Gala's Guide To Melbourne
[ 26 March 2007 ]
“I just found your site and it came at an opportune time as my husband and I are stopping off in Melbourne for a week on our way to London and well, I have never been to Australia. I was wondering if you have any recommendations or things I must do/visit in Melbourne? I have a darling friend who lives there and my husband has family but … I was looking for more colourful (and fashionable and … from-a-girl) assistance. Thank you!”
Melbourne can be a difficult city for visitors. While the main streets are obvious to everyone, they’re not where the really interesting things are. Melbourne requires a bit of effort — think of it as a treasure hunt. Go into weird alleyways, peer into arcades, allow yourself time to wander through & really experience the place.
Shopping
Myer department store is fantastic. Myer & David Jones are competing department stores RIGHT next to one another. It’s very strange in that both stores span a few blocks, with streets dividing each store section. They are much of a muchness, though I prefer Myer — I think their range is better & the sales staff are all very competent & pleasant. Their “Basement” store, which, funnily enough, is in the basement of the store, is pretty cool with a selection of reasonably-priced clothes, shoes & accessories. It is also enormous. Until TopShop & H&M come to Australia, this is about as close as it’s going to get. I also recommend Myer’s women’s shoe section — go to the store between Bourke Street & Little Bourke Street, catch the elevator up to level 1 & you’ll find Manolo Blahnik, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Marc Jacobs, Emilio Pucci, Givenchy & a whole lot of other very nice brands. Their selection of Blahniks can be small, but as far as I know they’re the only place in the city selling them.
If you’re dying to try on Christian Louboutin heels, the place to go is the David Jones shoe department. They have a small (but extremely sexy) range of Louboutins. Other things in this department store which are worth checking out include their food hall & their floor of cosmetics (they have a Napoleon Perdis counter as well brands like Kiehl’s, Mecca, philosophy etc., which Myer doesn’t).
Miss Louise on Collins Street is also a proprietor of great little homes for your feet. (By which, of course, I mean shoes.) It’s the city’s premier shoe shop. Expect to come out with your wallet feeling significantly lighter — it is definitely worth checking out! While you’re on Collins Street, if you want to do a little luxury shopping, you are in the right place. Chanel, Bvlgari, Louis Vuitton, Hermes & Gucci all have shops here. Don’t expect a lot of personality, though. It is a pretty boring part of town.
Some other shops I like in the central city include Cactus Jam (lots of amazing things, including Chloé shoes!), Smitten Kitten for luscious underwear, Douglas & Hope for quilts, bags & other random loveliness, Belinda in the GPO (stock includes pieces by Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Diane Von Furstenberg, Costume National, Jimmy Choo & candles by Diptyque), Genki (lots of weird cute things, including FRUiTS, Street & Lula magazines), Aesop for beautiful skincare, & Alannah Hill for BEAUTIFUL clothes, shoes & hats. (They also get extra points because at the moment, whenever I walk past they are absolutely blasting Amy Winehouse.)
Brunswick Street is a pretty interesting area, but it depends on what you’re looking for really. I think Brunswick Street is like a much bigger version of Cuba Street (in Wellington), with less places to sit down. I guess I’m just not interested in that stuff anymore, it’s all a bit cookie-cutter to me. For those of you who are, however, Brunswick Street is where you go to kit yourself out in alternative fashion. The one thing I really love in that area is Polyester Books.
If you prefer old things, try Circa Vintage for genuine, beautiful vintage (Gertrude Street) or Episode, which is kind of like a big, secondhand department store on Sydney Road. There’s also the infamous Retrostar on Swanston Street.
For books, I suggest going to Metropolis. It’s up a few flights of stairs, but belieeeeve me, it is worth it. They have a fantastic selection.
Also, read this for extra credit: The Vogue Forum & their members thoughts on Melbourne shopping (some good suggestions).
Good eatin’!
Crabapple Bakery cupcakes.
Crabapple Bakery does absolutely incredible cupcakes. They have a shop at the Prahran Markets, & are open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. If you don’t want to hike out to Prahran (a pretty short tram ride from the central city), there’s a cute little cafe called Switchboard (hidden in the foyer of the Manchester Unity building, 220 Collins Street) in town which sometimes has a small selection of Crabapple’s cupcakes.
Macarons from Laurent Bakery.
If you’re after macarons, you should hit up Laurent Bakery. They come in chocolate, coffee, lemon, pistachio, strawberry & vanilla flavours. (Very few places in the world do a decent macaron, as evidenced!) There are a few Laurent locations scattered around Melbourne, but probably the easiest one to get to is in the city, at 306 Little Collins Street.
There are a lot of places specialising in chocolate in Melbourne. My favourite is Koko Black in Royal Arcade (335 Bourke Street). Koko Black is a lovely little salon serving incredible chocolate drinks & food. Their chocolate coffees are… dare I say it… exquisite. They don’t use powder mixes, it’s all melted dark Belgian chocolate. Drool. Go there with someone you like & share a Belgian Spoil platter (chocolate cake, chocolates, shortbread, ice-cream & chocolate mousse) or a hot chocolate affogato. Sit upstairs & look out over the arcade! Other places to check out include San Churro on Brunswick Street — great churros! — & Max Brenner where they do lovely chocolate shots & waffles with strawberries.
My favourite restaurants in Melbourne are Cecconi’s Cantina & Bistrot d’Orsay, on Flinders Lane & Collins Street respectively. The best pizza in the city is at Cafe Tono, on the corner of Bourke & Russell Street. It’s New York style with a thin crust, & their American (pepperoni) is to die for. It’s also only $11 for a takeaway large pizza, which will easily feed two people. Genius!
For a fun, kitsch evening, check out the Soda Rock diner in Prahran. They do great burgers & genuine old-fashioned milkshakes, & they have jukeboxes & singing waitresses! I love it.
Good drinkin’!
I am actually not a big drinker, & there are more bars in this city than I could even begin to write about. See Bar Secrets, this & this.
My favourites are the Melbourne Supper Club & Sister Bella.
Things to do
If you’ve been getting your hands dirty while you dig into Melbourne, maybe it’s time to get a manicure! My favourite nail salon is French Pink on Elizabeth Street in the CBD. It’s run by a lovely woman named Kara who consistently gives me the best manicures I’ve ever had. I recommend booking, especially if it’s the weekend!
When you see women with great eyebrows patrolling the streets, odds are it’s probably the work of Afnaan at Arch Enemy, 270 Russell Street. If you have a waxing or plucking emergency, she’s your woman! You’ll need to make an appointment (in advance) to see her, but she is worth every penny & the sweetest girl ever!
The Rooftop Cinema is an amazing Melbourne experience. Situated smack-bang in the centre of town (on Swanston Street), during summer they screen great films at night. Book a ticket, take your seat in a glorious deckchair on a floor of astroturf, & enjoy. (They also do really good burgers, & have a late liquor license.)
Visit Outre, an art gallery with AMAZING work from people like Mark Ryden, Fawn Gehweiler, Audrey Kawasaki, Sas Christian, Shag & Kozyndan. It’s on Elizabeth Street in the CBD, so there are no excuses, hop to it!
You can also visit the Queen Victoria Markets (largest open-air markets in the Southern Hemisphere, selling produce, clothes, etc. — it’s also home to one of my favourite shops, Madame Pompadour), the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Arts Centre & the National Gallery of Victoria.
Also, at the moment, Australia’s largest travelling ferris wheel is operating in Birrarung Marr, next to Federation Square. It will be in town until the 8th of January 2008. It is about $7 a turn & it’s major fun!
Helpful things
Metlink Melbourne is probably going to get you from point a to b. The Melbourne tram system is pretty interesting!
If you need somewhere to stay, The Westin on Collins Street is fabulous. The rooms are gorgeous & they have incredible facilities. Of course, this comes at a price, so it will all depend on your budget! The Grand Mercure Hotel is much cheaper & while the foyer & hallways aren’t too impressive, the rooms are huge & well-appointed. Other than that, The Hotel Windsor looks fantastic (they have afternoon tea & murder mysteries!) & the Adelphi Hotel has a glass-bottomed pool which stretches out across the street.
If you have a bit of time to spend in Melbourne, you might want to buy a little pack of cards called “Shopping Secrets”. There is a range of them, each specialising in something different: restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. They’re $9.95 a set & have 52 cards inside, each one featuring a cool place to go. They re-issue them all the time so they’re current, & they’re fantastic. They’re also for sale all over the place, but bookshops are your best bet.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Melbourne is almost always in the middle of some kind of festival, whether it’s film, comedy, fashion or cultural. Keep your eyes on That’s Melbourne for the latest events & hoopla!
Finally, if you happen to be in Melbourne on a Sunday night, tune into Channel Ten to watch my #1 Australian crush, Rove McManus. If you’re really keen, try & get tickets to the live taping!
(Last updated 4th November 2007)
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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AH! you give me more of a reason to visit melbourne! i want to come sometime.
i ♥ you, gala!
(not that i didn’t have enough incentive JUST with you before _)
While not directly shopping related (and locals probably won’t care much about this), if you keep your receipts, and spend enough in one particular shop (I forget the actual threshhold), you can claim back the GST (sales tax, at about 10% if I recall) as you leave the country.
I suggest looking around, on your way into the country for brochures on the subject, to check the deails of the rules.
If you’re a big holiday spender, this can give you a nice wee bonus a couple of weeks later – they put the refund onto your credit card, but it takes a couple of weeks to appear.
Ha! I would love to see you, we could eat macarons & watch SATC & sleep. Sounds great, hee hee.
Good point, Andrew sir! Thank you!
Minotaur on Elizabeth st is amazing for pop culure items – ie books, comics, dvds, collectors things, toys etc. Most hard to find books/comics/movies are there. Chinatown has some interesting alley’s with philosophical tangents written on the walls. Also Readings on Lygon St is pretty good with their range of books/movies/music etc. Smith St is good for outlet stores, like Converse or Bonds etc, and other random vegan/independant shops. Theres a shop on Lt Collins St (between Swanston and Russell) that sells only posters – vintage and new – and their range is fantastic (from art deco to classic 50s horror to modern movie posters). For music try Greville St in Prahran. For not so mainstream-village-cinema like films go to the Lumiere on Lonsdale St or Nova on Lygon St. For something to do, I HIGHLY recommend the Melbourne Haunted Ghost Tour, which runs via The Haunted Bookshop on McKillop St (behind the Galleria complex). It not only tells you famous Melbourne ghost stories, it takes you on a walking tour of Melbourne’s history. Click here to see
Outre Gallery/Toon In is my favourite store in the whole of Melbourne! And Brown Sugar used to be my old haunting spot, I even did one of my films in there! Great coffee, excellent hot chocolate and lovely cakes. For someone who’s not been in Melbourne too long you’ve certainly found out the good spots already!Kudos :D
whoops I meant to add in this link for the Haunted Ghost Tour:
http://www.haunted.com.au/ghosttour.html
Enjoy!
Yay Maddy! Thanks so much for all the suggestions, phew, makes my head spin. That movie posters place sounds awesome, I am definitely going to check it out. & the Lumière cinema has closed down! (Disappointing because Lumière is my middle name, haha.) I like Nova though, especially their chocolate-chilli ice-creams. YUM.
Speaking of festivals, it sounds like your visitor might be here during the comedy festival (from 14 April, I think) which is lots & lots of fun and gives the city a great buzz. It’s not all that hard to pick up tickets to things, either. I think the big ferris wheel is something to do with it, as it always seems to be here at the same time.
some of my favourite shops in Melbourne are Basement Discs downstairs in the Block Arcade – it’s a lovely independent music store with a nice homey feel and lots of old music mags you can sit and read, Heartland Records just near the Queen Vic Market (fantastic old school type music store, lots of vinyl and rare/odd stuff) and Brunettis in Carlton (mmm, yummy coffee and cakes!) also, there’s a really beautiful stationary store on Brunswick Street, if you’re a stationary fan like me! I can’t remember the name, but it’s right in the main bit of Brunswick St. Speaking of chocolate, there’s also a chocolate walking tour of Melbourne, whcih I’ve never done but which sounds really fun and delicious, because there ARE a lot of great chocolate places here! Haighs (another great chocolate place) usually has brochures about it.
Oh, and the Astor cinema is also v. cool for old movies and nice choc tops, particularly in the winter when the outdoor cinemas close down! I also like a lot of the markets – the one at the Abbotsford Convent is good, as is the Rose Street artists’ market, which is in Fitzroy on Saturday mornings.
ps, I also just wanted to let you know that I’ve become an avid reader of this blog, it seems to be really evolving and I think you’re doing a wonderful job of making it eclectic and interesting.
oh, gala. gala, gala, gala.
you make my soul smile :)
i just read your guide to melbourne (INCREDIBLE, you have all my favourite stores [genki, retrostar, episode etc] and cafe’s [koko, laurent, crabapple courtesy of you!]) and it’s amazing you’ve discovered so many things so dear to me in such a short space of time – i can’t imagine what other treasures you will unearth in the future! (ooh and speaking of david jones, i was there this afternoon in the make-up section and i thought of you when i saw a cupcake bathpillow! i think i’m going to buy the cupcake patterned case for $14.95 and use it as a pencilcase or a makeup carrier, it’s too cute!)
secondly, i read your little things article and it completely removed the ache that day to day life produces; thank you hun :) i PROMISE i will send you some real mail! i would love nothing more than to become one of your snail mail correspondents, though i must tell you i’m not nearly as interesting as you! most likely my letters will be filled with uni complaints (lol i promise i won’t complain about uni, i swear!)
i hope you have a fabulous day hun, take care!
xox
I went to Melbourne last year, its such a nice city. I really liked those fire statue things along the river, scary. The greek delicatessans are awesome, best halva ever..
Hehe, Sister Bella didn’t take long to become a fave, did she?
Lauren — !!! It’s such a beautiful little place. I have yet to go there at night though, when we went it was just us in the late afternoon, Miles Davis playing. Very enjoyable. Have you experienced the crowds yet?
Wow!!! I really want to go to Melbourne like right now!!! I’ll have to wait until 2009 though…
I might be moving to Melbourne for a semester in 2009!!
Thank you for this guide Gala, you rock!!!
Thanks for this!
I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life yet I don’t seem to get out into the city much.
Koko Black’s chocolates are delicious. I once had to do a school assignment on one aspect of the city of Melbourne. I chose chocolate and got to go around visiting different chocolate places one day! Needless to say, it wasn’t very hard work! ;]
Oh, Melbourne sounds wonderful! I’ve always been put off going to study at university there since I heard from my friends it’s like a mini Malaysia. I’m from Malaysia so it seemed kinda pointless as I wanted to study somewhere different. :P I can’t wait to get my first full-time job so I can go back to Australia! Thank you for the recommendations! ♥
Hi Gala,
My friend and I love your site and your columns. We didn’t realise there was so much in Melbourne that we were missing out. Now we wanna have a Gala type day trip to check everything out. lol. U should totally come try on Christian Louboutins with us. :D xo
I just knew you’d done an article on Melbourne and voila! I have found it. Armed with my Wallpaper* and Luxe City Guides & this, the Gala Darling Guide to Melbourne, I am one prepared wee lass! I’m definitely going to go and be overwhelmed by Myer & David Jones and I would LURVE to catch a film at the Rooftop Cinema too! Such a shame it’s virtually impossible to get tickets to Rove. :( xox
Hi Gala,
Thank you for you blog. It’s really informative and fun. I will be visiting Melbourne for the first time next week, and your blog has given me a few more places to visit whilst I’m there. :)