7 things Melbourne does best in winter

Wrap yourself in Melbourne black as the temperature cools and the nights grow longer. Fires roar in bars and restaurants around the city and in neighbourhood watering holes. Live stages are just as hot. This is the season for scarves and beanies. To get out and barrack for your favourite sports team, whether they play Australian rules, rugby or basketball. It’s a time for red wine in laneway bars, boutique shopping, and blockbuster art shows under cover. A calendar of cosy events shows off Melbourne at its wintry best.

Here are our picks for Melbourne in winter.

Discover the incredible Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® French Impressionism exhibition. NGV International has partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to bring this blockbuster exhibition to Melbourne as part of this year’s Winter Masterpieces. See more than 100 paintings by famous artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas.

Other winter arts winners to book for include Melbourne's spectacular winter arts celebration, RISING and Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Rain, hail, shine, or a little bit of all three – the weather is no barrier for Melbourne's sports fans. Rug up in your club's colours with the rest of the big-cheering scarf-and-beanie-clad footy lovers at a high-energy AFL premiership match. Barrack like a local at the MCG or Marvel Stadium, and fuel up at half-time with the obligatory pie and beer.

The city's not shy about getting behind its other sports either: get ready for all-out rugby action as the British and Irish Lions return to Australia to take on the Wallabies at the MCG this July, as well as high-energy Suncorp Super Netball matches at John Cain Arena.

Winter sounds fine in Australia's live music capital. The city keeps the beat with its diverse music scene. Local and international talent perform across Melbourne, with gigs in grand theatres, historic band rooms, beloved pubs and intimate bars. Look for shows from big names to rising stars to nascent talent. Jazz, hip hop, rock, Afro beats, Latin and everything in between.

For cosy afternoon tunes and high-energy headliners on the weekends, try neighbourhood pubs the Retreat and Brunswick Ballroom in Brunswick, Northcote Social Club in Northcote, and the Espy in St Kilda. Step out for rock at iconic Cherry Bar, and smooth jazz vibes at the Paris Cat. Book for big gigs and touring acts at the Corner Hotel, the Forum and the Arts Centre.

Melbourne's top chefs are your best friends in winter, dishing out award-winning creative meals and perfectly crafted local flavours to thrill your taste buds and keep the social hours humming. Convivial gastro pubs with open fires, cosy wine bars and chic fine diners – Melbourne is full of welcoming spaces to escape when the chill sets in.

Sip fine wines and tuck into tasty share plates at the oh-so-chic Marion Wine Bar in Fitzroy. Book ahead for French fine dining in a grand Gothic space at Reine & La Rue. Pop into Little Lon Distillery for a warming glass of handcrafted gin. Or head to Farmer's Daughters on Exhibition Street to indulge in a farm-to-table feast like no other.

Melbourne's iconic lanes are the perfect place to tuck yourself away in winter. Wind your way from one to another, stopping for piping hot soup and expert coffee at bustling cafes along Centre Place and Degraves Street. Join a walking tour to unearth the best of Melbourne's bluestone cobbled laneways and street art along colourful Hosier Lane. Follow fashion at stores along Flinders Lane and Little Collins Street, browsing jewellery and design at Craft and e.g.etal.

Pop into top laneway tables Movida, San Telmo and Tres a Cinco, and discover a new tipple at Eau de Vie and Nick and Nora's. Don’t miss dumplings at HuTong, wine and share plates at Bar Lourinhã, and a night cap at stalwart Double Happiness on Liverpool Street.

Melbourne's reputation is built upon its love of the bean and the expertise of local baristas in crafting a perfect caffeinated cuppa. Do as locals do and weather dark winter days over lively coffee catch-ups or prop up a table of one's own with a book and a flat white.

Get ready to taste some of the finest brews around Melbourne at Market Lane, Proud Mary, Code Black, Dukes, Seven Seeds, Everyday Coffee and the Auction Rooms – for starters. Wherever you go, sample a variety of pour over, batch brew, filter and espresso, and pick up locally roasted beans and some brewing equipment for winning home brews, too.

Melbourne designers excel with style-forward wool knits, leather boots, brightly coloured scarves, gloves, coats and hosiery. Black is staple but far from uniform, with latest trends turning towards vivid colours and bold patterning. Layering is key to the cooler months and locals embrace the art of winter fashion. Find a look that fits you in in the city's many and varied arcades, malls and shopping centres. It's possible to browse and shop through hundreds of labels under cover, keeping dry and warm while hopping between each hub.

Pick up new favourites from Melbourne designers ELK and Alpha60, curated vintage from SWOP, menswear from Masons, and big-name international designs at glittering malls Emporium, 80 Collins and Chadstone.