Episode 15: Famous streets

Giaan Rooney sips a cocktail at a Bridport Street bar

Bridport Street, Albert Park

Bridport Street in Albert Park is all about quality, not quantity. You'll find an eclectic mix of the artistic and alternative, including fascinating book shops, innovative butchers, gorgeous card shops and wonderful beauty centres.

For a morning coffee you can't go past the Yellow Door Café. Moving on, Skinologie is the only place in Australia that has a revolutionary new product that sees everything put on your face is edible, guaranteeing to boost the natural rejuvenating properties of your skin. When the old tummy starts to rumble, head to Lord Cardigan for a super lunch. With its walnut furniture and home made pastries this place has a real homely atmosphere. Searching for a party frock or two? Galleri is where unique one-off' pieces are found. With the cocktail dress in the bag it's time for a drink, and over at the Otis Bar they pride themselves on a gargantuan menu full of luscious liqueurs and colourful cocktails.

Yellow Door Café
146 Bridport Street, Albert Park
Ph: 03 9686 1045
www.yellowdoorcafe.com.au

Skinologie
160 Bridport Street, Albert Park
Ph: 03 9699 2999
www.skinologie.com.au

Lord Cardigan Restaurant
59 Cardigan Place, Albert Park
Ph: 03 9645 5305
www.lordcardigan.com.au

Galleri
172 Bridport Street, Albert Park
Ph: 03 9699 6066

Otis Bar
123- 125 Bridport Street, Albert Park
Ph: 03 9699 7757

Glen playing guitar at a Brunswick Street shop

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Stumped with where to start on Brunswick Street? How about with a drink at Little Creatures Dining Hall, where they pour the freshest hops in town? If you're after some retail therapy, this place has everything.

Besides all the food and fashion, you can find the perfect gift that will sound like music to your ears. The best place to rock it out is Gallins Guitars, which has been selling instruments in Melbourne for over 15 years. Music lovers will also get a kick out of Polyester Records, where you can get brand new re-released vinyl albums as well as the old classics. But for those who like it live you can't go past the Evelyn Hotel. This place is a mecca for live music and it's where Glen caught up with Jaime Reyne and Vinny Daniele from Melbourne band Rushcutter.

If all your rocking and rolling has put you in the dog house, flowers from Vasette would surely get you back in the good books. Brunswick Street is home to some of the best restaurants in Melbourne. If you're a fan of Panama Dining Room and Vegi Bar then you'll love new hot spot, St Jude's Cellars.

For more information on all the places we featured in this story please visit:
www.brunswickstreet.com.au

www.myspace.com/rushcutter

Lauren and Brodie share sweet treats at a Chapel Street cafe

Chapel Street, Windsor

Chapel Street Windsor may be undergoing a bit of a rebirth, but Paterson's Cakes is sticking to its original recipes. That means you can still enjoy the same cakes, pastries and savories that have been selling like hotcakes since 1919.

Across the road at Tarlo and Graham, everything old is new again. With its suitably vintage storefront, this is an old wares wonderland where the eclectic, electric and eccentric await a new life. The collection there is immense but this is not your average antique store. A lot of time has been invested in combining the weird with the wonderful, and all of the items are totally unique. This is probably the only place where you could find taxidermy sharing shelf space with vintage sporting equipment, musical instruments, medical collections and mousetraps.

The new kid on the block is Dansk. This brand new Danish clothing boutique is embracing a bit of a forest feel, and its northern European style fits right in to Melbourne's fashion landscape. The hand-picked Scandinavian labels like Minimum, Tiger of Sweden and D.co Copenhagen, have a cult following in Europe but come to Australia in limited quantities.

Paterson's Cakes
117 Chapel Street, Windsor
Ph: 03 9510 8541
www.patersonscakes.com.au

Tarlo & Graham
60 Chapel Street, Windsor
Ph: 03 9521 2221

Dansk
113 Chapel Street, Windsor
Ph: 03 9533 9134

Sydney Road, Brunswick

Sydney Road Brunswick is the longest shopping strip in the southern hemisphere, and it's synonymous with multicultural Melbourne.

If a food type goes with coffee, you'll find it at French patisserie Choukette. Since opening in December staff have been busily baking everything that's French. There are buttery croissants, creamy chocolate cakes, crusty baguettes and mouth watering multi coloured macaroons.

Let us also introduce you to Ray Pereira's School of Percussion, a 90-minute African drumming workshop on the corner of Sydney Road and Phoenix Street. The philosophy is simple, you have one drum, two hands and you bang them together and feel the rhythm.

But let's not forget the tiny little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, where you find tasty flavours that you need to tell everybody about. The owners of Brothers Ouzeri will find any excuse to drag out the ouzo in their very popular Greek Taverna, but its Mama Maria who has been wooing customers with her rustic goat and potato dish.

Choukette
318 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Ph: 03 9380 8680
www.choukette.com.au

Ray Pereira Drumming Workshop
21 Phoenix Street, Brunswick
Ph: 0403 198 223
www.raypereira.com

Brothers Ouzeri
722 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Ph: 03 9386 4178

Crossley Street, Melbourne

Melbourne's downtown CBD is home to some of the best streets in Victoria and Crossley Street, just off Bourke Street, is no exception. There's food, fashion and art; what more could a girl want?

Madam Virtue and Co is the ultimate fashion fix, and stocks an incredible repertoire of designer labels. From a treasure trove of frocks and accessories to some must-have collectibles. Suzie's next port of call in the street is De Mille Decorative and Fine Arts. To finish the day with some fabulous food, Suzie heads down to Asian-inspired restaurant Gingerboy, which offers dining over two levels. The acclaimed eatery is a Teague Ezard establishment, with Chris Donnellan as head chef.

Madam Virtue and Co
5 Crossley Street, city
Ph: 9663 8669
www.madamvirtue.com.au

De Mille Decorative and Fine Arts
7 Crossley Street, city
Ph: 9663 9666

Gingerboy
27 29 Crossley Street, Melbourne
Ph: 03 9662 4200
www.gingerboy.com.au

What's on

Snow Season Opening Weekend
Snow bunnies will be happy to know that next weekend officially marks the start of Victoria's snow season, with a wide variety of celebrations and activities at all ski resorts.

Where: Victorian resorts
When: 6 - 8 June 2009
More: Visit www.skivic.com

Winter weekends
It's winter tomorrow and that means time to enjoy a series of four weekend festivals in the beautiful town of Port Fairy. Next weekend's theme is Comedy, Art and Jazz.

Where: Port Fairy
When: 5 - 7 June 2009
More: Visit www.visitportfairy.com.au

Rutherglen Winery Walkabout
If you're around the Rutherglen region don't miss the last day of the Winery Walkabout with tastings on offer at each of the 21 participating wineries.

Where: Rutherglen
When: Until June 9 2008
More: www.rutherglenvic.com