Victoria’s hidden gems: Little-known must-visit spots in Melbourne’s eastern and southeastern suburbs
WE’VE searched high and low to find the best hidden gems across each region of our great state so you don’t have to. Here’s the list of gems in our eastern and southern-eastern suburbs.
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WE have searched high and low to find the best hidden gems across each region of our great state.
Here’s the list of eastern and southeastern Melbourne suburban gems you need to know about.
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CAFE BLISS
3 Mavis Ave, Brighton East. cafeblissbrighton.com
Hiding behind a big tree opposite Landcox Park with its lake, ducks and playground, Café Bliss is a welcome oasis — especially for parents needing caffeination before hitting the swings and slides. Ever-smiling co-owner Kel Dondup’s takeaway window is open daily for cappuccinos and cookies, or dine inside his 28-seat cafe with its hearty vegetarian breakfast and lunch menu. Part proceeds go to the adjoining Tara Institute, a Buddhist centre that occupies historical Landcox House.
HIDDEN JADE
Aquatic Dr, Albert Park.hiddenjade.com.au
Talk about hiding in plain sight. Right on Albert Park Lake and under the posh Point restaurant is this yum cha gem. It opened quietly in January but deserves a cult following with its white linen, awesome view and extensive menu. There’s no trolley service, but choose from a menu of excellent xiao long bao, chicken and prawn shu mai with crab roe, and the must-order mushroom dumplings that look like real fungi. Kids are looked after with drawing equipment and colourful plastic plates and utensils.
JUNGLE BOY
96 Chapel St, Windsor. jboy.com.au
Jungle Boy is a hidden tiki-style bar jiving behind an American sandwich shop. Enter via Boston Sub’s coolroom door for a tropical retreat replete with sweet but deadly cocktails. Tip: Waiting on a table at Hawker Hall next door? Bide your time here.
MOUNTAIN OF BEARS
556 North Rd, Ormond. instagram.com/mountainofbears
A great little cafe hidden down a nondescript arcade off North Rd near Ormond train station. Chirpy staff serve hearty breakfasts and lunches of paninis, burgers, soups and eggs, with punny names like “Let’s avocuddle” and “I don’t mean to pesto you”. There’s plenty of space for prams and pets, plus it’s licensed. Check your latte for some coffee art, too.
STEAM LOCOMOTION SOCIETY OF VICTORIA
128 Rowans Rd, Moorabbin. slsv.com.au
These days, $2.50 doesn’t get you very far, but at Moorabbin’s Steam Locomotion Society of Victoria, it gets you a spin on a miniature train. The club opens its gates on the first Sunday of every month for a fun family day out.
WOODFROG BAKERY
108 Barkly St, St Kildawoodfrogbakery.com.au
Woodfrog’s sourdough loaves are up there with Australia’s best and at its flagship bakery in St Kilda, toast it to your heart’s content for $6. Pay at the counter, get a plate and grab your slices (and butter) from a dinky cabinet at the back of the shop. There are toasters as well as spreads — jams, Vegemite, peanut paste — on several tables, but do obey the sign and “don’t carbonise” your toast.
ANTON VENOIR INTERIORS
26/321 Chapel St, Prahran. antonvenoirinteriors.com
Behind the door of this Love and Lewis apartment a world of opulence, beauty and grandeur awaits.
It looks like any of the other apartments in the famous block but this is a treasure filled with ornamental wonder. Antique dealer Tony Venios used to live here, but has now turned it into his retail space as well as a place to hold private events such as high teas, and cocktail or dinner parties. All pieces are guaranteed 18th century French antiques, many of which are museum pieces bought from private collections throughout France. In one corner is a suite made by Marie Antoinette’s chair maker and a wall is graced with a clock made by Louis XV’s clockmaker.
NAUGHTS AND CROSSES
Rear 104 Ormond Rd, Elwood.naughtsandcrosses.com.au
Follow the bubbles down the cobblestone lane to this hole-in-the-wall gift shop jam-packed with things for babies and kids. Curated by owner Louise Piper, this treasure trove has clothes, blankets, lamps, toys and quirky finds — much of it with a retro bent.
CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB
95-97 Drummond St, Oakleigh. caravanmusic.com.au
Oakleigh isn’t just souvas and baklava. The Greek epicentre is also home to the Caravan Music Club, a cool little off-piste music venue with live acts up to five days of the week (Ben Lee and Mental as Anything are upcoming) with a bistro and beer garden overlooking a sporting field and a graveyard.
THE LITTLE FRENCH DELI
524 Nepean Highway, Bonbeach.thelittlefrenchdeli.com
Say “bonjour” to an unexpected patch of Paris on a strip of highway shared with a tattoo parlour and lawnmower repairer. Pop into the deli for exceptional takeaway mille-feuille and eclairs to go, as well as pate, terrines, charcuterie and cheese. Or dine in at the adjoining bistro with its rotation of Frenchy fare by Michelin-trained chef Laurent Hoffarth. There’s live music or jazz on Sunday afternoons.
FAT BOB’S/DAKDAK/BIG PIG LITTLE PIG
Moorabbin
In the industrial guts of blue-collar Moorabbin come three surprising dining haunts. Get beers and burgers big and juicy at Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill (80A Cochranes Rd), or admire VW memorabilia over coffee and eggs at DakDak cafe (2/1-3 Bignell Rd). Bring the kids to Big Pig Little Pig (35 Ebden St) for a feed of smoked brisket and pulled pork at a big wooden booth in its cavernous warehouse digs before a game of air hockey.
DOMAIN HAIRDRESSING
3 Powell St, South Yarra
Since 1973 hairdresser Mary Yessayam has been styling the tresses of Melbourne’s establishment. She doesn’t advertise and will never drop a name, but she is proud to claim four generations of clients on her books. Clients delight in the sandwiches, biscuits, cakes, champagne and hot drinks that await when they arrive at the charming shop.
BILLABONGS
Willsmere Park, access via the Kilby Rd carpark, Kew East
THERE isn’t a coolibah tree or campfire in sight. In fact you are more likely to spot rows of stately Edwardian homes in this quiet suburb that exemplifies old Melbourne. But hiding within Willsmere Park are two of Melbourne’s very own billabongs. The area, part of the Yarra River’s flood plain, contains the last remaining billabongs in the lower reaches of the Yarra River. It is a bush oasis enjoyed by locals and bike riders but is waiting for more picnickers and walkers this summer.
MALLALIEU
113 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn East. mallalieu.com.au
At this lifestyle boutique, owner Kathy Wadsworth mixes Melbourne labels with French and Italian clothing, gorgeous Spanish lace espadrilles, antique furniture and homewares. A 40-seat cafe with charming courtyard at the rear is owned by her daughter Hannah. It’s another world begging to be explored.
NATIONAL STEAM CENTRE
1200 Ferntree Gully Rd, Scoresby (just off EastLink), melbournesteam.com.au
There’s plenty to get steamed up over at the National Steam Centre. With more than 800 exhibits, there’s something for everyone from toddlers to vintage engine enthusiasts. Highlights include mobile steam engines, diesel engines, industrial steam, a walking dragline, earthmoving machinery and a blacksmiths’ shed. There are miniature train rides on Sundays. The next engine running day is Sunday, October 30. It is open weekends 11am-4pm, or Thursdays to see volunteers at work.
MT BURNETT OBSERVATORY
420 Paternoster Rd, Mount Burnett.mtburnettobservatory.org
This is a really nice one for the kids. They can become young observers. You’ll be as wide-eyed as them, too. Make the trek to the Dandenong Ranges to this cosy part of the world and look at the sprawling night sky. It’s an astronomical society run by volunteers and all money received from the sale of tickets goes towards maintenance and preservation of the Observatory. Book for the next event.
BENSIMON BOUTIQUE
511 High St, Prahran.bensimonboutique.com
An elaborate doormat is the only clue from the High St pavement that an Aladdin’s cave of gems is down the garden path. Lined with flowers and plants, there is a doorbell labelled “Press for Champagne”. Personal history cards at Bensimon Boutique include more than just the name and address. There are notes on how customers prefer their coffee, their favourite biscuits and their most-loved gems. Renowned for her skill in allowing semiprecious stones to nestle with fine stones all set in 18-carat gold, owner Tanya Hamersfield has created a wonderland of femininity and character. She designs most of the pieces that are made in Italy, France or New York, with prices ranging from $350-$20,000.
BECKETT PARK TOWER
Beckett Park is via Parring Rd, Balwyn.
Balwyn is one of the highest points in Melbourne, making the stone observation tower in Beckett Park, formerly known as One Tree Hill, one of the best places to enjoy views across town. Tucked behind a suburban street, on a clear day the view stretches to Mt Macedon, but the park and adjacent Maranoa Gardens are just as pleasant to wander through and feature many native botanicals.
LITTORIO’S
168 Main St, Croydon.
City dwellers would be hard-pressed to find a city breakfast that could come anywhere near the great value at this little-known Croydon cafe, where a breakfast for kings is gentle on the purse strings. A breakfast plate is $39 but is made for sharing between at least two people, filled with an assortment of treats, including four eggs, grilled tomato, wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms, crumpets, Bircher muesli and condiments aplenty.
HILL TOP CAKES
601 Whitehorse Rd, Surrey Hills.
The irresistible aroma of freshly made meat pies explains the queue outside this small Swiss cake shop. In a town where food is a fashion statement, Hill Top is proudly traditional and its loyal customers wouldn’t have it any other way. The Swiss owners have had the store for 29 years but now have plans to move to a bigger shop in the same street to include a sit-down option. Locals swear by the Sachertorte, the spinach quiches and Black Forest log, but quickly add that everything is wonderful in this shop. The store supplies at least 30 birthday cakes a week.
THE BURGER BLOCK
85 Willsmere Rd, Kew.
The family owners of The Burger Block have been on their Kew premises for 15 years but only turned their cafe into an Asian fusion burger cafe last February. At an average price of $12.90, local demand for the burgers has forced the owners to start opening on Thursday nights to cater for those who couldn’t get there during the day. The secret family recipe of a traditional beef pattie is infused with a range of spices taken from Korea, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.
FINNS RESERVE
Corner Union St and Templestowe Rd, Lower Templestowe.
Playing outside could not be more creative than
at Finns Reserve on the Yarra River. Assorted sticks and bush materials are on hand in the nature play area for kids to let their creativity run wild and build a serious cubby house or teepee. There are also plenty of other activities in the park, including a native forest walk. Then burn off some energy at the popular Wombat Bend playspace, which features a flying fox, maze, play equipment, sandpit and sensory activities.
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