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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Wagamamas

My relationship with Wagamamas is long and full of love.
We were introduced 2 years ago in London, next to London Tower, by my best friend who has a passion for the chocolate wasabi cake. At that time of my life, however, all I could afford was a piece of the cake split between two. The [...]

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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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Cookie

This weekend I ended up at Cookie on Swanston Street twice, on two consecutive nights. I’d been before, for coffee in the afternoon, had dinner there on Thursday night, and drinks on Friday night. I now feel like I’m sufficiently equipped to review the place from every angle possible.
My two beverage experiences were fantastic. I [...]

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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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Pellegrini’s

Imagine being in a small crowded bar. You wander around squeezing through groups of people to find a stool on the bar to perch on, then shout your order to someone behind the bar, who lifts your drink over the heads of those at the bar to hand it to you. You struggle back [...]

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La Roche

It’s time to show some love to you guys on the other side of the river. I had dinner last Sunday night at La Roche on Acland Street in St Kilda.
First, it was absolutely packed. There were no free seats, and tables were crammed so close together that I had had neighbors sitting next to [...]

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The Lounge

Last night I went to a comedy festival event, and afterwards my friends and I were looking for somewhere in the CBD to grab a bite to eat. Granted, it was a Sunday night, but options were limited. After several other stops we ended up at The Lounge on Swanston Street near Lonsdale.
The place is [...]

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