Busy, bustling Chapel Street, in Melbourne’s affluent inner east, is many things to many people.
Perennially regarded as one of Melbourne’s most upmarket destinations for fashion, it’s also one of the city’s great ‘Eat Streets’. There are more restaurants, cafes, pubs, fast food joints and gelaterias per linear metre of its commercial hub than almost any other suburban thoroughfare.
And after dark, a bustling hub of bars and nightclubs on and off Chapel burst into life, offering a smorgasbord of entertainment into the wee small hours.
Worshipful roots
Chapel Street was named after the first church built in the area around 1850, which was demolished in about 1883. But the name stuck and still applies to the arrow-straight thoroughfare connecting Brighton Road, St Kilda, at its southernmost extent, to the banks of the Yarra River, where it crosses into Richmond and becomes – perhaps appropriately – Church Street.
The street spans a number of suburbs but it’s the 2.5-kilometre section from Dandenong Road – where the 1930s-built art deco marvel, the Astor Theatre, presides – passing through Windsor, Prahran and South Yarra to the river’s edge – that forms the street’s thriving heartland.
Even within this relatively compact area, there are key distinctions.
The eclectic end
Windsor, at the southern end, exudes an earthy, almost bohemian feel, with an eclectic selection of eateries, fashion boutiques and vintage shops, behind a streetscape still showing glimpses of architecture from eras past.
Eat Mexican from Fonda, South-East Asian street-style food at Hawker Hall, or try upmarket gastro-pub The Wolf. Finish off with something icily delicious from Pidapipo or Gelato Messina, before adjourning to The Woods or Jungle Boy for cocktails – if you can find the hidden entry to the latter in a sandwich shop, that is. Or maybe Euro-chic Ines Wine Bar is more your scene.
Fashionable heartland
Prahran feels a little more frenetic and modern, a place to stroll and be seen as you browse high-fashion boutiques, as well as venturing onto side streets to find retail gems like Pran Central, the foodie-friendly Prahran Market and cool, kitschy Greville Street.
It’ll be hard to resist a visit to Colonel Tan's for what’s intriguingly described as “a combination of US diner charm and Thai-pop flavours in a clubby atmosphere”, and then take in adjoining Revolver, an upstairs band room that’s an indie music institution.
Home to the chic
An distinctly upmarket vibe emerges as you approach the South Yarra end around the corner of Toorak Road, where the rich and famous emerge from luxurious apartment towers above to browse the chic boutiques.
Check out Mister Zimi or Gorman for the latest styles, before popping up to Beverly on Level 24 for panoramic views with your Southern Californian-inspired lunch or dinner. Or try ritzy Stella for authentic Italian, before finishing off at Shanghai-themed Zhou Zhou for dumplings and cocktails.
