travelswithalice

February 24, 2018

Melbourne

My first time in Melbourne. Not Stuart’s, so he has a unique perspective. Here, taking in the sights:

Other perspectives:

On the food trail:

MoVida, 1 Hosier Lane. The entrance is almost obscured by a wall of graffiti.

On Beth’s restaurant list. Lively place, efficient, friendly service, good food. Spanish pintxos and more.

Il Solito Posto, on Collins Street, around the corner from Grand Hyatt.

Cozy, homey, simple, traditional Italian.

Back on Beth’s list, Gazi, on Exhibition Street.

Greek. Lively space, noisy actually; friendly service; good food.

Love the potted ceiling! And the spit-roasted chicken dressed in capsicum and walnut sauce.

Lucy Liu.

I liked this best. Uber-stylish Asian.

Fashion forward design space, cool reinventions of cross border Asian food. Try the yellow fin tataki on sesame cracker.

Enter through a red neon-lit night-clubby narrow passage on cobbled Oliver Lane, off Flinders Street and exit only on Russell Street near Federation Square. Feng shui stuff, the brightly smiling greeter informed us.

We asked our waiter if the restaurant had anything to do with star Lucy Liu of “Charlie’s Angels” and “Elementary”. No relation, it’s a common name, he proclaimed airily.

It has taken me a while to realise what this city is about. Melbourne, short on natural features, has successfully fashioned a non-stop, day and night, high-octane, happening urban centre. It combines an easy-going fun vibe with a general atmosphere of well-being and security without an in-your-face police presence.

(Except of course on that one day when a corner of Collins Street was crawling with uniforms, directing traffic and escorting pedestrians across the street. We never did find out why.)

If you’re totally into eating, drinking, and clubbing, this surely is the place. As we mostly only do lunch, we really need to stay much longer to make a dent on our long list of friends’ recommended dining possibilities. It’s hard for us to get motivated to go out for dinner though as Grand Club puts on an exceptionally good spread most evenings, for free.

The arts and culture scene, which I’m told is also a big draw, we may have to come back for another time.

Labels: architecture, restaurants

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # February 24, 2018

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