A Trip Down Under: My Guide
Incase you missed it I recently visited Australia. I flew to Melbourne for the Formula One Grand Prix, on the days I wasn’t in the Paddock I spent exploring and eating. We also decided to fly to Sydney to make the most of travelling 26 hours across the world where I continued to eat, explore and shop. Before we flew I asked my IG followers for their best recommendations and I was inundated with amazing suggestions so I thought I’d cherry-pick my favourite spots for you incase you’re planning a trip down under…
In Sydney we stayed at Hotel Ravesis which had the most gorgeous balcony views of Bondi beach. It tended to get quite lively at night which we liked. The food and drink was so good.
THE FOOD.
The Aussies are notorious for food particularly brunch (I think they invented it!), so I took my research very seriously to find the best recipes for my next dinner parties & brunches.
Let’s start with brunch…
Harry’s Bondi (Sydney) - Our favourite, get their strawberry matcha, fish tacos or prawn omelette
Speedo’s Cafe (Sydney) - With views of Bondi beach and açai bowls to die for, it’s a must visit.
Blackwood (Sydney) - Another favourite, less touristy, lowkey but the most amazing food with indoor/outdoor seating
Other recommended spots in Sydney: Bill’s, Bare naked bowls, Ciao Bella, Preach & Bondi Pavilion.
Now onto dinner…
Supernormal (Melbourne) - Get their super famous duck & bao buns
Lucy Liu (Melbourne) - A nice and lively spot in town for a dinner with friends or date night. Order the Kingfish sashimi, Banana fritters and King prawns.
The Corner House (Sydney) - This is our favourite Italian. The best for people watching, good wine and overall a lovely relaxed atmosphere.
Totti’s (Sydney)- A super popular spot, go for their classic buratta, fresh tomatoes and pizza bread for sharing. We also had the most amazing lamb ragu pappardelle and shared a fish dish.
LULU (Sydney) - The perfect restaurant for a weekend treat with glamorous interiors and well-dressed guests. LULU serves up a Pan Asian cuisine and the most amazing sushi. Order their signature twist on prawn toast with caviar.
Ikaria (Sydney) - My favourite restaurant we tried, delicious greek food, ask for a table in the window and visit at sunset, gorgeous modern cocktails, lovely sharing concept food, excellent staff and buzzy atmosphere.
Followed by a drink…
Bondi Icebergs - It had the best vibe & we managed to get an outdoor seat with the prettiest view at sunset with no reservation.
Ikaria - A restaurant but the cocktails were amazing and such good views.
Finish off with…
A scoop or two of gelato from Mapo Bondi.
THINGS TO DO THAT DON’T INVOLVE EATING:
To shake off jet lag and work off all the food I ate I attended some Pilates classes. AP Pilates in Melbourne which was a reformer based class and Fluidform (they have lots of locations but I visited their new Bondi Beach studio), I’ve tried their online classes and loved them so was so excited to try IRL.
In Sydney…
Run (or walk) from Coogee beach to Bondi beach for the most amazing views
Head to the National park
In Melbourne…
Shop at Emporium Shopping Centre - You can visit Kookai, Aje and Zimmerman here
Watch a Game of Aussie Rules (AFL)
MY SPRING/SUMMER WARDROBE:
I follow so many Australian brands and have always wanted to purchase bits from but I just can’t justify the import tax so I made it a high priority to visit those brands to find some new Spring/Summer hosting outfits (as well as source some pieces for my friends who sent me loooong wish lists)
My favourite shops
Dissh - Elevated everyday pieces
Kookai - Perfect smart casual capsule wardrobe
Venroy - Linen is their core fabric, refined and relaxed silhouettes.
Sir The Label - Unique pieces, similar vibe to Reformation
My favourite outfits of the holiday…
I also really struggled packing as I was worried Australian summer would be over and it’s been a while since I’ve had to pack for two weeks but with the help of my most fashionable friend I organised lots of options which was a saviour. After my trip so many people asked me to share where they were my outfits were from, so I thought pop them all here for ease.
Outfit 1 - Rat & Boa dress, Emi Jay clip, Cult Gaia (dupe here)
Outfit 2 - Rixo dress, Nanushka bag, Toteme heels, Saise scrunchy (Exact and dupe here)
Outfit 3 - Dissh Crochet dress, Toteme flip flops, Celine sunnies (dupe here)
With love,
Matilda x
