Whether you're planning a trip to Melbourne or a local looking for a caper, Fitzroy's Gertrude Street is not to be missed. It's where Art & Collectors and our Director, Angela Tandori, call home — and, according to Time Out Magazine, the second coolest street in the world!
Leafy, hip and happily thrumming, Gertrude Street has become an artery in Melbourne's cultural life. To acquaint you with what it has to offer, you need to hear from a local: here are Ange's top picks for Gertrude Street.
Signet Bureau
Signet Bureau, just below Art & Collectors, brings together authentic, daring and wearable designers. They showcase Melbourne alongside international makers, curating a wonderworld of unconventional style.
Le Labo
Sending wafts up the street, Le Labo is the rustic home to the cult perfume brand. It feels like an apothecary - happily experimental, yet grounded in history.
For Le Labo, perfume is soulful: "We believe fine perfumery must create a shock - the shock of the new, combined with the shock of the intimately familiar." We could say the same about art.
Builders Arms Hotel
Crested on the corner of Gore and Gertrude Streets, Builders Arms Hotel was built in 1853. It is an iconic watering hole - known for its rich history, menu and proximity for people watching.
Come a sunny day, there are few greater pleasures than sitting curbside, pint in hand, watching the grand runway of Gertrude Street.
Rosella
Rosella is a new, and beloved, addition to the street. It marries two of Ange's greatest pleasures: exquisite service and surprise. Every bite at this Italian restraunt packs beauty and beguile, leaving you wondering what graced your palette. Buon appetito!
Pasquale Giardino - 'The Deli'
Page Two Books
A warehouse-turned-book store, Page Two Books features second-hand, out-of-print and vintage books. Come Saturday morning, the rollardoor is flung open, revealing a treasure-trove of classics, fashion, food, travel and art books, and more.
Discovery and curiosity reign.
Jeffrey Makin - 'Merran Reading'
Smart Alec Hatters
Milliners feel like a rare breed, except on Gertrude Street. At the Smith Street end sits the establishment hat shop, Smart Alec Hatters. With old world charm and timeless style, Smart Alec hatmakers connect the modern man and woman with the art of accessorising.
Whether you're seeking shade or compliments beneath a wide brim, you'll find your perfect hat here.
Milliner Michael Albert and his hats
Gertrude Street Yoga
Perched in the historic Johnson Furniture Building, Gertrude Street Yoga is a scenic setting for yoga. It feels at once part of the street's bustle and above it, a metaphor for yoga itself.
Yogis and aspiring yogis can enjoy Gertrude Street Yoga with their introductory $7 for seven days. Namaste.
Peace in the heart of the Inner North
Charles Blackman - 'Standing nude'