Lyall Hotel and Spa

Almost next door, Harveys at 10 Murphy Street (+61 (0)3 9867 3605; www.harveysrestaurant.com.au) works as a de facto hotel dining room, with decadent breakfasts, such as truffle scrambled eggs, and classy modern lunches and dinners. France-Soir at 11 Toorak Road (+61 (0)3 9866 8569; www.france-soir.com.au) is loved as much for its authentic – and sometimes catty – Parisian attitude as its always perfect steak frites. If you’re after Italian food, there’s romantic Da Noi at 95 Toorak Road (+61 (0)3 9866 5975) for menu-free Sardinian feasting, or the more straightforward Cosi at 68 Toorak Road (+61 (0)3 9867 399; www.cosirestaurant.com.au), loved by locals for its fireplace in winter and courtyard in summer. Choose fish from the tank at bustling Chinese restaurant Pacific Seafood BBQ House, at 210 Toorak Rd (+61 (0)3 9826 3838) or eat it raw at uncompromising sushi bar Jamon, 3 Murphy Street, (+61 (0)3 9804 5710; www.jamonsushi.com).

Drink (and eat) with the locals at Temperance Hotel, at 426 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9827 7401; www.temperancehotel.com.au) where there are interesting Australian beers to try. House DJs step it up on Friday and Saturday nights; Sunday afternoons feature laid-back live music. Visit French bistro Chez Olivier, at 121 Greville Street, Prahran (+61 (0)3 9525 2273; www.chezolivier.com) for bonhomie and Beaujolais at the bar, or party hard at lavish nightclub Love Machine, on the corner of Little Chapel Street and Malvern Road, Prahran (+61 (03) 9533 8837; www.lovemachine.net.au). Do as the locals do: glam up and arrive early to secure entry. For something more low-key, enjoy cocktails and the cruisy mood at Tyranny of Distance, at 47 Union St, Windsor (+61 (03) 9525 1005).

Join the locals for breakfast at Lawson Grove Shop, 1 Lawson Grove (61 (0)3 9866 3640), and riverfront Kanteen, at 150 Alexandra Avenue (+61 (0)3 9827 0488; www.kanteen.net), where you can follow up with a wander along the Yarra River. Oriental Tea House at 455 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9824 0128; www.orientalteahouse.com.au) has delicious – and purportedly therapeutic – teas and elegant modern yum cha: try the prawn and pea leaf dumplings. Caffe Veloce, at 9-11 Claremont Street (+61 (0)3 8080 9995; www.caffeveloce.com.au), is in a prestige car showroom; the paninis and pastries are as classy as the gleaming machines.

Toorak Road and Chapel Street, Melbourne’s most stylish shopping strips, are just a short walk away from the Lyall in South Yarra. Look out for local fashion designers Collette Dinnigan at 553 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9827 2111; www.collettedinnigan.com.au), Alannah Hill at 533 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9826 2755; www.alannahhill.com.au), Scanlan & Theodore, 566 Chapel Street (+ 61 (0)3 9824 1800; www.scanlantheodore.com.au) and T.L. Wood, 216 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9510 6700; www.tlwoodaustralia.com). 

 

You can gather stylish accessories including great handbags at Australian label  Mimco, Shop 4, 567 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9827 0259; www.mimco.com.au), vintage interior finds at the fabulous Chapel Street Bazaar, at 217 Chapel Street (+61 (0)3 9529 1727) and fresh food at the bustling, popular Prahran Market at 163 Commercial Road (+61 (0)3 8290 8220; www.prahranmarket.com.au), which boasts a tempting mix of local and imported fare.

 

Recharge with a treatment at gorgeous local beauty and wellbeing oasis Aesop spa (153 Toorak Road; +61 (0)3 9866 5250; www.aesop.net.au), just around the corner from the hotel – an Australian brand known for its heavenly unisex scented body care products and chic graphic packaging. Alternatively, the hotel's own in-house day spa serves up a mix of pampering massages and hot stone treatments, using Payot and Sodashi products.

Alternatively, you're only a short distance from great parks (including the Royal Botanic Gardens, which boasts popular jogging track The Tan which skirts an ornamental lake), the banks of the Yarra River (great for strolling with views or culture-hopping at the Southbank's galleries) and the CBD, Melbourne's buzzy Central Business District, alive with shops, galleries, cafes and bars. For more olde worlde charms, nearby Como House, on the corner of Williams and Lechlade Avenue, is a 160-year-old South Yarra mansion providing a glimpse into the luxe life of former owners the Armytage family (www.nattrust.com.au).