Villa Donati

Local restaurants

Pearl Restaurant and Bar (631–633 Church Street; +61 (0)3 9421 4599) dishes up innovative cuisine in designer surroundings. It has made a big name for itself in the town, and to dine here is to discover why. The brainchild of well respected Australian chef Stephanie Alexander, Richmond Hill Café & Larder (48–50 Bridge Road; +61 (0)3 9421 2808) serves up fantastic food in noisy, French brasserie-style surroundings. Check out the Cheese Room, which has a fantastic selection of Australian and imported cheeses. It also has a variety of picnic hampers for two, which include ice-packs, glassware and crockery. Little Greek restaurant Ta Salona (260A Swan Street; +61 (0)3 9429 1460) has been run by the same family for more than 30 years. and offers traditional food in a casual atmosphere. Great for either lunch or dinner. Make sure you try the whitebait.

Local bars

Open till 2am on weekends, Public House (433–435 Church Street; +61 (0)3 9421 0187) has a great roof terrace that plays host to barbecues and screenings of arthouse movies on Wednesday nights in summer. Live DJs play chilled-out Sunday sessions for the young local crowd.

Local cafes

Lovely café Almost French (138 Swan Street; +61 (0)3 9429 2080), the walls of which are adorned by murals by Melbourne artist Mirka Moira, offers a tempting range of French style cakes and pastries. The cheesecake is magnificent. Flavours of Lakhoum (175 Swan Street; +61 (0)3 9425 9805) is a Middle Eastern-themed café that serves great coffee and mezze. Ask Chris the barista to prepare your cup for you, and he’ll adorn it with some clever coffee art. Just 100 metres down the road from the restaurant with which it shares its name, Pearl Café (599 Church Street; +61 (0)3 9427 1307) is a great option for breakfast or lunch at really reasonable prices. Try its famous chicken salad or Wagyu beef pie.

For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Melbourne, check out our Melbourne eating & drinking guide

Worth getting out of bed for

Visit Abbotsford Convent (www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au), a beautiful historic building set on 6.8 hectares of gardens on the banks of the Yarra River. It is now an arts and cultural precinct with regular exhibitions and a Slow Food Farmers Market held on the fourth Saturday of every month. Christine Abraham’s Gallery (27 Gipps Street; +61 (0)3 9428 6099; www.christineabrahamsgallery.com.au) has changing exhibits of innovative contemporary works by Australian and international artists, and it’s only a three minute walk from the hotel. The area immediately surrounding the hotel has become a mecca for design, and there are plenty of interiors stores to wander through and be inspired. Be sure to check out Green with Envy (176 Bridge Road; +61 (0)3 9421 1466; www.greenwithenvy.com.au), which has a gorgeous selection of dresses from established Australian designers.

For a full list of recommended activities in Melbourne, check out our Melbourne destination guide