For many people visiting Melbourne, their first port of call is the beautiful coastal suburb of Port Melbourne. Home to a mix of high-rise apartments, converted warehouses and restored workers cottages, residents sure know how to take full advantage of their bay and beach surrounds, enjoying daily sporting activities all year round, including cycling, sailing, kayaking and water skiing.
But it’s in the summertime that Port Melbourne really comes to life. When the sun is shining, there’s a world of fun for everyone! Here are some of my insider tips on what to do, see and experience this summer in Port Melbourne.
7 reasons to visit Port Melbourne
Get your shop on in Bay Street
Running through the heart of the suburb, Bay Street has an endless line up of trendy cafes, fashion boutiques, beauty salons, restaurants and modern bars. With the arrival of warm weather, it’s the best time of the year to hit the street, go on a shopping haul or cafe hop.
Some of my must-visit shops include Shoes and the City, Blow Dry Bar and Hunky Dory (for Melbourne’s best fish and chips) which leads me to my next insider tip…
Enjoy fish and chips on the beach
What better way to celebrate summer than with Fish and Chips on the beach! Get settled on your towel and watch the sailing boats in action, or you may even catch the Spirit of Tasmania departing the pier.
Port Melbourne Beach is a great place to spend a day with your friends and family. Round up your squad and enjoy an afternoon of beach cricket, soccer or volleyball with some tunes playing under your umbrella. It’s a regular hot spot for me and my family, as the calm bay water is ideal for toddlers including my kids, who love to take along their kites and buckets and spades each time we visit.
Indulge in the ultimate dessert burger
Put on your stretchy pants and get set to indulge in the ultimate fairy floss dessert burger at Long Story Short cafe. It’s the perfect naughty treat to accompany your breakfast porridge and taro latte.
The chic, modern cafe is located on Crockford Street across the road from Play Central, one of our favourite play centres in Melbourne. So grab yourself a delicious brunch at LSS before heading over the road with the kids where they’ll enjoy hours of fun (tip: it’s a must-visit on scorching hot days to escape the sun, your kids will love the dodgem cars, exploring the volcano climbing mountain and the mini city supermarket).
Dine out in style
Port Melbourne is home to an endless list of dining options. The bayside location makes it the ideal place to head out in style and here are two of my favourite places for you to try >
For South East Asian flavours, head along to Tenpin. Set on Beach Street, it’s a great spot to grab some dinner whilst watching a beautiful sunset. The venue was christened Tenpin after some old signage from Mentone’s Tenpin Bowling Club was discovered and relocated to the new home of Tenpin by it’s owners. This dynamic restaurant has a menu which focuses on amazing Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian fare.
Next up is Latin American Restaurant, Corte. Honouring the history of its location, Corte (Spanish for courthouse) was built in 1860’s and is a rustic-chic eatery, serving up delicious tapas and a fabulous list of cocktails (including the best mojitos). This summer, be sure to grab yourself a table in their garden courtyard, it’s a fabulous way to enjoy a balmy Friday evening, or a night out with the girls.
Spin your way into summer fitness
Calling the Bodhi & Ride cycle class a cycle class, is just not right… It doesn’t do it justice one bit. It’s more like a party. Strobe lights and all, this cycle session combined with an upper body weight workout, has you dancing in your seat the whole time. Trust me, you haven’t experienced anything like it!
This ride, yoga and meditation studio is a Port Melbourne hot spot for anyone chasing a #fitspo moment. It’s a game-changer on the Melbourne scene, and don’t just take my word for it, take our go-to personal trainer Pia Therese’s word for it! She says… “If you would like to party while you workout, or have an experience that you will never forget, then head to Bodhi & Ride. You are guaranteed to have the ride of your life!”
Sunday Sessions and historical tales of ‘ole.
Port Melbourne is one of the best Melbourne suburbs for a ‘Sunday Session’, with a pub to be found on nearly every corner. Some of my favourites include The Local, the Prince Alfred and the Pier Port Melbourne.
Before you settle in for the afternoon with a brew and a parma, be sure to check out the famous bottle artworks on the Pickles Street apartments (which was originally known as the Joshua Brothers distillery). The building dates back to the 1890s and the artworks were added to the facade in the 1960s (when United Distillers occupied the site) and used its walls as a gigantic billboard. They are the largest advertising signage ever displayed in our state – fun fact for a nerdy graphic designer, such as yours truly.
I love that the developer has retained the fading ads in the design of the apartment block. Cheers to living in a gin bottle!
Princes Pier
Princes Pier is one of Melbourne’s most instagrammable hot spots. In the summertime, it’s the perfect place to watch the famous bay sunset or simply sit and look across to the docked Spirit of Tasmania ferry.
It’s a great place to go fishing, or rollerblade around the fully restored, green, entrance gatehouse. The $60 million restoration has given the pier a refreshing facelift, making it a must-visit this summer.
Check out the Explore Port Phillip website and follow @exploreportphillip on Instagram and Facebook for more exciting happenings throughout the City of Port Phillip this summer.
This post is proudly brought to you by the City of Port Phillip.
What else to do in Melbourne >
Armstrong
The cover photo is completely interesting. I live in Port Melbourne and I’ve got no idea what all those things are in the water.
Emily Collie
That’s at Princes Pier – the timber pillars are the remains of the original wooden pillars forming the pier which was constructed between 1912 and 1915 by the Melbourne Harbour Trust, to supplement the adjacent Station Pier (originally the ‘Railway Pier’).