Serves two of my favourite things in awesome amounts of excess. Platters of fried chicken (the best one is coated in chilli sauce) accompanied with barrels of house beer.

Besides being covered in the street art that is synonymous with Melbourne, the laneways also lead to some of the city’s best cafes, shops and restaurants, and are always worth taking time to explore.

Believe it or not, if you drive far enough from the city, the Yarra River is a beautiful place to spend a Summer's day swimming. Warrandyte is a haven of shady gumtrees, flowing rapids, and rocks to perch yourself on while the water rushes past. Bring beers, but esky optional - the water is cool enough to keep them chilled all day.

La Paloma is my local, my regular stop for coffee and tortilla. The atmosphere is unpretentious and the handwritten menu is simple, fresh and delicious, featuring Argentinian empanadas, shakshuka, beans and churros.

Melbourne is one of the coffee capitals of the world so the standard is very high. There are heaps of good cafes around, but sitting on top of the pile is at Brother Baba Budan. Specialists in single origin coffee from quality international coffee beans. When ever I’m in the city, this is where I get my caffeine fix. Usually it’s a smooth silky Caffe latte that goes down way too easily. The quirky ceiling made from chairs is worth a look too.