From Elwood to Port Melbourne: How To Spend a Day Along Port Phillip Bay

Whether you’re a south-side local or a visitor looking for a breezy summer daytrip, the inner-city beaches around Melbourne’s City of Port Phillip offer a good mix of seaside and urban cultural experiences.

Comprising a strip of suburbs along the bay, all within 10 kilometres of the CBD – including Elwood, St Kilda, Albert Park and Port Melbourne – there are plenty of ways to spend the day in the beachside district.

Maybe it’s with a morning dip at the beach, or an afternoon lakeside stroll, or a pub feed for dinner – maybe it’s all three, and more. Here’s how we’d do it, from morning to night.

Take a morning dip at Elwood Beach

Start your day with a swim in the bay – best done at sunrise for early risers (and to beat the crowds on hot days). If you go on a Sunday, wellness centre The Feel Good Hood puts on a weekly Feel Good Dip at 8.30am to get the blood pumping with an icy swim. It’s free and open to everyone – just bring yourself and a towel.

Grab a coffee and a snack from the beachfront kiosk, or head into central Elwood – to institution Jerry’s Milk Bar, perhaps, or stylish 2024 newcomer Arlo on Ormond Road – for something more substantial. Otherwise, it’s just 10 minutes’ stroll along the Bay Trail to Point Ormond Lookout, where you’ll find one of the best views of the Melbourne city skyline, framed by the rolling green foreshore.

Enjoy a leisurely lunch at Elwood Bathers

The waterside views don’t stop at lunch. Dine al fresco at Elwood Bathers and take in the ocean breeze while tucking into an aptly seafood-heavy menu. For starters, you’ll find freshly shucked oysters, king prawns with cocktail sauce, and baked Shark Bay scallops with fresh lemon and café de Paris butter. For mains, you can’t go wrong with the fish and chips – but there’s also seafood linguine in a garlicky chilli, lemon and white wine sauce, or burgers for those less crustacean-inclined.

Grab a sweet treat from Monarch Cakes

Ready for dessert? Head into St Kilda for baked goods from Monarch Cakes, an institution that’s been baking Eastern European cakes from its Acland Street storefront for 90 years. Here you’ll find sweets like its famous kooglhoupf (a sweet ring-shaped cake-like bread with dark chocolate and almond meal, swirled through pastry), and Polish baked cheesecakes made from a century-old recipe. We recommend stocking up on a few treats for the road, too.

Get a dose of culture at Linden New Art

Just up from Monarch on the quieter end of Acland Street, Linden New Art is a public art gallery in a grand historical home (entry is free). Spend the afternoon checking out the annual Linden Postcard Show, running until February 2025. Now in its 34th year, the long-running exhibition sees hundreds of intricate postcard-sized artworks by acclaimed artists. (In recent years, the show has evolved to include some larger 2D and even 3D works.) Linden also hosts exhibitions by contemporary artists and designers working in a variety of mediums. Right now, Melbourne painter Sean McDowell’s show And the World Turns is on until mid-January; it’s a series of eight vibrant new paintings created using oil on woven hessian fabric.

An afternoon stroll around Albert Park Lake

For a bit of a different waterside walk that isn’t on the bay, do a lap around Albert Park Lake. At this picturesque park right on the edge of the city, you’re sure to catch other pedestrians (and plenty of pooches) out for an arvo stroll, as well as rowers out on the water. You’ll also spot lots of visitors (and locals) taking snaps of the exceptional palm-tree studded CBD views. Stop for a breather on one of the park benches and enjoy the tranquillity of the water, or set up on the grass and watch the sun set.

Get seasonal dishes at wine bar Wally’s

After a day of sun, salt and fresh air, nothing hits quite like an intimate wine bar. And in a corner building on Cardigan Place, Wally’s is exactly that. Take a seat in the banquette – lined from end to end with wine bottles – and order seeasonal dishes like asparagus gribiche, octopus n’duja and flank au poivre with cime di rapa. To drink, there’s a book-sized wine list that celebrates French and Australian bottles.

Cool down with ice-cream from Billy Van Creamy

After dinner, take a 15-minute stroll (or five-minute drive) into the heart of Albert Park for a scoop or two from Billy Van Creamy’s recently opened fourth store on Bridport Street. Here, the ice-cream uses organic milk, with components like nut butters, biscuits and jams made in-house. Go for the choc-mint, honeycomb or cookies-and-cream varieties for a hit of nostalgia, or a vegan peppermint fudge scoop made from cashew and coconut milk for something different.

Cap off the night with drinks at Saba Rooftop

Hop over to Port Melbourne to round out your day on the bay with a nightcap at The Saba Rooftop. Perched on the 16th floor with a pool and a European beach club vibe, this new spot has 360-degree views across the city skyline at night. There are two types of Spicy Margaritas if you’re keen to get the party started, or keep things low-key with a spiced rum and butterscotch Espresso Martini as a digestif.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with What’s On St Kilda & Southside. Explore more of the area’s restaurants, bars, cafes, events and things to do.