Where to Stay & Eat in Melbourne
Which neighbourhood fits your trip, and where the good, honestly priced food actually is.
Melbourne’s neighbourhoods each have a distinct character, central and iconic in one direction, artsy and residential in the other. Here’s an honest breakdown of where to stay, and where to eat once you’re there.
Where to stay, by neighbourhood
The CBD
Federation Square, the laneways and the MCG all within easy walking distance, the natural choice for a first trip focused on the classic sights. It’s also the priciest part of the city, worth it for the convenience on a short stay.
Fitzroy
A properly artistic, bohemian district home to Brunswick Street’s cafés and street art, Fitzroy offers a considerably calmer feel than the CBD. A short tram ride to downtown, considerably more local in atmosphere.
Carlton
A properly practical district north of the CBD, Carlton offers noticeably cheaper accommodation with easy tram access into the city. Home to Lygon Street’s Italian restaurant strip too, a genuine budget option with good food nearby.
Southbank
A properly modern, walkable area just across the Yarra from the CBD, Southbank offers riverside dining and a considerably calmer pace than the central laneways. A good choice if you’d rather balance sightseeing with a slower evening scene.
Where to eat
A laneway café is genuinely essential rather than optional, a proper local spot offers considerably better value and often better coffee than a tourist-priced restaurant on Federation Square. Queen Victoria Market remains one of the better cheap eats destinations in the city too.
Melbourne’s fine dining scene is worth knowing about too, several nationally recognised restaurants sit alongside more affordable options in the same neighbourhoods. Fitzroy and Carlton both hold a genuinely strong, more affordable dining scene beyond the tourist-heavy CBD streets.
A note on getting around and safety
Melbourne is genuinely safe for visitors in the main tourist areas, low crime across nearly every neighbourhood. The tram network covers the whole city efficiently, and the free City Circle tram loop makes the CBD particularly easy.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
