Top 5 Melbourne Laneways for Street Art

AC/DC Lane

Yes, this street is named after the 1970’s rock band who - although they formed in Sydney - made Melbourne their home. For hard core fans, check out the 1975 video clip to ‘It’s a long way to the top” which is filmed on Melbourne’s main drag, Swanston Street. Those same fans should definitely book in a dinner at one of the restaurants in AC/DC lane if not just to view the street art here while they dine. The best restaurant for that is a window table at Pastuso.

If you know your artists, you’ll know Banksy. At least, you’ll know Banksy’s work, because no one actually knows who Banksy is. There’s a Banksy stencil close to the door of Tonka restaurant in AC/DC Lane/Duckboard Place (which is the same street). It’s very difficult to tell you exactly where to look, but the stencil is a very simple silhouette of a parachuting rat.

Union Lane

In 2007, the City Of Melbourne created ‘the Union Lane Project where “more than 50 young people between the ages of 13 and 28 created a mural spanning 550 square metres on both sides of Union Lane.” Since then it’s been painted over daily. Sometimes you’ll find lots of tagging, sometimes you’ll find some brand new pieces. Everything from political statements to marriage proposals (!) line these walls. The only rule is that there are no rules! In 2019, street art went electric with a neon sign reading “Kiss Under the Mistletoe” erected over the Bourke St Mall end during the Christmas period.

Presgrave Place

By convention, this laneway is not a place to bring your spray can, but your art in a picture frame to ‘hang’ (or glue) on the wall. If you’re there during cocktail hour, you might like to stop in for a drink at Bar Americano.

Hosier Lane

If you’re looking for street art this is defiantly the most famous place to come. Hosier Lane is a curious phenomenon because even though it is super popular with tourists looking for the best selfie, it’s also the first place that artists go with political messages. It’s the place to have your message seen. To see the most enduring and best piece in the city, stand half way down Hosier Lane against the western wall and look up. You’ll notice the 23 metre high mural called ‘Aboriginal Boy’ painted by renowned street artist Matt Adnate in 2014.

There are also a couple of great bars and restaurants down here, namely MoVida, MoVida Next Door and BarTini all serving Spanish food.

Degraves Street

Undoubtedly the best place in Melbourne for a bit of people watching over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, Degraves is also rewarding for those looking for street art. For those willing to look around corners and spot smaller pieces, there are often some cute works.

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Melbourne Spring Itinerary - Food Lovers Weekend

Spring foodie Weekend in Melbourne

Friday night

Drop your bags at your hotel and head straight to Chinatown! On a dry evening there will be a buzz of people walking up and down Little Bourke St which is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the world.  If you’d like cheap and cheerful, head to Shanghai Street (the name of the restaurant, not the street) for xiao long bao or Juicy Bao for sheng jian bao. Both are right on Little Bourke St, either side of Russell St. You’ll need to queue at both, but the line typically moves quickly.  If you want to splash out, try the Flower Drum, but make sure you’ve booked weeks in advance. For somewhere in the middle, try Mr. Bo. 

Chinese restaurants are not typically known for their excellent drinks list, but there are some great laneway bars in Chinatown if you’d like to indulge after dinner. Try One or Two or the Union Electric.

China Town  | © Visit Victoria

Saturday 

Melbourne has literally a thousand places to get a morning coffee, so why not explore a few on our Coffee Lovers Walk. You’ll leave with a new found respect for your flat white!

After the tour concludes, jump on a tram and head to the Royal Botanic Gardens for lunch at The Terrace and enjoy a sunny spring afternoon wandering around and relaxing. For those more interested in a bit of culture, spend your time at the NGV. You’ve got two venues to choose from either on St Kilda Road for international art or at Federation Square for Australian Art. 

Speaking of Federation Square, this is your dinner venue. Grab one of the outdoor tables and enjoy flavours from all over the world at the many eateries on offer. After that you might like a wander along the river and have a drink with a view at Ponyfish Island(under the Evan Walker Bridge) or Yarra Botanica (a pontoon floating in the river). Both have lovely night time view of the city lights.  

Royal Botanic Gardens  | © Visit Victoria

Royal Botanic Gardens | © Visit Victoria

Sunday

Head just out of the city to South Melbourne Market (which is an easy walk from Crown) and join the  locals doing their Sunday morning grocery shopping and enjoying breakfast. There’s a lot of options to choose from here from pastries and coffee to freshly shucked oysters and crayfish!  

For your final Spring meal in Melbourne, head to the renowned Hardware Lane for the best Malaysian flavours in the town at Lulu’s, followed by a coffee at Maker and a gelato at Piccolina, all within a few steps of each other. 

South Melbourne Market | © Visit Victoria

South Melbourne Market | © Visit Victoria

Top 5 Melbourne Laneways for Coffee

Melbourne: Home of the Coffee Snob

Melbourne is known as the home of the coffee snob – a badge many wear with pride! Melbourne sits on a half square mile rectangular grid of streets. In between these main streets, you’ll find about 200 laneways, many of which will house cafes! No wonder we have about 1000 places to get a coffee! The coffee culture is dominated by espresso mixed with milk. Think about the style of a caffe latte, or as Aussies prefer to call it - a flat white.

Of course, black coffee is widely available. If you want espresso straight up, ask for a short black. To dilute it in water, call it a long black. For a cup of American black coffee, ask for filter or ‘batchy’ (short for batch brew).

Many of the laneway cafes are tiny with just a few seats and most people electing to grab their coffee takeaway (to-go). Worried about consuming all those disposable cups? If you bring your own cup - such as the Melbourne made ‘Keep Cup’ – your barista will be happy to make it in that. Many cafes sell a version of the Keep Cup if you’d like to nice souvenir.

Degraves St

Melbourne’s most famous laneway (read: alleyway) is Degraves St and there’s certainly great quantity of places to get a coffee, but two are known as the choicest. Fieldwork Coffee is a wonderful example of the Melbourne coffee scene with just a few seats to sit and house roasted coffee. They call themselves a ‘modern Australian micro roastery’.

Rankins Lane

Melbourne’s laneways just off Little Bourke St really punch above their weight for world class coffee. Here in Rankins Lane, you’ll find two of the most famous.

Brother Baba Budan is probably Melbourne’s favourite laneway café. Opened ‘circa 2003’ by Seven Seeds coffee roasters it consistently serves some of the best ethically sourced coffees in Melbourne. The communal table in the front window is the best seat in town to soak up the sweet beats pumping through the stereo while you sip.

Head around the corner deep into Rankins Lane for Manchester Press. Here you’ll order coffee roasted by Ona coffee – another roaster that takes sustainability and ethics in coffee sourcing very seriously. Manchester Press is a great place to go if you’d like some food with your coffee.

Somerset Place

Also in the same Little Bourke St neighbourhood this laneway is a great place to find amazing coffee. Captains of Industry has been quietly tucked away up the rickety staircase on level 1 for years offering coffee, booze and haircuts. They probably won’t make a fuss about the coffee, but it will be roasted dark and roasted locally. And it’s a lovely quiet space to sit if you need some laptop time.

If you’re really up for some of the tastiest coffees in Melbourne, head to the end of this Melbourne laneway to Blue Doors. They use coffee roasted for them by Cartel Coffee Roasters in Geelong (1 hour down the highway). Cartel roast a blend for them for milk based coffee that is entirely unique. Exotic coffees are also a highlight here.

Crossley St

At the eastern end of town are some of the most enduring eating and drinking experiences in Melbourne – many of them Italian.

Pellegrini’s on Bourke St (corner Crossley St) is credited with introducing espresso to Melbourne in 1953. It’s been in the same family since 1974 and they bought it from the Pellegrini brothers themselves. The late owner, Sisto Malaspina, has a permanent memorial out the front. That’s how much Melbourne loves this place. Don’t come here expecting the best coffee in Melbourne. Come here for a piece of living history.

Around the corner is a tiny almost literal hole in the wall called Traveller. Like Brother Baba Budan, it’s also owned by Seven Seeds. Look for the neon sign of a shoe. A coffee from Pellegrini’s side-by-side with a coffee from Traveller tells you where Melbourne coffee has come from and where it’s going.

Equitable Place

This is another hectic laneway during the week as office workers descend upon this place during their lunchbreak. The tiny Two Conversations coffee is consistently good and also offers some healthy snacks. Head towards Little Collins St and just around the corner to Industry Beans. The minimalist, also clinical Modbar layout serves wonderful coffees including some modern additions for milk lovers such as Bubble Cup (a coffee drink mimicking bubble tea) and an iced latte with the additional if Australian native wattleseed.

Drinking decaf in Melbourne

Most cafes these days will have a decaf option, but if you’re looking for some of the best there are two clear standouts. The decaf at hugely popular organic coffee roaster Dukes, is hard to differentiate from the standard variety. It has complexity and body which is something many other decafs lack. We’d happily drink it with milk or without. You will probably need to stand in line along Flinders Lane with the rest of the crowd, but it’s worth it!

One of our favourites - mentioned above - is Industry Beans and their decaf is also top notch in flavour. The beans are decaffeinated using the ‘sugarcane process’ which utilises the enzymes from the sugarcane plant to leach the caffeine from the coffee beans. But if that is getting a bit technical - don’t worry too much. Just enjoy the coffee!

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Walk Melbourne Tours will help you get the best out of your stay in Melbourne. Our Coffee Lovers Walking Tour will take you to visit four coffee houses and cafés around Melbourne’s laneways, sample a selection of different coffee varieties, and uncover all the secrets of brewing the perfect coffee. Click Here for more info.

Coffee Lovers Walking Tour by Walk Melbourne

Top Things To Do In Melbourne This Winter

The Charm of Winter in Melbourne

Winter in Melbourne is undeniably charming. Sure, it can be a bit cold and windy, but all the more reason to layer up in all your favorite jackets, scarves and boots to explore the city with a hot drink in hand.

There’s also lots of indoor activities that go beyond the shopping malls. We’ve got you covered for culture in June, July and August.

01 Rising Festival

(Until June 08)

Melbourne’s Winter Contemporary Arts Festival celebrates the darkness with light installations and theatre shows of all kinds. Whether you’re a contemporary art lover or just curious, they’ll be something for you in the extensive 2-week program.

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02 CARTIER at the NGV

(Until October 04 )

Running through October 4, 2026, the NGV’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® features nearly 400 extraordinary jewels, gems, and rare royal archives

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03 QVM Night Market

(Wednesdays nights from 5pm until Aug 26)

Enjoy incredible street food, specialty shopping and Live entertainment. Free entry! Wed 5pm – 10pm, ends 26 August 2026.

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04 Melb International Film Festival (MIFF)

(August 6–23, cinemas across the CBD)

Snuggle into warm cinemas across the CBD for one of the world's most highly regarded film festivals (August 6–23, 2026)

A great afternoon would be attending the Foodie Discovery Walk, followed by an early session at MIFF.‍ ‍

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05 Lightscape:

(From June 12 to August 2, 2026)

The Royal Botanic Gardens transforms into an illuminated night trail featuring twenty new light installations.

06 Firelight Festival:

Head to the Docklands waterfront (July 4–6) to warm up with glowing art, roaming performers, and spectacular fire displays. [1]

07 Laneway Cafes:

Hide away from the chill in CBD staples like Degraves Street or Centre Place, grabbing a world-class latte and a pastry. [1, 2]

08 Sports & Indoor Escapes:

AFL Games: Experience Melbourne's obsession by catching an Australian Rules Football match live at the nearby MCG or Marvel Stadium.

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image): Escape the rain at Fed Square to explore interactive, state-of-the-art screen culture and film exhibitions.

Heritage Arcades: Stay dry while admiring the 19th-century architecture and boutique shops of the Block Arcade and Royal Arcade.

Winter in Melbourne is a great time to get involved in the cinema, art and theatre that makes Melbourne Australia's cultural capital. Once you step out of the galleries and cinemas, spend 3 hours with us exploring the laneways and eating delicious food…. including some warm drinks! Join any of our winter delight walking tours.

Exploring the Best of Melbourne City Tours: A Local’s Guide

Laneways and arcades: Why a walking tour is better than a coach tour

People who live in Melbourne - Melburnians - have a few favorite topics of conversation. We’re sports mad, we love to discuss the ever-changing weather and we’re obsessed with food and drink, especially coffee. Everyone will have a favorite coffee shop or lunch spot and the more obscure and tucked away down an alleyway, the better!

The problem for visitors is that it is hard to find these local places.

You can probably find the iconic sports venues (such the Melbourne Cricket Ground or Melbourne Park) yourself using the tram, but when booking a Melbourne city tour you should be looking for a local who can show you the small places that really make you feel like you’ve discovered something! These places can only be found on a walking tour that takes you places the coaches simply cannot go.

Upgrade your sightseeing to a delicious adventure

Why limit yourself to just a Melbourne city tour walking through the laneways? Melbourne is well known for its multicultural and diverse food scene. This doesn’t just apply to fine dining but also to street food style snacks and the best venues are often found in the laneways. Your Melbourne city tour is so much better if it includes modern Australian eating, such as Chinese dumplings, specialty coffee, sweet treats in unexpected places … and lots more.

Melbourne's History & Culture

A city tour of Melbourne should be designed to allow you time to reflect upon the city's rich past and its transformation into the present-day cosmopolitan hub. Our walking city tours will leave with an appreciation of the history of the city from the 1850’s and an explanation of how we got the modern and very liveable city we are today. Best of all, we’ll open your eyes to the way the city developed by talking about the laneways and buildings as we walk through them.

Expert Guides Provide an Insider's Perspective

All our local guides are passionate about sharing their favorite stories of the city with you. Having an expert guide with you allows you to have your personal questions answered and share a laugh along the way! We’ve dug up the best and most unique stories in Melbourne’s history to share with you. All our walking tours are small groups so that you can interact with the guide and also with the other participants. Your experience of exploring the city will be so much richer for joining our hosted groups.

But don’t believe us! Tara visited in May 2023 and gave us 5 stars. She said “What a wonderful way to spend a day in Melbourne! Our guide was great at sharing stories and the inside scoop on where to find fabulous food. We finished with new knowledge, good memories and satisfied bellies.”

Visit our tours page to pick the Melbourne city tour that is best for you!

FAQs

How do I spend a day in Melbourne?

Melbourne has so many wonderful things to see and do, but the city is renowned for fantastic eating and drinking and it’s myriad of alleyways, or ‘laneways’ as the locals call them. So why not combine the two of those things and join a foodie walking tour of the laneways of Melbourne. Our Foodie Discovery Walk is a perfect introduction to the city, it includes a lunch composed of 6-7 generous tastings and your local guide will give lots of ideas of ways to spend the rest of your trip.

What are the best tours in Melbourne?

At Walk Melbourne Tours we combine history and delicious tastings while exploring Melbourne’s famous laneways and arcades. All our guides are locals with a passion for sharing their favorite parts of Melbourne. So naturally we think our tours are the best in town!

Where can I see the Melbourne skyline?

• Take a walk along the southern bank of the Yarra River, known as Southgate.

• Stand on the Batman Bridge (near the Melb Convention Centre) or the Princes Bridge (near Federation Square).

• Stand on the balcony at The Shrine of Remembrance.

• Head up 88 floors to Melbourne Skydeck at Eureka Tower

• Treat yourself to a 5-star meal at Vue du Monde on level 55 of the Rialto Tower (bookings essential).

• ….or for a really great view (a few kilometers from town), head to the southern point of Albert Park Lake. This is also part of the Australian F1 Grand Prix track. The closest tram stop is Middle Park Station on the 96 tram.

What should I wear on the tour?

Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for walking and the weather. We will spend time outside, so if it’s cold, please wear a jacket. If it’s raining, please bring a jacket or umbrella. If it’s hot, please bring a hat and some water. None of the venues we visit are formal, so casual clothing is great.

How long do the tours last?

The tours typically last 2.5-3 hours, but it’s not all walking! We stop several times to eat and drink on every tour (tastings are included in your ticket price) and typically don’t walk more than 2km/1.2mi.

Are the tours suitable for children?

Our tours aren’t really suitable for kids under 10 years old, unless they’re adventurous eaters. If you think they will have all the tastings, they are charged at full price. If you’d like to bring them along, but you don’t think they’ll eat, they are welcome to attend free of charge. But please let us know in advance so we can accommodate seating for them (our venues are small). You are welcome to buy them extra tastings along the way. All kids over 10 years old are charged at full price. If you have any questions, please get in contact.

What is the maximum group size for the tours?

We never have more than 10 people per tour guide.

Do I need to book the tour in advance?

Bookings are essential. Please visit the Melbourne Tours section of our website.

Top 5 Melbourne Laneways for Food (and drink!)

If you didn’t dine in a Melbourne laneway cafe or restaurant, did you even come to Melbourne? While in some parts of the world you probably don’t walk down the alleyways by yourself, in Melbourne laneways are where all the cool stuff happens. Here are some of the best as per May 2023.

AC/DC Lane

Yes, this street is named after the 1970’s rock band who - although they formed in Sydney - made Melbourne their home. For hard core fans, check out the 1975 video clip to ‘It’s a long way to the top” which is filmed on Melbourne’s main drag, Swanston Street. Those same fans should definitely dine at one of the restaurants in AC/DC lane if not just to check out the street art memorials to the members of the band no longer with us.

Some of Melbourne’s tastiest morsels from tops chefs are down here and you’ll be surprised to find the entrance to the restaurants feels like the back door that the garbage gets taken out. This is pretty common in Melbourne and the best example if Melbourne’s top modern Indian fusion restaurant called Tonka, by Adam d’Sylva. It’s a great example modern Australian dining but book ahead – they’re often busy. Or try his outstanding South East Asian fusion (3 minutes walk away) at Coda.

Chinese immigrants have had an impact on Melbourne since the goldrush of the 1850’s to the present day, so modern Chinese food is a must have. You’ll see Lee Ho Fook within spitting distance from Tonka.

And of course, Melbourne’s best Peruvian restaurant rounds out the trio in AC/DC Lane. Pastuso not only serves ceviche, but has a ceviche menu. If you’re not into seafood, their meat dishes are also outstanding.

Niagara Lane (with bonus Melbourne laneway nearby)

There are really only two places to eat in Niagara Lane, they are both worth it! Tori’s bakery describes itself as a ‘sweet escape from bustling life’ which is perfectly apt! While it lies just metres from the traffic of Lonsdale Street, Tori’s has a feeling as if you’re relaxing in living room enjoying beautifully baked treats. While this Melbourne laneway cafe is more of an afternoon tea stop, next door is definatly for dinner. Alt is all about pasta, but not as you know it. Using elements of Japanese cooking, experimentation (and moody lighting) is the name of the game here. So maybe leave Nonna at home.

If you want bonus Melbourne laneway dining nearby, head across Little Bourke St to Warburton Lane for Myrtle. Think French style food with Australian native ingredients with a vibe that screams ‘Melbourne laneway bar’.  

Drewery Lane

There is something for you at both ends of the day in this Melbourne laneway. For your morning coffee, head up to the Little Lonsdale end, for two Melbourne laneway cafes. Grab a coffee from Little Rogue and a treat from Bakemono. Note that Bakemono bakes according to a schedule, so if you’re after something specific, note the times on their website.

Later on you might like to visit the other end of this Melbourne laneway for lunch, dinner or drinks. The magnificent four stories (named HER) house multiple venues to suit your changing mood. A French saloon at street level, SE Asian fusion food upstairs at BKK and cocktails on the HER rooftop. Check out two enduring pieces of Melbourne laneway street art - the Kardashian selfie (which the city council promptly censored with black lines) and the mosaiced wall erected by Legacy Australia to honour families of defence force personnel who have been injured or killed.

Hardware Lane

Up until recently, Hardware Lane was tricky to navigate to avoid the tourist traps. But it’s having a local renaissance with a few notable openings. Try to ‘most authentic pho outside of Hanoi’ at Pho Thin, Melbourne style Italian food at The Hardware Club, Israeli roasted cauliflower with a cult following at Miznon and some good Asian fusion at Rice Paper Scissors. And if liquid is more your style on the corner with Little Bourke St offers the ever enduring and classy Kirks’ wine bar or one of the best Melbourne laneway cafes at Maker.

Centre Place / Degraves Street

There’s no doubt that these two Melbourne laneways - separated only by 3 steps across the zebra crossing at Flinders Lane - are the most famous in town. You’ll see locals rushing to and from the train station pushing through the groups of walking tours trying to soak up every detail. While some of these Melbourne laneways cafes are sometimes better for people watching than for great food and drink, there are some notable exceptions.

Definitely try a flat white (or an iced latte) at Fieldwork Coffee in Degraves. The gelato at Pidapipo is among the best in the city as are the dumplings at ShangDong Mama mini.

Experience Melbourne's Laneways with Laneway Tours

WANT TO EAT (AND DRINK) LOCAL IN MELBOURNE?

COME JOIN US!

Walk Melbourne Tours will help you get the best out of your stay in Melbourne. Our walking food tours include tastings, a bit of Melbourne laneways history, and a lot of tips about how to best spend your time here. We aim to show you places and share flavors that you wouldn't find on your own. Coffee, sweets, dumplings and bars are our favorite things and we have Melbourne walking tours to feature all of these delicious delights. Click Here for more info.