Your Centric Guide to Melbourne: Laneways, local eats and adventures along the Yarra

Melbourne is famous for its historic lanes and alleys, so you shouldn’t miss them – though we suggest veering off the beaten track. Everyone knows Hosier Lane with its ephemeral layers of graffiti and photographer crowds, but the real fun lies in the surrounding back streets: AC/DC Lane, Centre Place, Duckboard Place and the quieter arcades threading off them, each with their own mix of boutiques, coffee stops and legendary Melbourne restaurants. 

Hyatt Centric's self-guided laneway and street art route will show you how to navigate this charming cobblestone world, connecting iconic strips with lesser-trodden corners locals love. 

For a spot of grandeur, Princes Bridge is the classic vantage point over the Yarra towards Flinders Street Station's yellow dome and clock towers. The legendary ‘70s photo booth right outside the station is a rite of passage in itself, so grab a friend, let your hair down and pull some funny faces. 

This is a huge year to be in town: NGV International's blockbuster Cartier exhibition is one of the most talked-about shows on Australia's art calendar, tracing the maison's history through hundreds of jewels and tiaras, including pieces once worn by Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Margaret and even our girl RiRi. 

Or if heights are more your thing than A-list bling, you’re in luck. Melbourne Skydeck still holds its own as the tallest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere. Complete with a glass-floored cube suspended nearly 300 metres above the footpath below, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but unbeatable for orientation on your first day in the city. 

↑ Back to top

Though this town isn’t short on flashy fine diners and hatted royalty, Melbourne's current food obsession is a tad more accessible: enter the humble sandwich. Hyatt Centric's neighbourhood sandwich guide points guests towards local institution Hector's Deli, whose slow-cooked beef brisket sandwich has nailed near-cult status, alongside gourmet Vietnamese favourite Banh Mi Stand and Italian deli-style greats Saluministi and Nico's Sandwich Deli. Keep your lunchtimes free – you’ll want to tick off all of them. 

When happy hour starts to call your name, the CBD is your playground: Arbory Bar and Eatery and its seasonal pop-up sister Afloat are the obvious riverfront moves for spritzes in the sun and vacation energy; V Wine Salon is your relaxed French wine haven for lingering over a glass; and Her Bar and Music Room are popular picks for rooftop drinks and late-night listening parties.   

For a special dinner, Freyja is dishing up quietly excellent New Nordic-inspired fare within the heritage-listed Olderfleet Building on Collins Street. Each dish is built on a minimal-waste ethos and the type of pretty that deserves a full carousel on your Instagram grid.  

Slink away to subterranean haunts like Nordic-inspired Valhalla and Mill Place Merchants, or check out the open-air shipping-container set up at Whitehart – one of the CBD’s most dependable alcoves for a housemade cocktail or craft brew.  

Nearby, Privé has become one of the CBD's most elegant new cocktail additions: a moody, Martini-led bar tucked into yet another of Melbourne’s gorgeous heritage buildings.

Down on Flinders Street, the century-old Waterside Hotel has been reborn as a multi-level dining and drinking destination, complete with its own beer garden, Southeast Asian-inspired diner and rooftop bar. For sundowners and late-night DJ sets, this is the place to be. 

Follow Hyatt Centric's bar guide through the city's layered drinking scene and you’ll unearth heritage pubs with a century of stories, basement speakeasies hidden behind unmarked doors, and stylish sky-high bars – most of them within an easy walk or short tram ride of the hotel. 

↑ Back to top

There’s no better place to take in panoramic vistas of Melbourne’s skyscraper sprawl than right in the centre of it all: the Yarra.  

GoBoat runs electric, licence-free boats along the river and they’re built for up to eight people and a floating picnic. Bring a charcuterie board, some sunscreen and your favourite bottle of bubbly and your afternoon is set. It’s one of the more memorable ways to see the city, and a highlight of Hyatt Centric's photo-spot guide alongside the Princes Bridge and Flinders Street classics. 

If an afternoon wine on the water hasn’t left you too sleepy, bookend the day with a trek through Melbourne’s chic laneway boutiques and artsy bookshops.  

Prefer to fill your itinerary gaps with world-class exhibitions, concerts or theatre shows? You’re in the perfect spot. The National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre and Hamer Hall are all just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Southbank side of the river. 

↑ Back to top

To discover the true pulse of any city, it pays to have a local in your corner. Hyatt Centric's Live Like a Local package helps you tap into that intel, even if you barely know a soul in the city. 

From the minute you check in, you’ll be led through a curated edit of the city’s local street art, photo opps, bars and food hot spots, so you can spend less time squinting at Google Maps or searching up reviews and more time enjoying the real world of Melbourne around you.  

Plus, there’s a whole swag of perks. Guests booking with code LOCALMELB receive a local welcome treat, a guaranteed room upgrade, a leisurely 1pm checkout and daily buffet breakfast – plus two neighbourhood treats: a complimentary matcha from Sneaker Laundry Lab, and $11 Aviation cocktails at the hotel's own Langlands Restaurant & Bar.