24 hours in Melbourne

As Dave and I have welcomed a chocolate labrador puppy into our lives this weekend (welcome Moose!), we thought we'd make the most of our freedom last weekend and flew to Melbourne for a brief, but fun, weekend of eating and shopping.




Arriving in the city early on Saturday, and leaving after breakfast on Sunday, we really only had about 24 hours to fit in some lovely meals at a few cafes and restaurants, along with a bit of shopping on the side. Below is a snapshot of the awesome spots we visited.

 

Saturday brunch at Higher Ground

A couple of friends had recommended visiting Higher Ground for breakfast, so when we turned up just after 9am and managed to get a table pretty much straight away, I was happy. Having stalked their Instagram page earlier that morning, I knew I had to order their ricotta hotcake with maple syrup, seeds and grains, cream, seasonal fruits and flowers. Dave decided to order the spiced cauliflower with scrambled eggs, curry leaf, roasted chilli and housemade flat bread (after getting food envy from the couple next to us).


Not only was the food delicious, but their coffee was also amazing. We were definitely glad we got there when we did, as there was a pretty long queue forming as we waited for our meals.

Saturday lunch at Mamasita

This is an old favourite, but we knew we wouldn't be disappointed with Mamasita. As we were still fairly full from brunch, we decided just to get the corn with parmesan, lime and chipotle mayo, and a couple of tacos each - I went for the beef and grilled fish, while Dave had the beef and pork. We also couldn't go past the caramel popcorn icecream for a bit of dessert.

 

Saturday dinner at Sake

Having been to Sake in Sydney a few years ago, I was keen to try out their Melbourne restaurant (that, combined with the fact that I really miss good sushi in Tassie). The standout dish was definitely their prawn and coriander bao, which was one of their specials. We also ordered the rainbow sushi roll, some salmon and tuna nigiri, and the steamed prawn shumai. While the food was good, I do think their Sydney restaurant is better. Also, one thing to note - if offered some edamame and pickled vegetables upon arrival, be aware that you will be charged $16 for them when the bill comes. A little sneaky.

Dessert at Gelato Messina

There was no way I was going to Melbourne without a trip to Messina. Enough said.

Sunday brunch at Rustica Canteen

A friend who grew up in Melbourne suggested we try Rustica Canteen for breakfast, so we ventured here on Sunday morning for brunch to meet up with Dave's parents (who were coincidentally in Melbourne that weekend as well), before heading to the airport for our flight home. I chose to go with the brekky board, which came with smashed avocado, poached egg and tomatoes on toast, bircher muesli and fresh orange juice. Dave opted for the poached eggs, mushrooms and pesto on sourdough toast.

Although I have so many favourite places in Melbourne, it's always good to try out some new spots, and even though we only had 24 hours there this time, I'm so glad that we could revisit some of our old favourites while checking out a few new ones as well.