Dating in Melbourne: laneways, live music and meeting your people

Melbourne regularly tops lists of the world’s most liveable cities, and much of what makes it great is what makes a good date: excellent coffee, a deep live-music scene and a culture of lingering over long conversations.

Know your side of town

Melburnians are famously loyal to their side of the river. Northsiders in Fitzroy, Brunswick and Northcote have Sydney Road and Brunswick Street. Southsiders in St Kilda, Prahran and Elwood have Chapel Street and the beach. The west, around Footscray, Yarraville and Seddon, has some of the city’s best food. getme shows you people near your own suburb first, so your first date can be a short tram ride away.

Date ideas for every season

• Autumn and winter: a laneway crawl through Degraves Street and Centre Place, a cosy wine bar, or a gig at one of the many band rooms in Collingwood and Fitzroy.
• Spring: a walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens lake, followed by a picnic on the lawns.
• Summer: the Queen Victoria Market night market, rooftop cinema, or sunset on St Kilda pier.
• Any time: NGV International has free entry to its permanent collection, so it’s an easy and interesting first date.

Melbourne dating tips

Plan for the weather. Four seasons in one day is real. Suggest somewhere with an indoor back-up.

Coffee is a great first date. It’s cheap, short and very Melbourne. If it’s going well, a walk afterwards is a natural next step.

Lean on shared interests. Melbourne has a club, meetup or scene for almost everything, from footy and comedy to bouldering and book clubs. Put your interests on your profile; they make great openers.

Not just dating

Lots of people come to Melbourne for study or work and want to build a social circle as much as find a partner. getme lets you look for friends as well as dates, follow people and share what you’re up to in your feed.

Join getme free or see people dating in Melbourne by suburb.