As the Mornington Peninsula climbs inexorably upmarket, Dromana has maintained its quintessential salty, sandy, beach town character. It’s also developed a food scene of surprising breadth and depth, both for those who want to go out to eat and drink and the ones who like to cook for themselves.

Much of the action happens in the town’s back-blocks industrial estate, where cheesemongers, coffee roasters, fishmongers, breweries and distilleries rub shoulders with the more typical garden and building supply businesses.

But the main beachside strip pulls its weight, too. Proximity to the sea while drinking wine, coffee or cocktails never gets boring, making Dromana essential for anyone visiting the peninsula.

For excellent coffee (and beans for home)

Operating out of Dromana’s increasingly exciting industrial estate, Little Rebel is not only an expert coffee roaster. Its warehouse-like tasting room is the place to drink what is arguably the Mornington Peninsula’s best coffee. Sourcing beans from Colombia, Brazil and Honduras, and roasting them in a state-of-the-art Giesen machine, the crew sells them alongside an array of quality coffee-making paraphernalia, so you can leave with a bag of beans to replicate the rich, deep-flavoured goodness at home. Now that’s a win-win situation.

22 Collins Road, Dromana, 0421 875 772, littlerebel.com.au

For all-day breakfast

Laneway Espresso, a charmingly ramshackle two-storey cafe opposite Dromana Beach, has the friendly and laid-back attitude common to all great beachside breakfast spots. A substantial all-day breakfast menu does excellent versions of the classics – from eggs Benedict (available with salmon, bacon or an array of veg) to waffles and porridge – as well as more contemporary staples, such as corn fritters and shakshuka. They’re accompanied by above-average coffee, (mostly) virtuous smoothies, an impressive variety of baked goods and a kids’ menu that includes pancakes and fairy bread.

167 Point Nepean Road, Dromana, laneway-espresso.com

For wine and snacks

Just a few minutes from Dromana, Banksia Wine Room in McCrae is a collaboration between the folk from Rye’s excellent Independent Wine Store and chef Bernard McCarthy. A well-collated list of wine – where local pinot gris keeps company with Italian verdicchio, French syrah and Japanese sake – is backed by a short, sharp menu of small and large snacks. Think octopus and guindilla chilli skewers, duck rillettes and roasted snapper fillet. Banksia also hosts special wine dinners in its bright and breezy space, and monthly neighbourhood nights celebrating local producers and growers.

677 Point Nepean Road, McCrae, banksiawineroom.com.au

For crowd-pleasing Mexican

On any given night at La Onda Latin Mex you’ll find an energetic, closely packed dining room, with El Salvadorian-born chef Roxy Flores in the kitchen cooking a variety of vibrant dishes, many of which she learned from her grandmother. The menu takes a greatest hits approach to Latin American and Mexican food, with an emphasis on tacos, burritos, ceviche and nachos, and a lively freshness evident in both cooking and ingredients. The fish taco should not be missed, nor the on-theme drinks list that includes hit-the-spot margaritas and Mexican beers.

171 Point Nepean Road, Dromana, laondalatinmex.com.au

For holiday house supplies

Lucky Dromana has scored one of the best supermarkets in the state, a behemoth of a Ritchies IGA with an impressive range that includes a meat section with a glass-walled ageing room, a bread basket featuring the good stuff from the peninsula’s small bakeries, an admirable line-up of cheeses from near and far, and a deli that includes some pretty spectacular roast porchetta. There are ample ready meals and almost an entire aisle dedicated to Mediterranean groceries.

corner of O’Donohue Street and Point Nepean Road, Dromana, iga.com.au

For craft spirits

Australia’s distillery boom has mostly focused on gin and whisky but JimmyRum is broadening our horizons. As their increasingly loaded trophy cabinet attests, the team is succeeding at elevating the reputation of locally made rum and cane spirit. Found in the Dromana industrial estate, JimmyRum is a cellar door, tasting room and bar with an excellent outdoor area. Regular tasting and distilling classes are held in the presence of Matilda, JimmyRum’s 1500-litre copper still, and stacked oak barrels full of ageing rum.

6 Brasser Avenue, Dromana, jimmyrum.com.au

For a family-friendly outing

A craft brewery in a sizeable warehouse on Dromana’s industrial estate may not immediately scream “family day out” but Jetty Road Brewery has a relaxed, coastal beer hall vibe that encompasses a large beer garden, a welcoming attitude (which extends to dogs) and a sizeable menu that includes a kids’ section. The beers are worth stopping by for, too, with the range spanning tap stalwarts such as lagers and wheat beers as well as seasonal sours and stouts. The something-for-everybody approach includes parma nights, live music and takeaways.

12-14 Brasser Avenue, Dromana, jettyroad.com.au

For liquor supplies

The Bodega, a newcomer to Dromana’s main beachside strip, is a good-looking smooth operator that functions as both bottle shop and wine bar. Mornington Peninsula wines are the focus, but there’s a strong selection from the rest of Australia and Europe. Even if your intention is a quick stop to grab a takeaway bottle from the constantly changing 250-strong cellar, chances are you’ll find yourself settling in for a glass of wine or a bottled cocktail, perhaps with some charcuterie, meatballs or local oysters. Treat yourself.

133 Point Nepean Road, Dromana, thebodega.com.au

For a spice fix

What’s a well-known winery doing running a Sri Lankan restaurant? It turns out that Polperro pinot noir is just the ticket for chef Gayan Pieris’ rich goat marrow broth with quail egg, one of the deeply flavoured dishes he serves at Many Little. Elsewhere, brined mackerel cutlets – the Sri Lankan cousin of the croquette – might be paired with ethereal whites from Europe. Squid ink-blackened kokis are intricate wheels of rice flour with a plump spanner crab filling, but the undisputed show-stopper is the thali: a plethora of curries, condiments and lacy hoppers.

Shops 2-5, 159 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, manylittle.com.au

For properly seasonal produce

Torello Farm is the mother of all farm gates, stocking an enormous variety of produce from their own farms – fruit and vegetables, Belted Galloway beef, Dorset Down lamb – plus output from a range of small Mornington Peninsula growers and producers. That could include strawberries, avocados, cheese, honey, mushrooms and olive oil, and there’s always an impressive variety of spuds. You can supplement your market haul with locally baked bread and ready meals, while a sizeable car park only adds to the convenience.

410 White Hill Road, Dromana, torellofarm.com.au

For bread and baked goods

A former car wash is now a favoured peninsula destination for French-style bread and pastries, often made with locally milled flour. But Miller’s Bread Kitchen is not solely about baguettes. Miller’s pie fillings include some absolute doozies – ossobuco, duck and pinot – and their pork and fennel sausage rolls are equally addictive. Check the cabinet for generously loaded sandwiches and the admirably sticky apple cake. But be prepared to queue.

116 Nepean Highway, Dromana, millersbread.squarespace.com

For food that matches the views

Lunch overlooking the artworks that dot the grounds of nearby Pt Leo Estate is a glorious thing, whether you’re dining at fine-diner Laura or the (slightly) more casual Pt. Leo Restaurant. At the latter, a fat eye-fillet with old-school port jus demands an extravagant side of layered potatoes, and wood-fired snapper is pure French classicism with an archetypal beurre blanc. Laura serves five- or nine-course degustations that might include textural gazpacho of avocado, matcha and fresh wasabi, showcasing chef Josep Espuga’s Spanish heritage and the bounty of the peninsula. White asparagus and caviar are swathed in oyster cream, and a complex mole sauce complements the deep meatiness of Blackmore wagyu. All this comes at a price, of course, but you’re paying for more than just lunch.

3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks, ptleoestate.com.au