Eat, shop, see: What this editor did in Melbourne
Melbourne, the bustling city of Australia, offers a vibrant take across the arts, culture, design, and F&B scenes so it was tough to cover everything within just two days in the city. But if you have just 48 hours just like me, this was what I did to switch things up.
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National Gallery Victoria
M.C Escher x Nendo exhibition at the National Gallery Victoria offered a closer glimpse into the works of Dutch artist M. C. Escher in dialogue with the work of acclaimed Japanese design studio nendo. Nendo took the artist’s works and incorporated their 3D take on it, giving visitors a chance to interact with the artworks in life-sized scale. Jessica Cole, who was part of the NGV curatorial team, shared their approach to forge a stronger relationship with artists, and this exhibition was to tell Escher’s entire career from his first works to the last. There will be more exciting exhibitions coming to NGV, including plans to feature works by Keith Harring and Jean Basquiat.
National Gallery Victoria
180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006
Lyonhouse museum
Blurring the lines between a home and a museum, the Lyonhouse museum is actually a private home owned by the Lyon family, and they opened their space for public viewings. It’s slowly becoming an international secret – the Lyon family have been collecting art for over 26 years, accumulating it at their home, which was designed by Corbett Lyon and his wife Yueji. It was never the family’s intention to open a museum, but it became an experimental project. A new extension to the museum is a AUS$4.5million gallery which will be operated by the Lyon Foundation. To visit, you’ll need to book a slot via their website lyonhousemuseum.com.au.
Lyonhouse museum
217-219 Cotham Rd, Kew VIC 3101
Krimper Cafe
An unassuming early-industrial-era-warehouse was converted into a coffeehouse, while still retaining its character and history. With minimal lighting and water-blasted brick wall, the atmosphere leaves foodies feeling warm with a rustic feel. The furnitures are recycled from lift doors and old timber pieces obtained on site. The coffee? I could always get a second cuppa; rich and frothy just the way I like it.
Krimper Cafe, 20 Guilford Lane, Melbourne
La Belle Miete
Never say never to macaron and chocolates – I made a pit stop at La Belle Miette, which also means ‘the beautiful crumb’ in French. Here, you can pick up beautifully wrapped packaged macarons, bonbons de chocolat and dragees for friends and loved ones. It also helps that the shop is beautifully decorated that you just can’t resist a photo for the ‘Gram.
La Belle Miette
8 Collins Street Melbourne
The Paperback Books
This independent bookstore has been around since the early 1960s, and it is one of the few Melbourne bookshops to sell a good selection of Australian and imported books, particularly paperback editions of books not commonly available in Melbourne. Pick up an Australian book or journal here, and ask for wrapping service.
The Paperback Books
60 Bourke Street
Lesa
This semi-open kitchen restaurant may have opened in 2018, but it still packs a hungry crowd who flock here for Dave Verheul’s experimental dishes, with a commitment to ethical and organic ingredients. Located just above Embla, a wine bar, Lesa follows the same interior decor feel, with large antique tables, leather chairs and timber rustic feel. With the three-course meal, I was served with spanner crab, mixed with sweet florantino tomatoes, pine nut and laurel heirloom beetroot with red onion, olive and salted elderberry. It has a fascinating flavour, without being heady. The snapper rump with summer purslane and horseradish was straight forward while the final course of roast potato parfait, chocolate, sourdough and lemongrass was a treat to my senses. Ask for a wine pairing from their wine list, which offers new young labels.
Lesa
Level 1, 122 Russell St, Melbourne, (03) 9935 9838, lesarestaurant.com.au
P.A.M. Store Melbourne
It was a challenge for me to locate this hip store but once I did, it was well worth it. The shop stocks unique streetwear brands, from Supreme to Viscim, Neighborhood and C.E (Cav Empt.) There’s also a lifestyle section, where a selection of books and magazines are available.
P.A.M. Store Melbourne
3/252 Swanston Street
Fast Times Skateboarding
What I really like about the shop is how friendly the service staff were; even though I was having a hard time choosing the right size for the in-house brand T-shirts. There’s a cool variety of sneakers to skateboard decks here, which I was tempted to get as a nice wall art piece.
Fast Times Skateboarding
121 Swanston Street
This story was the result of a trip paid for by Qantas Airlines and Visit Victoria.