A local’s guide to Melbourne: ‘The best part is the element of surprise’
Victoria’s capital is rich in hidden galleries, bars and clubs, idiosyncratic buildings and exciting food, says architectural designer Nancy Beka to Cristian Bonetto
Food
While Melbourne’s fine dining scene is sensational, it’s the city’s multiculturalism that makes eating here so exciting. Sydney Road in Brunswick is a microcosm of this, a place where old Italian supermarkets mingle with Middle Eastern jewellers and hipster bars. Start with a breakfast halloumi toastie at Wide Open Road then wander along the strip, stopping at A1 Bakery for a spinach-and-cheese triangle or chicken tawouk wrap. Nearby, blingy Lebanese patisserie Balha’s Pastry is open late and its baklava is the closest to my mum’s version – delicate, not too syrupy, just perfect. In an intimate laneway off Sydney Road, Mamma’s Boy Trattoria is fantastic for handmade pasta. It serves bottomless gnocchi and cocktail lunches on Sundays, which you need to book online. Across in Collingwood, Jim’s Greek Tavern is a local institution, the place to celebrate Melbourne’s status as the largest Greek-speaking city outside Greece. Your best bet is to let its staff feed you but make sure to order the saganaki and scallops.
Inspiration
You can’t come to Melbourne and not visit the National Gallery of Victoria. Its exhibitions are exciting, accessible and weave in lesser-known artists and designers among giants including Picasso and Alexander McQueen. Also, its NGV Friday Nights are always fun, with pop-up bars and on-point music acts in the garden or under Leonard French’s incredible stained-glass ceiling. Fitzroy’s Centre for Contemporary Photography is one of the architect Sean Godsell’s earlier works and a good place to discover interesting Australian artists, while nearby Collingwood Yards – a tech college turned arts precinct – houses independent galleries, studios and a rare mural by the US artist Keith Haring. Further out, the Heide Museum of Art is also special. Some of the country’s greatest 20th-century artists worked and partied here, and I especially love the way its seminal modernist building – designed by the architecture firm McGlashan and Everist – plays with the light. If you’re feeling active, you can cycle to Heide from the city along the riverside Main Yarra Trail.
Neighbourhood
Fitzroy has that perfect balance of cool, grit and polish, while neighbouring Collingwood is rapidly evolving from industrial to creative. You could easily spend a day exploring these two neighbourhoods’ main strips – Smith, Brunswick, Gertrude and Johnston streets – lined with cafes, bars, boutiques, bookshops, furniture stores and interesting galleries, including the easy-to-miss At the Above. I’m a huge perfume freak so I’d probably take you to Lore for its niche fragrances and to the gorgeous florist Vasette.
The backstreets also harbour special places, including the holistic, all-genders bathhouse and day spa Sense of Self (book well ahead), the specialty roaster Acoffee and the artisan bakery To Be Frank. At the latter, order the super-soft dulce de leche pastry or, if you prefer something savoury, the eggplant tahini scroll. Also tucked away in Collingwood is Finesse, a shoe store known for its cool edits of women’s sneakers. We designed the space, which went on to win best retail design at the 2022 Australian Interior Design awards. I’m so proud of it.
Green space
Melbourne has a wealth of well-tended parks and it’s totally normal to grab a bottle of wine and some nibbles to enjoy them on a picnic rug. Just down from my street is the beautiful Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy North’s communal backyard. I’ll usually grab an excellent coffee from Standing Room and stroll through them for a reset. Pretty Victorian architecture surrounds the park and, at its northern end, stands Rose House 2, a curvaceous brick creation by the renowned Melbourne architects Mauro Baracco and Louise Wright.
I once lived in an apartment specifically because of its location opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens. The juxtaposition of nature and the city skyline is unique and, in summer, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performs free concerts at the adjoining Sidney Myer Music Bowl, an architectural landmark I adore. In the city centre Flagstaff Gardens is wonderfully close to the Queen Victoria Market, so pick up a börek from the market’s art deco dairy produce hall and enjoy it in the park.
Nightlife
On any given night, the best part about going out in Melbourne is the element of surprise. There are so many great bars you wouldn’t necessarily know are there, especially in the city centre, so simply go for a wander and let things unfold. One of my favourites is the pop-up Section 8. It’s nothing more than upcycled shipping containers and pallets but it’s authentic, down a Chinatown laneway and serves up good DJs. From there I usually end up next door at Ferdydurke for a dance or at subterranean Bar Margaux for a good cocktail and late-night burger. For a date-night vibe, I love Fitzroy’s Bar Liberty, a wine bar with amazing food. Above Board is newer on the scene and fabulous for a nightcap. Tricky to find (entry is through a back alley off Smith Street), it’s minimal and refined, and its owner, Hayden Lambert – the guy in the white-rimmed glasses – mixes brilliant cocktails. Melbourne’s live-music scene is also phenomenal. If you’re a jazz fan like me, The Jazzlab has world-class acts nightly.
Stay
Parkville’s spruced-up, Victorian-era Naughtons Hotel(rooms from $145) has stylish, affordable rooms with modernist touches and lots of natural light. There’s a locavore bistro onsite, and both the city and cosmopolitan Carlton are within walking distance.
If money isn’t an issue, the boutique hotel United Places(suites from $610) offers uber-sleek digs on South Yarra’s vibey, village-like Domain Road.
Nancy Beka is an architectural designer and a co-director of the design and architecture firm Studio Edwards. She co-curates Alt.material
Originally published by The Guardian