Summer in St Kilda - outdoor dining and adventure
With summer just around the corner, it is the perfect time to revisit the popular beachside suburb of St Kilda and discover the myriad of outdoor activities on offer ranging from adrenalin-pumping action and water sports to relaxed alfresco dining and drinking on the foreshore.
For thrill seekers looking for an adrenalin rush, Skydive the Beach Melbourne has recently launched skydives over St Kilda. The company offers the city’s only beachfront skydiving experience with participants jumping 14,000ft above the city with a chance to enjoy breathtaking views of the city, St Kilda and Port Phillip Bays before landing in Elwood.
St Kilda is also a popular location for kite-surfing - incorporating an exhilarating combination of windsurfing, surfing and wakeboarding skills. Kite Republic (kiterepublic.com.au), located at St Kilda West beach, offers classes for all levels from beginners through to advanced riders. Right next door to the Kite Republic shop is the newly redeveloped and historic The West Bathers Pavilion, which is a perfect spot for a pre-surf breakfast, lunch or a wind-down drink after a day of adventure.
For outdoor activity at a more leisurely pace, Penguin Water Cruises introduces visitors to the thriving colony of Fairy Penguins that exists just beyond the St Kilda shore. The one hour cruise departs daily from St Kilda Pier daily at sunset.
The St Kilda Sea Baths on the esplanade has been a famous seaside attraction for many years and in the last decade has been developed into a major lifestyle complex offering bathing, a well-equipped gym, an award-winning day spa and a selection of cool bars and eateries. A favourite with visitors is beachside watering hole Republica, a diverse venue boasting a garden, lounge, restaurant and rooftop. The outdoor bar is a great place to sit back, enjoy a drink and watch the cavalcade of human traffic - rollerskaters, pedestrians, bathers, cyclists passing by.
Other quality dining and drinking options along the esplanade include the long-running Donovan’s restaurant, an acclaimed two chef’s hat restaurant that offers an exciting menu with a modern American influence. The venue has just undergone its annual summer change to set the scene for summer dining.
Nearby, The Stokehouse, described as “one of those before-you-die must-do Melbourne dining experiences” combines ‘beach shack glamour’ with exceptional hospitality. The venue, which underwent a major redevelopement in 2010, features a new dining room designed by architect Pascale Gomes McNabb (who also designed the interiors of cutting edge restaurants Cumulus Inc. and Cutler and Co), an outdoor cocktail bar and an accompanying menu of modern Australian cuisine crafted by executive chef Anthony Musarra and head chef Oliver Gould.
Those seeking out fresh produce should head to St Kilda’s monthly farmers market, the Veg Out Farmers’ Market held at the Peanut Farm reserve. Veg Out, held on the first Saturday of each month, offers a range of organic produce all sold directly by the grower and producer right on St Kilda's doorstep and is deemed one of the busiest metropolitan farmers markets in Melbourne.
For more options on alfresco dining and drinking options, visit www.fitzroystreetstkilda.com.au or stkildavillage.org.au.
For more information, visit www.visitvictoria.com/stkilda
Media contact: Lisa Hunt, Tourism Victoria, Ph: (03) 9653 9745
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