Is Oakleigh the best foodie suburb to live in Melbourne?

IS Oakleigh the ultimate foodie destination in Melbourne? Here’s everything you need to know about eating, drinking and playing in this south eastern cultural melting pot.

Gotta love the food around here.

OAKLEIGH has long been synonymous with souvlakis.

It is famed the world over for its Greek gastronomy, with foodies from all corners of the globe making the pilgrimage to the south eastern enclave for a taste of its myriad Mediterranean treasures.

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Local souva joint Kalimera has even put Melbourne gyros on the map, after being written (see: raved) about by the food editor for the New York Times.

So, yeah, I guess you could say Oakleigh has ‘made it’.

Nikos Cakes which serves up cakes and sweets in Oakleigh. Picture: David Crosling

Situated just 15km from Melbourne’s CBD (you can get an Uber home for under $40), close to Chadstone shopping centre and Monash University, and a short drive to the sparkling beaches of Port Phillip Bay, this once working-class suburb is now becoming one of the city’s most coveted postcodes.

And for good reason.

Oakleigh may be known for its Greek food but its burgeoning culinary culture extends beyond its cultural roots. These days you can overdose on dumplings, pig out on pizza, feast on fresh oysters or brunch with the best of them — and that’s just on Portman Street; wait until you discover Eaton Mall.

Plus there are the local parks, golf courses and, of course, the Caravan Music Club; a local institution.

If you’re a proud local, or you’re curious to experience what all the fuss is about, here’s our guide to the best things to eat, drink and do in Oakleigh.

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BRUNCH + COFFEE

Oakleigh isn’t necessarily a suburb you’d think would have a strong breakfast game. But think again. Gentrification over the last five or so years has seen savvy cafe operators and coffee dealers setting their sights on this emerging cosmopolitan market. Such is the demand for local breakfast fare that cosy cafes such as Cote Terra have even moved premises to keep up with the growing demand for smashed avo and specialty coffee. You’ll want to try their crispy, soft-shell crab omelette with chilli jam, Kaffir lime and coconut foam, followed by the black forest French toast — cherry-filled chocolate sponge, blackcurrant and coffee pearls, vanilla bean gelato, chocolate chunks and cherries — for dessertfast (dessert + breakfast). They roast their own beans in-house, too, if coffee is your thang. For something a little less decadent, the buffalo breakfast bruschetta at Ambrosiary will get you off to a savoury start, and their gluten-free cacao protein pancakes with fresh fruit are an ideal pre-workout feast. Five Senses is on pour at The Oakleigh Doughnut Co. Pipperillis, opposite the station, is another popular go-to, particularly with commuters after their early morning cup of caffeine.

THE DETAILS:
Cote Terra: 17 Station St, Oakleigh
The Ambrosiary: 70 Portman St, Oakleigh
The Oakleigh Doughnut Co: 36 Portman St, Oakleigh
Pipperillis: 18A Haughton Rd, Oakleigh

MORE: BEST CAFES IN MELBOURNE’S SOUTH EAST

BAKERY

Bread is life and a top notch local bakehouse is therefore essential to a life well lived. 5FIVE bakehouse specialises is artisan bread and baked goods. They’ve got everything your carb-loving heart could desire. Fresh filled croissants, housemade doughnuts, unicorn eclairs, deliciously dense sourdough loaves — it’s all there for your eating pleasure. They also do breakfast. Winning. For more traditional delights, get on down to Greek Bakery. Here, everything — phyllo, pastry, yeast — is made from scratch, in house, in order to recreate an authentic taste of Greece. With people travelling from far and wide to stock up on their just-like-mamma-used-to-make biscuits, cookies and other enticing confections, they’re clearly onto a winner.

THE DETAILS:
5Five Bakery Cafe: 22 Eaton St, Oakleigh
Greek Bakery: 53A Portman St, Oakleigh

PIZZA

From the same crew that brought you The Last Piece in Mulgrave, South Society in Mount Waverley, Sette Bello in Glen Waverley and St Kilda’s Il Fornaio comes this latest addition to the foodie family. Sure, you could go to The Last Piece for a delicious brunch (or special blend Axil coffee), but then you’d be missing out on these authentic — not to mention scrumptious — wood-fired pizzas. We love a traditional capriciosa, but the signature slow-cooked lamb is also hard to beat.

THE DETAILS:
The Last Piece: 38 Portman St, Oakleigh

RESTAURANTS

Variety is the spice of life. It’s lucky, then, that in Oakleigh you can keep things interesting with a different cuisine every night. If dumplings are your bag, there’s no going past All Seasons. Their xiao long bao (soup dumplings) will warm your soul. For traditional, home-style Korean cuisine, head to Soban; their beef bulgogi is succulent and flavourful and the pork kimchi pancake is a standout. The red duck curry at Red Mango Thai is fantastic and the rotating slow-food specials at Just Italy are to dine for. For a seafood feast, head to Richmond Oysters, the Oakleigh outpost of the Swan Street restaurant of the same name. And if you’re heading out with a group of people, Vanilla is the place to go for great food and a great vibe (even PM Malcolm Turnbull has pit-stopped here) — plus the upstairs balcony is beautiful on those balmy summer evenings.

THE DETAILS:
All Seasons Dumplings: 39 Portman St, Oakleigh
Soban: 28 Station St, Oakleigh
Red Mango: 3A Station St, Oakleigh
Just Italy: 53 Atherton Rd, Oakleigh
Richmond Oysters: 66 Portman St, Oakleigh
Vanilla: 17-21 Eaton Street, Oakleigh

SOUVLAKI

Given it is Oakleigh we’re talking about, it seemed only fair that we pay appropriate homage to the cuisine that put this suburb on the map. Sure, the culinary landscape these days extends far beyond the humble souva, but to quote Calvin Harris and Rihanna, this is what we came for. And Kalimera Souvlaki Art is the place responsible for all the hype. Their succulent pork souvas are so good that the food editor for the New York Times was inspired to dedicate an entire article to them. And, closer to home, Attica head chef Ben Shewry — whose restaurant was ranked the best in Australia in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants — also swears by this family-run souvlaki hut. Another popular local haunt is Orexi, a family-friendly joint with authentic flavours and great value portion sizes — we recommend a souva with the lot and a side of lemony patates. The gyros platter and grilled octopus at Meat Me also come highly recommended.

THE DETAILS:
Kalimera Souvlaki Art: 316m/41 Chester St, Oakleigh
Orexi: 33 Chester St, Oakleigh
Meat Me: 24 Eaton St, Oakleigh

MORE: MELBOURNE’S BEST SOUVLAKIS

SWEETS

Souvas are great and all, but one of the best things about Greek cuisine is its cakes. And Nikos Quality Cakes consistently delivers on that promise. While they do some great savoury, cafe-style food (the moussaka and stuffed capsicum are on point), you’ll want to get around the house-made sweets. Try the traditional koulouri (sesame seed bread rings) and the loukoumades (honey and walnut over Nutella-filled, erryday). Their range of biscuits and pastries is divine, and they also create the most beautiful made-to-order cakes for any celebration. If you’re after something a little more fresh, get down to Pagoto Gelato and Waffle House. Because how can you make traditional Italian gelati even better? Give it a Greek twist. I mean, who can resist genius flavours like watermelon and feta, baklava, kataifi (coconut and lime) and galaktaboureko (Greek-style vanilla custard)?

THE DETAILS:
Nikos Quality Cakes: 25/27 Portman St, Oakleigh
Pagoto Gelato & Waffle House: 26 Portman St, Oakleigh

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DOUGHNUTS

It wouldn’t be a most-liveable suburb without a local doughnut dealer. Thankfully, The Oakleigh Doughnut Co is a hole in one. From a gooey Galakdough (vanilla milk custard, cinnamon spiced sugar syrup and crowned with filo pastry) to delectable a Doughloumba (a traditional Tulumba-inspired recipe of golden fried dough, soaked in sweet sugar syrup), a beguiling Bakladough (baklava spiced doughnut) or a classic glazed Vanilla OG doughnut — they’ve got all the best bases, and then some, covered. They’ve also got Five Senses coffee on pour — because a cup of Joe is the ideal doughnut accompaniment, obvs. If you prefer your doughnuts to come to you, St Gerry’s — Melbourne’s original roaming Greek doughnut specialist — is your van. Or pay them a visit at their Eaton Mall dessert bar for pimped up options like Snickers, Bounty or fairy-floss loaded loukoumades.

THE DETAILS:
The Oakleigh Doughnut Co: 36 Portman St, Oakleigh
St Gerry’s: 18 Eaton Mall, Oakleigh

MORE: WHERE TO FIND MELBOURNE’S BEST DOUGHNUTS

PUBS + BARS

A local watering hole is another must-have. Luckily, Oakleigh has a few options. The Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL is a much-loved stalwart. It was established in the early 1920s and the bistro’s head chef, John Wilson, is renowned for cooking the best steaks in town. If you’re after a midweek burger meal, $6 pints of Furphy or a game of Pool — Bob’s Diner at the Oakleigh Junction Hotel has your back. If you’d prefer to kick back with a mojito, Risk Bar is the go-to for classic and contemporary cocktails.

THE DETAILS:
Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL: 95/97 Drummond St, Oakleigh
Oakleigh Junction Hotel: 1 Portman St, Oakleigh
Risk Bar: 10 Eaton St, Oakleigh

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FESTIVALS

Get into the Greek at the Oakleigh Glendi Festival, a celebration of all things Hellenic. From food stalls and stage performers to an artisan market, live music and dancing and cooking demonstrations, there is something for everyone and every age group. But by far the best bit is the loukoumades eating competition. If you think you can down 30 Greek doughnuts in under 15 minutes, this challenge should be a piece of (deep fried) cake.

THE DETAILS:
Glendi Festival 2017: From midday, November 4-5 at Warrawee Park: Drummond St, Oakleigh
oakleighglendi.com.au

PARKS

Oakleigh’s central garden, Warrawee Park, is a true community facility. Of a weekend, it is buzzing with local sports matches, it plays host to live music events and festivals and is also a welcome playground for kids and adults alike. City of Monash injected $260,00 into the development of the children’s play area, which features a mini maze, carousel, climbing tower, swings and all-ages play equipment, as well as a designated ball games zone. There are also plenty of BBQ facilities and picnic tables for weekend grilling and get-togethers.

THE DETAILS:
Warrawee Park: Drummond St, Oakleigh

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MUSIC

This Oakleigh institution has been bringing world-class music to the ‘burbs for a decade and has played host to some of the best-loved artists of our time — such as Ross Wilson, Don Walker, Mental as Anything, Darryl Brathwaite and Tex Perkins. Caravan Music Club is currently located at the Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL but recently announced it will close is doors at the end of this year after a dispute over its tenancy agreement. We’re hoping we will see this much-adored music club reopen its doors at another Monash venue. Fingers crossed.

THE DETAILS:
Caravan Music Club: 95-97 Drummond St, Oakleigh

GOLF

Oakleigh is punching above its weight when it comes to recreational activities. With two golf clubs in the area — including one of Melbourne’s renowned ‘sandbelt’ courses, which has hosted champion golfers the likes of Peter Thomas, Greg Norman and Ken Nagle — you’ll be green with envy. In Oakleigh South you’ll find The Metropolitan Golf Club, a private club that is widely recognised as one of the finest championship courses in Australia. For non-members, Oakleigh Public Golf Course is a fun, nine-hole course that borders the picturesque Scotchmans Creek. Greens for days.

THE DETAILS:
Oakleigh Public Golf Course: 2 Park Rd, Oakleigh
The Metropolitan Golf Club: Golf Rd, Oakleigh South