Melbourne weekend hit list October 2-4: Grand final pubs and footy food

It's grand final weekend, which means everyone is talking about The Sport, packing out pubs and really believing that this will be the year they nail the fancy footy food and not simply taking cheese to their mate's barbecue. We can help with that.

Cook...

Footy food

No-one knows how to grand final party like wizard baker Dan Lepard and chef Neil Perry. We've pulled together all of our best footy food recipes so you can win the actual grand final day battle.

Drink...

At the best grand final pubs

It's a pub weekend, and the weather – the weather! – it's on our side. Our top picks for big screens, courtyards and decent food are:

The Palace Hotel in South Melbourne (505 City Road, South Melbourne) where the taps are fully charged in the craft stakes and you're allowed to bring your dogs.

Dr Morse in Abbotsford (274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford), features one of the largest beer gardens in the area, big screen, barbecue from 1pm and disco from 5pm.

Andrew McConnell's Builders Arms Hotel (211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) is serving Reuben sandwiches for breakfast, a $55 share menu for lunch and $2 pots of Cricketers beers from 1.30pm until the first goal.

The Grosvenor (10 Brighton Road, St Kilda East) may be a little rowdier, but it's a huge space, and they're serving an all-you-can-eat barbecue with food from their newly launched St Kilda Burger Bar, plus free pots of Stone and Wood from kick-off to the first goal.

Brunch...

North and Eight

Look at you getting your swag on, Essendon. The suburb best known for its proximity to the airport now has a Bounce, a whisky distillery and bar and this new cafe, getting straight into the trends with Proud Mary coffee, three kinds of brioche burger, polenta chips for breakfast and their version of a freakshake. The chocolate and hazelnut shake is topped with a Nutella-stuffed doughnut. Get yours, residents of the north-west.

Happy long weekend.