the travel journal: melbourne, australia

Despite having lived in Australia my whole life, it took me twenty five years before I visited Melbourne. Family and friends always told me how much I would love it - namely because I love food, fashion and art - yet for some reason the timing was never right. It became an ongoing joke that I had never been, until 2023 when I hosted a Kemma popup there, entering the city blind with a vague idea that Melbournians had a level of appreciation for art and homewares unlike anywhere else in Australia. Since then, I have fallen in love with the city and have been back more times than I can count - each trip a new battle to tick off places on my ever expanding ‘Melbourne list’ that lays in my notes app and compiles recommendations for the city from my most trusted sources.

I documented my recent trip to the city in this video, where i discovered some new gems and visited my favourite solo date spots. 

The below list is an effort to share some of my most loved places, that I think you might love too.

Matcha places

• Hikari
• Naau
• Toris
• Meet Forest
• Matcha Kobo
• Osoi

Food spots

• Obanzai Mama
• Iris the Bakery
• Cibi
• Sunhands
• Juniper
• Bakemono
• Florian

Wine Bars 

• Marion
• Neighbourhood Wine
• Napier Quarter
• Kirks

Arts, Crafts & Culture

• National Gallery, Victoria
• State Library
• Carlton Gardens
• Royal Botanic Gardens

Shopping

• The Bead Centre
• Kami Paper
• Zetta Florence
• Happy Valley Bookstore
• Camberwell Sunday Market
• Fitzroy Mills Market
• Swop
• Lost & Found