My little sister was in Melbourne on the weekend (yay!), so we met our uncles for lunch on South Melbourne Beach. After a bitterly cold week, including the coldest morning in Melbourne in eighteen years, I was excited to be able to show my sister how beautiful Melbourne can be under blue skies – even if it’s while braving icy winds.

Opposite the beach, the street is lined with a mishmash of beautifully-preserved Victorian terrace houses, flamboyant Italianate mini-palaces and cold, modern mansions that are all sharp edges and straight lines.

I acknowledge the Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung people as the First Nations owners of the lands now recognised as Melbourne. I pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. I recognise that these lands have always been places of great natural beauty, culture and community. 

Lunch at Nyshry, South Melbourne Beach

We ate at Nyshry, a Japanese-inspired cafe on the beach in South Melbourne. Matt & Thomas have been raving about it, and I’ve officially joined the fan club. We sat inside, but glass walls meant we still enjoyed beach and bay views while we stayed warm over lunch.

St Kilda has Melbourne’s best-known beach. It’s a stone’s throw from Luna Park, Acland Street and you can spot fairy penguins from the pier – it’s an iconic Melbourne neighbourhood and tourist hotspot for a reason. Unfortunately, the beachfront cafes lazily cash in on the tourist crowds and serve overpriced, uninspired food. There is fantastic food in St Kilda, but you won’t find it along the beach!

South Melbourne Beach is much quieter than St Kilda. Fewer tourists & just one lone cafe makes South Melbourne Beach one of my new favourite places to hang out and enjoy the salty sea air. I felt like I was a million miles away from the hustle and bustle (and dirty air!) of the city.

The best part? It’s about 10 minutes from the city.

You don’t hear a lot about Melbourne’s beaches, but the seaside is right on the city’s doorstep. This was the best surprise when I moved to Melbourne!

Visiting Melbourne? Check out my Melbourne travel guide.