Windsor: the other end of Chapel Street. A little hipper and almost diametrically opposed to its South Yarra counterpart, Windsor isn’t as ‘fancy’ – but it sure is charming. Filled with an abundance of adorable cafés and op-shops, it’s the perfect place to meander before you catch a classic at the infamous Astor Theatre.
1 Chapel St
A stunning art-deco cinema, The Astor has been going strong for 75 years. Classic films, cult films, foreign films, new films, golden oldies, even sing-a-longs, all get their chance to shine on this magnificent screen. Most nights have a double feature for the price of 1, which for $15, is pretty gosh darn amazing. If that doesn’t entice you, their delicious, homemade Choc-ices are worth a trip alone. For those that haven’t experienced the ‘fine films and atmosphere’ yet, must do so promptly.
Dino’s
34 Chapel St
Right opposite Windsor Station, Dino’s is a little haven for the hipsters of Chapel Street. It really is the sweetest little café. They do a delicious Honeydew Green tea and their drinks are served in the most adorable vintage floral teacups with gold lining. What’s not to love?
38 Chapel St
Two doors up from Dino’s, Syber’s Books has a whole lot to offer. Hosting a huge collection of rare and out of print books, Syber’s contains books from every era of every genre on every subject. The women who work there have a super impressive, back to front, almost enviable knowledge of the collection. They also have a couple of chubby cats that hang around and laze in the window. So that’s pretty cute.
Mecwa Care
52 Chapel St
The drawcard for this op-shop is its wonderful book collection. Somehow, they have managed to attain an array of “rare, unusual and interesting” books and it’s here that you can stock up on all the classics for a dollar or two. They even have old children’s encyclopedias and vintage National Geographic magazines – if you’re willing to have a good old trope through, you’re sure to find something of good value.
60 Chapel St
A fascinating antique store with so much to offer. It’s hard to categorise what it is exactly they stock, because they have a little bit of everything. A wonder of oddities are to be found here; religious relics, vintage Medical posters, taxidermied animals, skeletons…simply, it is a magical place to explore. Here, we are welcomed to appreciate and find beauty in the bizarre and unusual.
122 Chapel St
Yellow Bird is a godsend for any one who hates the 12.00pm cut off for breaky. Open from 8am until 1am Monday to Sunday, Yellow Bird does breakfast all day. They have a Mexican themed menu and their plate of nachos could practically feed an army. Not only this, but the menus are made out of hip, old record covers. It’s decked out brilliantly inside and has a kind of quirky, American diner vibe to it.
140 Chapel St
Boutique flower shops are always exciting, and Dragonfly is the boutique flower-shop on Chapel. They stock the most beautiful, unusual looking flowers as well as native Australian plants and even Cacti. Thinking of sprucing up your cubicle at work? Think no more and take a trip to Dragonfly, it’ll blow you away.
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