Another month, another highly acclaimed award for Victoria with this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants announcements.  Melbourne’s very own Attica just placed 33rd in the coveted awards lineup and was voted Best Restaurant in Australasia. And, as if that weren’t enough proof that Victoria deserves to be on every foodie’s bucket list, Melbourne will be the host of 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

As we get into the thick of the region’s winter, July brings plenty of world-class cultural events and happenings in the city center while the High Country continues to offer some of the best snow sports in the country.

Last but certainly not least – as of July 1, Tourism Victoria is now Visit Victoria, Victoria’s new tourism and events company. Below is more information on what’s coming up this month and beyond in Melbourne and greater Victoria. Check out the Visit Victoria site and join the conversation via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

New Hotels/Accommodations Updates

·         Notel: Opening officially in late August, Notel takes Melbourne’s beloved laneways and its rooftop trend to the next level with its version of urban glamping. Guests will stay in one of six completely retrofitted chrome airstreams (delivered from Santa Barbara) on top of a parking structure in Flinder’s Lane, accessed via a speakeasy-esque door and of course, featuring street art on the wall adjacent to the vibrant space.

QT Melbourne: This chic new hotel, opening in September, will most certainly be a standout for its thoughtful design that reflects Melbourne’s culture and people. Located on Russell Street, the new property will offer 200 rooms, 24 lifestyle apartments, signature bar and grill dining, and two onsite bars, including a new roof top bar and a laneway inspired bar.

Food & Wine

*As mentioned above, Melbourne will play host to World’s 50 Best Restaurants next year, Attica was named number 33 and Brae was also ranked in the top 100 restaurants in the world, climbing 22 spots to #65. Watch Ben Shewry dish on Victoria’s world-class dining scene here and look for more to come.

·         New Restaurant alert: Long-awaited Higher Ground opened July 4 in Melbourne’s Central Business District in a beautiful heritage-listed 19^th-century powerhouse. From the chef who is credited with being one of the first to create avocado toast (Melbourne considered the birthplace of the ever popular combination), Higher Ground invites guests to linger with an innovative, technique-drive menu and hip hotel lobby ambiance

·         Gin Lane Melbourne – put it on your radar now for September opening. Helmed by James Tait (a face well known among cocktail connoisseurs in Melbourne) and Peter Bartholomew, Gin Lane Melbourne takes its name from (British) artist William Hogarth’s 1751 print depicting the evils of gin consumption and will stock 400 varieties of gin. The bar will open with a simple bistro menu created by a yet-to-be-announced big name chef.

Art & Culture

·         An iconic Melbourne event and one of the oldest film festivals in the world, Melbourne International Film Festival returns July 28 – August 14. Taking place annually in the heart of the city, the festival presents an acclaimed screening program alongside industry and celebratory events. Look for world premieres of local films, the best in current cinema from around the world as well as retrospectives, tributes and discussion programs

·         The Gertrude Street Projection Festival (July 15-24), now in its eighth year, has evolved from niche outdoor exhibition to a highly anticipated 10-day event in Fitzroy. As the name implies, projection art is the focus, giving visitors a unique experience via a living, ever-changing outdoor gallery that certainly lives up to the neighborhood’s reputation as a mecca for all things cool.

·         For everyone who reads, Melbourne Writers Festival (August 16 – September 4) is an annual two-week celebration that inspires readers through a vibrant program of storytelling, conversation and live performances. Drawing writers and attendees from around the world, this year will take audiences on a literary tour of Australia and “all corners of the globe.”