Why We Love Melbourne
Our Australian office is based in Melbourne. The city remains, in our view, one of the most quietly excellent cities in the world.
Our Australian office is based in Melbourne. We are biased. But the city remains, in our view, one of the most quietly excellent cities in the world — and one of the most underrated by international luxury travellers, who often default to Sydney.
The food scene.
Melbourne arguably has the strongest restaurant scene of any city in Australia, and the breadth of it is part of what makes it distinctive. The high end is exceptional — Attica, Vue de Monde, Cutler & Co. — but it is the depth below the high end that matters: dozens of restaurants serving food at a level that would be a destination meal in most cities.
Coffee.
This is not a stereotype. The standard of espresso-based coffee in Melbourne is genuinely the highest in any city we know, including in Italy. The everyday café culture is part of the city's character in a way that visitors notice quickly.
The neighbourhoods.
Carlton, Fitzroy, South Yarra, Albert Park, Brunswick — each has a clear character, the housing stock is varied, and a walking tour of any one of them produces small discoveries. This is unlike most Australian cities, where the centre dominates and the suburbs blur.
The art and music.
The National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the live music venues, the small cinemas. Melbourne supports a cultural ecosystem disproportionate to its size.
Where we stay our clients.
The Langham on the river, Como Melbourne in South Yarra, and the United Places Botanic Gardens hotel in South Yarra are the three we choose between most often. The Park Hyatt is reliable. The new W Melbourne adds a different energy.
The day trips.
Mornington Peninsula for hot springs, food and wine. Yarra Valley for vineyards. The Great Ocean Road for coastal landscapes. The Macedon Ranges for cooler-climate vineyards. Any of these makes Melbourne a base for a week, not just a city visit.
For us, Melbourne and Sydney are not in competition — they are different kinds of cities. Sydney is dramatic and easy to photograph. Melbourne reveals itself more slowly, and for many travellers, more deeply.
Let us help you think through it.
We work through these conversations carefully, one journey at a time.
Start Planning