Eating Melbourne

The best way to start the day in Melbourne is with a strong coffee in one of the atmospheric inner city lane way cafes.  This morning we had the added joy of being able to listen to a busker playing some ethereal pieces on his cello for the whole time we were drinking coffee and planning our day.

We met up with Rob's old friend David and his Vanessa for lunch at a little (very long and narrow) hole in the wall Thai restaurant on Victoria Road in Richmond. David ordered all his favourites for us: green papaya salad, steamed salmon green curry, whole snapper, Tom Yum, seafood fried rice...the most delicious fresh food.

We've caught up with David and Van twice this year, once in Canberra and this time in Melbourne. We're making up making for some lost time!

We walked up Victoria Road after, to catch one of the free city trams on La Trobe Street, and we both thought we would love to buy this neo-Classical style terrace as our Melbourne "pad"....but only if the current owners agree to leave that Rover Thomas painting above the fireplace.

We celebrated our last night in Melbourne tonight with another wonderful meal out with friends of Maxie and Rod's at Maha, Shane Delia's celebrated Middle East inspired restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel, in Bath Street.

We chose a four course set menu which included some amazing dishes like ketalfi oysters with sour onion hummus with pomegranate, duck and fig bastilla, beef short ribs, 2 hour roasted lamb shoulder and some desserts to die for. We  all loved the Turkish delight filled doughnuts with rosewater honey, but this halva parfait with yoghurt icecream and sesame tuille was very yummy too.....

 ...as was this Pedro Ximenez cake, and olive oil icecream (again) with rosemary and candied fennel (and chocolate soil).

Melbourne day two

Melbourne dawned foggy and cool for us today but we had brunch to look forward to - with David and Vanessa. While they stayed vego we went for the best rare beef noodle soup (Pho) on Victoria St Richmond (at I heart Pho), which is really saying something in this little corner of Vietnam in Melbourne.

We said goodbye to this very special pair at Rose Street Fitzroy. Rob and I wanted to spend some time in one of our favourite areas of Melbourne today starting with the Saturday morning markets in Rose St.

A stroll down Rose St gave us some great street views of tumble down terraces, super modern architectural marvels and lots of purposeful (we think) grafitti art.

With a lot more walking westwards we found our way eventually to Lygon Street Carlton. Of course then it was impossible to resist trying the food at one of the enticing looking Italian eateries lining this famous Melbourne Street. We were at Tiamo Coffee, and I am so pleased I chose a lightly crumbed bocconcini salad with pears and proscuitto with my Peroni beer. Beautiful!

After lunch we headed south down Lygon Street, then left at Pelham St until we found the glossy, modernist Imax and Melbourne Museum buildings standing proudly opposite the grand old Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens.

We found it very easy to spend an hour or two in this wonderful museum enjoying the Mind and Body and the Top Designs exhibitions showcasing student works produced for the Victorian Certificate of Education.

Walking back to the city we found the late afternoon light particularly suited this most mellow of Australian cities, with its affable and well mannered citizens. 

This is our lovely view outside our hotel room on the eighth floor across to Flinders Street Station, the Yarra River and Southbank beyond.