shops and markets

HOT: Spelt Quinoa, 40 Johnston St, Fitzroy

February 6, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

I think this Sunday Age article is kind of true – in the north there’s yoga for everybody (including dogs), hippies, fixies and all the girls look like they stepped out of frankie magazine. Which is why the shop Spelt Quinoa is perfect for the neighbourhood. This little shop of healthy goodness opened about a [...]

HOT: Backstreet Cafe, 152 Kerr St, Fitzroy

January 11, 2012 ⋅ 3 comments

In Fitzroy, it’s another day, another new cafe…. Backstreet Cafe is the new project from the people behind Birdman Eating and it takes some of what’s great about that Fitzroy stalwart and extends it beyond – or more precisely below. More on that later. The cafe is located in a corner spot in amongst residential [...]

HOT: SO:ME Space, South Melbourne Market, 322-326 Coventry St, South Melbourne

December 12, 2011 ⋅ One comment

South Melbourne Market has moved out the dollar stores and moved in some hip wares. Under the big shed they’ve created a space for small shops and pop up sites called SO:ME Space. It’s filled with clothing, accessories, artwork and bikes – a fun place to browse before or after your market grocery shopping. Some [...]

HOT: Malmaison at Paris to Provence Festival, Como House and Garden, South Yarra

December 6, 2011 ⋅ 3 comments

A few weeks ago I attended the Paris to Provence Festival as the end stop of the Melbourne Tweed Ride. It was a bright sunshiney day and perfect for strolling around the grounds of Como House eating and drinking French delights, doing a spot of shopping and apparently a great opportunity to pull out your [...]

HOT: The Design Files Open House, 40 Little Napier St, Fitzroy

December 2, 2011 ⋅ One comment

What’s better than a pop up shop? A pop up house! Melbourne design blogger extraordinaire Lucy Feagins has brought her blog The Design Files out of the interwebs and into real life. With the help of The Project Agency’s Esther Navarro-Orejon, Lucy has turned a swoon-worthy Fitzroy warehouse conversion into an even more swoonworthy display home [...]

HOT: Beechworth Bakery, 316 Maroondah Highway, Healesville

December 1, 2011 ⋅ One comment

I didn’t realise that the Beechworth Bakery had stretched beyond to town of Beechworth to other parts of the state – but it’s pretty handy that there’s one in Healesville. Beechworth Bakery prides itself on being ‘Australia’s greatest bakery’. That’s a tall claim! But it is an old-fashioned bakery filled with old-fashioned British style bakery items [...]

HOT: Giant Steps Innocent Bystander Winery, 336 Maroondah Highway, Healesville

November 25, 2011 ⋅ One comment

A sunny weekend saw us taking a trip out to the Yarra Valley, armed with a recommendation for lunch at Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander. Unlike most of the other wineries in the Yarra Valley, Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander isn’t located on an expansive piece of green land – it’s just a straight turnoff from the Maroondah Highway [...]

HOT: Zakkaya, 52 Johnston St, Fitzroy

November 24, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

Nestled in Johnston Street, in between the curry houses, Latin American restaurants and sweaty gyms is Zakkaya, a quietly beatific shop selling contemporary Japanese goods. Their wares range from clocks, clothing, jewellery, toys, storage and everything is delicate, charming and oh-so-cute. It’s the perfect place to find a unique gift for that special person with [...]

HOT: La Madre Bakery, 18 Milton Street, Bell Park

November 22, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

La Madre Bakery is located in Geelong but well-known in Melbourne. Their bread is sold at discerning grocery stores and delis across the city, including my nearest stockist in North Fitzroy, The Green Grocer, as well as being used in cafes such as Pope Joan. Their excellent reputation means that if you’re in Geelong or on [...]

HOT: Phillippa’s City Store, 15 Howey Place, Melbourne

November 17, 2011 ⋅ 6 comments

When I worked in the CBD one of my shopping challenges was finding a good loaf of bread. I rarely had time in my lunch hour to travel to Queen Victoria Markets or battle the lines at David Jones Foodhall, which meant often I had to be organised enough to buy my bread on my [...]