A Melbourne day from Fitzroy coffee to a Flinders Lane dinner

A Melbourne coffee institution. Pour-over, espresso, a flat white made to Australian standards. Loft seating above the roaster floor. Stand at the bar and watch the baristas work — the details matter here more than most places.

The largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere since 1878. The Deli Hall for cheese, cured meats, olives, halva; the Meat Hall for kangaroo, wagyu, lamb. A bowl of pho from the hawker area for a second breakfast. Closed Mondays and Wednesdays.

Start at Hosier Lane — the heart of Melbourne's street art, directly opposite Federation Square. Walk via Rutledge Lane, AC/DC Lane (named for the band), and Croft Alley. An hour of murals that change weekly.

Modern Southeast Asian in a Flinders Lane basement. Pad thai with lobster, kingfish sashimi with green chilli, the son-in-law eggs. No reservations; queue at the door or put your name down and wait at GoGo Bar upstairs.

The National Gallery of Victoria. The stained-glass ceiling of the Great Hall is the architecture; the Indigenous Australian art collection is the content. Ninety minutes. Free, except for the blockbuster exhibitions.

Take the 96 tram from Spencer Street to St. Kilda Beach. Walk to the end of the pier for the little penguin colony — they return to the breakwater rocks at dusk. Port Phillip Bay sunset, city skyline in the distance.

Andrew McConnell's Flinders Lane restaurant. Slow-roasted lamb shoulder for two, grilled octopus, a dozen oysters. Bar seating at the open kitchen for walk-ins; book weeks ahead for a table.