Etta restaurateur Hannah Green has finally opened hotly anticipated diner Daphne, with head chef Diana Desensi and former Etta front-of-house Pip Littore completing this elevated take on a neighbourhood public house. With a walk-in front bar and a bistro out back, choose from sophisticated snacks or larger plates from the Italian-leaning menu. On Fridays and Saturdays, a late-night supper offering will keep hungry revellers fuelled. 52-54 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; daphne.melbourne

The former home of legendary Gertrude Street cocktail bar The Everleigh has new tenants, with the trio behind Sleepy’s Cafe & Wine Bar in Carlton North opening cocktail bar Moondrop. Moondrop explores the same East-meets-West influence that the team’s cult cafe delivers, summoning a slice of old Shanghai on Gertrude Street. Level 1/150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy; moondrop.bar

One of Melbourne’s most striking rooftops is sporting an all-new look, with CBD hotel HYDE Melbourne Place revealing Cleo in the space formerly occupied by Mid Air. Twelve floors up, with an open-air terrace and covered dining room, Cleo delivers Eastern Mediterranean flavours, right through from breakfast to afternoon cocktails and nightcaps. Level 12 130 Russell St, Melbourne; hydehotels.com

A new dining option has prowled onto busy Koornang Road, with Tyga now humming. Restaurateur Tommy Tong, of Saigon Mamma and Fat Pho, enlisted Dinner by Heston alum Esca Khoo to craft a ‘neo-Southeast Asian’ menu, served in a riotously colourful space inspired by 1970s Bangkok. 91 Koornang Road, Carnegie; tyga.melbourne

Madame Brussels has exited the building, replaced by rooftop bar and izakaya, Disuko. The seventh venue from MAMAS Dining Group (Hochi Mama, Straight Outta Saigon, Windsor Wine Room, and more) has warm vinyl on the speakers, 1980s Tokyo-inspired decor, and bites off the hibachi grill. ​Level 3/59-63 Bourke St, Melbourne CBD; disuko.com.au

Hands Down in Fitzroy is a welcoming, relaxed spot in the former Bad Frankie space just off Smith Street, led by old hands from Pearl Diver, Bar Liberty, Above Board and more. The menu nods to the drinking cultures of France and Spain, with pastis swizzles, kalimotxos and 50-50 martinis poured alongside snacks like Gildas, Éspelette crisps and guindillas. 139-141 Greeves St, Fitzroy; handsdownmelbourne.com

NZ brand Rodd & Gunn has revealed a new Melbourne flagship in the former David Jones men’s store that blurs the lines between retail and hospitality. Basement-level The Cellar offers an Italian bistro helmed by chef Matt Lambert (chef-owner of New York’s Michelin-starred The Musket Room) and his long-term colleague James Evangelinos; a wine list compiled by New Zealand’s only Master Sommelier, Cameron Douglas; and the Cocktail Laboratory, led by mixologist Matt Bax of Melbourne’s mourned Bar Americano. On the first floor of the four-storey behemoth, The Lodge is an elegant destination for long lunches on shopping days, with The Member’s Bar for loyal customers. 280 Little Collins Street, Melbourne; roddandgunn.com/au

Since baking their way into Melbourne’s hearts at Tivoli Road Bakery, Pippa and Michael James kept us nourished with cookbooks, market pop-ups and, recently, cooking classes at their Abbotsford space Urbanstead. Now they’re back in the retail business, with Urbanstead bakery. The couple will continue to offer classes inside the converted warehouse, but you can now skip the manual labour and get your fresh-baked loaves, croissants and seasonal pastries in an instant. Several Tivoli Road favourites have made a comeback, as well, such as the sausage rolls. 203 Langridge St, Abbotsford; urbanstead.au

The founders of CBD Italian trattoria Marameo have moved into the burbs for their newest venture, opening Bar Sophia in Glen Iris. The Athenian-style wine bar offers a no-booking front bar and intimate dining room inspired by one of Europe’s most fascinating cities. 161 Burke Road, Glen Iris; barsophia.com.au

The founders of Ripponlea’s Mission District have opened Santito in the former Hotel Jesus site. Inspired by Mexico City taquerias, head chef Sandra Martinez leads an all-woman team making everything down to the tortillas from scratch, hand-pressed daily with house-ground corn. 174 Smith Street, Collingwood; santito.com.au

Eight years in the making, seven-storey hospitality precinct The Waterside Hotel is ready for business. The Sand Hill Road group is no stranger to super-sized renovations, having transformed St Kilda’s The Espy and CBD’s Garden State Hotel, but this is its biggest yet. The huge ground-floor public bar and beer garden takes over the ground and first floor, on level 2 find Pan-Asian restaurant PAST/PORT, with a rooftop bar and terrace on top. 508 Flinders Street, Melbourne; watersidehotel.com.au

NYC-born cocktail institution Death & Co chose Melbourne for its first Australian outpost, opening in Flinders Lane. The drinks list follows the script of the US originals, with seasonal cocktails inspired by six classics – the Whisky Highball, Daiquiri, Old-Fashioned, Martini, Sidecar and the Flip. 87 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; deathandcompanymelbourne.com.au

Soon after the successful launch of Sydney’s single-dish 24 York, Rockpool Bar & Grill owners Hunter St. Hospitality has brought the concept to Melbourne with 7 Alfred Place, a proud one trick pony. In a classic NYC-style bistro dining room lined with red and white subway tiles, 7 Alfred features just one main dish on the menu: steak frites, serving up a $48 220g serve of O’Connor grass-fed scotch fillet from Gippsland, cooked to your liking with a choice of house sauces and side of beef tallow chips. 7 Alfred Place, Melbourne; 7alfred.com.au

On the eastern fringes of the CBD in Fitzroy Gardens, Yiaga is one of the most hotly anticipated new Melbourne restaurants of the year. Melbourne’s Wardle Studios has transformed an abandoned kiosk into an organic structure finished inside and out using primarily Victorian materials and bespoke Australian crafts, complementing the $295pp set menu by Vue de monde chef Hugh Allen, which overflows with top-tier Australian produce. Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne; yiaga.au

From the couple behind The Coffee Bar in Brunswick East comes Bar Elsie, a cosy new Euro bistro that offers comfort-food classics for any occasion, from sit-down meals to elegant bar snacks. Our pick is the coccoli fried bread balls with whipped ricotta and serrano ham. 396 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; barelsie.com.au