The great outdoors

With the cold, wet winter a distant memory, this is the time of year when Melburnians head outside.

■ Ordinarily, the Mansion Hotel & Spa in Werribee Park offers high tea on the last Sunday of each month (2-4pm) in the library but, come summer, it holds its lavish spread on the Heritage Trust-listed portico balcony of the homestead, overlooking the parterre gardens below. Don't stop at the tea: the Earl Grey house cocktail has been created especially for the occasion. Marie Antoinette would love it here. $90 a person, phone 9731 4000, themansionsocietea.com.

■ Orto Kitchen & Garden's large deck isn't just perfect for alfresco summer dining; it also holds Sunday Sessions every week from 1.30pm-6pm, where folk can listen to cool tunes (either live music or a DJ), occasionally watch a flick (courtesy of Italian movie nights) and take advantage of a food or beer deal. Inside, it looks like your Italian grandma's kitchen. Eat up. (And Geoffrey Rush has been there, too.) 302 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, phone 9819 2200, orto.com.au.

■ Trunk Bar & Restaurant, which was once a synagogue, serves up cocktails such as Watermelon and Basil Smash in the courtyard, one of the largest in the city centre. Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy and Ricky Ponting have all supped there, while Michael Clarke once danced on a tabletop. Perhaps he was feeling the former Jewish wedding vibe. 275 Exhibition Street, city, phone 9663 7994, trunktown.com.au.

■ Now that it's warmer, take advantage of the outdoor seating at Chris Lucas' (Chin Chin) hot new eatery, Baby Cafe & Pizzeria. Fried pizza might not sound appealing, but it's one of the tastiest offerings on the menu, trust us. 631-633 Church Street, Richmond, phone 9421 4599, babypizza.com.au.

■ Chuckle Park: even its name sounds like a hipster hangout. This former caravan has been turned into a small kitchen that produces Spanish-influenced fare (pulled pork is a favourite). And people are flocking to the space that doubles as an entrance to New Guernica. Is it the synthetic grass? The overhanging jars? Believe it or not, both combine for a lovely ambience. Normally open only three to four days in winter, this is literally an everyday affair in summer (and open until 1am). 322 Little Collins Street, city, phone 9650 5594, chucklepark.com.au.

■ Sunday remedy sessions happen every third week of the month at Tonic House Rooftop; if you've always longed to be part of a table-tennis competition on a city rooftop, here's your chance. 386 Flinders Lane, city, greatestshowonearth.com.au.

■ There's no better place to enjoy summer than on the rooftop deck of new venue Captain Baxter, where you overlook St Kilda Beach and all the action below. This cocktail and lounge bar serves up delicious tapas-like morsels (as well as an a la carte menu) and, in these warmer months, there's music on the four days it's open (Thursday-Sunday), including a band on Fridays. Plus, there's all that people-spotting from a high vantage point. St Kilda Sea Baths precinct, 10-18 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, phone 8534 8999, captainbaxter.com.au.

* This is an extract from a larger article about outdoor summer fun in Melbourne, which appeared in M Magazine (The Sunday Age). See the full article here.