Galleon Cafe
Skip the tourist traps and head straight to this retro St Kilda icon. With its mismatched Formica tables and vinyl booths, it is the coziest spot in town for a serious flat white and a plate of potato cakes while the autumn morning chill lingers outside.
St Kilda Botanical Gardens
While tourists head to the beach, locals know the botanical gardens are at their peak in autumn. Walk beneath the giant, heritage-listed trees as their leaves turn brilliant shades of amber and gold, and seek out the quiet glass conservatory.
Readings St Kilda
There is nothing better on a cool day than ducking into a great independent bookstore. Readings is a Melbourne institution, staffed by people who actually read and love to recommend their favorite local fiction.
Cicciolina
This intimate, no-reservations Italian joint has been serving some of the best pasta in Melbourne since the nineties. Nab a table in the back room for a long, slow lunch of house-made gnocchi paired with a robust Victorian Shiraz.
St Kilda Sea Baths
Warm up in the heated, indoor saltwater pool that has drawn bathers to the foreshore since the 19th century. Watching the grey autumn clouds roll over the bay from the comfort of 31-degree water is pure therapy.
Milk the Cow - Licensed Fromagerie
End your day out of the wind at this dedicated cheese bar, where they match artisan cheeses with boutique wines, beers, and sakes. It is the perfect place to linger over a fondue pot as the coastal evening settles in.
