Things to See in Melbourne

Located in a laneway off a laneway, the lab-themed Croft is a test of drinkers' determination. Prescribe yourself a beaker of house-distilled vodka in the downstairs laboratory and venture up the rickety stairs to inspect the Departments of Male and Female Hygiene (aka the toilets, complete with hospital beds).

If you love martinis, then this is your castle. With a drinks list to make your liver quiver, Gin Palace is the perfect place to grab a soft couch or secluded alcove, sip, and take it slow. Its seductive lighting, velvet drapes and cushioned nooks give it a top first-date rating. It's best on weeknights, when a conversation can be conducted without resorting to sign language.

Defiant in its rejection of makeovers, remodels and spruce ups, the Espy remains gloriously shabby and welcoming to all. Its dress code prescribes 'clothes'. Its bands, which play most nights , necessitate a liking for guitars (or earplugs). And its long-running kitchen requires a hunger for basic pub grub but also caters to fancier tastes.

This is probably the most exciting local theatre you'll see in Melbourne. Dedicated to promoting Australian works, the Malthouse is instrumental in touring works, taking innovative Australian theatre to a wider audience. Housed in the atmospheric Malthouse Theatre since 1990, it includes a number of theatre spaces of varying sizes and includes the Tower Theatre - bringing the better acts from the city's fringe to a broader audience.

Bennetts Lane has been a quintessential part of the Melbourne music scene for years. Attracting the cream of local talent, as well as regular international acts, this is the perfect pad if you love a good toe-tap to contemporary jazz.

Wunderkammer is the sort of place where mad scientists might come to shop - it sells taxidermied animals, bugs in jars, antique scientific and surgical tools and carnivorous plants, among other things. Spend some time looking though the Cabinet of Wonders in the corner; each drawer contains a new surprise.

Readings inviteswell, reading, with beanbags in the kids area and bench seating in the literature section. Service goes beyond posting recent reviews and imparting well-founded opinion. Readings' side-window is a community service, displaying handwritten calls for housemates. Readings has a unique supply of Australian poetry and fiction, CDs and DVDs, and hosts regular in-store events with local and international literary speakers and musicians.

Affordable style is RG's ethos. Eschewing already-established names, RG sources new design products from around the world. Whatever your designer want, it's likely you'll find a solution here. Kids' designer furniture, beautiful bins and cotton clothes - RG Madden's sharp range of home wares, furniture, jewellery, bags, stationery and electronic gadgetry will bamboozle even the most seasoned browser.

The Adelphi was partly responsible for Melbourne's reputation for cutting-edge design from the 1990s on, and it's obvious that no expense was spared, as the diagonal lines, sharp edges and citrus-hued colour bursts have held up extremely well. This is easily one of Melbourne's landmark hotels.

Without the band, the groupies, attendant entourage and lover(s), you could feel lonely in your large and luxurious room. To whom are you going to remark on that river-city view? Share canapés with in the Club Room? But hey, there's always hundreds of channels on the big telly, room service and a bath.

The Base chain squeezes diverse backpackers of all nationalities into one seamless, chromium-plated mass. The St Kilda branch exemplifies the philosophy: everything's colour-coded and seamlessly integrated. If you want to give your brain a rest and be part of the program, then give it a go.

This helpful organisation has a lounge, café, wheelchair-accessible toilets, showers and a telephone. It has a Disability Access Centre offering meals, toilet and communication assistance, minor wheelchair repairs, accommodation assistance, and computer and internet facilities.

The ALSO Foundation is Victoria's premier gay and lesbian community-based organisation. The web site, where ALSO defines itself as a 'sexuality awareness resource', contains a handy services directory.

The RACV provides an emergency breakdown service, literature and maps. The staff can advise you on road rules and regulations. If you're a member of the AAA in the USA, or the RAC or AA in the UK, you can use any of the RACV's facilities, but bring proof of membership.

The mottled, skew-whiff building that houses the National Gallery of Victoria's Australian holdings was a choking bone of contention while under construction, but these days everyone seems to have fallen for its sleek, user-friendly displays. The collection is marvellous, ranging from Streeton to Nolan to Whiteley; there is an entire floor of indigenous art.

Melbourne's zoo is one of the city's most popular attractions, and deservedly so. Established in 1861, this is the oldest zoo in Australia and the third oldest in the world. In the 1850s, when Australia was considered a foreign place full of strange plants and animals, the Acclimatisation Society was formed for 'the introduction, acclimatisation and domestication of all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects and vegetables'. The society merged with the Zoological Society in 1861 and together they established the zoo on its present site.

There's still a hint of the sideshow, carny atmosphere at this historic amusement park. Luna Park opened in 1912, sporting the impressive façade of Mr Moon flanked by oriental-style towers. Mr Moon's gaping mouth is still the park entrance - and it's arguably creepier than the ghost-train's quaint cobwebs and glow-in-the-dark skeletons.

Museum Victoria's flagship site is truly a world-class museum. The modern exhibition space eschews glass cases of dusty, taxidermic objects in favour of vibrant thematic displays that take visitors on a journey through natural and cultural history. Walk through the 1950s, imagine yourself into the kitchen from Neighbours, or become immersed in the legend of champion racehorse (and national hero) Phar Lap.

The Rialto was once the highest building in the southern hemisphere and, until recently, the city's highest building - pipped in 2006 by the Eureka Tower. The Rialto's most distinctive feature is its semireflective glass exterior, which changes colour as the day advances. The observation deck is on the 55th floor; to get there you could climb the 1254 steps or take the 25km/h lifts. The lookout platform provides a spectacular 360-degree view of Melbourne's surrounds - a great way to get your bearings. The admission fee includes a 20-minute video screening about Melbourne city.

Certainly the finest botanic gardens in Australia, and among the finest in the world, this is one of Melbourne's most glorious attractions. Sprawling beside the Yarra River, the beautifully designed gardens feature plants from Australia and around the world. Mini-ecosystems, such as the cacti and succulents area, herb garden and Australian rainforest are set amid the vast lawns. Take a book, picnic or Frisbee; most importantly, take your time.

The Queen Victoria Market is a thriving community of over 600 traders, all bellowing special prices from behind colourful produce stalls. It's the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere and attracts thousands of shoppers. You can buy everything the most fickle palate could desire here.

A 21st-century civic hub, this vast, architecturally confronting sandstone, glass and steel box of tricks arouses a love-it-or-hate-it reaction from Melburnians and visitors alike. Stocked with a plethora of cafes, restaurants and retail outlets, Federation Square flexes more than a little cultural muscle.

Serving prime international food and booze from beguiling premises, Movida is nestled in a cobbled laneway emblazoned with edgy graffiti. And the staff have attitude to boot. It doesn't get much more 'Melbourne' than this. Line up along the bar, cluster around little window tables or, if you've booked, take a table in the dining area. Come with a friend or two, order a few oft-lauded tapas between drinks, and then order a few more.

Dine on vegetarian food while gazing out over Port Phillip Bay. If lining up to choose your food from the bain-marie seems like too much work, you can ask your waiter to make a selection for you. (A standard bowl buys you four flavours.) This stylish, popular restaurant is a place where your nonvegetarian friends will also feel comfortable.

Owner and pastry chef Giorgio Angelé migrated to Australia after entering the country as the pastry chef for the 1956 Italian Olympic team. Brunetti is famous for its exceptional coffee and authentic Roman pastries. Traditional European cuisine can also be experienced here, but alfresco coffee and biscotti (biscuits), tiramisu or delicious graffe (custard-filled doughnuts) is the way locals regularly visit.

In this village-like strip of shops, Small Block acts as the community centre; its neighbourly drop-in and stay-awhile vibe is a hub for local activity. Big, beautiful breakfasts (eggs and otherwise) are worth writing home about. Salvaged service-station signage and concrete floors, plus warm and efficient service combine to make a super environment in which to write postcards home too.

If you're into grand dining or are celebrating a special occasion, Grossi Florentino will impress. The opulence distinguishes itself in every detail, from silverware to little footstools for the ladies' handbags. Head chef, Guy Grossi, is something of a Melbourne celebrity who made his name (in every way) on this classy classic restaurant. The Cellar Bar next door is fashionably brooding, intimate and affordable.