Well well well the title of this post is very ambitious and may be misleading. I am not going to give an extensive review of the city nor of it’s eateries and markets… I was there for three days for work and it was my first time in Melbourne and I didn’t touch a pan or a knife, nor a raw ingredient the whole time. I actually didn’t even enter a supermarket or any shopping place! I was staying downtown where our friends and colleagues live, and they showed me a bit around every morning and every evening. The one thing that I truly enjoyed is that there are plenty of options to go out for breakfast even quite early and D. took me to a few very nice places. The top of the top was Vacation, I liked the fresh and open atmosphere and where I had an amazing avocado toast made with Australian avocados. Topped with sprouted garbanzo beans and green peas it was really divine!! Of course D. also took me to Lune for the best croissants in town (it was also recommended to me on IG by @baker.kobo) and I had there an indeed delicious croissant. Going out for breakfast in a new city, when people move around is really a good way to feel the vibe and discover a bit of their habits. I found that a lot of people grab breakfast on their way or stand in to eat, there are of course some seat in places. But everywhere it is usually quick. Lune in particular reminded me of that cafe in Milano I loved to go to have a croissant and a fresh squeezed orange juice. Breakfast eateries in Melbourne offer a large panel of options with healthy bowls and fresh fruits or bacon sausage and eggs, and plenty of fresh smoothies. There’s a lot of vegetarian and vegan options too. And with strong ties to the UK they have kept the tea culture, so every place has delicious tea to offer.
Dinner wise they took me to different neighborhoods and food was great. There is one thing though I realize when we were in Brisbane last May, Australian restaurants for dinner are utterly noisy. They always have very very loud music and huge space with people shouting rather than conversing as you can’t hear each other because of the music. It makes the whole atmosphere rather exhausting after a day at work.
D. and C. also took me to see some possums living in the city near Flagstaff. They were absolutely too cute!!!
So basically I haven’t seen much of the city in these three days, and that wasn’t the point of my visit, but I know I will be coming again and this first contact was a good one! I am hoping to stay longer next time for more exploration of the fresh local food and a kitchen takeover if I don’t have my own kitchen!!!
