Food & Dining Preston and Reservoir VIC

We have bought 2 IPs via BAs, one at Preston (last year) and one at Reservoir (this year). However, we haven't yet seen them but will be going down to Melbourne this long weekend to have inspections!

Now given I bought there I thought we should at least look around there, and at least bave some lunch and dinner there, just to try local delicacies. We haven't been to Preston and Reservoir before.

Does anyone have any recommendations there around Preston and Reservoir for food (and other things)? Now that we actually bought something there, I thought I should stimulate the local economy

Are there any other neighbouring suburbs I should go as well?

 

https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/kaneo-restaurant-reservoir
Kaneo Charcoal Grill - Reservoir Victoria

 

Plenty of places in northcote and surrounds ( closer to Preston)

 

Audacious Monk Cellars is a pretty cool place if you are into craft beers and good wines. You can order take away too.
As for neighbouring suburbs, Brunswick is pretty cool. Lots of Beer gardens and great eateries. Also good food around Thornbury.

Audacious Monk Cellars 128-130 Regent st, Preston

 

If Pizza is your poison this is my local and is absolutely fantastic

Il Pizzaiolo Homepage

 

Dexter on High Street is the place to go in Preston. X marks the spot. Try the locally brewed Hawkers ales. I'd second that the Audacious Monk is also worthy for a drinks break.

 

Thank you all for your tips! Now I am looking forward to the trip!

 

Yep, brewed in Reservoir!

 

How'd you go? where did you end up and what were your impressions?

 

Yes on Saturday morning, got off the plane and took my family to see my two IPs at Preston and Reservoir. It was actually good to finally see my IPs for the first time.

Then my better half wanted Yum Cha so ended up going to Gold Leaf at Preston for lunch. The food is actually pretty good. Driving into High Street for the first time, I just realised how busy and crowded Preston is, there were lots of Chinese shops. Preston Market is interesting place and I can see that there is great potential for redevelopment.

I still think Preston has some gentrification left, but I can see why people say it is mini Chinatown (and also mini Vietnamese town). The question is whether Preston can draw more Chinese, to make it a Box Hill/Glen Waverley of the North.

We also went to Reservoir shops, whilst the area is growth zone, I noticed that there are still a lot of gentrification left compare to Preston. I think there is 20 years before Reservoir becomes fully gentrified. It is starting but still a long way to go.

We went to Northland, did some shopping for the kids at Toys R Us. Absolutely packed for a Saturday.

I did drop by the Audacious Monk to grab a Fury and Son before heading to Richmond to checkin in late arvo ..... Not before driving through inner east (Toorak, Armadale, Caulfield North/South) to look around (I work at Caulfield South from time to time so I was showing the family the area).

Since we stayed at Amora Riverwalk Melbourne at Richmond, we had dinner at Maedaya at Richmond. That was an amazing place to have Japanese food. Highly highly recommend it.

We spent Sunday morning at Secret Kitchen at Doncaster for more Yum Cha. I still think it is still the best place for Yum Cha at Melbourne, amazing range of food there, much better than what I have in Sydney. Then my missus had some shopping done at Westfield Doncaster.

After that, we went to some parks at Mont Albert and Balwyn for the kids to play. I have to say that driving around inner East (Kew, Balwyn, Mont Albert, Hawthorn, Toorak, Caulfield), the area is so much nicer and leafier than the north and west of Melbourne. Houses are all nice, grand and well maintained.

We went to Glen Waverley for dinner. Tons of Chinese there, the food is good but I still think GW is way overpriced, compare to the surrounding suburbs. Even with the excellent school there I still cannot see the justification for the huge price difference in property values.

Monday morning after a morning walk at Yarra River next to the hotel (great walk), we decided to have brunch at Friends of Mine at Richmond. I guess it is typical of a Melbournian hip cafe, with menu for all those health drinks and healthy food. Of course they offer smashed avocados and charges for almost $20 for the privilege. One single cheesy herb toast for my kid cost $9.90 (!) I had an Angus Burger with chips instead for like $25. My better half had an egg benedict.

After my brunch we took our kids for more parks to play, before driving to Bundoora, Kingsbury, Coburg, Pascoe Vale area to look around before going to the airport to fly back to Sydney .....

It was a great experience overall at Melbourne, and will definitely come back again next year, even without all those tax deductions!

 

wow that's a solid effort, definitely made the most of your schedule.

I fully agree with your point on the difference of street-scape between the north and inner east. Even putting aside the general condition of properties, the north is just a concrete jungle. Even with gentrification, the narrower streets and lack of anything green will stop it from ever being as nice as the east. Coming from Perth i also found that apart from the creek trails, there is a severe lack of green open space. I'm looking at getting a dog in the mid-future and I will have to actively search for a property in close proximity to a park. That is just a given in many other areas.

Having said that, I live in the north because i love the quick access to highstreets and cafes as well as the transport options. For the money, i couldn't have all that and still live a comfortable cycle to the city. I also spend a bit of time with family further north, and its super-convenient to access the Hume highway (though the recently announced north-east link will be a game changer in that regard for the eastern suburbs).

I think the biggest game changer for Preston will be when highstreet/Plenty road are fully developed with mid-rise apartments. Street activation will be off the charts the whole way up, and there will be a massive amount of dining options. The potential density may even rival Fitzroy. Reservoir as you say is still so young, it will be a while yet. I can't wait for the level crossing removal at the intersection of Reservoir Station, if they do that right (ideally connect Edwardes and Broadway) that will be a game changer for the area.