With only a couple of days in Melbourne and very little free time to explore I focused on a couple of activities that could be squeezed in around attending a conference and the associated functions. Being in Melbourne makes my heart happy, here I can experience the true four seasons and make good use of my black coats, the quality and variety of wonderful places to eat makes dining out an experience and the shopping offers up products quite different to what is available on the coast. This was only my second visit to Melbourne, and I was travelling with two food focused colleagues so you can pretty much guess that we ate well when not provided with meals at the conference, lunching at Guy Grossi’s Grossi Florentino Cellar Bar and dining at the French restaurant Bistro Vue one evening.
The conference provided us with the opportunity to explore the lane ways of Melbourne though a guided walking tour of the city’s street art, the guide from Melbourne Walks was extremely knowledgeable and I would happily sign up for another walking tour. The conference dinner was held at Zinc in Federation Square, a finger food affair with plenty of alcohol flowing and the ambience created by RMIT’s (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) talented art students. When not at conference sessions and events I was making the most of my time to visit Queen Victoria Markets where the taste testing and purchasing of Koko Black chocolates was conducted, these tiny little chocolates in the form of champagne truffles, salted caramel and Raspberry Ganache were absolutely delicious, one small chocolate enough to satisfy any cravings but to ensure that later cravings were catered for, I bought half a dozen different flavours. The nearby Christmas shop is a must for visitors at this time of year, elves of all shapes and sizes plus the shop in set up so that each room has a particular colour and/or theme, for a white Christmas the room filled with silver and white decorations is perfect and the traditional red, green and gold room is filled to the brim with delightful ornaments and nativity scenes.
Architecture in Melbourne is quite different to the coast, here buildings are knocked down without alot of thought for their heritage and iconic value because our council loves the look of a skyline filled with highrise buildings towering over the beach and if a house stands still long enough, eventually it will be rendered with concrete and made to look like so many other homes – apologies for the rant, I’ll stop now. Melbourne is a mix of the old and the new, beautiful old buildings such as Flinders Street Station stand opposite the funky and modern Federation Square. RMIT buildings also throw modern architecture into the mix, several of their buildings being quite unusual and whether you love them or hate them, they definitely capture your attention. Walking along busy streets and through narrow lane ways leads to some delightful finds, paper shops and English style pubs, a book shop where everything is $10, the Hopetoun Tea Rooms and Chokolait among my favourite finds.
Next year I’ll be heading back to Melbourne, with a little bit more time on my hands I plan on exploring other parts of Melbourne however I will return to a couple of my favourite places even if it is only to browse the menu or purchase a chocolate (or two).
Two Black Dogs 
I love Melbourne, too. Can I suggest you book Attica NOW for your next trip. It will blow your mind.
Thanks TSL, will look into Attica – must be good if you’re recommending it!
Fabulous photos. I always love visiting Melbourne. Lyn
Thank you Lyn, it is a fabulous city to visit and I could probably handle living there although I imagine it would be like going to Italy and I would put on a few kilos trying all the delicious food 🙂
That’s a great photo diary! Those chocolates look amaze!
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Thank you! Those chocolates were amazing, wish I had some now. Your blog looks great, always nice to find new blogs to follow 🙂
Thank you so much! I feel the same way bout your blog!
There are some funky buildings, all right. 🙂 You made me more starved than I felt when I arrived. I’d definitely return to Chokolait… Great photos too!
Thanks George, sorry I always seem to include food photos that make you hungry 😉
Love to hear perspectives of my home town, and I agree – grrr to the council’s lack of consideration of heritage and history when bulldozing buildings! Great pictures!
Thank you, such a wonderful home town you have and I love that they combine the modern with the old 🙂
Those umbrellas are wonderful. Expect if I borrow one the whole thing’ll collapse! Melbourne does look an interesting city, Sam. I enjoyed your company (even managed to stay away from the food!) 🙂
They were a bright and pretty splash of colour in an otherwise sterile looking shopping centre. Melbourne is a wonderful city to explore, I think you would like it and they also have very warm summers and access to some popular beaches so you could get a good dose of sunshine 🙂
Walking tours are such a great way to see a place! Your pictures are just beautiful… 🙂
Thank you, I do enjoy a good walking tour and think I’ll book a few in next time I’m overseas – you learn so much more about the things you’re looking at when you have a good guide.