5 Best Melbourne Laneways

Hosier Lane is famous throughout Melbourne as a beacon of street art in the city. The laneway is just 100 meters long but overflowing with colorful spray-paint tags and murals. Hosier Lane is a free-to-paint area intended as a gallery of street art. Anyone interested in art should definitely stroll down to take in the eclectic and raw designs that grace the walls.

Be sure to take a few pictures as you make your way down. You might see some newlyweds doing the same as this is a popular background for wedding photos. Along the laneway, a couple of cocktail bars and the dynamic street lighting make this a stylish nightspot.

Lavish and luxurious, Block Arcade is an exquisite boutique shopping experience that dates back to the 1890s. From the elaborate mosaic floors to the vaulted glass ceiling, it’s like stepping back in time, but the shops here are a good selection of the modern and the classic. If you’re looking for high-end fashion and gifts, this is the place to go with its boutique chocolate shops, jewelers, and tailors.

Because The Block is a covered shopping arcade, it does have opening hours, but it's open 7 days a week. When you’re done with browsing the shops, and maybe picking up a few treats, sit down in The Tea Rooms for something to eat.

Good food with good people might as well be the motto of Degraves Street, which connects Flinders Station to the Melbourne Fashion District. This bustling laneway is full of cafe tables and umbrellas, as well as shops, and it’s a wonderful place to stop for a drink, some lunch, or just some people watching.

Popular with the locals, office workers, and students alike, Degraves has a European feel. Why not lean into the atmosphere and pick up some gelato from Pidapipo gelateria for that authentic Italian taste? Then stop by Clementines for some local Victoria-made souvenirs.

Hardware Lane is where to go for bars, cafes, restaurants, and all types of cuisine. Whatever you’re craving, you’ll find what you’re looking for down Hardware Lane, which crosses Little Bourke Street. For the aromatic flavors of Thailand, go to Khao Man Gai at the north end, while seafood fans shouldn’t miss out on Claypots Barbarossa. Meanwhile, at Mjolner you can feast like modern-day Vikings.

Because of the range of eateries and bars here, there’s something open most of the day, while in the evening the bars and cocktail bars come to life. Sometimes there are even live jazz performances. Enjoy a drink with friends or head to one of the many excellent restaurants on a date night to remember.

If you want rock, AC/DC Lane has got it. This colorful laneway is a tribute to Melbourne’s love of rock and roll and all things grunge. Renamed after the iconic rock band in 2004, AC/DC Lane is covered in artistic graffiti, some celebrating the eponymous band and some covering different themes.

The location of this laneway, off Flinders Lane, makes it easy to take a break while exploring the city to drink in this artistic little corner. Bring your camera and prepare to take some epic photos.