The Standard Hotel

What I love most about Melbourne is finding little gems off the beaten track. The Standard Hotel is one of these little gems. I knew I’d found a goodie when I first walked in the door. The country decor is full of cozy nooks for hiding from cold winters.
But keep walking. The beer garden is [...]

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Birdman Eating

The Birdman Eating on Gertrude Street is well known for breakfasts, which I’m assuming has something to do with the scrumptious looking baked eggs menu. Unfortunately I can’t speak to breakfast, I have yet to experience Birdman in the mornings (except for coffee, which is, of course, great).
I had dinner at Birdman over the weekend, [...]

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Marios Cafe

I live clear on the other side of the planet from my mother. My boyfriend’s mother lives on the other side of the country. So on mothers day, the last thing on my mind was that people might be out and about treating their mothers to breakfasts and brunches (and flowers, walking down Brunswick Street [...]

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The Gertrude Hotel

Now that temperatures in Melbourne are dropping, I’ve been on the lookout for a great little cosy pub for the winter. Somewhere to meet friends spontaneously for drinks, grab a warm meal, or go for a lazy weekend breakfast. Finally, I’ve found one.
The Gertrude Hotel is a great, classic, simple pub with street-side tables out [...]

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Mao’s

Its not often that I visit a restaurant and receive too much service. I’m an American, after all. But at Mao’s Restaurant on Brunswick Street, I experienced service so attentive I almost felt like my waitress was the third dinner guest.
Every time my glass was half full (empty?) the waitress was there with the water [...]

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Sentido Funf

Like so many places in Melbourne, Sentido Funf looks extremely unimpressive from the outside on Gertrude Street near the corner with Smith Street. I’ve walked past the bar at least five times and hardly even noticed it. In fact, it almost looks like an office, with two windows covered by venetian blinds hiding what’s happening [...]

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The Black Cat

In every city, I need a retreat. A local. A small cozy place I can feel at home in. A place where the baristas know what I mean when I say ‘the usual, thanks.”
I believe I have found mine. The Black Cat is a great little coffee shop which transforms into a bar at night, [...]

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Fitzroy Pool

Today it’s forecast to be a blazing 40 degrees in Melbourne. I love the heat, so this isn’t much of a problem for me. Hey, I spent a year living in Perth. But a hot day is an especially good excuse to get to the pool and cool off.
I’ve been to Fitzroy pool at least [...]

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