Why Melbourne for the next season of You Deserve To Go?
Firstly, because it’s Melbourne. Arguably Australia’s culinary capital, and a city that takes lunch more seriously than most people take their careers.
Secondly, because of the ads I grew up with. Melbourne was always sold as a city for two: the hidden laneways, the Yarra Valley, the moody weather that practically insists you stay in, or tuck yourself into a cosy bar with someone you love. The couples in those ads looked like they had never once fought over directions.
I absorbed that message the way you absorb most advertising, which is without noticing. Melbourne was somewhere you went with someone.
So I couldn’t help but wonder. What if the someone was just me?
Where I stayed
1 Hotel Melbourne, two nights, $974 ($487 a night).
1 Hotel is a sustainable luxury hotel, which means it’s bougie, but mindful about it. Every room has its own wood panelling, recycled from old buildings that were no longer being used.
There’s a water filter in the room so you can refill your bottle instead of buying plastic. Even the lobby restaurant, From Here By Mike, is built around locally sourced, sustainable ingredients.
Table for one
Maison Bâtard: lunch, $422.
This one is your fault. Yes, you, the people of Instagram. I put a call-out on my stories for where to eat, and you inundated me with this place. Now I understand why.
It’s stunning. Dark hues, white tablecloths, low lighting, attentive service: a dream of a bougie venue. But the upstairs rooftop garden is by far the best seat in the house. Beeline there.
If you’re in a rush, get the burger. I was not in a rush. I ordered the martini, the mousse, the spanner crab linguine and the steak frites. If it was on the menu, I ordered it. Hence the $422, about which I have no further comment.
Cafe Florentino: lunch, $62.50. It’s been around for almost a century, which in restaurant years is basically immortal.
From Here By Mike: dinner, $148, without leaving the hotel.
More on eating alone (and actually enjoying it) in Table for one.
What I did
The Augustinus Bader facial at MECCA Aesthetica: $350.
Do you want Gen Z skin on an elder millennial budget? This will get you there. I have never had such a gravity-defying experience. My face lifted about 12 floors. Augustinus Bader is all about hydration, and it shows.
Yes, it’s $350. But that’s cheaper than most therapists, so you tell me which is more fun.
If you only have time for one
Honestly, I wouldn’t skip anything. But if you can only fit in one of Cafe Florentino or From Here By Mike, here’s how I’d choose. Florentino for the history. From Here By Mike for the most inventive menu I’ve ever tasted. Ask yourself which you’re in the mood for, and go with that.
The nerves
Nil. This is Melbourne, one of the most accessible cities in Australia.
The only things I was nervous about were the cab fare from the airport, which is notoriously far out of the city, and the weather. So pack a coat, no matter what the forecast says.
What it actually cost
Two nights, flying from Brisbane.
| Return flights with Qantas | $481.90 |
| 1 Hotel Melbourne, two nights | $974.00 |
| Food and drink | $632.50 |
| Augustinus Bader facial | $350.00 |
| Ubers (including to and from both airports) | $291.40 |
| Total | $2,729.80 |
A little more than Hobart, almost entirely because of one lunch. Prices are what I paid at the time, so check before you book.
What I packed
Everything I take on a solo trip lives in The Solo Travel Kit. Coat included.
Watch the series
xox Meghan
