Come for the coffee, stay for the kindness. Pellegrini’s has been a central part of Melbourne’s cultural life since 1954. It’s a place where everybody is welcome and generations of Australians first got their taste for espresso, perched at the bar. Turn up late, arrive early, stay briefly or linger awhile – the hospitality is always the same.

It’s not the only lane with street art in this city but if time demands you visit just one, it has to be Hosier. Stroll down the bluestone-cobbled alley off Flinders Lane to see the diverse displays of urban art that pay little mind to window frames or doorways. Better yet, it’s the home of MoVida, one of Australia’s premier tapas bars, and its Mexican sibling, Tres a Cinco.

Seven hundred traders, 143 years of history, an eclectic combination of street-food stalls, coffee shops, delis, dedicated dairy hall, meat and fish hall and a shop that sells nothing but cookbooks – the highlights of the Queen Victoria Market are many. Grabbing a borek, a Turkish pastry, is a must.

Flower Drum 101: the printed menu is excellent but the real joy at this world-renowned Cantonese restaurant is in the conversation with the veteran waitstaff. Proceed directly to the old-school choices – baked crab shells, whole coral trout steamed with ginger and spring onion and Peking duck – or let Jason Lui’s team guide you to treasures such as chicken cooked in a claypot and finished with a dash of Moutai baijiu spirit.

There’s a variety of Indigenous-led tours in Melbourne. This walk, which explores the Eastern Kulin Nation’s use of plants for food, medicine and tools in the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a great place to start.

Under director Tony Ellwood, the National Gallery of Victoria has become a powerhouse, bringing new energy and old masters to the city. Even without a blockbuster, the NGV’s 75,000-work permanent collection ensures immersion.

The Everleigh cocktail bar opened its doors a decade ago. But its style beams in from somewhere between the 1920s and 1950s. As you sip on the crisp perfection of a cocktail like the Cavalier (gin, dry vermouth and Montenegro), it becomes instantly clear: the drinks have never been better than right here, right now.

Speaking of Lygon Street, when student haunt Johnny’s Green Room moved to its upstairs location, it revealed a fresh perspective on one of the city’s best-known precincts. See Carlton anew from the rooftop bar, a Negroni in hand.