Whatever you’re looking for, from elegant and sophisticated five-star restaurants to modern cafes and trattorias or hip bars, the city of Melbourne, jewel of Australia’s south, has it.

This is a place whose inhabitants demand to eat well and drink in style. Greek, Vietnamese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Korean, Thai: name the cuisine and there’s a neighbourhood specialising in it, with ModOz (Modern Australian) offering the cream of everything. The wine bars are Australia’s best.

No matter where in this stylish, cerebral, intimate, grand, stand-offish, sensuous, restrained city you go, discoveries await. Novices see the big picture, but the key to unlocking Melbourne is the hidden details.

The sophisticated locals value substance, not surface, and take pride in their beloved home’s polite inscrutability. But once you know where to look and what to seek, the city’s enduring charm is undeniable.

To that end, the importance of laneway culture can’t be overlooked. Very often you’ll find you have to leave the main drag, turn the corner and step into an anonymous doorway to find the treasures.

Here are some of the eating and drinking experiences you won’t want to miss:

For an unforgettable fine dining experience, don’t miss Three, Two, One in the dolce vita neighbourhood of Carlton. Chef and owner Andrew McConnell has gathered a devoted following thanks to the quality of his ingredients and the magic he works on the plate. It’s indulgent, intimate and a must-do.

For a great night out with friends, in-the-know revellers meet at what’s usually called “the architects’ bar” (Meyers Place Bar is the formal name) in the city. There’s nothing flashy about it, but there doesn’t need to be when the cool inside-outside design and the interesting crowd create such a buzz.

For a restaurant find to wow your companions hunt out Yu-u in Flinders Street. This is a hidden treasure: there’s no signage, hardly any English spoken and no choice of dishes, just a Japanese set menu. Sounds unappealing? But then you taste the food … that’s why it’s consistently booked out.

Melbourne is famous for its stylish café culture and nowhere does it better than the Rathdowne Street Food Store, where Ricky Holt makes food for every hour from breakfast to supper and every mood from tryst to we-have-to-talk.

If you’re in need of a little offbeat hedonism, Madame Brussels in the city centre is just the place, delivering adult whimsy with just the mildest undercurrent of deviance. NeoNeighbourhood Chief Experience Officer Verity Byth says the sweetly kitsch décor “creates a pleasantly surreal ‘Alice in Wonderland meets your Gran’s bowls club’ feel” that suits the martinis and cupcakes menu.

Once you’ve got a feel for the place, you’ll find that wandering around the fascinating, lively neighbourhoods of Carlton, Carlton North, Fitzroy (both the Brunswick and Gertrude Street ends) and Prahran could keep you happily occupied for days.

For more great experiences in Melbourne and other Australian and international cities, visit www.neoneighbourhood.com. There’s food, shopping (fashion, home, pantry, books and music), hotels, galleries and concert venues and much more.