Everything we love about breakfast, rolled into one tasty pie. What more could we want?

From the team behind Grandma’s and Wild Rover comes Bistecca, a restaurant and bar serving only Tuscany’s famed steak alla Fiorentina, along with a range of Italianate sides. Opening this week in the CBD.

The quality of the food at A1 belies the understated ‘canteen’ moniker, with the food, drinks and service putting many fancier establishments on notice. The all-day menu has something for everyone, from curried scrambled eggs folded like silk sheets to the magnificent muffuletta, made from mortadella, provolone, ham and artichoke, sliced from a larger sandwich to show the cross-section of ingredients. 2-10 Kensington St, Chippendale. a1canteen.com.au.

St Kilda’s Indian gem Babu Ji has started vegan and gluten-free Tuesdays. Have your fill of an ever-changing line-up of curries served with rice and a papadum for $25.

Tivoli Road Bakery, with its rough-hewn wooden benches and open kitchen has cheffy vibes in spades, but at heart, the petite operation on a leafy South Yarra side street is 100 per cent bakery. The principle behind master baker James’ pies is simple: quality ingredients and sound technique, but the magic is in the execution and orchestration of flavour combinations that make these pies sing with greater harmony than four and twenty blackbirds. The chicken and pumpkin pie is a case in point. Don’t let the understated name dissuade you, it’s like calling cassoulet baked beans. James tenderly bakes perfume and punch into pumpkin with basil and parmesan which is poured with luscious béchamel in a rich, buttery shell.

Never be far from a good brew with Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour. The guide reveals the best cafés, roasteries and plantations in 37 countries, including Melbourne’s own hot spots. $16.49.

Urban culture has arrived at The Cullen in Prahran with the addition of a new Street Art Suite. The Melbourne hotel has partnered with UK street artist Ben Elne to create a one-of-a-kind artwork using elements of his distinctive typographic style. Titled ‘Missing You’ the artwork is a love letter to his French girlfriend and bring the spirit of Melbourne’s laneway culture into the hotel. The Ben Eine Suite at The Cullen is now available to book online.

The seventh annual James Street Food & Wine Trail returns in July. This year’s event will be hosted across the weekend of July 28 and 29, incorporating the retailers of the popular shopping strip. The Saturday’s Trail Day will see local collaborations take centre stage; Harveys Bar + Bistro will partner with Bee One Third for sweet pairings with James Street’s own honey production, and Ben Williamson of Gerard’s Bar will incorporate Bee One Third honey into the menu offering among other specials. On Market Day 23 James Street vendors will serve restaurant quality fare in the precinct from 10 am to 6pm, accompanied by additional activities and performances from LIVE, VIBE and JAZZ Stages, craft classes and a Kids Camp for little foodie enthusiasts.

Dreaming of a black Christmas? The Kraken Black Spiced Rum will be hosting a rather dark take on Christmas in July with a special pop-up across the nation this month. The culinary experience will see the rum take over three iconic Australian restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth from Friday July 13. Special blackened seasonal food and cocktails will be served at each venue, accompanied by an immersive experience from start to finish. Kraken Christmas will be held at Porteno in Sydney, The Flour Factory in Perth, and at A Hereford Beefstouw in Melbourne. Tickets for each event can be purchased online via Eventbrite.

Thursday July 5th is a day to mark in the diary for the luxe spring roll fan with Upper East Side Bondi giving away 2000 of their iconic lasagne spring rolls for free. From 5.30-7.30pm the restaurant will be handing out the freebies in celebration of their new Thursday night dinner special ‘All you can eat Lasagne Spring Rolls’ for $26. Each customer will be granted 2 free spring rolls on the night, to nibble on while listening to the venue’s regular live music.

Drake Eatery will mark its third birthday this year, celebrating with a month-long celebration of Duck and Pinot Nights. The series of dedicated events will run until July 31 and will see the restaurant will serve up a winter-themed celebration of owner and head chef Ian Oakes’ favourite meat; duck. The menu line-up will kick off with a confit duck salad with pear, blue cheese and walnuts, followed by dishes that range from duck dumplings in broth to duck pie. “The idea was born from my love of cooking (and eating) duck and the fact that the restaurant’s namesake is the male duck, a Drake. I’m excited to experiment with the ingredient, taking inspiration from techniques and flavours from around the world, and show its versatility – from ramen to ragu. Paired with a generous pouring of red… what better, combination!” says Oakes. Duck and Pinot nights will be available every Tuesday evening from 5 June – 31 July, priced at $35 for duck special and glass of Pinot Noir selected by the restaurant.

Doot Doot Doot, Jacklaope’s hatted fine dining restaurant has crafted an dedicated package for truffle devotees, inviting guests to take part in a truffle hunt, and a degustation dinner, capped off by a night spent at the award-winning hotel. Held on Wednesday July 11, the Truffle Trinity event will commence with a visit to the truffiere and forage with Red Hill Truffles’ Jenny McAuley and her dog Thomas. Returning to the hotel, guests will be treated to a five-course truffle dinner with matched wines, in Doot Doot Doot. For the full experience, enjoy the night in a 38 sqm Vineyard View room and wake to stunning views over Jackalope’s infinity pool and vines. Breakfast is included.Reservations essential, please phone (03) 5931 2500, or email ddd@jackalopehotels.com.

Disposable coffee cups are so passé; it’s the reusable options for the cup world that are fashionable. So proves Vittoria Coffee with the brand’s recently launched Fashion Series Season 3 on their ceramic fashion cups with silicon lids. The reusable cups feature designs with 6 of Australia’s greatest designer talent including Macgraw, We Are Kindred, Nicolas, Rebecca Vallance and Manning Cartell and are available for $59.95.

If you do decide to let loose, QT is within easy reach of theatres, galleries, boutiques and some of the best restaurants and bars in town. Here are a few of our favourites. Supernormal J-pop vibes unite with Andrew McConnell’s dynamic menu of Asian-driven party food. A meal at the bar, replete with pickles, dumplings and spicy salads, is a Melbourne rite of passage. (180 Flinders Lane) Tipo 00 You’d be hard-pressed to find a better plate of pasta and glass of wine in the city. Next door, sister restaurant Osteria Ilaria is also worth a visit. (361 Little Bourke Street) (pictured) Embla Favourite hangout of many of the chefs during The World’s 50 Best, this cosy wine bar also offers seriously good food. (122 Russell Street)

Winter may traditionally be a time of hibernation, but not so for St Kilda’s Supernormal Canteen who will play host to three special one-off events during the season. Kicking off in June, the first of the friends and collaborators dinners will start with winemaker Phillip Moraghan, who will be showcasing his own koshu wine for the first time in Australia. July will see Ramblr’s chef/owner Nick Stanton taking up the pans and serving eight courses of newly developed dishes; and finally in August – in time for Supernormal Canteen’s first birthday – a sentimental homecoming with Andrew McConnell alumnus Brendan Liew. More information on each of the three stand-out events, and tickets, will be available online.