Every Melburnian has been dreaming of this week—the week that tier-one Counter-Strike action comes to the better other big Australian city—and with it, people are tactically scheduling their time off at work to maximise our back-to-back long weekends.
This is where we come in, giving you the best Melbourne recommendations to maximise your time-off while at IEM Melbourne.
As an adopted Melburnian, I have a unique and objectively correct opinion on what is good in our great city, but am not blinded by nostalgia. This guide will help you navigate the best that Melbourne has to offer with a clear bias towards a gaming-enjoyer’s idea of a good weekend.
Coffee
Melburnians will not shut up about how great their coffee is (and it doesn’t get any better when you live here). However, some of them have a point. Melbourne has some great choices, but truthfully, any difficult-to-find coffee joint is probably good.
Little Rogue
Little Rogue is probably the first name I heard when I asked about good coffee in Melbourne. Recommended even by one of Melbourne’s best ever players, BiBiAhn, who also happens to be a barista, this café also is a prime example of something no other city in the world does better: hidden laneway establishments.
Degraves Street
Degraves Street is actually a small laneway just off Flinders Street Station, but is the perfect place for breakfast or your morning coffee. There are a bunch of options along Degraves Street and all of them are quality choices, but my personal favourite is Café Andiamo.
Food
I will probably go my entire life not knowing all the good food that Melbourne has to offer. For starters, because I work in esports and will never be able to afford to. But primarily, it is because there are too many good choices to pick from and not enough time to go to them!
Easey’s
Easey’s was recommended to me by someone from interstate before I had even moved to Melbourne, so I went in with high expectations that were definitely met. Slightly out of the CBD in the inner-north suburb of Collingwood, this American-style burger joint has great food, cocktails, and the top floor is a train carriage—which automatically makes it a must see.
Melbourne Central & Emporium
Failing everything else, Melbourne Central and Emporium will do you no wrong. Right across from the State Library, Melbourne Central is a great destination to get pretty much anything one might need or want, and that includes food.
It is incredibly convenient and has its own stop in the free tram zone. Emporium, the boujee extended part of Melbourne Central, has several good options also.
Bars
If there is an undeniable truth to Australian esports culture, it’s that we love a drink.
There are plenty of places to keep you barely functioning by the time day three rolls around across Melbourne, but for the sake of convenience, I will only highlight here the ones in the CBD (but if you are curious, Brunswick Street and Smith Street in the inner-north suburbs are worth a look).
Fortress
Fortress, now with the sad closure of Melbourne institution GGEZ, is Melbourne’s premier gaming bar. With good food and activity options (you can whip up a game of premier and order drinks to your table, as God intended), it will definitely be busy this IEM Melbourne, so come meet the people who keep stealing your beans.
Bartronica
Shockingly, I have never seen Bartronica on one of these lists (which makes all of the other lists wrong). Bartronica is an arcade machine and retro gaming-themed bar in Flinders Lane.
They have great cocktails and super friendly staff who can help you book any of the console suites if you so desire. I currently hold one of the high scores on their Speed Race machine, so clearly I know what I’m talking about.
Activities
There is a heap to do in Melbourne, stretching from some amazing museums and day-outs, to all kinds of sport and sights and everything in between.
I strongly encourage you to explore based on your own interests, but assuming Counter-Strike-adjacent things are your primary interest, I have a few suggestions.
ACMI
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is an absolutely incredible museum of Australian film, television and video game history. Located in Federation Square (the locals call it “Fed” Square), the best part of ACMI is that its primary exhibit is absolutely free. It is one of the best attractions in all of Melbourne.
MCG
Now this suggestion is probably best done on any other weekend, so for those staying longer than the long weekend, this one's for you. The MCG is one of the largest stadiums in the world, holding a capacity for 100,024 people.
If you just love sport in general, seeing a blockbuster game of AFL is next level when it comes to atmosphere (remember this quick guide: in between the two big sticks is six points, and they have to “handball” (see: punch) the ball out of their hand or kick it to an opponent (the rest you’ll figure out).
The IEM Melbourne playoffs kick off Friday, April 25—I hope to see you all there!
