Lygon Street, Carlton

Melbourne's 'Little Italy', the heart of the city's Italian community since the 1950s. The stretch of Lygon Street in Carlton is lined with Italian restaurants, pizzerias, gelaterias, pastry shops and some of the city's oldest espresso bars, many with tables out on the footpath. Brunetti's pastries and King & Godfree, an Italian grocer since 1884 with a rooftop bar, are favourites.

Avoid the restaurants with staff calling you in from the street; the locals' places are usually the busiest. Combine it with the nearby Carlton Gardens and the Melbourne Museum, or the Queen Victoria Market, which is about 15 minutes' walk away.