No one will believe you’ve been to Melbourne if you go home without caffeine stains on your teeth. Go on, ask anyone. The two things that symbolise Melbourne more effectively than the cheese sticks at the entrance to Tullamarine Freeway, are 1) laneways and 2) cafes.

If you’re not sure where to start your caffeine investigation, check out our suggestions to the left for some of the best brews in the city.  Of course coffee is very personal, so if you don’t agree with our findings, or you’ve stumbled upon somewhere you think should be on the list and isn’t, do drop us a line (or post to our facebook page).

And if you feel you’ve imbibed enough caffeine-laced fumes and watched as many coffee art kings as any visitor to this lovely city can manage, then you might consider upping the ante and learning how to do it yourself.

Tucked away in West Melbourne – not far from the CBD, and a short 10 minute tram ride from Apartment Alkira – is the Australian Barista Academy.  Sounds a bit serious doesn’t it?  Well they do take their drug of choice very seriously.  Apparently their instructors have collectively won over 15 Barista Competitions.  They run classes from the basics to specialty brewing with costs range from $150-$190.  Most classes are half day.

Check out their website for more information here *which is also where we stole this fabby pic from.

Brought to you by Apartment Alkira, one very stylish Serviced Apartment in Melbourne’s CBD. She has a penchant for lovely creamy lattes.

Aptly named, the ‘Bazaar’ will indeed furnish you with many amazing, never-to-be-seen again items.  Other pieces may leave you tilting your head to the side like a cocker spaniel, trying to figure out why on earth anyone would pay good money for….. (insert details here).

It’s that sort of place – unpredictable, intriguing, and capable of fuelling an entire afternoon of conversation about something your nana once owned, which you now wish you’d kept.

There are 70 separate stalls, it’s open from 10-6 every day, very easy to find (any tram from the CBD heading down Chapel Street, Prahran will get you there) and its flanked by zillions of cafes to keep you fuelled for the adventure. Resistance is futile.

17 Chapel Street
Prahran VIC, 3181
03 9529 1727
chapbaz@yahoo.com.au

Odd bits and pieces about Melbourne’s treasures, brought to you by Apartment Alkira, a quirky alternative to the last bland serviced apartment or hotel you stayed in.

Hosted at the quirky Kino cinema – a short 10 minute walk from the apartment – this year’s festival runs through to April 30th and has some charming  movies on the programme.  Screen times can change at the last minute so it’s best to check the Website for timings.  Festival Website.

Another wet weather option brought to you by the people who know Melbourne’s weather well, Apartment Alkira, Serviced Apartment in Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria.

If you like your comedy to come with a side order of jazz and your cleverly scripted repartee to come with an accompaniment of off-the-wall improv, then the The Horne Section will be the highlight of your 2012 Spiegeltent line up.

Cheeky and quirky in equal measures,  Alex and his five-piece band of merry men will have you giggling all night.   Afterwards, wandering around the prettily lit Arts precinct with the flush of endorphins in your system you’ll find yourself trying to recall exactly what they did that was so ‘hilarious’.  Chances are you won’t be able to.  And that’s the joy of the show.  Odd and mesmerising and completely ephemeral, it’s definitely a ‘you had to be there’ kinda show.  Enjoy.

Details here.

12-22 April
The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre
100 St Kilda Road,
Melbourne, Victoria

Check back regularly for more tips and tricks for exploring Melbourne and finding out what’s on, where and when.
Brought to you by Apartment Alkira, a quirky little Serviced Apartment with a good sense of humour in Melbourne’s CBD.

Winding down the infamous laneways and weaving through hidden rooftop bars and quirky cafes, the app takes you on a whirlwind tour of the city.  Great for anyone doing a short stay in Melbourne, relocating to the capital of Victoria or even locals who want to rediscover her charm. This app is gloriously free and Marvellously Melbourne.

Check it out here.

More nifty Melbourne resources brought to you by one of the city’s quirkiest holiday apartments, Apartment Alkira, Queen Street, Melbourne City

You know it’s time for Melbourne’s best comedians to show their spotty faces when the weather slides from shimmery sunny days into heavy grey skies and the world takes on a decidedly glum hue. That’s when the deities decided we’d most need some cheering up and bestowed upon us the Melbourne Comedy Festival.

Running almost a month, the festival showcases a range of acts from cheeky, irreverent young things, to the wiser, snarkier seasoned performers.  You can’t really go wrong with whoever you’re laughing at.  Full details at the Comedy Festival Website  

We love a laugh, we do.  Giggles brought to you by Apartment Alkira, Serviced Apartment specialists to some of the funniest people in Melbourne.

We’re always on the look out for great resources to recommend to Melbourne visitors who are keen to find out what’s on during their stay. There’s the usual weather and day-by-day calendar but also a cute ‘Curiously Melbourne’ section which has slightly off-beat and quirky stories about the city of Melbourne. Definitely worth a squizz.

Click here to go to  Only Melbourne - a great visitor’s guide to marvellous Melbourne.

This blurb is part of our regular posting of tips and hints to help get the most out of your stay in Melbourne. Brought to you by Apartment Alkira, a very swish sort of short stay apartment in Australia’s greatest city, Melbourne

Love and Devotion is a rare and unusual exhibition of more than 60 rare works from the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford, and joins a number of items from the SLV’s own collection. If it’s love and lust in an exotic destination that you’re after, swing by the Swanston Street icon and lose yourself.

There’s a great cafe on the La Trobe street side for replenishing yourself after the immersion – see our review here - Mr Tulk

Brought to you by Melbourne’s serviced apartment specialists, Apartment Alkira

Weather-wise, March is usually still quite nice in Melbourne, but the odd rainy day can pop up out of nowhere and bite you on the bum. If you’ve analysed every 20th century artist the NGV has on offer and have drunk so many lattes your wee smells faintly of caffeine, then consider the rainy day activity of Bread Making.

Brasserie Bread has been based in Sydney for some time and just last year popped its head up in South Melbourne where the buzzy cafe cum bakery has already made a splash. Their artisan bread is giving our local lads a run for their money and they’ve also diversified and on Saturdays and some Wednesdays they also teach eager beavers the gentle art of bread baking.

There’s a special Saturday morning kids class for free, but the adult’s version is $150 for three hours and a couple of loaves at the end of the session.

Check here for more info.

Accommodating all sorts of bread lovers, Apartment Alkira offers a relaxed and stylish base to come home to after a heavy day of kneading.
It’s 10 minutes to South Melbourne from your city base on the 112 tram.

If you’re visiting Melbourne over the next few days you may find yourself tripping over an unusually large number of anorexic waif-like beauties. It’s only fair to let you know however, that they are not a fair representation of the city’s population.

March in Melbourne sees an influx of pastey faces and high cheek-bones as the city’s most significant fashion event unfolds – the LMFF.  The festival runs through to March 15th.  And whilst ‘exclusivity’ is what the fashion industry is all about, there are several events the General Public are able to attend.  So if you feel the need to press the flesh (or bones, as the case may be), with world weary models, check out the events section of the Fashion Festival website here

Guests of all fashion sensibilities are welcome at Melbourne’s Best Serviced Apartment -
Apartment Alkira on Queen Street, Melbourne CBD