Daily Detours for the Week of November 6

Board games are back in vogue and Fitzroy’s newly opened Queen of Spades has got all your tabletop games needs sorted. Following a successful pop-up stint in 2016, owner David Quin found the café and bar a permanent home on Smith Street this past July, quickly becoming a hit amongst locals. We aren’t just talking Connect 4 and Jenga here, but an assortment of board and card games that caters to everyone — from those just after a simple game of Uno, as well as seasoned ‘tabletopers’ battling in advanced games such as Settlers of Catan, The Princes of Florence and A Game of Thrones. Queen of Spades knows that outwitting your opponents can be strenuous work and they’ve got you covered with expertly made coffee and an evening menu that features a range of hearty burgers, deep-friend crumbed brie and Georgian meatballs. Staff are always on hand to keep you topped up — as well as settle any disputes over the rules.

Melbourne Cup not really your thing? If you’d rather be outdoors than cooped up inside watching the races, take advantage of the public holiday to get your nature fix with a ride along the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail. Pack a picnic, some water and your bike, and drive over to this iconic 40-kilometre path that’ll have you testing the gears on your bike (and the muscles in your calves) as you climb and fly from mountain to valley to river. Following the historical railway, the trail winds through the vineyards of the Yarra Valley, over quaint bridges, and through lush forests, before finishing at the picturesque little town of Warburton.

Image: Brook James.

If it’s one of those weeks that feels like an eternity when the weekend is barely in sight, it’s time to up your relaxation game with a session in a float tank. Beyond Rest is a gorgeously-designed space — all low lighting and clean lines — in Prahran, where a 60-minute float will set you back $79. First time giving flotation a try? Expect to spend about an hour bobbing in an egg-shaped bath filled with warm water and heaps of Epsom salts. Designed to block out all external distractions and give a sensation of weightlessness, flotation has been shown to alleviate aches, stress, anxiety and depression, and even stimulate creativity. Just what your mid-week slump needs.

Matt Yazbek’s new venture, Tokosan, is the perfect place to spend your Thursday evening. Celebrate almost-Friday in the karaoke room, bookable for functions of 20 people, and give your lungs workout. When you’ve worked up an appetite singing Back Street Boys and Prince, make a beeline for the menu. The pub-style Japanese menu features sticky grilled pork ribs with a jacket potato, Japanese-style chicken burgers and popcorn shrimp with spicy aioli.

Italy, eat your heart out. According to the experts, our fair city is home to the best pizza in the world. To get your hands on the faultless stuff, make your way to 400 Gradi, where the man who won the 2014 World Pizza Championships serves up his award-winning fare to the Melbourne masses. Expect light, yeasty bases cooked to perfection and topped with delights like creamy buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto or marzano tomato. Simplicity is king here, though, with the margherita coming out tops. Follow up your feast with gelato at sister spot Zero Gradi, where classic flavours like pistachio and espresso are served alongside seasonal options. Produced in-store daily and topped with whipped cream, this is Italian gelato at some of its most delicious.

You might recall this deconstructed coffee causing a bit of a stir last year with pictures setting social media ablaze, leading to declarations that ‘hipsterdom’ had finally gone too far and that the apocalypse was nigh. But one year later, we’re still here, and the deconstructed coffee — or a long macchiato separated into three beakers of espresso, milk and water — has gone on to become quite the hit. Deconstructed coffee has been around for a few years now, first popping up in Seattle, New York and parts of Europe, but Abbotsford café and furniture showroom The Kitchen at Weylandts is where to give it a shot in Melbourne. The idea behind deconstructed coffee is aimed at appeasing coffee snobs, giving you the option to combine the elements to suit your own tastes. Don’t forget to check out the furniture – Weylandts is a South African designer that for more than 60 years have been combining Scandinavian influences with an African heartbeat.

Take advantage of the Sunday sunshine and gather your mates for an afternoon of bowls at the Fitzroy Victoria Bowls Club. Whether you’re an aficionado or barely understand the rules of the game, you’ll love this iconic spot that’s the self-proclaimed unofficial home of barefoot bowls. This Melbourne institution offers lawn and ball hire in two-hour blocks for $20 per person, and has space aplenty for between-game picnicking and relaxation. If this century-old sport isn’t really your thing, though, no worries. Just grab some of their classic pub fare from the bar and watch your mates battle it out.

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By Yelena Bide and Hudson Brown.