The Ultimate Guide to the Southside of the City (and Why THE LUME Needs to Be at the Top of Your Hit List)
If you're planning a well-deserved spring trip into the city, make a day of it with our roundup of the hottest spots.
With September heralding a welcome dose of warmer weather, it’s the ideal time for Melburnians to venture out into the city again. There are restaurants and bars, globally-renowned theatre shows and plenty of walkable areas ideal for a springtime wander.
Sometimes overlooked as the CBD’s younger sibling, Southbank and surrounds — the eclectic ‘hood just south of the city — offers plenty to discover for locals and visitors alike. Visiting the area solo? With friends and family? Explore everything from immersive galleries, top-rated food and drink spots, the retail spoils of DFO South Wharf and al fresco stages hosting live performances.
With the support of THE LUME, Southbank’s immersive digital art gallery, we’ve gathered a top-notch hit list for the southside of Melbourne CBD.
Step inside the art
If you’ve always wanted to step inside the art, the only place to start is THE LUME Melbourne. The 3000-square-metre, 11-metre-high immersive digital art gallery, located inside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, is the first of its kind in Australia. The part-gallery, part-digital theatre is a walkable, larger-than-life multisensory space.
The inaugural experience, Van Gogh, is on until Sunday, October 9 and brings the works of the famous post-impressionist artist to life. Van Gogh’s signature deep blues and swirls of pastel are projected onto every surface in the staggering space, allowing you to quite literally step into The Starry Night or Café Terrace at Night.
It’s as up close as you can get, something you definitely can’t do at a museum. And if your favourite piece is Sunflowers, prepare to be delighted by infinite mirrored fields of the bold yellow blooms.
At every turn, visitors can see all the little details — along with accompanying soundscapes and aromas. It’s as aesthetically pleasing as they come, so expect to be adding your trip to your feed instantly.
Afternoon refuel
If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, afternoon tea at The Langham is a very good place to start. The menu — which is designed by the hotel’s team of highly skilled pastry chefs — has a refreshingly modern twist, and savoury snacks to join the sugar and spice.
The in-house tea sommeliers will help you choose a blend that’s right for you, then you’ll be left to sample British classics (like freshly baked scones) and a couple of the more elevated offerings. The menu runs to ginger and rose madeleines and layers of fruity trifle, along with lime-cured scallop ceviche and saffron arancini.
Looking for something bigger? Located just back from the river, Pure South offers a glorious spot for lunch. The modern eatery draws inspiration from the farmers, fishermen and artisan producers from the south of Tasmania. Options include King Island beef and oysters flown in from St Helens on an all-day menu that’s deliciously complemented by a cityscape backdrop and relaxed atmosphere.
Bird's-eye viewing
Getting a different point of view is never a bad idea — and the same goes for seeing the city from a brand new perspective. This is a fact on show at Melbourne Skydeck, the southern hemisphere’s highest observation deck. Watching the sun slowly set over the urban skyline — drink in hand, if you please — is a spectacular way to round out the daylight hours.
That said, you’re guaranteed a winning view any time you visit. Head upwards just to enjoy the sights or sip cocktails in the clouds at Bar 88. Or, put any fears to the side and step out over the buzzing streets below at the Edge, the sky-high glass cube dizzily suspended nearly 300m above the ground.
Dinner and drinks
Dining on this side of the Yarra offers fine dining aplenty, so if you like things a little fancy most bases are covered. Within this realm — and the Crown — sits Gradi, the outpost of the Brunswick East favourite 400 Gradi. Wood-fire ovens ablaze, its internationally awarded margherita pizza is a must-try, closely followed by a bowl of pillow-soft gnocchi topped with braised beef cheek, a rich red wine sauce and shaved pecorino.
Hankering for a brew? Head to the easy breezy Hopscotch. With 52 taps ready to pour, you’re likely to find a fave — plus, there’s an onsite microbrewery, which is as close to the grain-to-glass action as you can get in the city. There’s a lineup of funky snacks to soak it all up, too. Ramen fried chicken, perhaps? Or a mushroom bao?
For waterside wines or a consciously crafted cocktail, head to Ponyfish Island. Drink in the city view from atop the venue’s deck and hold a glass to the warmer months.
Showtime
Why not organise a day of exploring around a live event? Head to the Malthouse Theatre for your pick from a wide-ranging bill of productions.
This contemporary performing arts space is dedicated to storytelling — “stories untold, stories well-loved, stories remixed, stories from the margins and the middle”. Both both local and international talents front up productions like K-Box, the humour-filled production about a 30-year-old Korean adoptee, and Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner, the piece from award-winning playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones.
This side of the Yarra has something for everyone, and makes for a winning day out — it’s time to pick a date and get yourself there.
Van Gogh at THE LUME is on until Sunday, October 9. Head to the website to book your tickets and kickstart your south-of-the-city explorations.