

Melbourne’s Newest Burger Joint With A Sustainable Twist

Please note: Henry’s Burgers is now permanently closed. Brunswick Street’s esteemed strip of vegan eateries just got its newest addition, and it’s changing the fast food game. Dubbed ‘New world Burgers’, Henry’s Burgers are reinventing what we all know and love with house made, plant-based substitutes, and there’s no compromise on taste....

Win A Double-Pass For Underground Cinema’s Opening Night In Melbourne

Head to the Hidden City Secrets Facebook page, like the post about the event and tag who you would take in the comments below for your chance to win. Click Here To Enter! Competition starts Monday 5th of August Midnight AEST and will end Tuesday 14th of August. Winners will be...

31 Hot Chocolates in 31 Days? Challenge Accepted

ATTENTION ALL CHOCCY LOVERS! It’s that time of year again, the annual Hot Chocolate Festival has reared its delicious head. Prepare your chocoholic stomachs for all sorts of delicious and twisted flavours to escape the winter chill this August. Held in three regional Victorian chocolateries in the Yarra Valley, the...

5 Eateries To Beat Those Midnight Cravings

It’s late. You find yourself stumbling around the CBD trying to find a bite to eat. Maybe you just came from a party where the food wasn’t all the great. Or maybe you just finished a karaoke session and all that Steven Tyler screaming has you starving. You look at...

Fresh New Look for Souk + Funky New Bar

There’s a brand new project from the team who brought you Melbourne’s popular Middle Eastern inspired Souk. Enter Handsome Bar, a luxe, modern bar where you can escape the ordinary. Souk has moved upstairs after its fresh renovations to make way for the new bar which, as a result, will...

A Taste of Latin America Comes to Prahran

Casa N.O.M. Bar y Restaurante has just arrived in Prahran, offering Latin-American foods among the cultural boutiques of Greville Street. Nicholas and Thomas Welch are the talented brothers that brought us The White Oaks Saloon and The Silverlake Social. Both venues represent the Southern States and Southern California respectively. But...

Collins Street Has A New Vegan Wine & Salad Bar

After their opening night just a few weeks ago, Home Vegan Bar are the newest addition and flagship location to the Home Pressed Juices family. A quick two minute walk from Southern Cross station, the new kids on the block are decked out with not only a fixed menu but...

Melbourne’s Favourite Modern Mexican and Barbecue Restaurants Team Up for One Day Only

ANECDOTE TIME: On a weekend away, one of my friends – you know that friend who always gives the best food recommendations – recommended a restaurant. She said that it was AMAZING and so YUMMY! She gave this place her gold stamp of approval and now I am telling you about...

Dating With Dogs Is Officially a Thing and It’s Coming To Your Fave Dog-Friendly Pub

If you’ve thrown in the towel on the horrific dating scene of 2019 and resigned yourself to a life of solitude with your cavoodle, Shamus, as the ‘only soul mate you need’ – then hear me out. The National Hotel have joined teams with The Social Dog Company to bring...

A Cocktail Hit Straight From an IV Drip is on Offer at This All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Hotspot

Set down your cosmos and hold onto your hats cocktail lovers, because your favourite all-you-can-eat Japanese joint, Grand Lafayette, have just dropped a brand new cocktail line up that’s set to change the game. We’re talking boozy masterpieces so good you’ll wish you could have a constant flow of them...

5 Pet-Friendly Cafes to Take Your Pooch This Winter

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you and your four-legged friend have to stay inside all the time! Take some time out this winter to discover some of the best dog-friendly cafés and bars in and around Melbourne. Welcome To Thornbury 520 High Street, Northcote  The premiere permanent food...

Victoria’s Largest Independent Gin Distillery is Opening in Melbourne’s CBD

Gin is one of those stylish, sophisticated, damn delicious spirits that we often turn to in our hour of need – aka Happy Hour – and in early September this year, Victoria’s largest independent gin distillery, Patient Wolf Distilling Co, will open their doors in Southbank. Fulfilling their purpose and...

This Parisian-Style Brasserie Is Our New Late-Night Love Affair

Practice your French pronunciations – Bar Margaux, a New York-inspired French brasserie, has just arrived on Lonsdale Street. Owners Michael Madrusan and his wife Zara wanted a venue that reflects the Parisian-style brasseries from New York. So they collaborated with the interior designer of BAR studio, Deanie Madrusan, to bring Melbournians this dim-lit, 100-seat bar. It...

Satisfy Your American-Food Cravings at these 6 Melbourne Restaurants

Do you feel the sudden need for food filled with American goodness? Maybe the diner scene from Pulp Fiction has got you craving $5 milkshakes – or maybe a Gordon Ramsay video on YouTube has you watering at the mouth for a burger. Well, whatever the reason – we’re here...

Melbourne’s Best Boozy Bottomless Brunches

What could warm you up quicker than a Katmandu puffer on these icy mornings in Melbourne? Booze. And thanks to the bottomless brunch craze that has infiltrated Melbourne, it’s now socially acceptable to consume it during the AM. We’ve sifted through the mimosas and smashed avos to bring you a...

A Euro Disco Themed Night Market Is Happening In A Top CBD Laneway Every Friday This July

Say goodbye to the working week in true 70’s style, this year’s ever-loved European Night Market is set to be a success. Head down to Madame Brussels Lane in the CBD from 5-10pm every Friday night this July to indulge in some of Melbourne’s most prized food stalls and luminous...

Get Free 23 Karat Gold Wings At NeNe Chicken This Saturday

Get ready to strike gold at everyone’s favourite Korean fried chicken outlet to celebrate National Fried Chicken Day! NeNe Chicken is delivering a gold rush to five stores around Australia from 12 noon on Saturday the 6th of July, with free original wingettes and drummettes being served to the first...

There’s a Modern New Menu at Everyone’s Favourite CBD Mexican Restaurant

Señorita, would you like another Margherita? Or a mouthwatering Tostada? If you do not know what a Tostada is, then why not go to Mamasita to see what their new head chef is cooking up! Perched over a 7/11 and up a secret staircase on Collins Street, Mamasita has been treating...

$66 Ultimate Meat-Lover Lunchtime Feast At This Richmond Asian Fusion Restaurant

Get ready to realize your meat-lover dreams at Kong BBQ’s Ribs and Wings event on Saturday 22nd June 2019. This compact food space is a funky ex-warehouse with an industrial décor and for the very first time, they are hosting the ultimate meat-lover lunchtime feast! For $66pp, you and your rib-and-wing-loving friends...

Get In Loser, Because Mean Girls Trivia Is Happening At This Underground Bar

Grab your Gretchen and Karen and make your way down to Flinders Lane on Monday 17th of June for The Mill House‘s Mean Girls Trivia night. Registration kicks off at 6pm but with happy hour from 4-7pm, it’d be rude not to venture down a little earlier to make the most...

All-Australian Boozy Brunch With Bottomless Bellinis at This Waterfront Bar

Melbourne CBD’s hidden gem, Pilgrim, is shaking those winter blues by hosting their very own take on bottomless brunch. Introducing Pilgrim Picnics – two hours of an all-Australian selection of cured meats and local cheeses and a delicious spread of sustainable shared plates. And did we mention endless peachy cocktails?...

latest News VIEW ALL NEWS

Get Shucking At This CBD Venue

So, you need to organise that end of year work party, that big yearly catch-up with your friend group, or perhaps you are wanting to impress the in-laws? We got you! In honor of the venue you are about to shuck, allow us to guide you through opening your oyster the right way. First, we […]

READ MORE

Venues for the Breakfast Club Characters in Your Life

Perms, John Hughes, and the greatest era of music to date all came together in the iconic 80’s film The Breakfast Club. A film that encapsulates all the messiness of being in high school and celebrates the time in your life where you start figuring out who you are; there’s nothing quite like it an

READ MORE

Your Seat In Heaven At This Rooftop Bar

From the moment you step down Meyers Place you know you are in for an amazing time. Embellished with shimmering walls (that you could probably see from space) and painted cobble stones, you can’t miss the front of Loop Rooftop Bar! You are engulfed by excitement from the moment you enter the Laneway

READ MORE