With a narrow entrance on Chapel St, it is easy to miss the Speakeasy, but if you know where to look, the white welcoming décor and the front wooden communal table make it easy to pin point. With more room in the back, there is good potential to cater for larger crowds and the outside terrace also makes it easier to enjoy the upcoming summer rays and down a few bevvies with mates. The menu is quite simple, catering to all tastes and cravings, from pork to duck, to vege and fish – they’ve got breakfast, lunch and dinner covered. Having been open for a few months, and creating a bit of buzz around Melbourne, Speakeasy is on its way to contradicting its namesake. We sat down for lunch one lazy Sunday afternoon and ordered the Speakeasy Beef Burger which came on a glazed brioche bun with a beef pattie, cheese, lettuce, ketchup, mayonnaise and fat cut chips.

Just past all of the aristocratic elegance of Kings Cross, Sydney, you’ll find the Merivale Group owned Lotus. With a Midas-like touch, they’re responsible for some of Sydney’s most renowned nightclubs, restaurants and hotels. So why should Lotus be any different? Like most of their premium venues, there’s the beautiful decor, low lighting and quite the mean cocktail bar. However, there’s one big difference: the exceptional talents of a chef by the name of Dan Hong. After a few years working the scene in Australia he tore away to the USA, only to return to Lotus in 2008 with some “most-triumphant” tricks up his sleeve. Their Cheeeseburger, as Chef Dan Hong describes, is “bun, meat, onions, sauce, cheese, mayo and pickles – it is a proper burger – no fancy shit”. Dinner/Burger Time starts at 6pm at Lotus; so we arrived at 5:45pm, cooled off with some alcoholic beverages and waited for Awesome to happen.

Down the uber trendy end of Brunswick St, Melbourne – ok who are we kidding the whole street is so frkn hipster it hurts – you’ll find the all American inspired Kodiak Bar. Taking a page out of “Anytown U.S.A” bar culture, Kodiak’s menu dishes out a range of modern, regional American bar food, as well as priding themselves on being Melbourne’s prime destination for American Whisky and Bourbon. Open Wedensday through Sunday ’til the wee hours of the night, its the perfect cosy nook you’re looking for on a chill Melbourne night, especially if its bacon infused bourbon that you’re craving. After getting a little too excited about the rest of their mouthwatering menu we settled on the Kodiak Burger which came with 2 grass fed beef patties, cheese, dill pickles, onions and Woodford Reserve mayo on a sesame seed bun, served with beer-battered onion rings.

Pronounced “Noshery”, this funky little beachside cafe/restaurant produces some enticing breakfast and lunch dishes, not to mention coffee that will convert even the most dedicated de-cafe drinkers. With exceptional service and an in depth knowledge about all of their selections, the staff are hard to fault. Inside the décor is comfortable and warm, perfect for a winters breakfast/lunch with a great big window view of the beach. However, when the sun is shining you’ll be fighting for a place outside. We grabbed our first ever Umami Burger – 200g Wagyu and Angus beef, Umami rub, brown mushroom sauce, gruyere, caramelised onions, oven roasted tomato and a parmesan crisp between a sweet brioche bun with a side of onion rings, slaw, cornichons, spicy chip dip and wasabi kewpie. And a heads up if you’re planning on a late night burger fix… its currently only available on the lunchtime menu – unless bribery is your thing of course.

From Reggae to Dance, Hip-Hop to Rock & Roll, The Esplanade Hotel (or more affectionately known as “The Espy”) has been catering to Melbourne’s eclectic musical tastes for over 100 years. Whether it be a local band or an epic international, it is the place n St Kilda to check out some new tunes, have a drink and enjoy a feast. So when you’ve got all these big musical acts coming to and fro, you’d better be able to offer them some decent grub, right? This is where The Espy Kitchen comes in; preparing everything from classic Pub favourites to delicious pastas, desserts and killer breakfasts (perfect rejuvenation for even the biggest hangovers). We visited one rainy Melbourne Sunday evening and went for the only burger on the menu. Their signature “Espy Burger” comes with a beef pattie, bacon, tasty cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion and The Espy’s secret sauce all on a sesame seed bun. There’s also a decent portion of fries with house-made ranch dipping sauce.