Anna King Shahab’s guide highlights five vibrant Melbourne neighbourhoods, each with unique attractions and dining options. Photo / Supplied
Live like a local in Melbourne with Anna King Shahab’s pocket guide to five different neighbourhoods.
Positioned on the doorstep of Melbourne Cricket Ground, the streets of Richmond are especially lively on game days but have a buzz about them any old night later in the week. There’s no shortage of watering holes dotted throughout the three main arteries of Bridge Rd, Swan St and Victoria St – from rowdy pubs to sophisticated wine bars including Tartine, The Blacksmith Bar, and Clover. At the latter, nab a table in the ivy-clad courtyard and peruse the impressive list of vintages.
Get to the area earlier in the day to browse Bridge Rd, once known for big-name fashion outlet stores, now blossoms with a diverse range of independent retailers such as House of Handmade and The Conscious Closet.
No-frills Vietnamese eateries abound along Victoria St – follow the crowd and your nose, you can’t really go wrong. Slurp steaming bowls of pho at I Love Pho or tuck into bo la lot (beef wrapped in betel leaf and grilled) at Thy Thy. I loved every bite of the modern Vietnamese at New Quarter, a stylish spot on a corner site on Swan St. A banh mi “finger” filled with whipped chicken liver pate, crisp chicken skin and pickled cucumber kicked off a cracking good solo dining experience, the highlight of which was sensationally saucy duck floss egg noodles.
Also check out: Neighbouring pocket suburb Cremorne is home to both the city’s tech hub and heritage-filled narrow streets dotted with plenty of great places to eat and drink.
Where-ibee? Many visitors won’t have heard of this outer suburb, halfway to Geelong, but there’s plenty of reason to make the 30-minute journey from the city. Indigenous settlements dotted its riverbanks long before Italian market gardeners tilled the soils, and today its population is diverse, with a large number of migrants from South Asia lending flair to the culinary scene there.
The estate of a Scottish pastoralist, Werribee Mansion was built to impress a love interest – find out how that didn’t quite land as intended on a self-guided walk through the 60-room Renaissance Revival mansion. The surrounding Werribee Park, including the Victoria State Rose Gardens, is free to wander, with loads of great spots to picnic in.
Travelling with kids? Werribee Open Zoo is a must-visit, especially after its $88 million expansion to house Victoria’s herd of nine elephants.
Designed to allow the elephants to exhibit natural behaviours, the 21ha area boasts six habitats and two water features deep enough for the beautiful creatures to fully submerge in with just their trunks periscoping about (and boy, do they love that!). Elsewhere in the zoo, a guided safari is included with entry fee, and kids visit free during weekends and school holidays.
Retire to Shadowfax Winery for lunch – the pasta dishes are especially excellent, and the onsite cellar door offers tastings of the winery’s three labels.
A free-spirited character defines these adjacent neighbourhoods just north of the city centre. Best explored on foot, they form a natural quadrant: Brunswick and Smith streets and connectors Gertrude and Rose streets are lined with independent boutiques and diverse food and drink venues.
Many attractions reward those who wander off the beaten path. Hook off Smith St to hit Tarts Anon early in the day or risk missing out – as Lune is to croissants, this bakery is to tarts, with creations both classic and inventive. Wander through leafy streets to Carnation Canteen, a pared-back bijoux bistro where the menu changes weekly to showcase the best seasonal ingredients.
Rose St and Collingwood Yards host vibrant markets both weekly and seasonally and more ad hoc markets often pop up in laneways and warehouses.
If you find Fitzroy and Collingwood a little too polished, head north to trendy Sydney Rd, which offers a buzzing blend of diverse cultures with working-class roots.
Beginning in Coburg at the northern fringe of the central city, Sydney Rd stretches 24km, with Brunswick at the heart of things. The strip is renowned for its bridal boutiques (more than 100 of them, they lend the whole place an air of gaiety), but there’s plenty more to beyond the veil – casual dining spanning dozens of cultural cuisines, live venues, plenty of op shops and pubs both glory-faded and glammed.
Research ahead to see if dates align for a gig at Brunswick Ballroom. Self-proclaimed ”part velvet curtain, part sticky carpet” it hosts comedy nights, dating nights, and an eclectic lineup of live music acts.
Call by the original A1 outlet of this Melbourne institution to grab a Lebanese lunch: freshly baked flatbread with various toppings, pizzas and pastries. It’s fast, cheap and tasty. Get the scoop on wildly creative gelato at Fluffy Torpedo, and pick up small-batch from-scratch gourmet goodies at Peter Watson.
In the mood to shop? Rummage through the racks at Vinnies, Salvos and Savers, score labels you love at consignment store Mutual Muse. Round and Round Records sells new and secondhand vinyl, and Clothing the Gaps is a Victorian indigenous-owned social enterprise proffering eye-catching, values-forward fashion.
While outer suburbs like Footscray and Dandenong also deserve attention for their ethnically diverse eating options, you don’t have to travel far to taste the world. North Melbourne, bordering the CBD, boasts a rich tapestry of flavours thanks to the fact half its residents were born overseas. At Manzé, the Mauritian flavours served by chef Nagesh Seethiah reminded me of Sri Lankan travels while also delivering French and Chinese touches. Interesting wines and a great list of rums add to the piquant patchwork. Savour North. Moroccan Soup Kitchen does what it says on the tin, as well as nodding to Egypt and the Levant.
Its wide streets and generous allocation of parkland make it a nice place for walking, cycling, and picnicking, and it’s home to thousands of students attending its tertiary institutions. Opened in 1878, Queen Victoria Market boasts crafts, clothing, fresh produce, and fast and fresh dining options. A huge renewal project is underway; completed aspects include Queens Food Hall – visit with an appetite.
The writer was hosted by Visit Victoria.