Hawthorn

We recommend you make a booking at this bustling modern-Japanese restaurant. Even though Ocha opened back in 2011, it's still to this day a difficult task to get a walk-in table here on a weekend.

A seriously supreme ramen shop.

Modern Indian cuisine from the cousins behind St Kilda’s Babu Ji.

Authentic Italian and a three-storey view of Glenferrie Road.

A cafe and roastery by a couple with serious coffee credentials, including an Australian barista championship.

A cafe collaboration by a bunch of the best, doing more than your average flat white.

A hole-in-the-wall cafe with doughnuts and discounts for students and police.

The first serious coffee destination in Hawthorn.

A spacious cafe with a DIY attitude.

Grab an organic baguette to go, or stay for a full breakfast.

A classic Asian grocer with a focus on Southeast Asian products and produce. (But there's also a surprisingly deep line-up of Latin American products, too.)

With secret family recipes dating back over 100 years, Piccolina Gelateria does fresh and simple Italian gelato made the old-fashioned way.

A smart, feminine boutique in Hawthorn, peppered with statement pieces, accessories and causal wear.

A fragrance fantasyland.

A most comprehensive swimwear boutique.

A touch of whimsy in Hawthorn.