This village-like suburb beside the bay punches above its weight for food and drink. Three new names add extra pulling power, from the first coffee of the morning to late-night cocktails.

Hugging the bay, bisected by a canal and shaded by plane trees, Elwood ranks highly on the charmometer. There’s no train, trams barely skirt the perimeter and arterial roads stick to the edges, maintaining a cosy village feel despite being just eight kilometres south-east of the city. It’s a place for ice-cream (or hot chocolate) on the beach, pasta with a sea view and Sunday jazz with snacks.

Elwood’s population skews wealthier and less diverse than the Victorian average, with large homes dotted between Art Deco flats, and 30 or so streets named after (mostly) English poets, apparently to improve the character of the suburb’s unruly nineteenth-century residents. Then, as now, Ormond Road is the main shopping strip. This is a good time to explore Elwood, with new ventures and refreshed offerings ensuring the seaside suburb is a happy place for a wander.

Dani Valent

Buttery pastries, happy hours and afternoon jazz: It’s all good in Elwood