Melbourne City Guide

Senncha’s Curated Guide to Melbourne City & Surrounds


Last year, our Creative Director took a design-focused trip through Melbourne, exploring the city’s most inspiring inner-city suburbs finding the best places to stay, dine, shop, and unwind. Whether you're planning your first visit or returning to uncover new favourites, this guide offers a considered perspective on the city and its inner-suburbs.

To Stay

  • Fitzroy (for it’s night-life, food and thrift shops)

  • Newport (for a quiet stay out of the city)

  • Armadale (for luxury shopping and sophisticated dining)

  • Carlton (for wine rooms, bakeries and cafes)

  • Melbourne City (for your first visit!)

If it’s your first time visiting, staying in the city can be a great way to experience the best of Melbourne; from the early morning coffee shops to the vibrant late-night bars and shops. However, just beyond the CBD, the surrounding suburbs offer a different kind of charm with historic high streets, independent boutiques, and an equally thriving café culture, all without the chaos and cost of staying in the city centre. Plus, with Melbourne’s iconic tram lines getting back into the city feels effortless (and they offer a great chance to see more of the city along the way!)

Melbourne CBD is always worth exploring, whether if your first time here or your 5th, there’s always something new to discover. It’s where the best of the state’s food, fashion, and culture reside and no two visits ever feel the same. Around every corner, there’s hidden wine bars, curated concept stores and some of the best food you’ll ever eat.

And if you’re already staying within reach of the tram network, getting around is as seamless as it is nostalgic. Within the Free Tram Zone, you can glide from one stop to the next free of charge; the perfect excuse to explore the city’s laneways, galleries, bakeries, and boutiques at your own pace. It’s convenient, charming, and very Melbourne.

Melbourne CBD

Day 1-2


”I also recommend getting lost in Melbourne’s inner city. There’s so many alleyways, hidden cafes and boutiques that are just waiting to be found and every time I visit I find something special that I’ve never seen recommended online. My best piece of advice would be to keep your eyes open and if you see a line outside what looks to be an abandoned building, you’ll probably find the best meal you’ve ever eaten waiting inside.”

To See:

To Shop:

To Eat & Drink

Fitzroy

Day 3

Not exactly a hidden gem, but undoubtedly a gem, Fitzroy stands as the pinnacle of Melbourne’s eclectic culture and its oldest suburb. With graffiti across almost every storefront, a thrift store perched above every café and the nostalgic clang of the tram bell echoing throughout the entire neighborhood, it‘s an undeniably interesting suburb.

However, beyond the bustling mains streets of Smith, Gertrude, Brunswick, and Johnston, Fitzroy’s backstreets are lined with quiet terrace houses and offer a glimpse into the neighborhood’s working-class history. The tucked away streets feel quaint and quiet, with the illusion broken occasionally by a pub or a graffiti-covered wall.


If you’re seeking a place with an assortment of history, thrifted finds, rooftop views, live music and independent galleries, this is the place for you!

To See:

To Shop:

To Eat & Drink

”Before our most recent visit to Melbourne, Carlton wasn’t somewhere we’d thought to explore. But as it turns out, this inner-Melbourne suburb has long been the heart of the city’s Italian community”

Day 4

Carlton

It turns out that after World War II, waves of Italian immigrants settled in Carlton, infusing the neighbourhood with rich cultural flair; from architecture and espresso bars to what was once considered exotic fare: think pizza, pasta, and prosciutto (now staples in just about every modern kitchen).

For decades before the 1990’s, Lygon Street was Melbourne’s Little Italy. With its wrought-iron balconies, vintage neon signs, and the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed espresso, it offered a slice of Europe without the long-haul flight. While some of that old-school charm has faded (beware the laminated menus, checkered tablecloths, and euro-style tourist traps), there are still gems to be found.

Word to the wise: a charming Italian man offering you a discount and a window seat probably won’t lead you to your most memorable meal.

Beyond the pasta and nostalgia, Carlton’s café culture (also pioneered by the Italian community) continues to thrive. It’s a neighbourhood that feels worn-in yet full of flavour. Where you can sip espresso under a canopy of trees, stumble upon an art-house cinema, and savour handmade gnocchi at a third-generation, family-run trattoria that’s been perfecting the recipe since before you were born, all in the same evening.

To See:

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To Eat & Drink

Day 5

Armadale

We may have saved the best for last! Despite countless trips to Melbourne over the years, Armadale had somehow never made it onto our radar until recently, when a few affluent locals urged us to visit (initially, for its famously posh butcher). A quick Google search revealed little more than an index of luxury retailers like Scanlan Theodore, Maison Balzac, and Sheet Society, which didn’t quite prepare us for just how charming the suburb would be.

Yes, it’s a little bit posh but Armadale is a quietly glamorous pocket of the city that feels more like a Parisian arrondissement than a Melbourne suburb. With elegant heritage façades discreetly housing designer boutiques and refined eateries, the streets are dotted with impeccably dressed locals, freshly manicured hedges and even the dogs wearing knits that put our own to shame. Yet, Armadale doesn’t feel exclusive or overly curated. It’s stylish without trying too hard. The locals are warm, the vibe is effortless, and the food is absolutely worth writing home about.

this is the fancy butcher!

To See:

  • Kings Arcade (for a hidden gem)

  • Compendium Gallery

  • Armadale High Street, (for a variety of shops & food)

  • Armadale’s Residential Streets (for the extravagant houses)

To Shop:

To Eat & Drink