Your Melbourne checklist

Book a table at... Kisumé

On Flinders Lane, an easy walk from the Regent Theatre, Kisumé (kisume.com.au; above) is restaurateur Chris Lucas’ paean to Japan (he of Chin Chin and Society fame). If you’re pressed for time, the punchy à la carte menu swings from inventive sushi to delicate seared Wagyu. But theatrics on a more intimate scale await those who snare one of 12 seats at the chef’s table. The hushed secluded room is a refined setting for the kaiseki-style dégustation, prepared with the best ingredients money can buy.

Explore the new and improved… ACMI

It’s lights, cameras, action at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (acmi.net.au) in Federation Square following its recent $40-million makeover. Popular exhibit The Story of the Moving Image harnesses cuttingedge technology to explore the history of cinema, including a special nod to the achievements of the Australian film and TV industry. Until 17 October you can also book tickets for the internationally acclaimed Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibition, which tells the tale of the studio’s filmmakers and storytellers through 500 original artworks from the 1920s to the present (above). Don’t miss this rare glimpse behind the scenes.

Nab a room at... Lancemore Crossley St.

Opened at the end of 2020, boutique laneway hotel Lancemore Crossley St. (lancemore. com.au) embraces its position on the edge of the theatre district with a design steeped in Broadway nostalgia. The crowning glory is a mural on the rooftop terrace (above) that references theatre advertisements of yesteryear, while the 113 rooms and suites are an exercise in restrained elegance. Request a Henry Room to view the city skyline from your bed or for more space and a private outdoor terrace, book the Romeo two-bedroom suite.