Were Street climbs from the station up to the old windmill, and most of Monty's eating and drinking happens along the way. Tables spill onto the footpath, the coffee is good, and you are looking out over gum trees the whole time.
The Were St Food Store, a strip favouritePhoto: I Hear Melbourne
Cafes worth the climb
A few local favourites
Photo: Were St Food Store
Were St Food Store
30 Were St
A boutique cafe that has fed Monty for more than twenty years. The lasagna has a bit of a following, there is fresh baking in the cabinet each day, and they do gluten and dairy free without any fuss.
Named after the postcode and almost always busy. A bright room with a courtyard out the back, a big cabinet of cakes and slices, and a menu that moves with the seasons. Prams welcome, and there are usually a few about.
Down at the station end, opened in 2018 by an ex-Allpress coffee man. Fresh seasonal brunch plates, reliable coffee and a relaxed, family-friendly room.
A neighbourhood pizzeria run by a family with Sicilian baking roots. Wood-fired pizza and pasta for dine-in, takeaway and delivery, and gluten-free bases done well.
The traders also run live music and street events through the year, like Music in the Park, so the strip is often busier than its size would suggest.
Beyond Were Street
Over on Grand Boulevard
Were Street is not the only place to eat in Monty. Down on Grand Boulevard, near Petrie Park, a smaller pocket of shops has its own coffee stop and one of the area's long-running fish and chip shops.
Photo: New Neighbour
New Neighbour
2/39 Grand Blvd
A family-run specialty coffee and brunch cafe on Grand Boulevard, formerly Boots & Barley. Beans come from The Bean Cartel, the food is made in-house, and there are vegan and gluten-free options. Open weekdays from 7am, weekends from 7:30am.
A family-run chippy that has been frying on Grand Boulevard for more than a decade, with an award or two on the window to show for it. The other end of Monty from Were Street, and worth the drive.
Good to know
Hospitality moves fast on a strip this size. Opening hours shift with the seasons and school holidays, so it is worth a quick check before you head up the hill for anything more than a coffee.
Photo: Were St Food Store
Photo: Espresso 3094
Photo: Stone's Throw
Photo: Max's Woodfired
Photo: Monty Cafe
Photo: The Grape & Hop
Photo: Pizza A Casa
Photo: Monty Fish & Chips
Photo: New Neighbour