9 reasons to extend your stay in Melbourne now that the AO is over

Don’t cry because it’s over, Melbourne has more to serve up than just tennis.

There is an electric energy that radiates through the city well before the first ball is served at Melbourne Park, and it doesn’t end when the last call of game set match is heard at Rod Laver Arena. Whether you’re weaving through the art-clad laneways in search of coffee or sipping limoncello spritzes by the Yarra River, Melbourne in summer is a city reborn. And it’s still ripe for the picking – starting right here, with this round-up of summer-leaning experiences that prove Melbourne has more to give.

1. Experience Yayoi Kusama at the NGV

the Infinity Mirror Room, Yayoi Kusama at the National Gallery of Victoria — The Infinity Mirrored Room experience is just one of several immersive rooms. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Aside from the AO, the hottest ticket of the season is the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the NGV International . It’s time to swap courtside action for Kusama’s dancing pumpkins, immersive installations and iconic infinity rooms.

Spanning the entire ground floor of the NGV and comprising nearly 200 works, this is the largest exhibition of Kusama’s work presented in Australia and one of her most comprehensive retrospectives in the world.

There are several iconic works on display for free, including the towering form of the Dancing Pumpkin (now part of the gallery’s permanent collection) and the silver balls of Narcissus Garden. Kids can also enjoy the Obliteration Room before moving into the ticketed exhibit.

Expect a diversity of media, from painting to sculpture to installation to video work to performance and wearable materials, but the real drawcard is the format for which she is arguably most celebrated for today: immersive environments. There are 10 to explore in the exhibit including rooms of infinity mirrors, rotating chandeliers, inflatables with red and white polka dots and many more.

Exhibition ends April 21, 2025

2. Explore the outer neighbourhoods

Street art on a wall in Fitzroy — Fitzroy is one of the northern Melbourne suburbs to add to your must-visit list.(Image: Visit Victoria)

If you’re staying in the CBD, jump on a tram and explore the surrounding neighbourhoods. No matter which direction you head, you won’t be disappointed. From the south-east beachside suburbs of St Kilda and Elwood (yes, Melbourne does have some pretty great beaches) and the upscale shopping strips of Toorak Road and Chapel Street to Melbourne’s inner-east for the strip of tasty eateries along Victoria Street known as ‘Little Saigon’. Not to be overlooked, is Melbourne’s eclectic northern suburbs. Foodies in particular should make a beeline for the Italian restaurants of ‘Little Italy’ (aka Carlton), and the extensive mix of cuisines that line the streets of Fitzroy and Brunswick.

3. Find out what the StandardX is all about

the StandardX rooftop, Fitzroy — Soak up the city skyline from the StandardX rooftop. (Image: Katie Carlin)

It’s the first of its kind in the world and as the little sister to the world-renowned Standard Hotels, it’s fitting that the StandardX opened in Fitzroy, one of Melbourne’s coolest suburbs. But why the hype? Things are done a little differently here. From the eye-catching rusted exterior to the interior’s Hecker Guthrie-designed public spaces, and the empty minibars that can be filled from the Pantry – located in the lobby.

There’s no gym or pool (or iron in your room) but it does have a scene-stealing rooftop with sweeping views of the Melbourne skyline and a stylish Mexican casa fit-out. There’s also the adjoining BANG restaurant. But really, you just need to experience this place for yourself. Stay on the weekend to take advantage of the Rose St Artist’s Market next door.

4. Dine at the hatted Alta Trattoria

the exterior of Alta Trattoria — Alta Trattoria will instantly transport you to north-west Italy. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Tucked away in a quiet pocket just off Brunswick Street, Alta Trattoria is the kind of place that would fast become your local go-to if you called Fitzroy home.

Restaurateur Carlo Grossi (Ombra, Grossi Florentino) and sommelier James Tait (King and Godfree) remain faithful to the intimate trattorias of Piedmont in northern Italy that Alta is modelled after.

Serving up reliably good pasta, from the surprising Ravioli All’Uovo (who knew pasta with a simple runny egg yolk could be such a flavour bomb?) to heartier, more rustic options like Pappardelle, Salsiccia di Bra with braised fennel, spiced sausage and chicory. Just don’t skip the starters. Barbagiuan – fried ravioli, pumpkin, sage, cannellini, with grated pecorino – is unmissable. Of course, the menu is seasonal, so expect the unexpected.

Whether you’re dining at the bar for a casual date night or spreading out in the dining room with a group, this place is worth the trip to Fitzroy.

5. Limoncello spritz at AFLOAT (and swim in the infinity pool)

AFLOAT Tennis on Deck, Melbourne — The Tennis on Deck screen is gone for another year but the infinity pool remains. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Melbourne’s favourite floating bar and restaurant is open again for the summer – and this year’s theme is Italian beach club. Think island of Capri but on the banks of the Yarra River and you get the drift. The big screen set up for Tennis on Deck might be gone, but the infinity pool remains, so dive in. But the scene isn’t complete without the tipple of the season, their Afloat Limoncello Spritz – a bespoke spritz made in partnership with Zoncello’s homemade Limoncello and available on tap (don’t turn up your nose, I promise it’s the best thing you’ll drink all summer long).

Don’t miss Fotographis – the only floating photobooth in the world. Find the restored 1970s black and white photobooth on the Upper Terrazza (courtesy of Chris Sutherland and Jessie Norman, the duo behind the iconic Flinders Street Photobooth ).

6. Cruise the Yarra onboard a GoBoat

cruising down the Yarra River on a GoBoat — Sail past the bustling waterfront onboard GoBoat. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Hire your own electric picnic boat (no license required) from GoBoat Melbourne for you and up to seven of your friends and cruise the Yarra River towards Docklands or Herring Island. Pack your own picnic to enjoy onboard, choose a route along the river and make the most of those incredible city views.

Prices start from $129 for an hour to $289 for three hours.

7. Bed down in a lush room at the new Melbourne Place

the bedroom interior at the new Melbourne Place — Base yourself in the heart of the city at Melbourne Place. (Image: Anson Smart)

With 14 storeys and three incredible hospitality venues, Melbourne Place has raced to the top of the city’s must-stay lists since throwing open its doors at the end of 2024. Its Russell Street location, close to the shopping hub of Collins and walking distance to many of the city’s highlights, only adds to its appeal.

There are four room types within the 191-room hotel – Everyday, Urban, Suites and the Penthouse – designed by architecture and design practice Kennedy Nolan. Its lavish design makes even the entry-level room feel luxurious, with colour themes of terracotta, rose and moss dominating different rooms – it’s enough to make you want to return again and again to experience them all. I stayed in a moss colour-themed corner suite, the automatic blackout blinds open to reveal incredible views of the city from every angle – even a porthole in the bathroom allows for city views as you shower.

It’s also a drinking and dining destination you can stay at with the Med-inspired open-air terrace restaurant Mid Air on the 12th floor and both Portuguese diner Marmelo (more on this below) and late-night basement bar Mr Mills at ground floor. If you’re still snacky after all that incredible food, take advantage of your mini bar with everything in it except alcohol free of charge.

8. Join a Street Art Tour with Blender Studios

a colourful mural of a child on a wall in Fitzroy — Find world-famous laneways covered in street art. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Fitzroy is awash with street art. You can’t walk a block without a building-sized mural or painted stencil underfoot, but this underground art movement deserves more than a passing glance. Dedicate a couple of hours to exploring Melbourne’s hidden art scene with a Street Art Tour run by Blender Studios.

Tom (aka Akemi) has been a street artist since 2012, his work is primarily stencil-based and sculptural, and his passion for the artform is infectious. He is one of the studio’s many charismatic street artists who lead visitors around Melbourne’s laneways (the only tour in Australia to do so), pointing out art hidden in unsuspecting places – a sculptured packet of fries, a mural behind a bin. You’ll leave with an appreciation for not only the more eye-catching works, but also the font design at the heart of the art form.

9. Book a long lunch at Marmelo.

pasteis de nata at Marmelo, Melbourne — The must-try savoury pastel de nata at Marmelo. (Image: Katie Carlin)

Melbourne’s top restaurants list just got another addition with the opening of Marmelo in December 2024. Helmed by Ross and Sunny Lusted (Sydney’s Woodcut and Aman Resorts), the Portuguese diner (and adjoining late-night basement bar Mr Wills) is the perfect lunchtime retreat after a morning spent exploring Australia’s most walkable city.

Hot items on the menu include salted Murray cod and potato croquette with whipped potato and hot mustard on top, grilled octopus in a Goan curry with lime, cassia and green beans and their savoury take on the much-loved pastel de nata – I tried the custard version topped with crab meat and it is reason enough to dine here. Finish it off with the pint-sized Marmelo ginjinha, a chocolate cup with an Amarena cherry for dessert.

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections .

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

9 reasons to extend your stay in Melbourne after the Australian Open