Sounds criptic, doesn’t it?

Welcome to a short and sweet post about two new venues I visited on the weekend that I hope you might visit as well – cause I liked them, so why wouldn’t you?

First was 1806 (or Eighteen-O-Six, whatever takes your fancy), a fab nightspot on Exhibition Street specialising in cocktails from way back. Visiting with the lovely Miss K of Escapade Events fame and a few new friends, we drank our way from the early eighteen hundreds through to today, pausing along the way for a bit of cocktail history.

Named 1806 in honour of the year that the word ‘cocktail’ was first defined in print, the bar/lounge is a step back in time to when cocktails were the height of sophistication – actually, who am I kidding – they still are! With vintage cocktail making equipment and the longest cocktail list on the planet* (*disclaimer: this might not be entirely accurate but their menu is like a novel!), 1806 is a very groovy place to chill out on a Friday night.

I drank a Passionfruit Sour (42 Below Passionfruit vodka with lashings of lemon and a splash of sugar. Crisp, clean, summer fun), a Pina Colada (Fresh pineapple, with coconut and cream, shaken and served over crushed ice) and finished off with an 1806 signature cocktail, Clover Club (Crisp, dry, and refreshing. Gin with lemon and raspberry.) Each was more impressive than the one before and if I hadn’t of wanted to risk my enjoyment of the next mornings victuals, I might have stayed on to try more.

1806, 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne, 3000
phone 03 9663 7722
http://www.1806.com.au

With thanks – images by 1806

The APTE café – or A Place to Eat as it is know to the locals – is located on Heidelberg Road in Alphington and has recently been voted Victoria’s best café by Delicious magazine. Miss J (my fashion week roomie) and I headed out to the burbs on a cool but clear Saturday morning to try out this best café and see just what all the fuss was about.

Sitting outside in the garden area, surrounded by wet plants but seated under umbrellas with plenty of outdoor heaters, was surprisingly pleasant. It was cool, but not uncomfortable and the sun peeped through the gaps in the brollies, creating a half light that was quite nice.

The menu was extensive, the coffee was good and the aromas wafting from the kitchen enough to make even the most hungover of us hungry (not me though, cause I stopped at 3 cocktails, remember?). We ordered eggs – the apte scrambled for me (scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and feta on toasted organic sourdough) and they had gluten free bread too which earns extra points in my book!

The buzz of early morning (okay, 10am) punters reading the paper and chatting over coffee was audible but not imposing and the relaxed nature of the café, located away from other shops or cafes, made APTE a haven among the homes.

APTE café, 538 Heidleberg Road, Alphington
phone 03 9482 2991
http://www.aptecafe.com.au

With thanks – images by Five Senses Coffee www.fivesensescoffee.com.au, served at APTE