corky's secret guide to melbourne

Iconic + cool + worth seeing
1. the botanic gardens. I really like the Grey Garden - its one of my favourite places in the city. If you love succulent plants this is worth the trek.
2. the dome in the state library
3. City Baths - its fun swimming in this federation building.
4. Vic Markets - full of tourists but the deli section is awesome. The turkish stand is my favourite, even if the ladies aren't very nice.

Contemporary Jewellery

1. Se que non (Degraves Street)

quirky collection - some accessible pieces

2. Glitzern gallery

crazy, fun jewellery

3. sampled

love the layout of this shop, stuff is at the higher end of the market but a very cool shop

4. Ditto Day (Block Arcade)

5. craft victoria
definitely worth the trek down flinders lane
6. alice euphemia.
most awesome collection of australian designed jewellery
7. eg et al.  the jewellery is like, 'whatever' and really expensive but the shop fitout is amazing. the staff can be snooty but just ignore them!
8. gallery fumaki
 conceptual
9. order + progress
cool, accesible collection

Places to Avoid!
1. St Kilda - strictly for irish backpackers and gay guys!
2. Brunswick Street especially at night!
3. Lygon Street, Carlton
4. Workshop (a beckett street, Melbourne) people like going there because you can smoke but it is disgusting (bad music, clientele)
5. Rue Bebelon (little lonsdale street) smells funny and they play terrible music
6. E-55 (elizabeth street, melbourne) bad art, bad music, bad decor
7. Kings street and beyond at night - like going into a war zone
8. Hardware Lane at night - horny bogans fighting and fornicating
9. Chapel Street at night - no fucking way!

Bars
1. Troika (cool interior, nice drinks, good music, great lighting design)
2. Recorded Music Salon (nice 70s decor, good drinks + snacks)
3. Carlton Club - can be hard getting in, if its late as its popular - fun party venue. Can be full on and security is over the top.
4. Rooftop Bar - amazing views of city. Can be suit-y on Friday nights, but that's true of most venues. Kinda a headfuck getting up there. There is a kitchen all night long.
5. Palm top bar - above Carlton Club - fantastic space with full sized palm trees
6. Hell's Kitchen - number one scenester hang out in Melbourne. Can be weird on weekends but is generally the most fun venue (?)
7. Robot - fun on the right night
8. Myer's Place - gross when it's suit-y but mostly fun. Avoid the bar opposite called 'Loop' they seem to hold the worst events ever
9. The Toff - kinda expensive but a fun party place.
10. Manchester Lane - if there is something on worth seeing this venue is AMAZING.
11. Prudence not really in the city but in walking distance

Best Things In Melbourne EVER
1. Camberwell markets
2. ACCA
3. The Nicholas Building
4. Curtin House
5. City Baths
6. Botanic Gardens
7. Hell's Kitchen
8. Vic Markets Deli Section
9. ACMI
10. Northcote Social Club

Worst Things in Melbourne EVER

1. Connex/ Yarra Trams

unreliable, over crowded, never on time

2. Spring Racing

A perfect distillation of bogan culture.
3. Docklands - where culture goes to die
4. The number 86 tram
there is always some junkie couple fighting over who spilt the pepsi max
5. Chapel Street
6. Brunswick Street

7. St Kilda

was never actually cool

8. Chadstone Shopping Centre

Cool Shops
1. Chiodo (for men)
Ok maybe I wouldn't buy anything here but its pretty amazing and its big enough to just browse. cool accessories.
2. Alice Euphemia
3. Wunderkammer
4. Magnation. Has every magazine in world.
5. Metropolis Books - cool art books. Lovely decor.
6. Someday - the PAM shop - interesting gear
7. I dream a highway
8. Hudsons
9. Kids In Berlin
10. Fat (at the GPO) has cool clothes. Jewellery selection seems kinda lacklustre. Famous for terrible service. Its like being judged by dum 14 year old scenesters who think working in fashion retail makes them arbiters of taste.


Cheap Eats
1. Izakaya Chuji (eat downstairs!)
great lighting + good food. can be hard to get into, so book!
2. yamato
if you can get a table it has great food + good service
3. sushi ten (port phillip arcade)
best sushi in town. the chef is a dude
4. AIX (centreplace)
everything tastes great here. good coffee too.
5. Journal.
beautiful interior and lighting. food is tasty but small serves. staff are snooty.

6. Turkish Stand at Queen Vic markets.

F******** UNBELIEVEABLE. kinda famous in Melbourne. The staff are famous for being rude but if you

made food this tasty you can afford to ****s. Famous for their freshly baked boreks. Also try the zucchini roll! and cabbage rolls. the salads are good too.

7. Gaylords

drunken nights are made for the Gaylord's experience. Tasty Indian food with crazy service and decor. Something always goes wrong but it is always an experience going there.

 

Date Restaurants

Gill's Diner

foodie restaurant with a glowing reputation

Il Solito Posto

hard to get a table but awesome food and service

Avoid
1. Pellegrini's - over rated and the food is bad. You'd go here more for the experience than to eat anything.
2. The Waiter's Club - expensive and crap - you could microwave frozen Italian food and it would taste better


Drinking Places to Avoid!
1. St Kilda - strictly for irish backpackers and gay guys!
2. Brunswick Street especially at night!
3. Lygon Street, Carlton
4. Workshop (a beckett street, Melbourne) people like going there because you can smoke but it is disgusting (bad music, clientele)
5. Rue Bebelon (little lonsdale street) smells funny and they play terrible music
6. E-55 (elizabeth street, melbourne) bad art, bad music, bad decor
7. Kings street and beyond at night - like going into a war zone
8. Hardware Lane at night - horny bogans fighting and fornicating
9. Chapel Street at night - no fucking way!
10. Transport - imagine 500 drunk guys in suits fighting over 3 underage, undressed girls and that's Transportpo2