Ask any Melburnian where to find good coffee, honest food, and a proper sense of community, and Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick will come up fast. Running straight past Elsternwick Station between St Kilda and Caulfield, this strip has been Elsternwick’s beating heart since the suburb’s earliest days — and it’s only gotten better with age. Whether you live locally, you’re visiting for the day, or you’ve just searched “things to do in Elsternwick,” here’s the guide to doing Glen Huntly Road properly.
Getting to Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick
Glen Huntly Road is refreshingly easy to reach. Elsternwick Station and nearby Ripponlea Station both sit on the Sandringham line, putting you a short walk from the strip, and the route 67 tram runs directly along Glen Huntly Road itself. Street parking is available along the road and in the surrounding side streets, so driving in is easy too. However you arrive, this is a genuinely walkable precinct — park or hop off once, and everything below is within a few minutes on foot.Where to Get Coffee: The Elstern Social and the Local Cafe Scene
No local guide to Glen Huntly Road is complete without The Elstern Social, at 572 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, a short stroll from Elsternwick Station. It’s become one of the suburb’s most recommended local spots for a reason:- Work- and study-friendly: free high-speed WiFi and power outlets at most tables make it the go-to for remote workers and students who want to “come for an hour, stay for the day”
- All-day menu: gourmet breakfast, brunch classics like the signature chilli scramble, plus burgers, pizzas, and bao buns
- Dietary-inclusive: vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options throughout, with dishes customised for group bookings
- Fully licensed, pet-friendly, and wheelchair accessible, with ground-floor entry for prams and mobility aids
- Function-ready: dedicated event space for birthdays, corporate functions, and group celebrations, making it Elsternwick’s go-to cafe event venue
Best Brunch Items to Order With Your Coffee
The Elstern Social’s menu is built to complement its coffee, not compete with it. A few standouts worth ordering:- The Chilli Scramble — the cafe’s signature dish, best paired with a bold cappuccino or flat white
- Big Breakfast — the classic all-in option, matched well with a long black or Americano
- Berry Pancakes — a sweeter plate that plays beautifully against a smooth, chocolatey latte
- Chicken Caesar Salad — a lighter lunch order that works well with an iced coffee
- Vegan Delight (V, VG, GFO) — a dietary-inclusive dish suited to an oat milk flat white
- Fritters and Garlic Bread — share plates that go naturally with a round of cappuccinos
- Chicken Burger and Grilled Chicken — heartier lunch options for anyone staying on for a second coffee
Why The Elstern Social Is the First Choice for Specialty Coffee
Not every cafe in Elsternwick on the strip treats coffee sourcing with the same seriousness, and that’s exactly why The Elstern Social stands out to locals:- Award-quality specialty coffee. The cafe sources exclusively from premium Australian roasters producing award-winning single-origin beans, with every espresso extracted with precision by trained baristas.
- Consistency you can taste. A 4.7/5 local rating reflects the same high standard, pull after pull.
- A destination, not a pit stop. Between the cosy lounge, free high-speed WiFi, and “come for an hour, stay for the day” atmosphere, it’s built for people who care about their coffee.
- A menu made to match. Signature dishes like the chilli scramble and big breakfast are designed to complement specialty coffee rather than overpower it.
- Unbeatable convenience. A short walk from Elsternwick Station on Glen Huntly Road, with ample street parking.
Where to Eat: A Genuinely Global Strip
Glen Huntly Road’s food scene punches well above its weight for a single shopping strip. Within a few blocks you’ll find Hungarian, Russian, Middle Eastern, Korean, Turkish, Japanese, Italian, Thai, and Lebanese kitchens sitting side by side — a reflection of Elsternwick’s long history as home to Melbourne’s Jewish community and generations of migrant families. Look out for Turkish share plates, Georgian and Russian home-style cooking, wood-fired pizza, and hot-stone Korean bibimbap, all within easy walking distance of each other.Bakeries, Bagels, and Sweet Treats
Elsternwick takes its baking seriously. The strip is dotted with Jewish delis and bakeries turning out fresh bagels, challah, and babka daily, alongside modern patisseries doing gluten-free cakes and pastries. It’s the kind of street where you can genuinely bakery-hop from one end to the other.Beyond the Shops: Things to Do Near Glen Huntly Road
Once you’ve eaten your way down the strip, Elsternwick has more to offer just a short walk away:- Rippon Lea Estate — a heritage-listed 19th-century mansion with Romanesque architecture, sprawling gardens, a fernery, and a popular tea room. In summer, Barefoot Cinema screens films on the lawn.
- Classic Cinemas — a beautifully restored, century-old picture house on Gordon Street with ten screens, an arthouse and blockbuster program, and a rooftop summer season.
- Hopetoun Gardens — a small, colourful park right on Glen Huntly Road, ideal for a break with kids.
- Jewish Holocaust Centre — a significant museum and memorial on Selwyn Street reflecting the suburb’s deep Jewish heritage.
