When Amanda Ruben opened her first business on Armadale’s High Street in 2006, her customers were mostly locals, drawn to the mile-high salads and fancy cakes she offered at Cooper & Milla. “It was unique at the time,” she says. “There weren’t many people in Melbourne doing high-quality home-style food.” By the time she opened Ruben’s Deli on High Street in 2023, the mood and offering were completely different.

“The standard is up across the board, it’s busier than it’s ever been and I love the feel and the vibe of the street,” she says. “It’s at such a nice place in terms of the food and an eclectic mix of fashion. On the weekends, we get people from all over Melbourne.”

Armadale is seven kilometres south-east of the city with a streetscape characterised by ornate buildings dating back to the boom years of the 1880s. It’s a relatively affluent area with a median household income of $2193, compared to the Victorian average of $1759, according to the 2021 census. Shops have long skewed towards those with higher disposable incomes, but the mix has changed markedly over the decades: Persian rugs are out, take-home lasagne is in.

“You can get an amazing sandwich, have a drink, buy a fantastic steak to put on the barbecue ... it’s got something for everyone.”

Amanda Ruben, Ruben’s Deli

Phillippa Grogan is celebrating 30 years at Phillippa’s Bakery, one of Melbourne’s oldest sourdough bakeries. “It’s changed enormously here,” she says, surveying the scene from behind a pile of cardamom scrolls at her store in the heart of High Street. “It used to be all antiques shops and homewares but over time, a lot of stores from Chapel Street came here with apparel, handbags and shoes. It’s become a destination for fashion, and a better food offering has come with it. Tartine is a stayer, as are we, but now there’s Auterra and just off the strip, I love Albert’s Wine Bar too.”

As a schoolgirl, Kate Maskiell started working in Tartine foodstore in 1986 when her mother Jan owned it. “I remember mostly carpet shops, then it went through a wedding shop phase, before turning into the premier fashion strip of today,” she says. Tartine has always had loyal local customers but visitors to the street tended to call in only if they were a bride or bridesmaid – or wanted a rug.

“There’d be large groups of women on the weekends, but they’d come, do their thing and leave. There wasn’t the buzz and bustle that there is today,” says Maskiell. “Now we have people from interstate and even international tourists walking along with their shopping bags. High Street is a drawcard.”

When the Victor Churchill butcher opened in 2021, it became emblematic of the street’s new life as a food precinct. Lune, Ruben’s and The Leaf Store soon followed. “High Street is luring people with food now,” says Victor Churchill manager Anthony Musarra.

It definitely drew Amanda Ruben, who recently returned to the street with Ruben’s Deli after a period of time in Ripponlea. “It has a cool factor, buzzing but also warm and friendly,” she says. “You can get an amazing sandwich, have a drink, buy a fantastic steak to put on the barbecue and come in here and get an iceberg wedge salad. It’s got something for everyone.”

A busy, exciting neighbourhood food strip is very Melbourne, according to Maskiell. “People seem to be moving away from the big shopping centres,” she says. “Some of them have OK food, but somewhere like High Street has higher quality and a more diverse selection,” she says. “Eat streets are part of Melbourne and it makes us stand out from the other states: coffee and food is huge.”

The Orrong Hotel

Dating to around 1940, this art deco pub was sensitively restored in 2021. The original timber front bar sits handsomely in the retro-styled corner parlour, making the idea of lifting an elbow to drink an icy lager extremely appealing. The very model of a friendly local, the Orrong has alluring happy hours, a steak night on Thursdays with a meat raffle, and a $25 Sunday roast. Classic counter meals are balanced by contemporary dishes such as tacos and eggplant parmigiana.

709 High Street, Armadale, orronghotel.com

The Cake Club

Founded by home bakers ​​Kendyll Van de Ven and Liv Glen, the cornerstone of Cake Club is order-ahead whole cakes, but you can also walk in for coffee and treats. New York-style chunky cookies are the cult favourite: flavours include white chocolate stuffed with Biscoff, and choc chip loaded with Nutella, but why not get a mixed lucky dip pack of six? We’re also very keen on the dense caramel cornflake brownies.

722 High Street, Armadale, thecakeclub.co

The Leaf Store

A premium grocer with an in-house florist, Leaf is part of a nascent produce hub west of Kooyong Road that includes Lune, Victor Churchill and Ned’s Bake. Beyond seasonal produce, some of it directly sourced from local farmers, Leaf has quality pantry goods and take-home meals. The fruit is particularly good here: last time I dropped in, I had a life-changing grape bursting with sweetness and sunshine.

833 High Street, Armadale, theleafstore.com.au

Lune Croissanterie

Lune launched in Elwood so it feels right that there is now a southside outpost of the world-famous croissant store. At this chic temple to laminated dough, the day’s offerings are laid on a marble benchtop like museum exhibits: there’s always an impeccable plain croissant, a rich, moist almond croissant, and a ham and gruyere savoury option – but allow space in your heart for monthly specials, too. You may encounter a queue but Armadale can be a quieter option for getting your fix than the more established Lune stores in Fitzroy and the city.

2/835 High Street, Armadale, lunecroissanterie.com

Zia Rina’s Cucina

Definitely one of the cosiest places in Armadale, Zia Rina’s styles itself as a casa del popolo, a gathering place for discussion, neighbourhood spirit and maybe a little activism. There’s a daily menu here ($75) so you must advise in advance of any dietary requirements. Once you’re on for the ride, expect Italian seasonal eating with produce from the Mornington Peninsula’s Torello Farm. Recent dishes have included padron peppers with smoked anchovy and fennel-crusted pork chop. The wine list is a smart blend of Italian bottles and local Italian varietals.

857 High Street, Armadale, rinas3143.com

Victor Churchill

Butcher and bar counter by day, swank dining room by night, Victor Churchill isn’t just a glam place to buy meat, it’s also an excellent example of a food business making the most of its premises to please more customers. The meat selection is impeccable: you won’t find everything here, but you will find the best and you’ll get expert advice on how to prepare your purchase at home. If you’re eating in, steak is the obvious choice but there’s also coal-grilled calamari and charcuterie such as black truffle salami and rabbit rillettes.

953 High Street, Armadale, victorchurchill.com

Bansho

Behind an unassuming entrance, this Japanese-French bistro is a surprise and a delight, melding two cuisines in a display of both creativity and technical mastery. Chef Tomotaka Ishizuka’s menu includes chawanmushi (steamed Japanese custard) topped with vichyssoise (a French soup normally made with leek, but rendered here with celeriac). Sensitive culinary interplay is also seen in plant-based sushi: there’s roast capsicum with mustard and karkalla with kombu.

960 High Street, Armadale, banshodining.com

Ruben’s Deli

Melbourne’s love affair with New York-style delis has hit High Street hard. The Reuben isn’t just the namesake, it’s also a signature, made with quiveringly juicy pastrami and sauerkraut on rye. Another good option is the hot-honey-smoked salmon bagel with herbed cream cheese and capers − I add pickled jalapenos, too. Armadale mums go big on meal solutions for home: meatballs, lasagne scrolls and colourful roast vegetable salads are all staples. Anyone who leaves without a cinnamon babka isn’t doing it right.

978 High Street, Armadale, rubensdeli.com

Phillippa’s Bakery

Celebrating 30 years in 2024, Phillippa Grogan taught Armadale about sourdough, spiced nuts and cardamom twists – and she’s still going strong. This is mostly a place for provisions but there are a few perches to sit down, inside and out. During winter, a cup of soup and a roll can bridge the gap between a chilly day and cosy comfort. Varieties include spinach and bacon, chicken and kale, and Fijian lentil and lime.

1030 High Street, Armadale, phillippas.com.au

Tartine Gourmet

The Maskiell family has been making eating and entertaining easy for Armadale since the mid-1980s. Their promise is “never prepare a main meal again” and if you have steady access to their curries, tagines, lasagnes and salads, you may never need to. My approach is to duck in for a brilliant beef sausage roll and a fat slice of carrot and walnut cake with cream cheese icing.

1035 High Street, Armadale, tartinegourmet.com.au

Moby

If it’s happening in Armadale, they are talking about it at Moby, either in the dog-friendly sheltered pavement tables, the two-storey cafe or − in fine weather − the roof deck, which gives a bird’s-eye view of the strip. The menu is an appropriate mix of the healthy − maybe the gorgeously dressed California superfood salad with kale and quinoa − and the blowout, like the eggs benedict with chorizo and golden potato bake. Coffee is excellent, though new player Nigel is giving this stayer a run for its money up near Glenferrie Road.

1150 High Street, Armadale, moby3143.com.au

Auterra

The little sister to fine dining Amaru across the road (see below), Auterra is a wine bar with poise, along with a courtyard, private room and pavement seating. I don’t think you’ll find better bar snacks anywhere else in Melbourne, and they are surprisingly well-priced given how elaborate they are. Recent morsels include gunkan (sushi roll) with cured mackerel, kohlrabi and melon, and a spin on prawn toast made with rock lobster and fermented capsicum sauce. The wine list is an adventure mediated by expert guidance from the staff; there are good non-alcoholic cocktails too.

1160 High Street, Armadale, auterrawinebar.com.au

Amaru

Elevated from two hats to a chart-topping three in the most recent Good Food Guide, Amaru offers a key Melbourne dining experience and is definitely the fanciest place on the strip. A dynamic team led by owner Clinton McIver threads the very best (and sometimes unusual − hello, sea lettuce, juniper and camel milk) Australian produce through symphonic tasting menus. Amaru is a small restaurant with an open kitchen and a tight team: one nice thing about dining here is that chefs bring food to the table and are able to chat engagingly about wine, as well as their latest dish.

1121 High Street, Armadale, amarumelbourne.com.au

Otter’s Promise

Some people punctuate their day with coffee, others stop off for a beer: I found it surprising how many people blow the froth off a couple while working on their laptop at this friendly craft beer hangout. There are about 300 brewskis here, some on tap, most in bottles and cans. All of it can be sipped in-house or taken away. There’s also a low-key courtyard where you can commune with your beer and your dog.

1219 High Street, Armadale, otterspromise.com.au

Sozai

This unassuming neighbourhood restaurant has been feeding Armadale since 1998: some of their customers started coming when they were babies. The menu won’t startle but there’s a commitment to freshness and quality that might. Staples include the miso-baked eggplant and prawn tempura. Generous and good-value lunch platters come with crisp gyoza, vegetables and chicken or salmon teriyaki. BYO is fine (corkage is $15 a bottle).

1221 High Street, Armadale, sozai.com.au

Giorgio’s

It’s been at the end of the strip, opposite Malvern Town Hall, for 32 years and has been owned by the Quattrocchi family for the past 16. Giorgio’s is a perennial pleaser, comfortable, not too noisy and absolutely approachable. Want somewhere to take your parents? Yes. Need somewhere to haul the kids? Definitely. The standouts on the menu are the carefully made linguine marinara and the wood-fired pizzas.

1235 High Street, Armadale, giorgiosrestaurant.com.au

Le Tonkin

This northern Vietnamese restaurant has a sister restaurant in Hanoi and many of the recipes come from there, though local ingredients give them a Melbourne spin. There’s kingfish sashimi with mandarin, and you can have your sizzling eye fillet with sweet potato chips. Turmeric fish is a Hanoi classic, served here with noodles, pickles and the house nuoc cham dipping sauce.

1264 High Street, Armadale, letonkin.com.au