Melbourne's Best Sweet Indulgences of 2011
The sweet treats Melbourne has come to know and love even more in 2011, and not in any particular order. And it is looking like that trend will continue in 2012 and beyond...
Macaroons
Melbourne does not have Adriano Zumbo, however the quality of the macaroons we have available makes up for this. Think
LuxBite and
Puccinos and your in for a sweet treat. The macaroon sensation has taken hold to the point that even Woolworths at the
QV Centre occasionally sells macaroons near the far right self service checkout area; roughly for around $8 for a pack of 10. Cute, flavoursome and oh so sweet. Yet such an inexpensive, less guilty and simple (and of course a popular) treat.
Cookies
Just have to love David Jones' Food Hall at Bourke Street Mall. The range of
Byron Bay Cookies for sale are just fantastic. And every time I have visited
Subway anywhere in Melbourne City, the people in front of me always go for a cookie or three in addition to purchasing their sub. I tend to do this too. Especially for the raspberry cheesecake cookie, it is oh so different.
Doughnuts
Melbourne loves their doughnuts more than any other capital city. Having
Krispy Kreme still open while Sydney have virtually shut down all of their Krispy Kreme stores is a sign that Melbourne occasionally love their occasional doughnut or two. The litmus test? Just go to
Queen Victoria Market on a Sunday afternoon and by 2pm the iconic doughnut van has sold out of hot cinnamon doughnuts. I rest my case.
Chocolate
My biggest vice anyway, not sure about you. Melbourne also loves chocolate as much as they love their other sweet treats. Think about the Lindt Chocolate Cafes; Melbourne scored their fourth
Lindt Chocolat Cafe at Southgate in October equalling Sydney's number. And they attract the crowds too. There is
Haigh's at The Block Arcade as well.
Shopping
Melbourne is also renowned for its fashion and culture. Think
Chapel Street in South Yarra, and
High Street in Armadale for the latest fashions. Also popular shopping hubs include the popular
Bourke Street Mall (why not, we have free street entertainment to keep us happy) among
DFO at South Wharf, the more elegant
Block Arcade and
Australia on Collins; ironically where "Melbourne loves to shop." Us Melburnians know how to reward ourselves for our hard work.
Parks
We have come to love our parks. Think the
Royal Botanic Gardens and
Yarra Park and you know where I am coming from. We have great parks around us from Flagstaff Gardens to Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens. Further details can be found by clicking
here.
Ice Cream
Melbourne do like their
ice cream. Only a few months ago Southbank (along the Yarra Promenade) only had one ice cream outlet. Now we have three, including the newly opened Lindt Chocolat Cafe at Southgate. And the gelato from an ice cream van at Williamstown Beach was the best gelato I have ever tried.
And Melbourne is also blessed to offer its residents a great range of nightlife options and meditation classes among its cultural events and activities which can also be sweet indulgences in itself.
My first year living in Melbourne (from Sydney) has been terrific. Looking forward to what 2012 will bring.
