Eating Out vs. Buying Groceries:

The tricky thing about Melbourne is that everyone eats out! Sure, this doesn’t seem so tricky, except when you see the prices and the frequency and your bank account…and you start to wonder, how the heck does everyone afford it?!

However, the trickiness doesn’t end there. Groceries will seem expensive to the “fresh off” Canadian (as in “fresh off the boat”–an Aussie term for “just arrived”). While this change in pricing is something to get used to, it is not impossible to survive.

The Canadians who best enjoy their meals in Australia stop making economic conversions, and just accept that this is how it is and dig in.

First, I’ll look at the economical aspects of dining out and secondly, buying Groceries in Melbourne [More…]

Tipping:

Minimum wage is about double the minimum wage in Canada – or at least Ontario. It is around $15 in Melbourne and last I checked around $8 in Ontario.

Generally, diners do not tip their servers, but in a more fancy dining experience it is becoming more popular to tip.

What I don’t like about tipping in Canada is that it is expected. So even if you get crappy service you still feel like you have to tip.

That isn’t the case in Australia: the land where nobody gets told what to do.  Whether or not you tip in Melbourne is “your call”.

Melbourne Restaurants:

Melbournians are pretty “chuffed” (Aussie for “excitedly proud”) about the quality of their cuisine. They are constantly being compared to Sydney’s fame (and a wonderfully unique feature of Australia is its serious state competition!).

While much of the food is really great, it is quite expensive to eat in the more popular places.  In the CBD there are a few of these, but the less flash places can be awesome.

Southgate is expensive…but:

The cafeteria which has cheap and yummy sushi if you are on the run.

Because Southgate is along the Yarra, you are paying for the atmosphere, not the food necessarily. Although, I quite like The World and I have heard really good things about the Meat and Wine Company—that’s technically Freshwater Place, I guess it’s kind of the same thing. 

Of course you should dine along the River when you have one night out in Melbourne—it’s in the Lonely Planet!!!

Melbourne Atmosphere:

One thing Melbourne restaurants do really well (that makes you really want to try a place) is to create an appealing dining atmosphere.

It’s true that climbing through alleyways to find a hole in the wall—literally—place to dine is part of the fun. Also, being in Federation Square or along the River, in the CBD, or along Lygon Street, live entertainers and a variety of post-dinner activities creates a sense of fun-about-to-begin, which lengthens the joy of the evening.

So where to eat out?

Those who want to be assured of quality, and not to be ripped off in the price, need to follow the general rule of eating out when travelling: “eat where the locals eat”!!

Follow the crowd of casually dressed, shabby haired young folk who are likely to be students in the know and follow them to dinner. You might not want to eat with them, but try the restaurants they dine. Chinatown (Lt.Bourke) has line-ups coming out of every favourite establishment every Friday and Saturday night after 7 pm. Go for a stroll and choose that place next time by getting there at 6 pm.

BYO: Bringing Your Own alcohol is one of the better aspects of Melbourne dining. As I tend to tour wineries and breweries for a unique tastings, I am a big fan of BYO restaurants in Melbourne.

I’ve previously posted on two of such favourites: Kake de Hatti’s and Shanghai Dumplings for instance.

Post to Come: Part B: Buying Groceries in Melbourne