Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Guide: Events for less than $100

KEEN to get your foodie on in Melbourne over the coming weeks? Here are Rachel Furolo’s picks for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival events that won’t break the bank.

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will make your tummy rumble and mouth water throughout March. Photo: supplied.

From free movie screenings, to healthy eatings tips, to cheap eats at some of Melbourne’s most luxurious restaurants, this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has plenty to offer cash-strapped students looking to appreciate the city’s foodie culture this March.

The Foodscray Race
When: 8 March, 10am-2pm
Where: Lentil As Anything, 233 Barkly St, Footscray
Cost: $30

Soup-lovers and adventure-seekers of Melbourne, this is for you. Set in the heart of Footscray, your mission in this orienteering and shopping challenge will be to work in teams to discover the missing ingredients of several cuisines known for their delicious soups. Akin to The Amazing Race with a foodie twist, you’ll be following various routes to find Vietnamese, Indian and African ingredients, and at the end you’ll get to eat the final products too!

For bookings, check out the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival website. 

Healthy Start tothe Day
When: 2-4 March, 7am-9am
Where: The Immersery, Queensbridge Square
Cost: Free

Pick up some tips on how to live a healthier life from Diabetes Australia in this early morning event. Participate in yoga or tai chi or speak to a dietician to get the answers for any wellbeing or nutrition questions you might have.

Restaurant Express
When: Every day until 13 March
Where: Various restaurants around Melbourne
Cost: $40

Always wanted to try some of Melbourne’s most celebrated restaurants but have never had enough cash? Here’s your chance to have a culinary feast at a fraction of the price. Throughout the festival, more than 70 restaurants in town will be offering a two-course lunch with drinks for only $40. Treat yourself to a Southeast Asian feast at Red Spice Road or get a little bit fancy with modern Italian at Grossi Florentino Grill. A foodie opportunity not to be missed.

Bar Express
When: Every night until 13 March
Where: Various bars around Melbourne
Cost: $15

Consider yourself a cocktail lover? Then Bar Express is just your thing. Like Restaurant Express, various bars around Melbourne will be making water-inspired cocktails, specially crafted for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Get lost in Melbourne’s laneways finding watering holes that will surely impress with their unique cocktails. Our picks are Campari House and Trunk, but be sure to download the map here and get bar hopping.

Southgate Cinema
When: 3-12 March, 7:30pm-10pm
Where: Southgate Shopping Precinct
Cost: Free

For a relaxing evening, come and enjoy a foodie flick in this series of free screenings at Southgate’s silent indoor cinema. You can pick up your free ticket from the Southgate Cinema Information Desk on the upper level near Bluetrain from 6.30pm on the night until stocks last.

For more on the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, check out the event’s calendar.