Melbourne

With its picture-perfect terrace houses, enviable cache of cultural hotspots and more sleek coffee shops than you can shake a bag of finely ground beans at, it's little wonder that Melburnians regularly claim their bayside city to be the most liveable in the world. Add to the mix a first-rate food scene and an abounding wine region on its doorstep and you may just find yourself agreeing with the Melburnians loving their city. The Monocle Travel Guide to Melbourne will lead you down our favourite laneways, drop by the cutting-edge galleries shaking up the city's art scene and show you where to marvel at modernist architecture. We've also rounded up the independent retailers stocking the most covetable Aussie-made take-homes and sifted through the city's cafés, restaurants and bars to find the finest establishments in which to order a perfectly poured flat white, top-notch tucker and a light and peppery glass of pinot noir. Melbourne's weather may be erratic at best - the old adage of the city cycling through four seasons in one day is one to be heeded - but we'll give you plenty of reasons to hit the streets come rain, shine or hammering hail. The magazine Monocle covers the world with its network of bureaus in New York, Toronto, Zurich, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Singapore. It also employs more than 30 dedicated correspondents-in cities from Bangkok to Bogotá, São Paolo to Stockholm-as well as a team of on-the-road reporters based out of its headquarters in London. This team's deep understanding of cities and all they have to offer has now been compiled in The Monocle Travel Guide Series. von Pickard, Joe;