Australia's Food Capital

Anthony Bourdain affectionately called Melbourne a "café and pub town" on an episode of No Reservations, but I'd go one step further and call it a real food lover's paradise. True, the cafe culture runs in the veins of Melburnians, especially around the city's "laneways" — little zigzag alleys and arcades like Block Place and the lovingly graffiti'd Centre Place, all popping with boutiques and restaurants. What really makes Melbourne Australia's dining epicenter is its residents' passion for food. 

Take that and stir in a generous portion of ethnic food eateries plus proximity to both the sea and five different wine regions, and you have a destination for the omnivorous gastronome, a person that enjoys both high and low-brow dining. It helps if that person is a bit of a lush as well. (Photos courtesy of Flickr/AdamSelwood)

The city is winding down from the 20-day feast that was the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival's 20th anniversary, an event which brings in luminaries like Heston Blumenthal, stars like Jamie Oliver, and upstarts like David Chang. Not an isolated event, the whole town gets involved, like helping break a record with the longest dinner table in the world a few years ago. As the star chefs pack up, Melbourne won't feel a dearth of culinary talent — it's got some heavyweights of its own.

One of Australia's most celebrated chefs, Neil Perry's original Rockpool Bar & Grill holds forth in the hull of the Crown Towers Complex. The sleek restaurant emphasizes great big cuts of grilled beef; take your pick from four different kinds — full-blooded Wagyu and 300-day aged grass-fed among them. (Photo courtesy of Rockpool Bar & Grill)

But my favorite Australian meat is its most readily available. Lean, rich kangaroo is served  as carpaccio or lightly smoked table-side at Vue de Monde, the city's plush spot for special occasions. Its elegant, Frenchified interior is getting a multi-million-dollar makeover when the restaurant soon relocates to the Rialto Towers.Melbourne's dining scene is full of movers and shakers, and new restaurants are opening up everywhere, including Gordon Ramsey's Michelin-starred Maze at the Crown Metropol and Guy Grossi's Merchant at the Rialto. Neil Perry makes a comeback with two new places, Spice Temple and The Waiting Room both in the Crown Towers. The list of "hatted" fine dining is too lengthy to cover comprehensively here, especially when we need to spend some time at the city's many amazing ethnic eateries.

Asian is the way to go in Melbourne, whether Simon's Peiking Duck in Box Hill, crazy spicy Sichuan House downtown, or Vietnamese along Victoria Street in Richmond, like Binh Minh and Van Van. A great all-in-one neighborhood for ethnic food, experimental Australian cuisine, and convivial gastropubs in addition to cool-kid bars and stylish boutiques is Fitzroy, an area shaping up its grotty image. On a night out, try Naked for Satan's tapas or Little Creatures' house-brewed beer and creative snacks.

Any food-centric trip to Melbourne has to include a stop at the Queen Vic Market, where a surprising number of locals regularly shop and snack, and not just for its 132-year-old quaintness. Deals on local produce and specialty items like crocodile sausage abound as do lunch and breakfast options. Fresh Mediterranean salads from Mezze Table and a sausage on a roll from The Bratwurst Shop are two musts. If you can stomach a trip out of Melbourne, there are some key stops to consider. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/ceejayoz)

For example, an overnight at the Royal Mail Hotel in the Grampian Mountains will be unforgettable. Chef Dan Hunter uses the property's nearby orchards and gardens to fill out his stunningly creative menu. "Pigeon dusted with white chocolate served rare" sounded absurd but tasted delectable. There is also the very accessible Yarra Valley wine region, where you'll see kangaroos lazing about on the sunny meadows and taste the wine from some of the country's oldest vineyards. Then, go back to Melbourne and eat some more.

Trip Tip: Two great ways to see the real Melbourne: Bonza Bike Tours and Hidden Secrets Tours