Today is the long-awaited release date of Wicked in cinemas, so you can finally watch Ariana Grande paint the town green. If you’ve got no idea what we’re talking about at least now you’ll know what’s going on when you see a sea of pink and green floating through the city today. Here are our Thursday recs for Melbourne.

The Headlines

• We've had the best pubs, best rooftops, and even the best karaoke bars—but the star of today's show? The beloved brewery. Something that the UK does very well, as does Brisbane (Felons we miss you), and, like most other things, so does Melbourne. Our personal favourite is Abbotsford's Bodriggy, with its moody decor, in-house bottle shop and social vibe. Whether you know your IPAs from your XPAs or just like a good afternoon in the pub, this list is one for the bookmarks.

• Melbourne's thriving food and drink scene is naturally paired with some iconic chefs. Luckily for us, they've taken a break from the kitchen to share their recs for the best ice cream in the city. Spring Street Grocer was a popular pick, as was Gelateria Primavera, with Mali Bake's Patti Chimkire giving a nod to the funky flavours at Luther's Scoop, hailing Earl Grey and banoffee di latte as the best. You've got our permission to treat yourself to a scoop this afternoon in the spirit of summer.

• Floating club ATET is making a comeback following a turbulent past—its previous vessel unfortunately caught fire in 2023 despite being stationed on the Yarra. It's a one-of-a-kind venue and may be the only chance you'll get to experience it is at their newly announced event on the 14th December. Armed with a new venue kitted out for the occasion, the lineup is out at noon, and tickets are dropping at 5pm today. It's going to be a special one.

Where to Eat and Drink

You’d be forgiven for thinking we were naming the five wonders of the UK if you heard us say ‘The Blackpool Tower’, ‘The Northern Quarter’, and ‘The Wigan Casino’. In actual fact, these are all items on the menu at St Kilda’s Northern Soul Chip Shop. Owned by real Mancunians, they serve up all your home comforts—from classic fish and chips to battered sausage and fish finger butties. There's no better day than today to eat a chippy on the beach, but watch out for the hefty wait times—it's a busy spot. Keep your eye on their Instagram for their weekly competition, where the winner receives the special of the week for free.

Where to Live

There's a room available in this Pascoe Vale house for those who fancy a more traditional Aussie living setup rather than hiding away in the boujee safety of a South Yarra tower block. There are two rooms to choose from, and they'll even let you use the spare one as a gaming room (or surely you could put up a fight for a walk in wardrobe) if you so wish. A great find if you're happy to trade cheap rent for an increased spider risk.

Core selling point: not the carpet in the lounge.

Where to Work

It's all happening on the Yarra today—Melbourne River Cruises is hiring for hospo and event staff on their boats. Getting paid to cruise through Melbourne, serving tourists prosecco and holding their hands on and off the boat sounds like a decent way to pay the bills. For those riddled with motion sickness, it's nothing a couple of tablets and a travel sickness band before a shift can't fix.

Where to Go

Test your knowledge under the stars at Welcome to Brunswick's weekly Trivia Night. You'll find a buzzing atmosphere in the infamous 450-seater beer garden and in-house brewery (another one)—the perfect place to flex those pub quiz muscles. Make a night of it with $10 lagers flowing while you rack your brain, and food trucks on hand to fuel your thinking a little bit more. At these prices, everyone's a winner.

Enjoying the Melbourne 417? Share this link with a friend.