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Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Benchwarmer
Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. Bright lights, a banging playlist and a heaving bar in full swing – Benchwarmer hits you all at once. On a crisp June evening, its siren call is impossible to ignore. It's a shape-shifter of a venue: part izakaya, part beer hall, part takeaway bottle-o. Tucked into a little pocket of West Melbourne that flirts with North, it's surrounded by great food, but Benchwarmer brings something different to the table. You can grab a drink from the five-door fridge or choose from 18 taps pouring everything from classic lagers to limited-edition sours. Inside, long communal tables and window seats cater to both group hangs and solo sessions, while cozy retro booths offer a peek into the kitchen. We're tucked into a booth with a clear line to the pass – my ideal setup: dinner and a show. It also doubles as a real-life dating app for the menu, letting me preview each dish and mentally swipe right on what I want. Although Benchwarmer is beer-forward, you can get cocktails, too – and as someone who's been to Japan four times (I never bring it up, obviously), I knew I'd be starting with a Highball. While whiskey is the classic base, I opt for the rum version: white rum, peach iced tea, citrus and soda served tall. It's subtle, refreshing and dangerously easy to knock back five before wondering why the floor's moving. The menu is by executive chef Geoff Marett, formerly of Michelin-starred Yardbird in Hong Kong, so there's some real pedigree here. It strikes a nice balance between snacky and substantial, making it just as suited to a quick pit stop as it is to the whole shebang. I'm a shebang girl, so we're going all in: the salmon tostada (two pieces for $20), the market pickle plate ($12) and the XO lamb crumpet (two pieces $20). The pickle plate features cucumber, carrot and radish in varying stages of brine and bite. It's crunchy, acidic and the perfect appetite-starter. The salmon tostada, ceviche-adjacent in style, nails texture and crunch, though it could use a touch more acidity to really sing. The XO lamb crumpet sounds like a winner: tender shredded lamb piled onto a toasted crumpet with yuzu labneh, pickles and hot honey. The lamb is beautifully cooked, but the crumpet is a little too well done, with a base that's edging into burnt territory. The bitterness lingers, so my dining companion and I abandon the crumpet and go straight for the lamb, labneh and pickles on their own. For mains, we order the shio koji pork cheek ($25), the rolled rice noodles ($18) and the sake clams ($28). We're washing it down with a bottle of Momento Mori Nazomi ($60), a juicy, rosé-esque wine. The pork cheek arrives glazed with gochujang and topped with fresh herbs and a wasabi verde. It walks the line between savoury and sweet beautifully, and I quickly inhale more than my fair share. The rolled rice noodles are a dish I've been eyeing on Instagram for weeks, and they don't disappoint. The noodles have that perfect balance of softness and chew, with plump shiitake mushrooms scattered throughout. Served on a bed of cashew crème, with nori XO oil, crunchy pepitas and crisp curry leaves, it's smoky, savoury and everything I want from a noodle dish. But it's the sake clams that really showcase Benchwarmer's personality and soul. The clams bathe in a miso butter and dashi broth, joined by grilled lap cheong, chimichurri and dill. The best part? A warm pineapple milk bun on the side, perfect for soaking up every last drop. At first, the flavours feel slightly out of sync. Dill and Chinese sausage? It's an unexpected mix of sweet and savoury, herbaceous and umami. But it works. It's the kind of dish that excites and galvanises, a cheeky reminder of how far flavour and texture can go in the right hands. I haven't had a single beer at Benchwarmer. I know, there goes my credibility, but the food menu comes with suggested pairings. It's an approachable way to guide the drinks – and a reminder that I'll come back and do it properly. In a city spoilt for choice, Benchwarmer still manages to feel special. It nails that rare balance of being both a great hang and a proper dining spot – fun, unpretentious and anchored by the kind of thoughtful cooking and hospitality that makes you want to be a regular. Not every neighbourhood has a venue like this, but West Melbourne's lucky it does.
Time Out
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Melbourne named the ninth most unaffordable city in the world to buy a home
As if the prospect of owning a property wasn't daunting enough, a global study has revealed the most unaffordable cities to buy a house – and we're saddened to reveal that Melbourne has landed at ninth on the list. But hey, that's better than seventh, which is where our city ranked last year. Gotta look at the (small) positives, right? For more than 20 years, the Demographia International Housing Affordability Report has analysed middle-income housing affordability across 95 major markets in eight countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. To determine the rankings, the researchers at Chapman University compare median house prices to median household incomes, scoring each market on a scale from 'affordable' (3.0 or less) to 'impossibly unaffordable' (9.0 or more). For the first time ever, not a single one of the 95 housing markets assessed was classified as 'affordable'. This news is even more grim for potential Aussie homebuyers, with Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth joining Melbourne among the 15 least affordable places to buy a home worldwide in 2025. While Melbourne's ranking of ninth, with a median multiple score of 9.7, is a shock, spare a thought for anyone hoping to buy a home in Sydney. Australia's largest capital city is the second least affordable major property market in the world, with a staggering median multiple score of 13.8. That means the median house prices across the city are between nine and 15 times the median household income. Gulp! Adelaide actually jumped three spots from 2024, switching places with Melbourne to land in sixth place with a median multiple of 10.9. Brisbane ranked 11th with a score of 9.3, while Perth's score of 8.3 was just shy of the 'impossibly unaffordable' category, placing it as the 14th most unaffordable housing market in the world. The report described it as 'remarkable' that these Aussie cities are now 'less affordable than widely recognised world cities like New York, London or Chicago'. According to the report, the housing affordability crisis is largely driven by 'urban containment' measures such as growth boundaries and restrictive land-use policies. It also identified land value as the biggest cost factor in these markets, with prices soaring in areas where development was allowed near previously restricted zones. For more, you can explore the full report here. The 15 most unaffordable housing markets in the world Hong Kong Sydney San Jose Vancouver Los Angeles Adelaide Honolulu San Francisco Melbourne San Diego Brisbane London Toronto Perth Miami Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:
Time Out
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Melbourne is the second most diverse and inclusive city in the world, according to locals
Here at Time Out Melbourne, it's easy to assume that our beloved city is a friendly space where diversity and inclusivity are welcomed. After all, Melbourne is a thriving metropolis that prides itself on being highly liveable, with cool neighbourhoods and streets that are home to various cuisines, communities and cultures. But sometimes it's good to get that confirmation from others, and off the back of Time Out's huge annual survey, we can reveal that locals themselves actually consider Melbourne the second most diverse and inclusive city in the whole world. The survey asked 18,500 city-dwellers what they think of their hometown's transport, food, nightlife, green spaces and more. But all of this is pointless if people don't actually feel welcome, so we also wanted to find out whether they would describe their city as 'diverse' and 'inclusive' too. Melburnians responded in an overwhelmingly positive fashion, with 77 per cent of people agreeing with the sentiment. The city that (just!) nabbed the crown ahead of Melbourne was London, with 78 per cent of locals deeming the UK capital diverse and inclusive. And look, we get it – with a long history as a hub of immigration and around 300 languages spoken, it's a true representation of what a modern, multicultural city looks like. Rounding out the rest of the top five were Brighton (also in the UK) and New York City tied for third, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively. So what are some of the factors that make our city worthy of the silver medal? Melbourne – aka Naarm – is located on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples, and boasts a rich First Nations history. There are many ways you can learn more and immerse yourself in this culture, including through walking tours or exhibitions like Wurrdha Marra and 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art. And let's not forget the culinary influence of Melbourne's many international communities. Box Hill is known for its abundance of fantastic Chinese restaurants, while Footscray boasts some epic bánh mì spots thanks to its large Vietnamese population. Oakleigh is the Greek heartland for souvas and gyros, and recent waves of migration from Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon have culminated in a mushrooming of West African eateries. Add in a stacked line-up of festivals and events, a proud and ever-growing queer community (Melbourne was even voted the fourth most LGBTQIA+-friendly city in the world in 2022), and a thriving nightlife scene – and we're not surprised that locals would consider our capital a place where everyone is welcome to show up and be their most authentic selves. So, come as you are – Melbourne is open to all. These are the most diverse and inclusive cities in the world: London, UK Melbourne, Australia Brighton, UK = New York, USA Los Angeles, USA Chicago, USA Madrid, Spain Barcelona, Spain Bangkok, Thailand Johannesburg, South Africa = Cape Town, South Africa Montreal, Canada = Medellin, Colombia = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia = San Francisco, USA This Melbourne university has been named in the world's top 20 for 2026, beating out Yale and Princeton
Time Out
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This boutique Melbourne hotel was just honoured with a major style and design award
Hands up if the name La Liste rings a bell? You may recognise it as the Paris-based restaurant ranking guide that unveils an annual list of its top 1,000 restaurants – last year, it crowned Melbourne's very own fine diner Vue de Monde as the best restaurant in Australia (and fifth in the whole world). Now La Liste is back with a hotly anticipated 2025 guide to the most outstanding hotels around the globe. And you may be surprised to hear that a new boutique accommodation in Fitzroy has been awarded a very special accolade. The StandardX – an uber-cool, industrial-style venue that we reviewed in November 2024 – is among just five hotels to receive the prestigious Style and Design Award. These are hotels that have been either "launched or refurbished with outstanding design". La Liste called the StandardX "arty, bold and unfiltered", and it shared the honour with Maison Heler Metz in France, ÖÖD Hekla Horizon in Iceland, Reschio Hotel in Italy and Ulaman Eco Luxury Resort in Indonesia. The hotel only opened in August 2024, and is the first StandardX iteration from famed hotel chain the Standard. Described as "the rebellious younger sibling", it boasts 125 rooms over eight floors, as well as an all-day Thai street food-inspired restaurant called Bang, a rooftop bar with panoramic city views and a retail offering. Led by Melbourne-based interior design firm Hecker Guthrie, the styling elements blend the grittiness of Fitzroy with modern comforts – think rustic finishes, plenty of greenery, caramel leather couches and an epic red revolving front door. "It's bougie, for sure, but still artsy enough to feel like it belongs to the northside," says Time Out Melbourne's food and drink writer, Lauren Dinse. "The designers have taken inspiration from Fitzroy's post-punk 'Little Band' scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, paying homage to its music venues, street art and café culture – historic pulse points of this vibrant 'hood." The full list of 1,000 hotels included properties from Paris, London and Bangkok. This year, the ten spots to share the top gong with a near-perfect score of 99.5 include: La Réserve Paris, France The Connaught and The Savoy, England Il San Pietro di Positano, Italy Cheval Blanc Paris, France J.K. Place Capri, Italy Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand The Peninsula Shanghai, China The Peninsula Chicago, USA Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico To find out more, read the full list here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
Time Out
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photograph: Kristoffer Paulsen
June 2025 update: This winter, head chef Lorcán Kan is dishing up one of his all-time comfort dishes: steaming hot bowls of coconut curry laksa. Kan's take is an intensely fragrant broth of lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime, galangal and chilli, generously loaded with a mix egg and rice noodles, housemade golden tofu (Etta fans know), fresh herbs and a lusciously loud Nonya sambal. And that's not even the end of it. Each god-level soup will be served with a stick of deep-fried dip-it-yourself school prawns, inspired by the Malaysian street-food vendors known as skewer aunties – who make the steamboat-style skewered meats and seafood known as lok-lok. Additional lok-lok of housemade fish balls and satay grilled chicken will also be available for $8 a pop. The laksa is available for $30 and will be served from Etta's front bar every Wednesday night until the end of August. Move fast, though; there are only 20 serves available a week and your best bet is to book ahead. - Lauren Dinse The below review was originally written in December 2023. Please note that chef Rosheen Kaul (whom this review references) departed the restaurant in April 2024, with new head chef Lorcan Kan now steering the ship. We have since re-visited the restaurant and believe the quality of its offering continues to warrant a five-star rating. ***** Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. Etta has been hot on everyone's lips since it entered the Brunswick East dining scene –particularly since head chef Rosheen Kaul joined the kitchen in 2020. In the culinary world, countless awards and glowing reviews often breed scepticism but a recent Tuesday evening dinner proved the praise is just as warranted as ever. We were seated in a cosy corner nook decked out with decorative pillows, ideal for soaking up the scene (to the left, the bar and open kitchen; the right, Lygon street passersby; and to the front, a solo diner in for an early drink and snacks followed by a couple on date night – both common finds at this venue). Though Etta is a restaurant, strictly speaking, it's frequently mistaken as a wine bar. Perhaps because it has a list to stand up among the best of Melbourne's wine bars. Bottles range in price, region and style with a largely Victorian focus. Whether you want old-world or new-age, there's something for everyone. But it pays to look past the vino as the sake offering is equally thoughtful (albeit less extensive) with a few hard-to-find drops from around Japan. Fitting in with a trend many restaurants and bars seem to be following as of late, the food menu is snack-heavy and designed to share. We start strong with a crab masala-stuffed zucchini flower – its thin, nearly translucent batter and bold spice putting cheese-filled numbers to shame. It's large enough to split between two while the quail egg is a one-bite wonder, served on a skewer with fried tofu, pickled radish, feferoni and a generous drizzle of Sichuan chilli oil. Momentum is maintained as larger dishes begin to grace the table. The red curry rice and herb salad, an Etta mainstay, has been reimaged for the current menu with smoky grilled octopus and crumbled pieces of otak-otak, a spiced woodfired fish cake that's almost like goats cheese in texture and just as savoury. The golden tofu, served under a pile of charred spring greens and wild garlic, looks deceptively simple but shows the outstanding potential of beancurd when well prepared. And the shiitake-filled wombok cabbage rolls with tempura enoki, another perennial favourite, achieves the elusive goal of meatless main that doesn't skimp on substance. Flame-licked and full of flavour, both dishes are unmissable, vegetarian or not. The savoury dishes were faultless so we decide to try dessert – a pandan and amaretto frangipane tart with palm sugar ice cream that reads extremely well but unfortunately falls flat. It's not bad by any stretch but lacks dimension, particularly after the last few courses. A bit of citrus zest or even a touch of burnt sugar would go a long way but the pairing of sweet, nutty Kameman Shuzo Genmaishu sake means the meal ends on a high note. In a sea of great restaurants, it's tough to be truly exceptional but Etta straddles the line. A continuous reinvention of their classics seems key to the venue's success – and if it continues on this trajectory, one can only assume great things are to come. But regardless of Etta's future, it's clear its stripes are well-deserved. While you're in the neighbourhood, here's why Brunswick East was voted the sixth coolest neighbourhood in the world. Looking for more great restaurants?
