Chai making is an art that the team at The Merchants Guild have nailed. None of that syrupy cheating for owner trio Vincent Conti, Paul Davies and Mario Minichilli. Their Prana Chai, blended on site in the workshop out the back, is a mish mash of all that’s good and holy in Indian tea. What’s...
Do you yearn for green space filled with herbs, natives, succulents and perennials? Is there a part of you that wants to get your hands dirty and watch something grow? Urban Gardenista is the cure for the city-bound garden fanatic. With seasonal releases of compact planter boxes filled with themed greenery, you can change or...
What’s not to love about a bar/restaurant/hock shop that has a menu devoted entirely to balls? Jamaican chicken and banana, quinoa, whisky-smoked eggplant and soy ball, fish and flaxseed balls – the list of surprising deliciousness comes with a matching shot suggestion (think Johnny with Amaretto and Jack with Messanez apple for an additional $9)....
If you could create your dream market, what would it be like? Street food from famous Chefs? Yoga? Live music, a bar and art installations in shipping containers? The People’s Market is back for another year and this time around, absolutely anything goes. There’s crafty retail stores, art exhibitions, live performances, fun food and all manner...
Do you yearn for the chance to talk about conversation, as opposed to merely having one? Do you wonder why everyone seems to be chasing a relationship (but so many people complain about their partner once they find one)? Founded in 2008 in London by modern philosopher Alain de Botton, The School of Life is...
There’s something special about swinging open the door to a space that transports you somewhere else instantly (think Rome). New restaurants can take some time for that familiarity to soak into the walls but Mazitelli has painted the place with it, safely landing a slice of Italian authenticity in the heart of Richmond. Behind this...
You can see peculiar things happening on Gertrude Street on any day of the year. But only over 10 nights in July can you see giant “Skypetrait” portraits cast onto the façade of the Turning Point site, natural elements engaging in an old-fashion slapstick fight to the death, or psychical manifestations of memory played out...
Shopping in your pyjamas. Avoiding dressing room mirrors. The seemingly endless variety. There are many things you might love about shopping on your laptop, but even 5.1 million pixels can’t replicate the experience of perusing a beautifully crafted boutique. Capitalising on this truth is East Prahran’s Eliza Baker, which merges old world charm with contemporary...
Do you believe there’s only one out there for you? Or perhaps you like to string a few along — one to impress your colleagues and one for after hours? Whatever your relationship with handbags, sterling & hyde will enrich it. Particularly if you like them European. The Italian leather brainchild of Victoria’s Amy...
Take a swanky bachelor pad, remove the bottles of Glenfiddich and add a neatly stacked selection of sharply tailored shirts. Tennis legend turned fashion forefather Fred Perry has moved into a slick new home on Little Collins, bringing his innate sense of Brit cool to the streets of Melbourne. With stripped back timber flooring,...
