Melbourne: Eat, Drink, Love
“Melbourne has so much to offer: from arts and architecture to a great food culture offering a gastronomic adventure...”
Take a couple who love food, wine (and the perfect G&T), a wedding anniversary in Melbourne and you have the recipe for love.
Melbourne has so much to offer: from arts and architecture to a great food culture offering a gastronomic adventure… that’s why Mr. M and I decided it would be the perfect place to visit for a long weekend. We had four days together in this culturally vibrant city and we intended to enjoy them.
Large orb sculptures in the foyer of Crown Metropol Melbourne
From the moment we entered the Crown Metropol on Melbourne’s South Bank we felt we had ‘arrived’. The vast foyer with large sculptures and low slung couches invoked a sense of calm after the bustle of our early morning flight. The double height space with its spiral staircase leading skyward had me humming Led Zeppelin. Maybe I was giddy with the thought of 4 days off? Or perhaps I’d had too many coffees during the flight over…
Mr. M and I had stayed at the Crown Metropol before but it does have a sense of magic returning to a place you have loved previously… an intimacy with the familiar.
Once in our room we were treated to a glass of Champagne to kick start our gastronomic adventure.
The room had a contemporary cool about it: a large marble bathroom opening out into a living area with chaise lounge and floor to ceiling windows offering a view out across the River and city.
No time for daydreaming though - we had food to find and sunshine to enjoy.
With the sun sparkling off the water and dazzling our “been up since 3am eyes” we wandered out along the Promenade beside the Yarra River. Crossing a bridge and heading into the CBD we found our first port of call.
Brunch was at Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane - a great conversion of old and new where an early 1900’s store house has been transformed into a stylish yet paired back eatery. High stud ceilings and metal framed windows nod to the old building but marble and steel bar tops and a ‘cumulus’ of globe lights cascading from the ceiling show the contemporary style this place is known for.
I ordered the Asparagus, macadamia, soft egg and sorrel with a side of Beechwood smoked bacon and Mr. M chose the Smoked trout, buckwheat waffle, chopped egg & horseradish.
We had to order the house made crumpets with whipped ricotta and rooftop honey to have with our piccolo coffees. It would have been rude not to.
Miss Fox Beauty Salon - Ruby Lounge
Replete, we wandered the laneways, looking at the street art and boutiques then I slipped away to an appointment at Miss Fox Beauty Salon on Little Collins St (Awarded World’s Best Beauty Salon in the 2018 World Beauty Awards).
The cool and calm interior was super pretty with chandeliers, large rose quartz crystals, black laquer tables and rich velvet couch areas. I could have stayed there all day but I did have more eating to do…
Tempting Macarons at Caffe e Torta
We met up at a cute little place called Caffe e Torta where we had a perfect little espresso with the largest piece of banana bread I had ever seen.
If only I could have broken into the little cupboard beside me filled with a multi-coloured stack of macarons …
Just as well I couldn’t. I had to save room for dinner. A restaurateur friend had recommended one of Melbourne’s most respected trattorias to have dinner at: Il Bacaro.
Melbourne has a great Italian community and we were looking forward to experiencing the Italians’ love of food, wine and service for our evening meal.
Gin(s) at Embla
Before the meal we decided to have a refreshing aperatif and found ourselves in a great wine bar called Embla on Russell St (just around the corner from Il Bacaro). This was another great conversion of an old store house with exposed wooden beams and the original brick walls. The sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and so we ended up trying a couple of different gins (each) which got the party started!
“Stepping into Il Bacaro we were transported back to Italy itself: with the swagger of Italian waiters, upbeat and confident, and the cosy feeling emanating from the little trattoria.”
Il Bàcaro Restaurant
Stepping into Il Bacaro we were transported back to Italy itself: with the swagger of Italian waiters, upbeat and confident, and the cosy feeling emanating from the little trattoria. It was difficult to choose what to order as everything sounded authentic and delicious but we settled on:
- Warmed olives and Calamari St. Andrea for antipasti: little shallow fried crispy calamari with a rocket & balsamic salad which we shared.
- For secondi: Spaghettini with juicy Moreton Bay bugs with garlic, rocket and chilli (which worked perfectly with a glass of Ligurian Cinqueterre Bianco and took us back to our visit to that magical region in Italy. I had a delicious roasted duck dish paired with a glass of Brunello di Montelcino.
Finally, a selection of cheeses “Formaggi del giorno” instead of dolci. Mr. M entertained his sweet tooth with a glass of Massolino Moscato d’Asti DOCG from Piedmont (which I was desperate to try because he was rolling his eyes with joy).
- Due espresso per finire per favore. Grazie.
That was a great start to our three days of gourmet feasting in magical Melbourne!
Breakfast in the sunshine
Day 2:
After the indulgences of the day before we started off with good intentions: piccolo coffees, a quick little chia, yoghurt and fruit breakfast (with a side order of almond croissant the size of Mr. M’s hand!) enjoyed in the sunshine on the promenade beside the Hotel.
Off for some Chanel Boutique shopping, a visit to Zadig & Voltaire and a wander through The Emporium for gifts to take home. Mr. M spent some quality time in Aesop - his personal favourite.
“While in Melbourne a meander through the Block Arcade is a must. Established in 1892 it is steeped in history with spectacular details in its architecture, ceiling frescoes and tiling. It is also home to Hopetoun Tea Rooms - which, if the queue is too long, you can at least stand outside and drool over their spectacular selection of cakes.”
Cakes galore! Hopetoun Tea Rooms Block Arcade
While in Melbourne a meander through the Block Arcade is a must. Established in 1892 it is steeped in history with spectacular details in its architecture, ceiling frescoes and tiling. It is also home to Hopetoun Tea Rooms - which, if the queue is too long, you can at least stand outside and drool over their spectacular selection of cakes. Another step back in history, the Royal Arcade is similarly quaint - its Italian design glass ceiling and wrought iron details set the specialty stores apart from the mainstream. Already we were needing a little pick me up so we left the boutique shopping for a moment and went in search of our next micro gourmet stop.
GPO Colonnade - where you will find Federal Coffee Palace
Green Burger & coffees at Federal Coffee Palace GPO
I suggested Melbourne’s GPO with its lovely colonnade running down the Elizabeth St side. Sitting under here protected by the vaulted ceilings with Melbourne rushing past is quite a treat. We stopped and shared a cute green bun hamburger with halloumi and yet another coffee from the Federal Coffee Palace….
We didn’t want to overdo ourselves as we had reservations that night for our Anniversary dinner at Shannon Bennet’s Iki Jimē. Exciting!
Coops Shot Tower Melbourne Central
In order to work off the burger we scooted up Elizabeth St to another shopping centre. Although it is quite ‘commercial’ in its retail offerings, Melbourne Central with its souring Coops Shot Tower (built in 1889) protected under its glass cone ceiling (designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa) is always good for a visit - not for the crazy giant clock playing “Walzing Matilda” on the hour (yikes) - but if you are a lover of Puma and have a hankering for a new pair of sneakers…
Piccolo and Perfume
A quick piccolo in a laneway close by was a cool reprieve from the exhausting business of retail therapy in a large Mall…
Back to the hotel to drop the shopping bags. We enjoyed the view from the room before getting ready for our dinner date.
Hidden entranceway to Iki Jimē
Iki Jimē Seafood by Vue is part of Shannon Bennett’s Vue Group and is the sister restaurant to his Vue du Monde. We entered down the mirrored glass entrance way into a dark, calm sanctuary: steel, wood, leather and dim lighting created a calm, yet contemporary sophistication. Everything is considered here: from the intimate interior to the socially conscious produce and restrained cooking style. After an aperatif of Melbourne Gin Company & Four Pillars G&Ts at the bar prepared with rosemary and orange peel respectively, we settled into our table, close enough to the kitchen to watch the chefs in their element. Claire de lune and Moonlight Kiss oysters served on textured ceramic plates seemed like the perfect idea and it gave me time to peruse the comprehensive wine list filled with some amazing vintages and houses.
“Everything is considered here: from the intimate interior to the socially conscious produce and restrained cooking style.”
Luckily for me (being an ex wine industry wine geek) we had a French Sommelier whose expert knowledge guided me through the finer details of some of the Vouvray & Chardonnay on offer. We got caught up discussing each wine in length and poor Mr. M had a flashback when he used to go hungry waiting for me to order the wine prior to our food order… sigh.
[If you’re not interested in wine you can skip these next two paragraphs…]
I finally decided on a Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups “Remus” 2015 Chenin Blanc from Montlouis-sur-Loire. It had an incredible nose of tangerine and herbs with hints of floral, a linear structure yet delicious with citrus adding vibrancy and energy. Perfect with the oysters and Ceviche of Kingfish, Ocean Trout and Yellow Fin Tuna.
When in Australia it is a good idea to take advantage of the beautiful local seafood so Barramundi and Moreton Bay Bugs were also ordered. Mount Mary Chardonnay offered the richness of palate with pear and nectarine, honey and nuts which the French oak imparted along with a restrained and elegant flintiness - sublime!
We finished with a “scoop of the week” - a perfectly refreshing sorbet and a great end to a wonderful night.
M&K Federation Square, Melbourne
Day 3:
After all the shopping and eating over the last few days we decided to give our livers a break. We wandered around Federation Square marvelling at the collection of kaleidoscope-like facades and being mesmerised by the giant digital facade of running water down one of the buildings. Heading back to base we walked along the river - checking out some of the large art sculptures and street buskers.
Café Guillaume
It’s easy when you are staying in one of the Crown Hotels to walk underneath the myriad of shops, bars, restaurants and find yourself in a gorgeous little French inspired café called Bistro Guillaume. Coffee turned into a wine because it seemed très impoli not to have a glass of wine in a French bistro after all…
While in the Crown complex of luxury brand shopping I wanted to get some inspiration from a few of the fine jewellery houses: Paspaley, Graff, Canturi to name a few favourites. While I was admiring a giant Broome Pearl suspended in a diamond net and a pair of earrings made up of cascading baguette diamonds, Mr. M salivated over a rare Omega Speedmaster called ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ - they may still be there when you visit.
Coffee & Almond Croissant
The afternoon was a blur of meandering & shopping, interspersed with a cool drink in a hip vegan bar down a laneway, a coffee in another laneway with a delicious almond croissant…Melbourne really knows how to charm the palate.
We had an early reservation at Supernormal on Flinders Lane for dinner. A hip place with great Asian-inspired dishes and an even hipper waiting staff. We ate our way through the menu with relish. Japanese, Chinese and Korean flavours popped and we washed it all down with a refreshing Asahi and Four Pillars Dry Gin.
“The afternoon was a blur …a coffee in another laneway and a delicious almond croissant…Melbourne really knows how to charm the palate.”
Day 4:
Yarra River Southbank, Melbourne
Our final day in this marvellous city. We crossed the river and waited patiently for a table at the highly recommended Higher Ground café for brunch.
Nearly an hour waiting but hey, we were on holiday anyway. Plus we got to admire the architecture around us and drink coffee from their little take-away cart, cleverly positioned by the door queue.
Once inside we could see the appeal: a large double height space with exposed walls again (they do this converted warehouse thing well in Melbourne).
Higher Ground
Considering fruit toast is something that is synonymous with Australia, and the fact that I hadn’t eaten any since we had been in Melbourne, I instantly ordered the Tivoli Road Fruit Toast with butter and seasonal preserves. Freshly squeezed juices and coffees arrived.
Then we ordered a Roast Mushroom and smoked raclette toastie with dill pickles plus Manbulo mango & coconut chia with passion fruit, kiwi, basmati meringue and lemon myrtle and shared them. Sitting up on the mezzanine floor we had a great view out over this cool space filled with greenery and light; soaking up the food, ambience and casual cool of Higher Ground.
Julian Opie Exhibition at NGV
This was our last day and we were keen to visit the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Julian Opie Exhibition and wander through the amazing collections of 19th & 20th Century art and sculptures. Julian Opie’s stunning visual moving display frames were paired back in their drawing technique yet evoked personality as the individual characters walked inside their “frames”. It was captivating to watch art move. We loved it so much we bought the extremely heavy book to take home from the Gift Shop. In fact, the NGV Design Store was full of art books, objets d’art and quality gifts. We couldn’t resist buying a few more books on all the exhibitions we had just seen. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time…
Modigliani - Portrait of the painter Manuel Humbert at NGV
Speaking of time - it was running out - so we raced back to the hotel to catch a cab to the airport. Running in 32 degrees carrying very heavy books and a few extra pounds around the middle is not advisable. I had no-one to blame but myself.
The last part of our story is a blur of re-packing hand-luggage, a 5 star uber ride, 3 star Aussie customs and the lure of the Duty Free fragrance department (it gets me every time).
We eventually made it to the club lounge and sat down with the final glass of Tanqueray, congratulating ourselves for choosing such a wonderful life partner and a great destination to celebrate the fact.
Eat, Drink, Love.
Gallery
Top 5 Things to do in Melbourne:
Walk along the Yarra River Southbank side and enjoy the street performers, views of the city and the many outdoor sculptures
Visit the National Gallery of Victoria (and impressive Design Store)
Wander the many Laneways for great food, coffee and street art
Make a reservation at Iki Jimē if you have a special night out or casually rock up to Supernormal if you want delicious food anytime.
Brunch at Higher Ground for hipster cool or Hopetoun Tea Rooms for tea, cakes and an old fashioned vibe.
Oh, and get yourself some Fruit Toast!
