A day in Carlton

Gabriel Young
-
December 23, 2020
Back to Inspiration

Things to do in Carlton
Royal Exhibition Buildings. Source: City of Melbourne

If you have a spare day to spend in the Melbourne area – Carlton is the perfect place to start. From the beautiful gardens to its bustling nightlife, here is a guide on how you should spend a day in Carlton.

To begin your day, Carlton has a wide selection of excellent coffee spots and eateries for your breakfast. Assembly Café is a fitting place to start as this Pelham Street location is a coffee and tea specialist that offers rare varieties and blends from all around the world. Assembly isn’t a traditional café however as it takes customers through the process of how specialty coffee and tea is lovingly made. Each of these rare varieties they offer are also available for customers to try to replicate at home.

Stovetop Café is another staple of Carlton’s café scene. Stovetop also offers a brilliant selection of coffee and tea to start your day. On top of this, its specialty is its all-encompassing breakfast menu. From sourdough crumpets to stovetop eggs benedict, you are sure to leave satisfied. Additionally, Stovetop are host to a series of gluten free and vegan options so there should be something there for everyone.   

Things to do in Carlton
Source: Stovetop Cafe

Come afternoon, priority should be to discover the beautiful sights in Carlton and the rich history behind it. Through its French ornamental fountains and European-inspired flowerbeds, the Carlton Gardens are World Heritage listed. Within these gardens you will find both the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum to explore. Both of these are institutions of Melbourne culture and as such are a must-see. It might also prove handy that the gardens are right by Parliament station if you are to be taking the train in.

With some time to spare in your afternoon, Carlton is particularly famous for its music culture. Once the epicentre of the Melbourne music scene, Carlton is home to a famous strip of music stores to make your way through. The Elgin Street strip includes the Music Swop Shop and Living Music, among others, giving an interesting look into Melbourne music culture.

By night, Carlton is a lively hub for both the locals and wider Melbourne thanks to its selection of bars and music venues. The best of all, The Curtin is a low-key pub and intimate live music venue on found on Lygon Street. With only a day in Carlton, local music flows through here regularly and spending the night seeing a gig here is a great way to spend it. Particularly if you are coming in on a Friday or Saturday, it is a vibrant venue – buzzing with excitement of local music and culture.

Things to do in Carlton
Source: The Curtin

From morning through night, there is always something to do in Carlton. Make sure to check out its active local music scene, its selection of renowned cafes as well as its stunning gardens. Through these avenues, Carlton offers some of the very best entertainment and culture to be found in Melbourne. Through these listed options and beyond, spending the day exploring Carlton is a must.


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