Narrm/Melbourne is my home, and one of my favourite places to be in the world. This page captures a bunch of my regular haunts and highlights that I love to share with others.
While widely known as Melbourne, the area the city occupies - especially the central business district (CBD) - has been known as Narrm for tens of thousands of years by the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin nation. This land was stolen by colonisers, never ceded, and remains Aboriginal land. I pay my respects to Wurundjeri elders past and present, and thank them for their ongoing care of land, water, culture and people.
Oh, and in case you stumbled upon this site without knowing who I am - I'm Pat.
157 Spring St, Melbourne
The best gelato in town. If you're stuck on what to order, try the dark chocolate sorbet.
-37.8110330 144.9726540Shop 1, 241 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Delicious French galettes and crêpes - all of which can be made with buckwheat flour to be gluten free.
-37.8167843 144.96626928 Degraves St, Melbourne
If you can't make it to Spring Street Grocer for gelato, then this is an excellent alternative option.
-37.8176054 144.9659630328 Swanston St, Melbourne
Their specials menu hasn't really changed in over a decade, and I'm not complaining as it includes my go-to: the Brilliant Benedict.
-37.8095603 144.9646236369 Little Collins St, Melbourne
They offer gluten-free noodles here. ☺️
-37.8156496 144.9624408217 Union Rd, Ascot Vale
Be prepared to wait - but they do have the best vegetarian ramen in town (even if it's not yet listed on their menu).
-37.7723599 144.9158421558 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
If you're here just before Christmas, their mince pies are superb - and everything else they bake is reliably excellent too.
-37.8028007 144.9487900328 Swanston St, Melbourne
One of my favourite spaces in the world, and a great spot to sit and read/work/ponder.
-37.809724 144.965394309 Lygon St, Carlton
Bookshops are always wonderful, and this is one of the best. (Full disclosure: I manage their website. 😅)
-37.7980520 144.9671870299 Lygon St, Carlton
-37.7983068 144.96714671/2 Somerset Place, Melbourne
A cafe that also has a barber, a cobbler, and a tattoo artist.
-37.813525 144.96245914-16 Market Lane, Melbourne
My default order here is the xiao long bao and the wontons in hot chilli sauce.
-37.8118714 144.9693954389 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
A few varieties of chicken rice - the perfect dose of comfort food.
-37.8128532 144.9610158594 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
It might not be your standard cafe fare, but fish tacos are divine.
-37.8026618 144.9475210Level 1, 11 Collins St, Melbourne
-37.8136976 144.9733557168 Russell St, Melbourne
My long-standing favourite ramen option when I lived in the city. Almost always a queue, but that's for a reason. Usually pork ramen only.
-37.8122743 144.9681472200 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Chicken ramen only.
-37.810955 144.966120126 Lygon St, Carlton
Pork ramen only - a bit out-of-the-way compared to the Russell St location, but that means there's often not a queue.
-37.8040945 144.966543250 Grattan St, Carlton
-37.8006178 144.9677364295 Drummond St, Carlton
-37.7989641 144.96852836-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington
-37.7878966 144.9295510594 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
-37.8169101 144.9657840177-183 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Always a good option for a quick takeaway kebab.
-37.8110551 144.9670923166 Russell St, Melbourne
-37.8123169 144.9681731528A Sydney Road, Brunswick
-37.7656611 144.9627610796 High St, Thornbury
-37.754132 145.001499213 Sydney Road, Brunswick
-37.7722967 144.96108775/159 Smith St, Fitzroy
-37.8045160 144.9831592Federation Square, Melbourne
-37.8177973 144.9687185277 Racecourse Road, Flemington
-37.7885719 144.9318266176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne
As per their tag-line, they host regular and excellent events on books, writing and ideas.
-37.8101765 144.9652219Running for a few weeks over March and April, there's no end of excellent comedy shows to catch. I regularly provide recommendations on my blog.
-37.815025 144.966617Currently running over the Mother's Day weekend in May, plenty of thought-provoking sessions.
-37.8097181 144.9645886285-321 Russell St, Melbourne
-37.809395 144.966273315 Lygon St, Carlton
-37.7979204 144.9672054Level 1, 287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
-37.812887 144.96342560 Bourke St, Melbourne
These booksellers have excellent taste. A little claustrophobic - but also, being surrounded by books is no bad thing!
-37.8116753 144.9713125Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne
-37.83106 144.97820