I CANNOT recommend enough an annual three-generational, family long weekend. We eat, shop and leave, 2 kilograms heavier but fully refreshed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
9.30m Friday, Journal Canteen
If you catch the 4.08am XPT from Albury to Melbourne, you can be in Flinders Lane by breakfast. Unlike the streetside Journal Cafe brimming with youth and retro fittings, Journal Canteen upstairs is an unassuming foodie hotspot with room to move. The proper coffee takes the sting out of your 3.20am rise.
11am, Gorman fashion outlet,
Bridge Road, Richmond
Sister-in-law N is drawn to Gorman’s colourful artist collaborations. I go for the navy and neutral basics. I pick up an olive shell top while she gathers a pair of purple ankle boots, puffer jacket with metallic spots and a dress with two sequined budgies. She is shiny and sunny; I’m warm beige. The shop is big enough for both of us!
6.30pm, Taxi Kitchen,
Federation Square
For five years we’ve dined below street level or in the laneways. At Taxi Kitchen we’re sitting pretty with views of the iconic Melbourne skyline. This calls for cheese, King Valley Prosecco, slow-roasted lamb, Sechuang duck and sides to share. Stuffed, we still rise to the challenge and order the signature souffle dish.
8.30am Saturday,
Lune Croissanterie, Fitzroy
Overlooking pastry chefs plying their trade in a huge glass cube, we savour a three-course pastry flight and all the flat whites we can handle. The original Lune croissant – the best in Melbourne and possibly even the world according to The New York Times – is comfort and joy!! The escargot escargot pastry is exactly what you think it is. The quince tarte tatin with brown butter ice cream totally redeems quinces for my mother-in-law, who has steered clear of them since boarding school!
1pm, Gertrude Street
Things you’d only see in Fitzroy: a man takes his bouncy one-year-old groodle into Mud, a supplier of fine porcelain. As the owner of a labradoodle with a strong wag in her tail, I’m stunned. Sister-in-law D is imagining her golden retriever in store. We cannot sit or stay; we roll over and move on.
6.30pm, Maha, Bond Street
If you like Middle Eastern fare, Maha is a must. The four-course shared menu is generous, innovative and a crowd-pleaser. We catch a glimpse of Shane Delia (Shane Delia’s Spice Journey and Channel 9 Postcards) on the floor.
9pm, Quest, Bourke Street
Our tried and true formula is two meals a day: late breakfast and early dinner (linner). We’re back in our apartment just as Meghan Markle makes it to the church on time.
10am Sunday,
South Melbourne Markets
Proper & Son porridge never tasted so good after yesterday’s over-indulgence.
Noon, Wonderland, Federation Square
Curiouser and curiouser! Highly recommend the Tea Party Room light show and making yourself into a playing card. Love a crafternoon in an unexpected place.
4pm, The Lui Bar, CBD
Your ears may pop on your way up to this hotspot on the 55th floor of the Rialto building but it’s worth ending the weekend on a high. Beaut bar snacks and bathroom.
7.50pm, Platform 1, XPT, Southern Cross Station
Home by 11.05pm. Next year our party of five becomes a party of seven when our two new high school offspring will come of age to eat, shop and leave with us. Can’t wait!
RELATED CONTENT: