Large undercover market that used to be the supply store for most cafes and restaurants in the area. In the meantime, it's open to the general public and it's amazing value,even if at times the quantities are just too large for a basic household. Sharing some products among several household is a way to save, though. However I tend to concentrate my shopping in fruits and veggies, as well as nuts, as there is a lot of choice, like at most markets, but it's also very cheap. I like to go there once a week or once a fortnight. I also like to find all my French jams (Bonne Maman) at a very reasonable price, unlike in most other shopping outlets.

Sami and Odette are wonderful and have an eye for detail. The brother and sister team work very hard, always have time for their customers and many suggestions on how to best frame that piece that is so close to your heart. I have spent hours in the shop looking through various frames (whilst many other customers come through the shop who seem to make up their mind much faster than me) until I found what I liked and I have to say that they have the patience of angels!!! I also see around my home (as I write) many pieces that have been expertly framed by them (including photos with military medals placed below the photo, watercolours, oil paintings and unusual artifacts brought back from overseas) and can only wholeheartedly recommend them. I also appreciate their warmth, friendliness and understanding, which is so often gone from commercial businesses nowadays.

Some travel agents are super efficient, some are slow and a bit lost as just starting, but overall, it's a good spot to get more info on traveling destinations and to book flights. I find the fact there is a high staff turnover a little disappointing, as I like to know who I'm dealing with when going away 2-3 times a year. It's nice that they beat any airfare.

I have had a relaxation massage whilst at the Mother Baby Unit, as well as 7 other Mums that were tired and stressed...we all were positively surprised at how good Dean could find all the aching spots and make them melt away. We also found the cost good value for an hour treatment. I have since returned due to some back issues and have already felt a significant improvement from the first to the second session. This clinical massage therapist with thirty years experience in soft tissue therapy is excellent. His phone number is: 90381613

Approximate cost: $65

Stylish place, great food, interesting specials, well-thought out menu including comments such as gluten-free for clients requiring it...very eclectic and unusual mixes of spices, very trendy- To be recommended- My local place that seems to attract more and more people...bookings recommended!

Approximate cost: $30

Grand lobby, stunning views from the spa next to the pool, exclusive spa treatments in a state of the art spa facility that will make you take notice and wonder who did the décor, perfect location on Southbank-
My husband and I spent hours there and walking around the city at night after a swim and dinner made us rediscover our capital city and we felt like on a real holiday.
Staff typical of a 5 star hotel, well-trained but lacking the personal touch (no greetings in the corridor, staff looks partly overworked), possibly unavoidable due to the size of the hotel- Best hotel in Melbourne nevertheless with the Hyatt- Couldn't get enough of the views...

Approximate cost: $around $250 a night

This has to be my favourite hotel in whole of Australia.....a home away from home in absolute luxury with large rooms (we stayed in a delightful junior suite), charming and harmoniously decorated bathrooms, the nicest mural for an Aussie spa I have seen and divine spa treatments that make you so relaxed it's so hard not to fall asleep!!!
The staff is professional, sees everything that needs to be attended to and will do their best to provide the old-world charm experience to you- And the bathrobes from the spa area...the softest ever!!!
It certainly is the boutique hotel par excellence and well worth the expense-

Approximate cost: $295 for a normal room, $ 436 for the junior suite a night

Had a relaxing massage and facial, then came back for a lymphatic drainage and a month later, as I got a birthday voucher from them, I came back a third time for another massage and facial- I love the Payot range and have to say that this spa's treatments and their herbal teas are relaxing- The spa is fresh-looking and the receptionist staff welcoming and professional- There is free parking on the premises, but it is a tight squeeze if you come in a large car. They also offer other treatments like small cosmetic improvements procedures, which you seem to hear all about in the waiting room, which I didn't like very much. Some therapists seem better than others. I didn't like so much being left alone in the treatment room whilst the mask was doing its wonders...it would have been nice to have a foot massage during that time. Especially annoying the second time during the same treatment (didn't happen with the first therapist though)!.... Overall a good spa, but lacked a bit of warmth- Probably I will not go back so soon, as I travelled 40 min. to get there as I love the Payot range above other products and needed to stock up for home use- On the positive, it is generally easy to get an appointment the same week and the facility is very hygienic and decorated with a modern Asian feel, around the corner from the lovely Hawthorn shopping strip and the staff is flexible when it comes to massages to offer you what you want- All three therapists asked me how I liked my massages and enquired about the amount of pressure (too much or too little) once the treatment had started, so perhaps the last comment was taken into account to improve the business-

Ultra-professional, extremely fast-thinker, intelligent and knowledgeable, caring (will be so with reassuring statistics and recounts of experience not empty words, compliments, false hopes and fake smiles), slick and clever presentation of the facts and the ultra-rationalist....you get what you see....well, with supporting evidence.
When I came to see him for a second opinion, I was impressed by the loyalty of his staff seeing him as one of the best and even before I had my first appointment he answered a question that one of his personal assistants could not answer about Monash IVF's current treatments, whilst seeing another client out. He seemed the kind of person who does not leave a stone unturned to get the job done, as well as to be on-the-ball, well informed and focused.
One of his personal assistants, was also helpful in avoiding time-wasting by suggesting getting all newly legislated paperwork out of the way before the first appointment, which I really appreciated, as well as her caring nature to allow me not to waste another cycle before starting treatment.
Peter Lutjen's presentation about treatment options once I had my appointment was certainly very quickly delivered but he didn't mind answering my many questions always supported by statistics or examples from his experience and some of what he said seemed to fit with the latest readings I did from the online Oxford Journals and IVF.net or leading IVF clinics around the world which made him trustworthy to me. Of course his resume is impressive, especially when you consider he worked with both Carl Wood and Alan Trounsen...the biggest names in respectively the Aussie IVF history and Stem Cell Research.
He seems to surround himself with the best staff, never likes to waste time and always focuses on the essential. The second time I saw him was to be given a short intro to the treatment before the medications were given by his nurse. The third time was before egg pick-up, the fourth time for the embryo transfer.
Yes, it was all VERY fast and once you overcome your own shock at that speedy process you really appreciate it too, considering the years wasted at battling fertility issues.
I was very happy and grateful that he was rostered on the days I went to Monash IVF for treatment making the IVF process not as impersonal and scary as I expected-
I can only recommend Peter Lutjen to you.

Yummy bagels and blintzes, a challah that is worth it to book or to be early for on Fridays (irregular quantity purchases (hard to predict), so a good idea to have a regular booking or to come just after lunch- The staff have a lot of work, due to the large number of customers, so the number system (when used) helps to avoid jewish disputes worth writing a book about-
Lovely produce for a small shabbat or a brunch or the next morning or even French toasts with the remainder of the challah (well better buy two!!!)-
There is something very heimish about the Glicks experience and it's lovely to see the pull of a simple bagel on the jewish community from ultra-orthodox to liberal.