Butchers Diner

Whether it’s a post-midnight schlep to soak up some of that booze or a next-day emergency hangover cure, Bourke Street’s Butchers Diners has got the goods. A fun play on American diners, the casual Melbourne restaurant started life as a boning room for the in-house butcher, before being transformed with retro tiled floors, 70s-style hanging lights, and countertop seating - though vestiges of the past are still evident from the glass-fronted meat fridges. Upstairs, there’s a sparse, dream-like dining room, with wooden floorboards and stained glass windows, that lead out onto a small roof terrace.

It comes as no surprise that food is decidedly meat-based, with the all-day breakfast menu getting a gourmet glow-up; think blood sausage and devilled eggs roll, grilled cheese toasties, and steak sandwiches. There’s a few surprises too, including a nod to Asia with octopus and Chinese sausage, while Spanish donuts dunked in chocolate sauce are the perfect way to round things off at this late-night spot.