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Light Up Your Next Event At Luminare

Luminare is located in the heart of South Melbourne with magnificent rooftop views. A contemporary New York styled apartment with a chic and sophisticated décor. As translated to describe a light or an opening that lets light in, Luminare is the place to host your next special occasion. At night,...

The Non-Touristy Tourist Guide To Melbourne

Do you walk around the city with your head down paying more attention to how many likes your latest Instagram photo has than to your current concrete surroundings? Having a friend from Sydney down for the weekend that wants to go to all the trendiest places without looking too, like,...

The Woolshed – A New and Improved Piece of History

Nestled in Docklands among the surrounding concrete playground and the breathtaking harbour views, sits The Woolshed – the newly refurbished fine dining and function experience. Starting its journey in 1916 as a part of Australia’s busiest port, The Woolshed now plays home to a restaurant, a live entertainment spot and...

Bastille Day French Festival

Melbourne is in its 3rd year celebrating La Fête Nationale (National French Day) and a huge French festival is happening this 15-16 July at the Meat Market in North Melbourne where entry to all things Francais is only $2! From delicious croissants and pastries to countless cheeses and wines to enjoy,...

Fine Dining That Won’t Break The Bank

Wondering how you’re going to juggle your social life when you’re supposed to be saving for that European holiday you said you’d go on last year and now last year is this year and you’re still not any closer so you’ll tell yourself it’ll be next year? Trying to impress...

Baroq Is Back

Sheer opulence is what you can expect come August, when after 2 years of extensive renovations, Baroq reopens its doors and revolutionises Melbourne’s nightlife scene. Located down Drewery Lane in the CBD, you will find a mansion style venue that proves it really is what’s on the inside that counts. Collective...

Melbourne’s Best Function Venues With A View

Are you after a lavish night filled with spectacular views with a hint of sophistication to celebrate a special event? Can’t find a perfect venue to meet all your expectations? Well, look no further! Whether you’re looking to celebrate a birthday or wedding or just looking for a private dining...

Melbourne’s Cosiest Bars To Escape Winter

We are all starting to feel the struggles of winter; where lounging on a sofa in front of a Netflix series sounds more appealing than venturing out in to the cold. However, there are plenty of venues accommodating those bitter nights waiting for you to explore. On those evenings you...

Top 10 Quirky Bars in Melbourne

Feeling a bit adventurous? Or enjoy the thrill of finding one-of-a kind bars? Well, HCS have done some digging to find the quirkiest bars of them all. Quirky bars may not be the hottest go-to spots, but isn’t that the way they get discovered? Idiosyncratic. Apparently it’s the definition of...

Top 5 Vegetarian/Vegan Melbourne Hangouts

Here in Melbourne, we are spoilt for choice with endless dining options. Whether you’re on the keto diet, the paleo diet, the student ‘two-minute-noodle’ diet or the SEE food diet (no explanation needed here) Melbourne’s extraordinary array of restaurants and cafes caters to all budgets and palettes. In recent years,...

The Best Ice Cream In Melbourne

So why are we writing about ice cream when the sun barely makes a presence in our day and we can’t live without the heater on? Well, that’s why you keep reading. Duh! Leave your Ben and Jerry’s days aside, and venture off into new ice cream territory! Ice cream...

The Best Glamping Spots Around Victoria

Glamping; the coolest craze to sweep the nation since Frose… As the name suggests, glamping provides you with an opportunity to experience the great outdoors without ever being too far away from a decent shower and a borderline fine dining meal. If you hate ‘real’ camping but want the satisfaction of...

Where to get a drink in the CBD

The ultimate concrete jungle where dreams are made, well nightmares since we’re still trying to figure out its endless laneways and confusing grid system, but one that is filled with restaurants to satisfy the ‘hangry’ beast in all of us and enough bars to keep drinking in until April next...

Queen’s Bday Long Weekend – Whats On

Stuck on what to do this weekend? Well, HCS have your weekend all planned out for you. You have to celebrate the Queen’s birthday weekend off in style, right? Whats on in Melbourne 9th -11th June The Food Truck Park 518 High Street, Preston Friday 9th June 5pm -10pm Can’t...

Where To Get A Drink On The Eastside

With its abundance in tree-lined streets and overpriced soy lattes, the Eastside evokes a very different sentiment than what may be conjured in perhaps…the Northside. Take away your hipster Northsider and you’re left with the hip Eastsider. Catering to a well-financed demographic, the Eastside treats it residents to a hasty...

Have a n-ice day at the Common Man

It’s time to stop hating winter and start embracing it with South Wharf’s newest experience! The Common Man Lawn 39 Dukes Walk, South Wharf  Ever liked the idea of skating/tobogganing but never acted on it because of the hour-long car ride to Mt. Buller, the accommodation prices and the expensive...

Coffee and Charity, Melbourne

You scream, I scream, we all scream for…coffee! Well, we are Melburnians after all… This is for all you coffee snobs out there, because you like your coffee fresh, hot and frothed properly. What if I told you, you could drink a perfectly crafted cup and help save the world?...

What Your Drink Says About You

I’m the first to admit I have been almost all of these drinkers at one point or another. I can only imagine what the bartender thought of me when I was ordering Vodka Redbulls as a fresh 18 year old, but alas, at the time I knew no better. Just...

Top 10 Places to Host Birthday Drinks

The Corner Hotel 57 Swan St, Richmond The Corner Hotel is an iconic Melbourne live music venue, and it’s an institution among musos near and far. It may look like a standard pub, but head upstairs to the newly refurbished rooftop and discover so much more than a dingy band...

Mother’s Day: Where To Go In Melbourne

Don’t be a bore this Mother’s Day and do the usual card, chocolate and flowers for mum. Instead, get mum excited, dolled up and ready for a lovely breakfast, lunch or dinner – with the inclusion of a few glasses of bubbly of course. There are few Mother’s Day specials...

Melbourne’s Best Outdoor Bars for Winter

Winter is coming. Ignore the wails of despair in the distance, because we’re here to make winter just a little bit more bearable. There is no need for hibernation. Grab your mates, your beanie, maybe some gloves, and get ready for a night on the town! That’s right, up and...

Melbourne Dishes To Try Before You Die

You could spend a life time eating out every night and still never try all the food that Melbourne has to offer. It’s a hard task choosing a restaurant, let alone choosing what to order from the menu. But if you want to get a taste of Melbourne and some...

You Know You’re From Melbourne When…

You know you’re from Melbourne when…   You wear A LOT of black No, we aren’t going to funeral, we’re just from Melbourne.  It’s tres chic, versatile, and makes up 90% of our wardrobe*.  This can be very frustrating when you are trying to find a particular black top amongst...

Cheap Eats in Melbourne

Residing in the most liveable city in the world has its perks, we have amazing… well, everything, especially food and drinks! We are spoiled for choice with some of the best cafes, bars and restaurants Australia has to offer. However, this high standard of living may have cost us a mortgage and possibly...

5 Uniquely Melbourne Date Ideas

Out to impress? In the dog house? Losing your eyesight from straining to read the menu at too many candle lit dinners?  It’s time to give the ol’ ‘Netflix and chill’ a rest for a while and treat your significant other to something a little more exciting. Take the pressure...

Top 10 Cafe Function Spaces in Melbourne

Party planning can be stressful.  And expensive.  Whether you’ve got an upcoming birthday, baby shower, engagement, or work function, the pressure of pulling off a smooth-running event on a budget can be enough to discourage you from celebrating at all. Luckily for us, there’s plenty of beautiful cafes all over...

Melbourne’s Best Markets

There’s no better place to spend a lazy afternoon than at a market, and luckily, Melbourne has plenty of them to offer. Markets are a great place to find some pre-loved goods, shop for a bargain and get your daily intake of those leafy greens! But they’re also much more...

Our Top Picks For The Comedy Festival

Going to comedy shows and laughing for hours on end is really hard work, so thankfully, we’ve done all the hard work for you and reviewed a number of comedy shows going on in Melbourne at the moment. Yes, we know this was a hard thing for us to do...

6 Wineries To Try

Cellar door… One of the most beautiful phrases in the English language. Not because of the phonaesthetics or that Drew Barrymore told us that in Donnie Darko, but because it almost always equals wine. Here in Victoria we are lucky enough to share the state with over 600 wineries. What’s...

Drinking & Dining Specials At The Comedy Festival

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is back and some of our city’s best bars and restaurants are really getting around it… Whether you’re a comedy enthusiast with dozens of tickets lining your pockets, or you’re a comedy newbie heading along to the festival for the first time, who doesn’t love a...

The Hidden Gems Of Richmond

Richmond is a classic Melbourne destination for those far and near; with its old-world charm, narrow alleyways covered in posters and its vibrant array of cafes, restaurants and shops – everything is right at your fingertips in the 3121. If you’re a local, you might think you know everything there...

Bar Hopping Down Flinders Lane

Flinders Lane is synonymous with all things food and drink, and is arguably Melbourne’s best go-to dining destination. Its cobblestone pavement is always busy with people queuing for restaurants and bars – how very Melbourne – or those merely taking a stroll absorbing all the sites and smells of Melbourne’s...

Where To Get A Drink On The SouthSide

To Northsiders, the South is just a blur of AFL players, beautiful blondes in yoga pants, Range Rovers and rose. Waiting in line for a table at Top Paddock is just as popular as hyphenated surnames. Green juices are big, as are soy chai lattes. However, what many Northsiders don’t...

A Comedy Duo To Watch Out For – The Lioness

Giveaway time! We have a 1 x double pass to give to a special someone to hilarious comedy show – The Lioness. The winner will be drawn this Friday the 31st of March, so get in quick! To enter, head to The Hidden City Secrets Facebook Page here and tag...

A Picnic On The Peninsula Is Coming

Grab your picnic blanket and get ready for an afternoon of sun, music, wine and food on the Peninsula. The Peninsula Picnic will take over the beautiful grounds of the Mornington Peninsula racecourse on April 1st for a day long event, hosted by the very best restaurants and wineries the...

Where To Get A Drink On The Northside

Northside vs. Southside. It’s the local Melbourne battle as old as the city itself. Separated by only a few kilometers and of course the Yarra River, the difference in the two areas is what makes each their own. But today, we are focusing solely on the slightly more hipster, somewhat...

Top 5 Picks For St Paddy’s Day

Don’t know what’s the craic for St Paddy’s Day? Fear not! This year St Patrick’s Day falls on Friday 17th March, so prepare the liver for a long weekend of celebrations. We have complied a list of the hottest parties to satisfy the inner Irishman. Grab your Lucky Charms, your pint...

TRAINSPOTTING LIVE: Win 2 x Double Passes

Critically acclaimed comedy show Trainspotting Live has hit Australian soil, and we’ve got 2 x double passes to give away for their show next week – Wednesday the 22nd of March at 7:30pm! Just tag a friend in the comments section of the post to win. You’ve probably seen the trailer for T2...

The Do’s And Don’ts of Hosting Your Own Event

You may have an upcoming birthday, anniversary, wedding or even a corporate function that requires some major levels of planning, organisation and creative flair. Now, we know you’re no superhero who can multi-task the grueling processes of hosting your own event or function, so we’ve asked the experts and got...

Top 5 Rooftop Bars In Melbourne

Summer is drawing to a close, but not before she sinks her teeth in for one last blast of warm weather. Make the most of the last rays of sunshine, and soak up as much as you can before the looming clouds of winter roll in, dooming us all in...

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Have You Planned Your X-Mas Party Yet?!

The festive season is fast approaching and venues have already started booking key dates in their event calendars, So, if you haven’t book your venue already it’s time to put the kettle on grab a bicky, and look through all the amazing bars, restaurants, cafe’s, function venues and e

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We’re Uncovering Melbourne’s Best Hidden Bars!

Ever wonder if there’s more to Melbourne’s bar and restaurant scene? Something you might be missing? The answer is yes! The beauty of our city is that it is stacked with hidden gems – whether they’re through alleyways, up hidden elevators, or down secret staircases – and we’re peeling

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Treat Dad At These Melbourne Spots This Father’s Day

A celebration of perhaps the hardest-to-buy-for creature on the planet (Father’s Day) is coming up, and we’re feeling just as daunted as you are. So we’re doing dad’s day a little different this year, and we’ve scoured the bars and restaurants of Melbourne to compile the

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