The best things to do in South Yarra, Melbourne: a local's guide

Scott Pickett's southside outpost, Matilda 149 Domain (159 Domain Rd) is as good as you'd expect from the northside restaurateur. The kitchen is driven by fire and charcoal, and the flavours are rich and smoky. 

South Yarra local Melissa Glentis says Thirty Eight Chairs (4 Bond St) is one of her favourites. The Italian restaurant has a small menu and limited floor space but is big on flavour.

Omnia Bistro and Bar (625 Chapel St) is all about classic dishes, done beautifully. It's on the pricey end, but everything is quality.

Glentis also loves Bar Carolina (44 Toorak Rd) – and so do we, it was one of the nominees for our 2018 Time Out Food Awards. The Italian joint is in the price range of $30-plus for pasta mains, but they sure do know what they're doing in the kitchen.

Seafood fans should make a booking at Bacash (175 Domain Rd). Owner Michael Bacash selects the freshest fish and treats it with the utmost sensitivity. 

Get your yum cha fix at Oriental Teahouse (455 Chapel St), which has 60 different flavours of tea to accompany your dumplings and fried delights. Get the Flame Thrower pulled pork dumplings and pork belly. It's richer than you think, so you've been warned. 

The menu at degustation-only Atlas Dining (133 Commercial Rd) changes every three months, crisscrossing the globe and offering flavours from Vietnam, Mexico, Israel and Korea, among a host of others.  

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Temperance Hotel (426 Chapel St) is a great place for knockoffs. There are plenty of beers to keep your thirst quenched, as well as spirits and cocktails, and there are pub favourites on the food menu.

Ready to party? Poof Doof (386 Chapel St) bills itself as 'Australia's number one gay rave' and is a brilliant dance party for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as their allies. 

The Emerson (141-145 Commercial Road) also has its party shoes on, offering an often-packed dancefloor as well as comfortable booths and a ritzy rooftop with brilliant views over the city. 

Kitsch cocktail haven Two Wrongs (637 Chapel St) offers plenty of classic drinks, some with their own spin. The team describe the vibe as 'fine diving' – that is, great service, great drinks, and a deliberately slapdash aesthetic. 

Speaking of kitsch, Leonard's House of Love (3 Wilson St) is like finding the coolest house party at the ski resort, circa 1983: a place where staff kick back to rock’n’roll, drink whisky and make fun of the bleach-blond varsity ski team crowd. Cocktails tend towards the sweeter end, but there are also plenty of smashable beers.

The team behind flash Bar Carolina also run gorgeous Tetto di Carolina (48 Toorak Rd), which is suave and comfortably luxurious. The drinks menu riffs on classics, and the food menu runs from snacks to full meals. 

Whisky bar Katuk (517a Chapel St) offers numerous cocktails invented in-house, as well as a whisky list as long as your arm. There are plenty of gins, liqueurs, tequilas and rums, too. The main rule here is: "Treat everyone else like you would treat your grandmother."

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For a good cup of Joe, head to Two Birds One Stone (12 Claremont St). The blond wood-and-white space also offers an all-day menu until 3pm, with lighter breakfast fare like housemade bircher available alongside heartier meals including a soba noodle salad and fried chicken burger.

Or you can check out Norman (300 Toorak Rd), which offers Inglewood coffee in all its forms. Stay awhile to make the most of the all-day breakfast menu.  

They live up to their name at Coffee Geek Brewers (81 Davis Ave), specialising in cold batch and custom blends. There's often a queue here for a reason. 

Another coffee option could be Café Gaia (4 Avoca St), which offers first-rate coffee as well as curries, sandwiches and other lunchtime staples. 

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The crown jewel of outdoor space in Melbourne, the Royal Botanic Gardens (South Yarra entrance on Anderson St), backs onto South Yarra, making it the perfect place for residents to exercise, enjoy and relax. Jog around the Tan, stroll among the thousands of flowers and plants, or go on an educational tour, such as the Aboriginal Heritage Walk. In summer, the famous Moonlight Cinema offers classic films and new releases under the stars.

Speaking of cinemas, you're spoilt for choice in South Yarra. Village Cinemas Jam Factory (500 Chapel St) has the latest blockbusters on numerous screens, plus, of course, the requisite choc tops and popcorn (if you're a person who doesn't snack in the movies, well, we don't know what you think you're doing, but you're doing it wrong). 

If you're more into arty or foreign flicks, the Palace Como (Cnr Toorak Rd & Chapel St) is just down the road. The licensed cinema offers smaller-run films, as well as hosting multiple film festivals from around the world. 

Step back in time at Como Historic House and Garden (Cnr Williams Rd & Lechlade Ave). The 1847 mansion offers tours and exhibitions, and you can bring a lunch to enjoy in the regal gardens. 

Or you could just watch the professionals do their thing. Channel Ten's Melbourne headquarters is in South Yarra (620 Chapel St) and you can apply to be in the studio audience for its popular nightly show The Project.

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Goodness gracious, where to begin? South Yarra is one of the best places in all of Melbourne for shopping, and walking from one end of Chapel Street to the other is the best way to hit up everything. 

The retailer that needs the least introduction is probably Australian cult favourite Gorman (576 Chapel St), whose bright, print-heavy wares are a signature part of the Australian fashion scene. Whether it’s a pair of groovy socks, slick leather jacket or flamboyant jumpsuit, Gorman brings some much-needed colour to Melbourne’s all-black-everything stereotype. 

Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy of Dinosaur Designs (562 Chapel St) make distinctively chunky and colourful resin jewellery. Head along to their bespoke boutique and scoop up one of their signature bangles in a sea-glass shade, a chunky, faceted ring, cobalt-hued dinner plate or a pair of tangerine serving spoons.

After a different kind of shopping experience? Prahran Market (163 Commercial Rd) has all your food shopping needs covered, from smallgoods to fancy cheeses to the freshest fruits, veggies, meat and seafood. 

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