Inside Windsor

Windsor is a suburb of Melbourne in the state of Victoria, just 5 km south-east of the city’s CBD. Named after the Windsor in Berkshire, UK, this place has a slow, relaxed vibe with vintage stores, edgy eateries and its own unique laid back style.

The area is often coupled with its northernly neighbour Prahran, and as Windsor was once in the precincts of the city of Prahran, the two are often muddled up. Although in fairness the two areas are pretty similar to each other, so we’ll let you off if you end up combining them. You can explore Windsor on foot, via a number of trams, or reach it via train. The Sandringham Railway line takes commuters from the CBD to Windsor Station in around 7 minutes.

Alternatively, you could shop you’re way into Windsor and check out the number of Boutiques. Melbourne’s famous shopping strip, Chapel Street intersects six neighbourhoods – Chapel Street North, Commercial Road, Greville Village, South Yarra, Prahan and Windsor. Chapel Street is as diverse as it is long, and given that Paris Hilton stops by every time she goes to Melbourne, it’s somewhere no shopping addict wants to miss. The Windsor end of the street is considered to be the less expensive yet more bohemian bit, so we’d recommend starting at the Toorak end for some window shopping before making your way to Windsor for something a bit more affordable.

That is not to say the Windsor end is any less deserving than the rest of the strip. Windsor most definitely can hold its own, and offers an international influx of treats and trinkets, from Scandinavian fashion to amazing Spanish tapas. In addition, the selection of vintage stores means you can easily step back in time and treat yourself to a treasure from another era. For an area known as the Tourist’s Parade, Chapel Street is pleasingly devoid of tacky touristy tat.

If good food is what you’re after, Windsor won’t leave you disappointed. If you’ve got a bit of cash to splash, we suggest The Woods of Windsor. Here you’re presented with a vast selection to choose from, including New York style brunch if that’s what you fancy. This place is also well known for their whiskey, so get involved – it would be rude not to.

If you’re on a little more of a budget then why not try Misty’s Diner? Authentic All-American burgers is what you’ll find here, along with hot dogs, fries, sandwiches, wings, pancakes, milkshakes, you get the idea. They also serve all day breakfast, and claim to have the best assortment of American candy, American drinks and American beers. Think Pop Tarts and Bud Lights.

Activities and Things To Do

While obviously shopping is the main activity to do in Windsor, we understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. The One Hundredth Gallery showcase new and upcoming artists or established artists who are trying something new. Located on Porter Street, their doors are open to everyone, but especially those who are new to art.

If you’re feeling really daring, why not try a casual dance class? The Space Dance & Arts Centre on Chapel Street offer beginner lessons in classical Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Broadway, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Le Bop, Latin, Belly Dancing, Salsa and Argentine Tango just to name a few. You only pay for the classes you attend, so if you totally embarrass yourself on your first lesson, you don’t have to go back. This is a great way to try something new and get some exercise in between all those late nights out and extravagant meals. Bully your mates into doing it with you and you’ll be fine.

Prahran market is all about the food. Here you’ll find a ridiculous range and variety of fruit, veg, fish, meat, cheese and other delicacies all at great prices. As the oldest continuously running market in Australia, they must be doing something right. Open every day apart from Mondays and Wednesdays, it’s the perfect place to pick up some fresh food and nibbles. Then you can enjoy them in the sunshine with a picnic in one of the many surrounding parks.

Nightlife & Bars

Just like its namesake in the UK, Melbourne’s Windsor has its own Castle – but this one is a pub and doesn’t have a Queen. The Windsor Castle Hotel may shock you with its pink and green exterior, but don’t let this put you off. Here you’ll find an intimate space with quirky little rooms everywhere, and a lit fireplace in the winter months. This place boasts a great beer garden which is always full of locals and tourists alike, sipping on cold beers and cocktails.

If hard-core spirits are more what you had in mind, then Borsch, Vodka & Tears is the one for you. With a café and restaurant serving delights such as scrumptious sausages and dumplings, as well as Borsch soup, you can either have your vodka with your meal or just have it neat. With over one hundred different types of vodka to choose from, you’re a little spoilt for choice. Many of these have been specially imported from Poland and Russia – you can’t find these anywhere else in Australia. If the thought of straight vodka makes your nose crinkle up, the bartenders will happily incorporate it into cocktails, or failing that, you can just have a beer.

To keep the night going there are plenty of bars and clubs around to suit your drinking and dancing needs. No one goes to Melbourne without hearing about the Revolver Upstairs. Notorious for being open all night and all day on the weekends, Revolver Upstairs, or ‘Revs’ is home to top DJs, live music, dance and film. Its eccentric furnishings only add to the all night crazy vibes, such as bold shades of orange in wall murals, upside-down lamp shades and the odd bit of chicken wire. Another popular Windsor haunt is the Lucky Coq. With big relaxed couches, 80’s disco lighting and a DJ spinning smooth old school hip-hop and RnB, this is the perfect place to sip a cold drink and shuffle around to some good tunes. They also serve ridiculously cheap and ridiculously tasty pizza. Everyone’s a winner here.

Accommodation

Hostel prices in Windsor start at around $28 per person per night in a six-bed dorm, and $85 a night for a twin room with en suite. With Windsor being a popular spot for backpackers on a budget, you may find that hostels fill up quickly at certain times of the year. Hostels in the neighbouring suburbs such as Praharn and St Kilda are only a short walk away and offer similar rates, so no worry there. Hotel prices range from around $100 – $175 a night, with the most popular hotel in the area being the Hotel Windsor. It’s the one that keeps popping up on your Windsor Google searches. This place is pretty swanky, so expect nothing shy of $300 per person per night.

Those wanting to stay in Windsor on more of a long-term basis, house shares range from around $250 – $450 a week, depending on the size of your room and the facilities you have on offer. Prices may also vary depending on how long you will be renting that accommodation for.

Perfect for…

We think Windsor will wet the whistles of: shopaholics, vintage-seekers, bargain-hunters, food-enthusiasts and bohemians.

By Hannah Kurzawski