Where to Eat, Drink, and Shop on Melbourne’s Chapel Street

Chapel Street, Melbourne’s origin story, has endeared for decades as a shopper’s paradise and a gourmand’s go-to.

What is it about Chapel Street Melbourne locals are so fiercely proud of? This long, often winding strip was once considered the hub of influential countercultural movements, as well as eclectic, vintage, and high fashion.

Its length and scope were such that Melbourne’s characteristically strong and varied food scene can be traced back to this street, as well. That’s why Chapel Street has always been the genesis of Melbourne's dynamic day-to-day, shaping a city once struggling to find its identity into the cooler, more confident concrete jungle it is today. 

This commercial artery is a symbol of the city’s effortless blend of heritage character with a relentlessly cosmopolitan lifestyle, creating harmony between the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, and St Kilda with a consistent run of trend-setting shops, restaurants, and bars. Consider it a patchwork of Melbourne’s greatest hits.

Take note of Chapel Street’s best restaurants and shops so you can see how this street has held onto its status as the birthplace of Melbourne’s unimpeachable charm.

Because Chapel Street runs through four suburbs, the 4.14km street is brimming with delicious cross-cultural flavours. And yes, while a large multicultural scope is expected in a city as committed to its diasporic communities as Melbourne, Chapel Street food typically runs a wider gamut than most other major roads around town, owing to its high density of dining favourites.

These are some of the most visually fascinating dining rooms in the city, from Yugen Dining’s alluring amber back bar with its whimsical contrast of black and yellow, to Leonard’s House of Love’s arrestingly casual 70s log cabin schtick. Sink into the former, a subterranean mod-Asian stunner and the coolest tea bar this side of Shanghai, with bold, fun fusion flavours like grilled king prawns with egg noodles and lemongrass samba. Or you can opt for Leonard’s oily digs, pulling you in with its immersive design and sealing the vibe with hearty American food handled exceptionally well. 

The whip-smart minimalism of Windsor’s Studio Amaro gets its energy from an edited list of Italian antipasto classics. Here, pull-apart loaves of focaccia are best used as a mop for pared back plates like ‘nduja with burnt honey and thyme, and anchovies swimming in tomato oil. Not even a minute down the road brings you to Tokyo Tina, where less than $100 manifests a modern Japanese feast best followed with a spot of night-time karaoke.

If neither Japanese nor Italian does it for you, there’s always the neighbouring Hawker Hall, also crowding into the Windsor section of Chapel Street. South-East Asian hawker centres get a fitting tribute with this rowdy food and beer hall, where the nasi goreng and pan-fried chicken dumplings are prime orders and you can try a banquet of all the kitchen’s favourites for a little over $50. Another great thing about Chapel Street food: it’s actually affordable. 

Locals love: Although Windsor and South Yarra hog the lion’s share of notable Chapel Street restaurants, the best choice is quite often just browsing the many food stalls at the legendary Prahran Market and building your own picnic, as locals have been doing since 1864.

Exploring Chapel Street isn’t a one-and-done venture to scratch off in a day. To make the most of this multifaceted strip, you’ll want to stay nearby without actually exposing yourself to the constant chatter of one of Melbourne’s busiest streets. For that, the 242-room Mercure Albert Park is a wise choice with its pleasant location directly opposite Albert Park Lake and the F1 Australian Grand Prix track.

And while the serenity melts away the moment you step onto Chapel Street, which is easy walking distance from the hotel, having a relatively quiet and comfortable base will help you charge through Chapel’s aggressively energetic lifestyle scene without feeling overwhelmed and indecisive. 

Walking the length of Chapel Street is exercise enough but you’ll rest easy knowing you can get a quick workout in at the fitness centre or a lap of the heated indoor swimming pool to break up your leisurely lean towards the three most important things in life: drinking, dining, and shopping.

Chapel Street has always been a stronghold for eclecticism and fabulous boho fashion, so you’ll find the best of design, clothing, and artisanal accessories packed along the street with no discernible rhythm. Dusty vintage stores shake hands with clean-cut, high-end fashion boutiques, independent design studios make good with franchised fashion staples. If you can dream it up, you’ll find it rolling down this thriving thoroughfare.

What three visionary art students started in Sydney in 1985 has become an aesthetically-driven phenomenon. That is, Dinosaur Designs, gifting one of its busiest and most productive outposts to the South Yarra section of Chapel Street. Pack your bag with avant garde homewares that have become so symbolically Australian that you’ll find their tag in some of the country’s finest restaurants. 

If your dinner party guests don’t need to eat from an art piece, shift your focus towards Chapel Street’s firm grip on contemporary fashion. You’ll find vivacious bold Scandi pieces at Marimekko South Yarra, but if you don’t want to look like a permanent Finnish summer, your tastes may be better served by the second-hand collections of Mio Tesoro Boutique, located just around the corner with its trove of authentic preloved handbags, shoes and accessories from fashion houses like Chanel, Hermes, and Goyard. 

Gary Theodore and Fiona Scanlan’s work is in good hands with Scanlan Theodore’s South Yarra boutique, where elegant ready-to-wear dresses reiterate a distinct love of endlessly versatile pieces put together with flawless construction. Just a few minutes down the road, Melbourne fashion house Gorman gets by with its bright, flashy prints that have helped grow Lisa Gorman’s label from a mere flicker in Fitzroy to South Yarra’s most reliable scene-stealer.

Anyone looking for unpretentious, elegant jewellery has a number of top picks along Chapel Street’s South Yarra section. Jolie & Deen is a locally-founded label driven by dynamism, clean aesthetics and affordable tags, while next door William Edouard flirts around the higher end with fine, minimalist pieces for special occasions and milestones.

Locals love: While fashion is de rigueur for Chapel Street, there’s a fair share of stationery stores that deserve your attention. Prahran’s Handworks Nouveau Paperie is a hungry, varied showcase of design-forward everything with rare and unique finds.

Preloved is not only perfection in Melbourne, it’s a local’s favourite side-quest, where styling these second-hand pieces feels infinitely more rewarding than splurging on the latest designer fashion. The city’s overarching tastes often put vintage front and centre, so you’ll be hard-pressed finding any local that hasn’t worshipped at the altar of Chapel Street Bazaar many times over while growing up. The colourful arcade is a window shopper’s idea of paradise, like stepping onto a set piece from Antiques Roadshow, buoyed by Melbourne’s high-speed carousel of fashion trends. 

Chapel Street’s marked density of op-shops keeps going no matter which end of the strip you find yourself on. Dance your way over to Shag in Windsor where one couple’s undying love of secondhand shopping dates back to 1996 and has the tastes to prove it: think big, bold textures and archival pieces from legendary Australian designer Jenny Kee, alongside Art Deco handbags, decorative brooches and dramatic pearl necklaces. Shopping at Shag is the greatest mark of confidence.

Locals love: Independent op shops may dominate Melbourne’s tastes, but thrifty locals know that Australia’s biggest charities are inspired sources of secondhand goods. Salvos, Sacred Heart Mission, and Save the Children all have a presence on Chapel Street, each with massive preloved collections.