Is Greensborough the best place to live in Melbourne?
TODAY we relaunch our series on why we love Melbourne’s suburbs. Today, everything to eat, drink, see and do in this postcode-perfect north eastern suburb.
Best of Melbourne
Don't miss out on the headlines from Best of Melbourne. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THERE is a lot to love about living in Greensborough.
With restaurants and cafes galore as well as lush, Diamond Valley landscapes, it offers a slice of the laid-back northeastern lifestyle without having to compromise on smashed avo or specialty coffee.
Greensborough, which lies just 19km from Melbourne’s CBD, has come a long way since its establishment in the 1850s when it was known as Keelbundoora, which is Aboriginal for ‘a round swamp’.
SUBURBIA WITH A BUSH FLAVOUR MAKES NORTH EAST GEM UNIQUE
Fast forward 150 years and the leafy green belt enclave is not only in high demand for home buyers and investors, it’s also becoming a bustling lifestyle and entertainment metropolis with a thriving food scene, sporting culture and outdoor adventure spirit.
Its coveted leafy suburbscape is characterised by undulating streets lined with sprawling, late 20th century architecture as well as modern townhouses and charming art deco abodes.
It is also well located when it comes to amenities, with a train station, Greensborough Plaza, Melbourne Polytechnic and myriad parks and gardens within the confines of its suburban boundary.
La Trobe University is also just a short car ride away.
Here’s everything to eat, see, drink and do in Greensborough.
CAFES
67 Grimshaw St
If you’re on the hunt for a guaranteed brunch hit, Greensborough is practically sprouting cafes. And if its child-friendly cafes you’re after, Mabel Jones — from former Hawthorn and Carlton footballer Daniel Harford — has you covered (hello, dippy eggs). Now that the weather is cooling off, it’s also the perfect time to stop in for some Axil coffee or one of their deliciously indulgent s’mores hot chocolates.
99 Grimshaw St
For some of the best coffee in town (well, according to a recent competition at least), head to Urban Grooves, an all-day eatery in the heart of Greensborough’s shopping precinct. Kids eat free on Sundays and Mondays, and the house-made pizzas are fluffy and have just the right amount of toppings. Also, they do lobster and prawn ravioli in a saffron and lemon butter. Need we say more?
131 Main St
Health food enthusiasts, rejoice. Greensborough’s latest cafe-come-wholefoods store is likely to be right up your gluten-free and fair-trade coffee alley. Stop in for a smoothie bowl, fresh salad or some organic grocery shopping.
2b/118 Main St
It’s all about the Toby’s Estate beans and Bombay baked breakfast potatoes at Two Young Boys cafe. Actually, the whole menu is pretty enticing so good luck picking just one thing to order (cue: breakfast envy).
Apollo Parkways Shopping Centre, 23-29 Civic Drive
Coffee and pho may not seem like the most natural pairing, but this relaxed Apollo Parkways eatery is making it work. As well as great coffee and specialty lattes, their delicious Vietnamese meals are becoming something of a local favourite. The house-made slices (cookies and cream, caramel or sticky passionfruit, anyone?) are also hard to pass up.
Apollo Parkways Shopping Centre, 23-29 Civic Drive
Rumour has it La Petite France has the best egg and bacon roll going ‘round. Their mouth-watering, home-style food is not only pleasing to the tastebuds, but also to the wallet. Try their eggs benny with to-die-for hollandaise.
BAKERY
Level 1, Greensborough Plaza, 25 Main Street
Craving carbs after a jam-packed morning of power shopping at the plaza? Sunny Seed (which is currently trading as Rustic Sourdough Bakery) has all your crusty, traditionally-made artisan-style sourdough bread and baked sweets needs covered.
SWEETS
71 Main St
This Italian pasticceria and cafe originally opened in 1985 as a small cake shop owned by Sicilian-born pastry maker Santino Pelligra. What started as a labour of love soon turned into a thriving cake store and now, decades later, with Santino still at the helm, it has expanded to include a sit-down cafe as well. Start with some lasagna (but get in early as it sells out) and then end on any of their homemade Italian biscotti; dipped in coffee, of course.
2-5/93 Grimshaw St
Make your cake and eat it too at this custom cakery come cake decorating store. If you’re feeling creative, you can even book in for a cake decorating class. (Or book mum in for one if you’re forgotten to get her a mother’s day gift).
247/249 Para Rd
You’ll want to wrap your tastebuds around these made-from-scratch pastries that have given decades-old recipes a modern flavour makeover. What’s not to love about lemon and raspberry filled cannoli or beautifully flaky doissants (doughnut croissants, if you’re wondering).
RESTAURANTS
If you’re looking for some solid dinner options, Greensborough has pretty much every cuisine your rumbling tummy could ever want.
Stop in at Clay Oven Woodfired Pizza for some warm hospitality and authentic house-made Italian food.
BEST CHILD FRIENDLY CAFES IN MELBOURNE
Head to Shiki for some of the freshest and best Japanese you’ll find anywhere. The tempura is light and crispy and you can’t go wrong with a hot pot or katsu curry.
The naan at Mehek Indian will have you licking your fingers. So too the goat curry.
A banquet is always a must when you dine at Eos Greek Tavern. Heck, make it a date night and splurge on the deluxe banquet — trust us, the fish and chargrilled calamari are worth it.
Spice things up with a fresh and fragrant Thai feast at Rimthang (try their satay skewers and mop up the peanut sauce with some roti), or keep it fresh and fragrant with a steaming hot bowl of delicious pho at Pho 99.
Meanwhile, the spring rolls at N & N Vietnamese are a crispy treat. Wrap them in lettuce and mint and you’ve got yourself a delicious entree for one. Because who wants to share spring rolls?
BEST BRUNCH SPOTS IN THE NORTH
BEST CAFES IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH EAST
WHERE TO EAT IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH WEST
For cheap and cheerful eats, head to Lucky Little Dumplings where you can overdose on their juicy meat-filled parcels of happiness.
It’s all about spicy, American-style chicken wings at Wings of Glory (#drool), while burgers are the name of the game at Flame 400.
Warm up with a generous bowl of ramen at Fukutontei Ramen.
Go fish at the family-friendly The BeachHouse Seafood Diner. Try the pan-fried prawns in a housemade tomato, garlic and chilli salsa.
Passage Thru Malaysia, one of the newest additions to the ‘Borough’s eat street, puts the fun into funky with it’s bright and spacious fit-out and a beef rendang that will knock your socks off.
22 OF THE BEST WINE BARS IN THE NORTH
For those nights when you really just want to Netflix and xiao long bao, Li’s Dumpling and Noodle has your back. Order online and get delicious dumplings, noodles and authentic Chinese faves delivered straight to your door.
For a fuss-free lunch or dinner, head to The Greensborough Hotel for all your favourite pub classics. Stay tuned — they’re about to launch their new deck dining and bar, too. Kids eat free on Fridays and Saturdays
THE DETAILS:
Clay Oven Woodfired Pizza: 19 Greenhill Rd; Shiki Japanese: 75 Grimshaw St; Mehek Indian: 8 Main St; Eos Greek: 83 Grimshaw St; Rimthang Thai: 134 Main St; Pho 999: 32 Main St; Lucky Little Dumplings: 77 Grimshaw St; Wings of Glory: Greensborough Plaza, 25 Main St; Flame 400: Greensborough Plaza; Fukutontei Ramen: Greensborough Plaza; The BeachHouse Seafood Dine r; 91 Grimshaw St; N & N Vietnamese Kitchen 2: 36 Main St; Passage Thru Malaysia: 16-22 Main St; Li’s Dumpling and Noodle: 12 Main St; The Greensborough Hotel: 75 Main St
PARKS AND RECREATION
One of the suburb’s best-loved facilities is WaterMarc — a multiactivity centre that offers all kinds of fun for kids of all ages (grown-ups included). And the $42 million aquatic and leisure centre has certainly made a splash, attracting more than 800,000 visitors a year.
For sports fans, there’s plenty to keep you active. Play everything from dodgeball to badminton or table tennis to netball at the Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre, start some turf wars at Greensborough Bowling Club, smash out some volleys at Greensborough Tennis Club or learn to swim at Yarra Swim School.
If shopping is more your thing, head to Greensborough Plaza, one of the major shopping centres in the north east.
HOW TO EAT YOUR WAY AROUND CROYDON
Or get back to nature and explore the green wedge suburb’s endless kilometres of open space, lush parklands and idyllic walking tracks. With parks and gardens galore, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to weekend picnic spots and nature trails. But beware, you might run into some wildlife (wombats, echidnas and even kangaroos are known to inhabit the seemingly untouched nature reserves around Plenty River and Plenty Gorge Park).
How to plan a post-lockdown Great Ocean Road getaway
The regional border has lifted, which means we can plan a trip to the Great Ocean Road. Here’s where to eat, stay and play.
‘I wouldn’t even s*** that’: What you missed on Wentworth
Wentworth does WikiLeaks in the third episode of the new season, as the Foxtel drama welcomes a new face. And there’s drama for Reb and Lou. Warning: Spoilers.