Review: Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour
Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences. You can book this tour here.
Walking tours are a wonderful way to get under a city’s skin.
Exploring on foot, you can uncover treasures you might otherwise miss — and that’s certainly the case in Melbourne. There are themed walks highlighting the city’s famous laneways, history, coffee culture and foodie scene, but which one to choose? Well, on the Foodie Discovery Walking Tour with Walk Melbourne you won’t need to choose, because it covers them all. The walk offers a taste of everything that makes Melbourne special, and here’s my top tip if you are planning to do this tour: don’t eat lunch first. There’s a lot to taste!
Watch our video of ten top things to do in Melbourne:
Top 10 Things to Do in MELBOURNE, Australia in 2025 (Cheap to Chic!) | Ultimate Travel Guide
👉👉👉 Support our channel and save on travel by joining our new Top Traveller Club: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIWPeSl1aL72F1NCuS4ePTQ/join 👈👈👈 Member benefits include early access to videos, a branded travel water bottle, and 10% off day and multi-day tour bookings worldwide! Browse day tours: https://topoztours.partner.viator.com Browse multi-day tours: https://topoztours.trips.tourradar.com Join today!
The walk begins with an introduction to Melbourne’s eclectic laneways and arcades. In Union Lane, our guide Melinda explains that while graffiti is still officially illegal in Melbourne, around a dozen lanes like this are designated ‘high tolerance zones’ — which basically means graffiti is all but actively encouraged. The result is alleyways of kaleidoscopic colour dotted around the city. Melbourne’s laneway network is also home to the city’s coolest boutiques and trendy eateries. It’s a major drawcard for visitors, and one that sets Melbourne apart from other Australian cities.
We turn into Howey Place and then veer off into Presgrave Place, where a small outdoor art gallery has evolved organically over time. Framed pictures deck one side of the tiny alley. Melinda points out the glass and wrought iron canopy over Howey Place — all that remains of Cole’s Book Arcade. Back in the 1890s, a million books are said to have lined this CBD nook. I could sit here all day imagining what was probably the bookshop of my dreams, but the promise of coffee further on gets me moving again.
Next we pay a visit to a Melbourne architectural legend. The Art Deco-era Manchester Unity Building was Melbourne’s tallest edifice when it was constructed in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression. Men would queue for two miles hoping to score a construction shift. It was the first Melbourne building to have elevators, and later, the first to have escalators. It remains one of the city’s best-loved buildings.
Melinda comes good on the coffee in Degraves Street opposite Flinders Street Station. This is the epicentre of Melbourne’s bean scene. The temperature might be over 30, but it’s never too hot for a good Melbourne latte!
Once a row of dingy garages, Centre Place is now the poster child of Melbourne’s laneways. It’s home to trendy hole-in-the-wall-style cafes and eateries, including Jungle Juice, Aix Cafe Creperie, and Shandong Mama Mini. We drop in to the latter to sample their signature Chinese dumplings.
Nearby Collins Street is the business heart of Melbourne. Back in the 1800s, wealthy locals would promenade along this grand thoroughfare, which became known as ‘doing the block’. That tradition lent its name to the stunning Block Arcade — one of Melbourne’s most visited attractions. This historic edifice is filled with boutiques selling everything from art and homewares to herbs and honey.
In the Block Arcade and nearby Royal Arcade — the oldest surviving shopping mall in Australia — we sample sweet treats from several chocolate and sweet shops, before riding the sugar wave to La Belle Miette in Hardware Lane to try their #omg French macarons.
Our last stop is Whitehart — a trendy bar in a former laneway car park. Here Melinda orders a round of drinks to wrap up the tour.
All in all, this Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour provides a great introduction to the CBD and visits plenty of places you probably wouldn’t find on your own. The tour is well researched and informative, and all food tastings are included in the tour price. They’re an eclectic, if not slightly odd combination of Chinese dumplings, macarons, gelato, coffee, and beer or wine. Just remember my top tip!
The writer travelled as a guest of Walk Melbourne. You can book this tour here.
Browse our full range of Melbourne tours and experiences here. We offer a Best Price Guarantee.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Louise Reynolds made up her mind at the age of about four that she would one day travel the world — and has so far visited around 30 countries across five continents and the Pacific. A hopeless Francophile, she has a particular love for France, its language, and pretty much all things French. Louise’s favourite way to see the world is on foot and her boots have taken her walking on famous trails in Europe, South America, and New Zealand. She also has a passion for her home state of Victoria and loves exploring its diverse regions.
Travel essentials
You can book many aspects of your holiday on the Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas website, including flights, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, and more. When you purchase a product or service using the following links from our partners, we receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay, and it enables us to continue to provide readers with amazing travel inspiration.
Flights
Compare airlines, flights, and fares in one place with Booking.com. They don’t charge any credit card fees and you can always see exactly what you’re paying for in the price breakdown. Search for flights with Booking.com
Hotels
If you’re looking for a great deal on your next hotel or homestay, look no further than Booking.com. Their mission is to make travel affordable and accessible to more people, and to deliver seamless accommodation experiences that complement your holiday. Search for hotels and homestays with Booking.com
Car hire
Discover Cars is an award-winning (World Travel Awards) car rental comparison website, which helps customers find, compare, and hire cars at the most competitive prices globally. Search for hire cars with Discover Cars
Campervans & motorhomes
Make Jucy your first choice for campervan and motorhome hire. Since 2001, this progressive company has had a vision to be world-famous for enabling experience seekers to discover happiness on the road. Search for campervans and motorhomes with Jucy
Day tours & experiences
Search and book day tours, guided experiences, and attraction tickets and passes worldwide with Top Oz Tours and Viator. There are no booking or credit card fees when you book through us, and you’ll have access to the widest choice of activities and most competitive prices. Browse day tours and experiences
Multi-day tours & trips
Top Oz Tours has joined forced with Tour Radar to bring you a fabulous range of multi-day tours and trips from the world’s leading operators. Travel with like minded people and get the best possible price on the holiday of your dreams. Browse multi-day tours and trips
Travel insurance
World Nomads aims to be a part of every traveller’s journey by providing a reassuring range of travel insurance services. Benefits include coverage for emergency medical and evacuation or repatriation, lost baggage, trip cancellation, and more than 150 adventure activities. Get an insurance costing
