Itinerary

Friday night

Start your discovery in one of the laneways that started it all: Meyers Place. Climb the stairs to Loop Roof for decadent cocktails surrounded by palms and panoramic views. Stay close-by for dinner – you're only a short stroll from Bar Lourinhã's delectable tapas, HuTong's famous dumplings and Pellegrini's classic Italian.

For a nightcap, find cheer at Liverpool Street's Double Happiness.

Saturday morning

Breakfast at Hardware Societe will see you fuelled to explore nearby street art. Take your camera out and wander down Flinders Lane to Hosier Lane, scouting out stencils and paste-ups, murals and installations. For the local, inside word on Melbourne's famous urban art, consider taking a street-art walking tour.

Saturday afternoon

Check out the murals on Movida Next Door's exterior walls before stepping inside in for Frank Camorra's superb tapas. If it's looking a little busy, head next door to Tres a Cinco for a Mexican feast and a lively cantina vibe, on Hosier Lane.

Spend the afternoon browsing the boutiques in Centre Place and head for an art fix along Flinders Lane at Flinders Lane Gallery and Craft Victoria.

If a serious caffeine hit is in order, Industry Beans will see you right, and if it's time for a sundowner, Flinders Lane's Garden State has just the spot.

Saturday night

Find the perfect feast in Flinders Lane, one of the city's best addresses for dining. Queue up for pan-Asian flavour sensations at Chin Chin or Supernormal, or duck into nearby Pastuso for Peruvian fare on AC/DC Lane. Nightcap options abound up this way: head down the stairs to Eau de Vie or explore plenty of laneway bars in between.

If entertainment is in order, check out the program at independent gallery and theatre space fortyfivedownstairs.

Sunday morning

Kick start your Sunday with coffee aficionados at Manchester Press before exploring the shops and galleries of Rankins Lane and neighbouring Guildford Lane and Somerset Place. Gentlemen's outfitter and cafe Captains of Industry will fix you a coffee and offer a cut-throat shave, while Comme des Garçons will deck you out in cutting-edge cute. If it's a multi-coffee morning, get an extra kick from Cartel Coffee Roasters or a dose of architecture along with Proud Mary coffee at Krimper.

Further laneway retail therapy awaits in Crossley Street, where boutiques stocked with jewellery, fashion, memorabilia, and much in between, stand wall to wall with inviting restaurants and bars.

Sunday afternoon

Like some of the best bars, some of the city's best finds are upstairs, in 'vertical laneways'. Swanston Street's historic Nicholas Building is a creative hub housing artist studios, galleries and shops. Take the almost-antique elevators to explore the art, fashion and curiosities. Make time to browse Blindside gallery and phone ahead to view Louise Macdonald's millinery masterpieces. Downstairs, check out the wares of independent local designers and the retro fabulousness stocked in the boutiques of Cathedral Arcade and around Flinders Quarter.

Further north on Swanston Street, pay a visit to Curtin House, where the seven-level stair-climb takes you to boutiques and restaurants, and bar The Toff and its accompanying bandroom, The Toff in Town.

Sunday night

Back on street level, pull up a piece of crate at outdoor bar Section 8, or take the stairs to neighbouring Ferdydurke. For dinner, Chinatown cheap eats are just a chopstick away, and for a special night, inspired Indian at Tonka is well worth the walk back to Flinders Lane.

Stretch out your Sunday with a show at the Butterfly Club and a laneway tipple at Chuckle Park before surrendering to the call of Monday morning.

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Explore

couple walking up hosier lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Hosier Lane

Public art
Wander down the bluestone laneway and take in the dizzying array of colours and characters created by local and international street artists.
Gingerboy, Crossley Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Crossley Street

Destinations
There's great comfort in knowing places like Crossley Steet still exist, with the venerable Pellegrini's standing guard over quirky shops and cafes.
Chin Chin, Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria.

Flinders Lane

Destinations
Melbourne's laneway HQ, Flinders Lane is a hotspot for award-winning fine diners and boutique bars, contemporary galleries and local fashion labels.
Curtin House, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Curtin House

Precinct
Climb the stairs to seven levels of merriment in this art nouveau building. Stop for food and fashion along the way and finish with a rooftop tipple.
Meyers Place laneway, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Meyers Place

Streets
Spend an evening on one of Melbourne's oldest laneways and see why Meyers Place is a popular spot for both traditionalists and trendsetters.
Centre Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Photo: Robert Blackburn

Centre Place

Streets
Despite being Melbourne's quintessential laneway, Centre Place still surprises and delights with its wild street art, boutiques and buzzing cafes.
Manchester Press on Rankins Lane. Photo by Rebecca Newman.

Rankins Lane

Streets
There's plenty in Rankins Lane to make a visitor feel at home, from the lush, green window boxes to balcony flowerpots and overhanging lemon trees.
Guildford Lane, Melbourne, Victoria. Photo by Shannyn Higgins.

Guildford Lane

Streets
Take in the historic red brick and stone buildings on either side, and then stop in for a bite at chic city eateries such as Krimper and Brick Lane.
Captains of Industry, Somerset Place, Melbourne. Photo by Paul Philipson.

Somerset Place

Streets
Somerset Place is the spot off Elizabeth Street for quiet beers and people watching, men's hairdos and specialty coffee.
Cathedral Arcade, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Cathedral Arcade

Streets
Marvel at the magnificent art deco surrounds, browse fashion boutiques, and explore the galleries and studios in the Nicholas Building above.
Pulp club, Chinatown, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Chinatown

Destinations
Make a dramatic entrance to Melbourne's Chinatown through the grand arches and get a sense of the area's history amid the sumptuous aromas.
Nicholas Building, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Nicholas Building

Heritage buildings
Explore floor after floor of studios, galleries and curiosities, and shop textiles, found objects and fashion in this heritage-listed creative hub.
AC/DC Lane, Melbourne. Street art by Mike Makatron.

ACDC Lane

Streets
Named after the Australian musical heroes, ACDC Lane is the physical embodiment of Melbourne's love affair with rock 'n' roll.
Liverpool Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Photo: Ben King

Liverpool Street

Streets
With one foot in Chinatown and the other in Melbourne's humming theatre district, Liverpool Street feels more like old Shanghai than mother England.

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Take an unexpected turn, duck into one of Melbourne's famed laneways, scamper up some stairs and take a tipple in a bar with a distinct personality.