My girlfriend and I spent two nights at Kiltynane Estate in a self-contained bed and breakfast cottage. The cottage was very clean, cosy and had all of the things you would expect of a 4-and-a-half-star rated cottage - TV, DVD, CD player, spa, open fire, queen-sized bed (with very nice sheets) etc. It was very chilly when we arrived, but the fireplace was laid and quickly warmed up the cottage. The kitchen was well-supplied with cutlery, glassware and crockery and the breakfast provisions provided were generous and very tasty.

The view from the cottage out over the Yarra Valley is lovely and being situated on a winery, you really feel a long way from the city, despite being less than half an hour from Lilydale. We had a wonderfully relaxing few days. Most of the Yarra Valley wineries are a short drive from Kiltynane, so it's a good base for exploring the valley.

One of the highlights of our stay was a "walk and talk" through the vines with Kate Kirkhope, our host and the winemaker at Kiltynane Estate. She spent over an hour with us, walking through the vineyards, explaining the pruning that they were doing at the time and all of the other aspects of them growing the vines there. We then went into the winery (a large shed) and she took us through a tasting of the Estate wines and then we sampled wine straight out of some of the barrels and even created our own little blend right there and then. It was an amazing experience and one that anyone with an interest in wine should seek out. The wines are great and the tiny scale of their operation is a very nice change from the many larger wineries that dominate the valley.

All in all, Kiltynane provided a fantastic, relaxing break - a major change of pace despite being so close to the city. If you can, take advantage of the mid-week rates as we did to save a bit of money for a slap-up lunch at one of the many wineries nearby.

Approximate cost: $200 per night

I went to Blue Train Cafe on a Sunday night after seeing a show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Since we were at Fed Square we decided to head to Southbank to have some dinner. Blue Train was a convenient choice as the atmosphere's pretty relaxed and it stays open late, so you can be pretty confident that you can rock up at any time and get a table and some food.

I had linguine with smoked chicken and a creamy sauce. The serve was a good size and it was fine, but nothing spectacular. The consensus from the others was similar - the food offers no real surprises, either in a good or a bad way. The wine list was pretty minimal, with fairly standard choices from Aussie wineries, but at least the mark-up is not too high.

The real highlight was dessert. We shared a sticky date pudding, which was light, fluffy and very tasty and a (big!) piece of toblerone cheesecake. Both were excellent. The service was very attentive when we arrived, although a bit disorganised (several waiters wanting to serve us), and we had to wait a while to be offered the bill at the end of the night.

Overall, a very convenient spot for a post-show meal and conducive to a good chat. The main meals were unspectacular, but the desserts were very good.

Approximate cost: $20

A favourite local restaurant for takeaway or a quick meal. Superb food - really tasty and fantastic value. There's always a very convivial, bustling atmosphere, which makes it a fun place to eat. Unfortunately a lot of other people have realised this, so it can get very busy. Worth calling ahead. Also be aware that they only take cash!

Highly recommended.

Approximate cost: $12

I went here for a coffee with a friend on Grand Final morning. The coffee was average, and the service was not great, but that might've just been because there was a teenage girl serving us. Range of food for normal cafe prices, but we didn't sample any of that. OK, but nothing more.

Approximate cost: $3 for a coffee

I recently bought a pair of jeans here, and have bought t-shirts, jeans and jumpers here before. They don't usually have the very latest stuff, but there's always a decent range, and the prices are usually pretty good. You could go very wrong with some of the things on offer, but with careful selections you can get some bargains.

If you buy a few items, ask if they can do you a deal - they will barter!

Approximate cost: $50 for a t-shirt

I've been to the Melbourne Central store several times to buy shirts. Rhodes and Beckett shirts are of outstanding quality, with a good range of colours and styles. They also sell ties, cufflinks and now suits (for women too). Expensive, so it's worth getting on the mailing list and taking advantage of sales - usually twice a year and you can get up to 50% off - well worth it for superb shirts.

Approximate cost: $150 for a shirt

Since discovering Royal Crown Barbers a couple of years ago, I always go here for my haircuts. They are exceptionally good value - $22 for a haircut that is the equal of any I've had anywhere else, often for up to twice the price. Add to this nice blokes who run the place, an awesome collection of (mainly) '50s kitsch, old music posters, they always play great music and all up it's a real joy to have a haircut here.

They call themselves "barbers", but are open to anyone. Very highly recommended.

Approximate cost: $22 for haircut

I went to Canvas for a friend's going away drinks and we sat outside on the deck. The set-up outside is great - very stylish wooden deck with large tables, booths and smaller tables and chairs and a bar that services just the deck area. Much of the area is covered with tent-like awnings and there are gas heaters to keep you warm - welcome on the night we visited. Inside there is another bar and lounge area as well as a fine-dining restaurant.

We visited on a Tuesday night, which is normally a very popular night in that area of Hawthorn, but until after 10pm our group was the only one there. As a result we got great service and the quiet atmosphere suited our group, since we were there to say goodbye to a friend and not to party.

They have a very good wine list (the same as offered in the restaurant), with many selections by the glass. There is also a good range of beers and a small selection of cocktails. The only complaint would be that beers are a bit expensive, but at least there are several available on tap.

Approximate cost: $7 for an Asahi (330ml)

Castro's is one of the places I regularly go when I want a coffee on Campus at the University of Melbourne. As the name would suggest, there's a slight leftie lean to this place (which nevertheless seems to turn a nice little profit), which you can see in the Fairtrade coffee on offer (which is excellent) and the vegan pies (haven't tempted me yet).

The coffee is excellent - I'm a straight down the line cafe latte man myself, but if you're after a decaf soy chai latte, then Castro's can provide that and much more. There's also an excellent range of sweet and savoury food, but it's a little bit on the expensive side, so I haven't sampled many of the things on offer. I can, however, recommend the "tortilla bricks", which taste better than they sound.

They have some nice tables and umbrellas in front of the kiosk (no indoor area), which makes it a good spot for political or philosophical discussions, while the Fairtrade coffee and the "communist-chic" decor fills you with that warm, socialist glow.

Approximate cost: $3 for a coffee

Cafe Royale is a small family-run cafe just near where I work on Royal Parade (hence the name - geddit?). I always enjoy seeing two or three generations of the family working there when I go for some lunch.

They serve good, honest cafe fare - foccacias, sandwiches, burgers, steak sandwiches (my favourite), chips, dim sims etc. It's actually a refreshing change from the overly trendy and overpriced cafes that dominate the landscape around Melbourne Uni.

They do a decent coffee and have some nice sweet treats on offer as well. The food's nothing out of the ordinary, but the quality has always been good and best of all, everything is great value. I often see a lot of labourers getting there lunch here, which I think sums up the place - good, honest, tasty food with no pretensions and excellent prices.

Approximate cost: $5-7