The Melbourne CBD is my favourite place to go out at night and the best way to experience it is to go in full Anthony Bourdain style by making eating as much of a priority as drinking.
Personally, I reckon there’s nothing better than hopping between different restaurants and bars, so here are my picks for some great spots for an entertaining night out.
Panda Hotpot
This place is relatively new, but it is so extremely popular. Make sure you book in advance to avoid bitter disappointment by just showing up.
Such a fantastic place to start a night. Go with a bunch of friends, order as much hot pot as you can and make sure to ask them to keep bringing out six-packs of Tsingtao.
Heartbreaker/Connies Pizza
Now while I do have mixed feelings about elements of this place (swinging lights, American sized pints etc) its pizza is so insanely good that I always end up going in for a slice and a few beers and some pool if we are on a night out in the city.
Shujinko Ramen
Right across the road from Heartbreaker, this place has proven to be a Russell Street institution. I think this place might have been where I first tried Ramen? So go in, get yourself a bowl of ramen and edamame and enjoy ice-cold Japanese Kiren by the glass.
Chinatown various restaurants and Vintage Cellars bottle shop
A common sentiment among my friends that is brought up is that we couldn’t wait for the lockdown to end to go and do all of these things, but the thing I look back on most fondly is going to Chinatown in the middle of summer.
Maybe we’ve just finished work and have caught up for a few beers, and now it’s time to think about dinner. Ling Nan was the absolute pinnacle of Chinese restaurants, but sadly it closed last year.
Still, you really can’t go wrong with a lot of places in Chinatown. Supper Inn, Shanghai Street or even the incredibly rowdy Empress, which feels almost like an old Wild West saloon. Vintage Cellars bottle shop in Chinatown is a must, nothing better than a Peroni red traveller in the city on the way to your next venue.
Siglo
Now some may be turned off with the snootiness of this venue, but it is undeniably an incredibly fun place to end a night after consuming a lot of food and alcohol.
So order a cocktail, get a cigar and enjoy the beautiful view and make sure to get a hydrolate/Powerade on the way home. You’ll thank me in the morning.
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