Creativity has been simmering under the surface during Melbourne’s recent timeouts. Now, visitors and locals alike are vying for seats to the hottest tickets in town. Down south, the ‘new normal’ is pretty exciting, writes Sue Wallace.
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Lights, camera, action – Melbourne is ready to shimmer again and revel in the much-deserved spotlight. The city is set to party with shiny new hotels, musicals that will leave you humming, a festival that will make you laugh and flash eateries that will bring a smile to your face.
CEO of Visit Victoria Brendan McClements says the city has so much to offer with new ventures and is still a great holiday destination.
“With a variety of new openings and experiences, Melbourne should be on travellers to do, see and rediscover list for 2021,” he says. The city’s vibrant hospitality scene and cultural institutions are reawakening as Melbourne’s creative pulse beats again after emerging from another lockdown.
For Screen Lovers
Fresh from a two-year renovation, the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) is back. Screen buffs can spend hours wandering through the tributes to the world of film, television, art and videogames.
Open daily, you will discover the old and new, the unique and nostalgic in the ever-evolving collection of objects and works from the universe of screen culture.
The ACMI opened in 2002 and has staged 63 exhibitions, hundreds of events and thousands of film screenings. It has become the most-visited museum of its kind in the world. It’s a fun day out with exhibitions, cinemas and new dining experience Hero, with Karen Martini at the helm.
Where: Federation Square
For theatre lovers
Come from Away
You will be humming a catchy tune as you leave the musical, Come from Away. Set in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, it is where 38 planes were diverted when the United States’ airspace was closed due to the 9/11 terrorist attack.
Almost 7000 terrified passengers were cared for by the people of Gander and surrounding towns, nearly doubling the population for five days. It’s about kindness and compassion set to music. On stage until March 21.
Where: Comedy Theatre, Exhibition St
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The much-loved Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is back. Based on an original, new story by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, it is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It is one play presented in two parts.
Where: Princess Theatre, Spring St
Chess: The Musical
Only running for a very short season (April 22–24), the concert-style production of Chess: The Musical stars Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Paulini with a 25-strong orchestra. The cast includes Rob Mills, Mark Furze, Alexander Lewis, Brittanie Shipway and Eddie Muliaumaseali’i.
Set during the height of the Cold War, two of the world’s greatest chess players, one American, one Russian, find themselves pawns of their own governments’ sparring in the turbulent East-West political arena.
Where: Regent Theatre, Collins St
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Laugh your head off at the popular festival that brings the best of established and emerging acts at various venues from March 24 to April 18.
Where: various venues across Melbourne.
See comedyfestival.com.au
For food lovers
Melbourne has long been known for its fabulous dining and there are some stunners recently taking centre stage.
Chancery Lane
This restaurant is set to sparkle in the former Bistro Vue site with classical dishes with an edge, led by head chef Rob Kabboord (ex-Quay in Sydney).
Where: 430 Little Collins St
Embla
CBD wine bar Embla has launched Embla Rooftop Bar and Cinema on its neighbouring building the Melbourne Theosophical Society.
Where: 126 Russell St
Farmer’s Daughters
Under the helm of Peruvian-born chef Alejandro Saravia, Farmer’s Daughters brings the best of Gippsland country to the city. There’s also a cafe, deli and rooftop bar in this three-level establishment in the new 80 Collins precinct.
Where: 95 Exhibition St
Gimlet
Andrew McConnell’s latest hospitality venture at Cavendish House brings classic European charisma to the CBD and some very classy cocktails. The dining room’s plush booths and polished bar occupy the ground floor of a landmark 1920s residential building.
Where: 33 Russell St
Greenhouse by Joost
The brainchild of environmental advocate Joost Bakker, celebrity foodies Matt Stone and Jo Barrett are living in a solar-powered house on this urban farm for three months, growing and eating all their own food. Join them for a Future Food System communal dining experience.
Where: River Terrace, Federation Square
Indu
South Indian and Sri Lankan village food feature at Indu, which showcases the best Victorian produce deftly presented by chef Ankit Padmani.
Where: 86a Collins St
Out of the city (just):
Opening later this month, Grazeland will be the foodies’ new playground with 50 food and beverage vendors in Spotswood, a 20-minute drive west of the city. And Vesper in South Yarra, is a Mediterranean-style bistro and bar serving food from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece and the south of France. It’s a 15-minute taxi ride south-east of the city centre. Where: 25 Toorak Road, South Yarra.
A room in a new hotel
W Melbourne
Bunker down in the city’s new luxury lifestyle hotel, the ritzy W Melbourne. It’s chic, cheeky and cool. It has been described as a “rebel” between Melbourne streets and is on Flinders Lane, which has long been the domain of fashion designers, eclectic galleries and award-winning restaurants.
The W’s 294 striking rooms and 29 suites feature design elements inspired by the city’s historic street-level newspaper kiosks which date back to the 1960s.
Check out the gold-roofed indoor pool at WET and work out at FIT on level 14 – perfect for the ‘detox, retox, repeat’ set.
The headliner is the 275-square-metre Extreme WOW suite with Yarra Valley views and an interactive music station that is a modern take on the old-school jukebox.
Feeling peckish? There are four restaurants and bars, including Lollo for all-day dining under the culinary creative direction of Adam D’Sylva.
Hip cocktail bar Curious has a decadent cocktail list, and cafe-bar Culprit will open in May with a floor-to-ceiling charcuterie display and a vermouth tasting tray.
Warabi, which will also open in May, is set to shake up the city’s Japanese dining scene.
Where: 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Next Hotel Melbourne
This just-opened hotel is in new retail and dining precinct 80 Collins in the Paris end of Melbourne. Snuggle up in one of the 255 elegant, understated rooms and suites with extras such as Dyson hairdryers, Bose sound systems and Hunter Lab products.
From late March, Melbourne-based chefs Daniel Natoli and Adrian Li will head anchor restaurant, La Madonna. The hotel’s bar, the Barrel Room, wood-ages spirits, cocktails and herbal liquors.
There is also a coworking-style club and a gym with personal trainers on hand.
Where: 103 Little Collins, Melbourne
Lancemore Crossley St
Step into this hotel in Melbourne’s theatre district and you come face to face with a sparkling chandelier. Surprise! It’s not dangling from the ceiling; the downed chandelier sits above a circular banquette and looks like it has just crashed. It was rescued from the now closed “oh so elegant” Georges Department Store and always gets reactions. It’s an Instagram hit, of course.
On the Paris end of Bourke Street, the hotel is just a few steps away from the East End Theatre District and top restaurants, including Gingerboy, Becco and Pellegrinis, as well as Chinatown.
The lobby looks a little like a stage with its theatrical lighting, heavy, blue velvet curtains and circular reception pods.
The 113 rooms fit into five room types and feature artwork by emerging artists.
The rooftop terrace is perfect for sipping a cocktail or two from fine crystal in front of an open fire and watching those city lights sparkle.
Where: 51 Little Bourke St, Melbourne.
What’s coming? The Ritz-Carlton, Ovolo South Yarra and a new Hilton Melbourne are set to open later in the year.
Take me there
Drive: Melbourne is a six-hour drive from Canberra and a 10.5-hour drive from Newcastle.
Fly: Virgin and Qantas fly direct from Canberra to Melbourne with fares from $90. Jetstar, Virgin, Qantas and Rex fly from Newcastle to Melbourne with fares from $120.
Explore more: visitvictoria.com