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.

Live music in Australia can be pretty expensive as bands have to travel a long way to get here. NSC has a lot of great up coming bands and they are more affordable then most other venues.

This Hare Krishna restaurant has a rotating menu of delicious, inexpensive vegetarian food. The atmosphere is always peaceful and the perfect place to sit is by the window overlooking Swanston St. I recommend the eggplant lasagne if you see it in the window display!

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.

Communal benches & an open kitchen create a buzzy setting for Asian-inspired cuisine.