C&G Bayside Village Focus: Elwood Village

Bayside Melbourne is an active and diverse community – one that enjoys a lifestyle second to none close to both the ocean and thriving community hubs! In our latest blog series, C&G focuses on popular Bayside villages, from bustling retail precincts packed with chic cafes, restaurant and shops to beachside stretches lined with exciting local businesses. Read on to discover the highlights of today’s special focus, the first of the series: Elwood Village.

Coffee 

Elwood Village has always had a great café culture, and has no shortage of places to grab a great takeaway coffee or sit down for a social catch-up or work meeting. With a more laid-back vibe than St Kilda’s bustling main streets, try Combi Café for healthy smoothies, house blend coffee and raw snacks or the Little Sunflower Café for Allpress Espresso and yummy cakes.

Brunch 

Turtle Café on the corner of Glen Huntly and Ormond Roads has a real village feel – think a big alfresco area, close proximity to the beach and friendly local service. The breakfasts are ‘brunch’ style – perfectly poached eggs on fresh, wholesome toast, avocado, scrumptious chorizos, decadent pancakes or a healthy, hearty granola.

Restaurants

Jimmi Jamz is one of your local pizzerias, with plenty a great menu including focaccias and hearty salads, open for lunch and dinner. For tapas (as well as other Mediterranean inspired dishes) visit Hummingbird restaurant, or the upmarket, award-winning Dandelion for a Vietnamese dining experience.

Shopping 

Alafia Gallery stocks a range of handcrafted and authentic furniture, homewares, jewellery, textiles and artwork from Morocco and beyond. At Red Dog 3, you’ll find an eclectic range yet again, with handmade giftware including cute, hand-knitted teddies. For books, check out The Grumpy Swimmer and for flowers – Wild At Heart has a beautiful range including giftware and art (they also deliver).

Getting there

There are two bus routes operating in and out of Elwood Village – Routes 246 and 600. Visit PTV’s website here for more details. For the cyclist among you, there are also two off-road bike paths which you can learn more about here.