Citi Prestige® The cult pocket city guides and mobile apps Melbourne for the busy, sophisticated traveler CITI PRESENTS LUXE CITY GUIDES luxecityguides.com AUSTRALIA’S STYLE Demure and sophisticated, Melbourne and the unpredictable weather will CAPITAL, MELBOURNE IS THE coyly hides many of its best attributes undoubtedly try to upset your plans at BIRTHPLACE OF MANY OF THE out of sight in lanes and arcades, which some stage, but never mind that. Slip on COUNTRY’S HIPPEST FASHION makes discovering the town’s treasures a few layers, pack your umbrella, and dive LABELS, NOT TO MENTION all the more enjoyable. Be warned into the fascinating cultural hub that is HOME TO SOME OF THE BEST that getting around can be somewhat Melbourne. DINING AND COFFEE YOU’RE challenging beyond the city center, LIKELY TO FIND DOWN UNDER. P1 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® Blah blah • Weather: Melbourne has spring, • Events: What a busy, busy town. Jan: • Coffee: discussed more heatedly summer, fall and winter almost Australian Open; Mar: Melbourne than politics, sports or religion. Any every day. Three words: learn to Grand Prix, Melbourne Fashion person proclaiming the city’s best layer Festival; Mar-Oct: AFL (Football) coffee risks public humiliation and Premiership season; Sep: Melbourne being garroted Spring Fashion Week; Oct: Melbourne Festival; 1st Tue in Nov: • Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Melbourne Cup; 26-30 Dec: Cricket CBD by cab: 30-40 mins / AUD$50, Int’l Boxing Day Test • Coffee etiquette: strong means take the Citylink freeway (toll two shots; skinny is skim. Don’t be applies) surprised if a cafe doesn’t serve skinny/soy • In peak summer season (Dec- Jan) and during many of the aforementioned events, it is • At times it can seem as if there are essential to book way ahead for • International code for Australia is only three taxis in the whole of this everything +61 and 3 for Melbourne, neither vast city, so you’ll need to book well need to be dialed locally ahead at peak times silvertop.com.au • Smoking is not permitted at indoor restaurants and bars • Emergency number is 000 for fire, ambulance and police • If you are lucky enough to hail a taxi, make sure you know the area and street you are heading to, unless • Goods and services tax (GST) is 10%, you want to end up in Fiji via Sydney tip an extra 10% • The tram system is convenient in • Beer: if you are keen on a tankard, the CBD, but can be slow elsewhere, remember that a glass is 200ml, where a car is more efficient a pot is 285ml, and pints are for Guinness P2 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® LUXE INSIDER Matt Wilkinson CHEF Originally from England, Matt trained in Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart’s kitchen before arriving in Melbourne in 2000. He was sous chef to Shannon Bennett at acclaimed Vue de Monde, before moving into his first head chef role at Alevansi in 2004. After a subsequent successful stint as head chef at Circa the Prince, Matt left to open Pope Joan in East Brunswick with business partner Ben Foster in 2010, followed by sibling bar Bishop of Ostia in 2012. His cookbook ‘Mr. Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables’ was published in 2012. popejoan.com.au P3 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® LUXE INSIDER Matt Wilkinson WHERE WOULD YOU GO FOR A WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL, AND WHAT WOULD PATISSERIE OR BAKERY IN NEIGHBORHOOD TO VISIT FOR YOU ORDER? MELBOURNE, AND WHAT DO A DAY OF SHOPPING? YOU ORDER? Get into the Melbourne way of life by Most people will tell you Chapel Street, heading for a cocktail or cheeky beer Head to Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio but I’m a north-sider, so I say head at Madame Brussels (see LUXE Loves). in South Yarra. Darren the owner makes to the corner of Gertrude and Smith What to order? Leave yourself in the the best chocolates and cakes in town and Streets. Within 20 minutes of walking you hands of the proprietress Miss Pearls. You if you manage not to eat them all before have three awesome record shops, six won’t leave disappointed – I never do! you leave, he has great little packaged cracking galleries showcasing the best of treats to take home as gifts. Everybody Australian art (including everything from needs a sweet treat on holiday. modern to street), a great cookbook shop, and some amazing vintage and second- burchandpurchese.com WHAT ARE THREE OF YOUR hand clothing stores. Add to that some great restaurants, cafes and an organic FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN MELBOURNE, AND WHY? bakery and you’ve got the best corner in Melbourne, trust me. Circa the Prince for its interesting fitout WHICH RESTAURANT OFFERS and food direction. Cutler and Co. in THE BEST BREAKFAST OR Fitzroy – make sure you try a few of the BRUNCH IN MELBOURNE, AND snacks on the menu before ordering your WHAT DO YOU ORDER? entree and main. And a must if you like Vietnamese pho is Pho Dzung – I order To enjoy the delights of early morning the beef and chicken medium with fresh eating and sipping a coffee, head to The rolled prawn cakes, mint and iceberg. European for breakfast. It’s got the feel of a European setting, with delicious food Pho Dzung / 234 Russell St and views across to Parliament House. +61 3 9663 8885 theeuropean.com.au circa.com.au cutlerandco.com.au P4 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® LUXE Loves THE OLSEN THE PRINCE ATTICA Hotel Hotel Dining Named for the renowned Australian The sweet, boutique Prince is just Don’t be fooled by the suburban artist whose works line the hotel minutes from the seaside, as well as location or the pared-back interior, walls, The Olsen is a fittingly stylish all that vibrant St Kilda has to offer. Ben Shewry’s visionary Australian tribute to the 2005 Archibald Prize- It packs a lot of punch behind its Art fusion fine-diner has hit its stride in winner, with its effortlessly chic suites, Deco exterior, including 40 uniquely recent years, garnering recognition in cool icy-white, silver and charcoal laid-out rooms featuring natural prestigious culinary circles the world color palette, glass-bottomed pool, timbers and neutral tones, renowned over, including consistent rankings in Norbu day spa, Spoonbill and Steer foodie haven Circa, and excellent San Pellegrino’s annual World’s 50 restaurants, plus fabulous retail- Aurora Spa. Best Restaurants awards. centric position. 2 Acland St / St Kilda 74 Glen Eira Rd / Ripponlea 637-641 Chapel St / South Yarra +61 3 9536 1111 +61 3 9530 0111 +61 3 9040 1222 tasting menu Wed-Sat, 5-course Chef’s theprince.com.au Table menu Tue / book well ahead artserieshotels.com.au see website for res policy attica.com.au P5 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® LUXE Loves CUMULUS INC. LUCY LIU TONKA Dining Dining Dining Open early till late, this hip central In the warm glow of a dramatic, raw The city’s first real foray into upscale City eatery attracts the brunch and stone and wood-lined dining room, Indian cuisine hits bang on the mark for lunch set with its knockout modern chef Michael Lambie delivers crowd- looks and flavors, with its silvery grey Australian menu, then as night falls, pleasing snack and share plates that and pink-tinged fitout, wire and mesh the simple cafeteria-like spot fills up draw inspiration from all corners of ceiling installation by local artist Naomi to become a happening after hours Asia, from Nippon-tinged tuna tataki Troski, bustling open kitchen, top-shelf watering hole. with wasabi and sesame to crispy ingredients and produce, subtly and Korean pork buns with spicy kimchi. perfectly spiced curries, terrific service, 45 Flinders Ln / City and a slick scene. +61 3 9650 1445 23 Oliver Ln / City +61 3 9639 5777 20 Duckboard Pl / City cumulusinc.com.au +61 3 9650 3155 lucylius.com.au tonkarestaurant.com.au POPE JOAN Dining BAR AMERICANO Bar MADAME BRUSSELS In a town where coffee is a religion, Bar it takes more than a catchy name to Sister venue to the enormously stand out. Luckily, Pope Joan has both popular, now defunct Melbourne Loll on the faux grass lawn at this the interesting moniker and the right cocktail icon Der Raum, tucked-away kitschy indoor garden party, complete stuff in the cup, as well as refined Bar Americano has a serious espresso with wicker and chintz lounges, breakfasts, tasty sandwiches, and a bent by day, aperitif-mania by night, wrought iron chairs, picnic-tabled hip northern location. a concise but well-executed snack terrace and The Parlour at the rear. menu and custom-designed Burch & Add to the mix a delicious range of 75-79 Nicholson St / Brunswick East Purchese sweets to go. cocktails and punches, and you’ve got +61 3 9388 8858 yourself a dandy night out. popejoan.com.au 20 Presgrave Pl / City +61 3 9428 0055 3/F / 59-63 Bourke St / City +61 3 9662 2775 facebook.com/baramericanomel madamebrussels.com P6 / LUXE MELBOURNE Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Drab vs. Fab LUXE Itineraries Citi Prestige® LUXE Loves MISS FOX TARLO & GRAHAM YARRA VALLEY Spa Shopping Activities This glamorous 50s-style salon is the An interior designer’s dream store in Just an hour outside Melbourne, place to go for immaculate blown waves.