There’s no shortage of reasons to visit Victoria’s capital, but it’s hard to argue with the extra verve the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival brings to the city each March. Established restaurants have a renewed sense of vigour. New restaurants have bums on seats. International chef sightings are a daily occurrence. Laneways and market squares open up in new and exciting ways. There’s something about it that provides even the most regular of travellers with an entirely different perspective on the city. Here’s what to book depending on your mood and personality.

For those who like a big name

Omurice! Motokichi Yukimura at Ishizuka

If the internet has taught us nothing else, it’s just how enchanting a wobbling orb of soft omelette split over rice can be. And there’s no more famous omurice than that of chef Motokichi Yukimura of Kyoto’s Kichi Kichi. Try it first hand at two-hat CBD restaurant Ishizuka, as part of a special tasting menu. Thursday, March 27 – Saturday, March 29

Amisfield x Marmelo

He hunts. He shoots. He fishes. And then he cooks it all. At home, find Kiwi-born-and-raised chef Vaughan Mabee at Amisfield winery high in the Queenstown mountains. In Melbourne, he’s collaborating on a dinner with chef Ross Lusted at his new CBD restaurant, Marmelo, featuring ingredients from here and across the pond. Tuesday, March 25

St John Melbourne

Lovers of London’s shrine to no-nonsense cooking and British aesthetic will be very pleased to hear St John is settling in for a four-day residency at French Saloon. Co-owner Trevor Gulliver and chef Farokh Talati will team up with French Saloon co-owner Ian Curley and chef Luke Fraser to serve a four-course menu of nose-to-tail deliciousness with trimmings aplenty. Tuesday, March 25 – Saturday, March 29

Konstantin Filippou: Vienna to Vue

Central Europe meets the Mediterranean meets downtown Melbourne at this two-night-only event at three-hatted Vue de Monde. This is the first Aussie visit by two-Michelin-star Greek-Austrian chef Konstantin Filippou, and he’s working closely with Vue chef Hugh Allen to produce an adventurous tasting menu set to push boundaries. Try genmai rice, yolk and fig-leaf oil, or red prawn with five-year-old soy, salted lemon and kalamata olive. Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28

For those who like a story

An Afternoon with Tony Tan at Flower Drum

Strap in for an afternoon of culinary magic as one of Melbourne’s most beloved food personalities shares stories, insights and recipes from his latest book, Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class. Two-hat Cantonese restaurant Flower Drum will bring a selection of these recipes to life as Tan describes the deep history behind each dish. Saturday, March 22

Everything is Connected: a Talk with Gut Oggau

For those into their cult wines. Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe will be at Abbotsford Convent to describe their experience with biodynamic farming and winemaking at their Austrian winery, Gut Oggau. You’ll receive a glass of wine on arrival and the opportunity to buy other wines imported just for this event. Oh, and Gut Oggau merch. Sunday, March 23

Tedesca x Trioli

Journalist and author Virginia Trioli and chef Brigitte Hafner are teaming up at two-hatted Mornington Peninsula restaurant Tedesca Osteria for an afternoon of cooking, eating, drinking and talking about art, architecture, gardening and hospitality. Learn how to perfect dressing a salad, hand-roll pasta and mix the perfect martini. Sunday, March 21

For the adventurer

A Banana-Leaf Feast by the Birrarung River

Ditch the cutlery, embrace eating with your hands and try dishes rarely found in Australia. Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen presents a feast straight from the village kitchens of southern India in a stunning mountain setting on the Yarra (Birrarung) River in Warburton (a 90-minute drive east from Melbourne). Sunday, March 30

Lunch in our Backyard: A Tale of Seasonal Produce with Mates

A Gippsland adventure that starts with pastry and coffee 100 kilometres south-east of Melbourne’s CBD and ends with a long lunch under the gum trees at the Piedmont Valley’s Five Tales Farm, complete with chauffeur service. The produce-heavy lunch is made by Messmates co-head chefs Jodie Odrowaz and Michael Clark, with matched wines from regional fave Entropy. Sunday, March 23

For those who want things free

Dim City

Witness the Melbourne wonder that is the dim sim, invented 80 years ago by William Chen Wing Young, and now a staple just about anywhere with a deep fryer, from servos to pubs to milk bars and beyond. Melbourne food stars Eun Hee An (Moon Mart), Rosheen Kauland John Rivera (Askal restaurant) are offering their versions for nix. Thursday, March 27

Tacos and Toum

Chef Tom Sarafian and Taco Truck’s Raph Rashid are taking over Wesley Place with a Mexican/Middle Eastern mash-up. Mexican food has a long and tasty history of being influenced by migrants from Lebanon, Iraq and beyond, and you’ll be able to try Lebanese-style tacos and Mexican-style kibbeh free of charge. Run, don’t walk. Wednesday, March 26

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival runs from 21 to 30 March. More information available here.