The Best Things To Do This Weekend in Balaclava
Balaclava doesn’t scream for attention the way its louder neighbours do — St Kilda flogs itself on Instagram, Elsternwick clings to brunch culture, and Caulfield brags about its racecourse. Balaclava just quietly delivers, weekend after weekend, along a single strip that punches well above its weight.
Carlisle Street is only about 600 metres long, but it packs in enough food, drink, and character to keep you busy from Saturday morning coffee to Sunday arvo wander. Here’s how to spend a proper weekend in Balaclava without leaving the postcode — and where to detour into St Kilda East, Caulfield, and Elsternwick when you want a change of scenery.
Saturday Morning: Brekkie and Coffee
Start at Monk Bodhi Dharma (22 Daly Street, off the Carlisle Street strip). Set behind the Woolworths car park in a small red brick building covered in street art, this is one of Melbourne’s most enduring brunch institutions — and it still draws a queue on Saturdays for good reason. The umami mushrooms with goat’s cheese (or almond feta for the plant-based crowd) have been on the menu for years because they’re simply excellent. The Buddha nourish bowl with beans, greens, and pickles is the dish your gut thanks you for. Coffee here is taken seriously — they roast their own, and you can taste the difference. Expect to spend $18–25 per head for brunch with a coffee.
If Monk Bodhi Dharma’s wait is too long (it regularly hits 30–40 minutes on Saturdays), walk four minutes to All Things Equal on Carlisle Street. This is a social enterprise cafe — around half the staff are people with disabilities working in a proper paid hospitality role — and the food is genuinely outstanding. Tali’s muffins have a cult following, the shakshuka is a reliable crowd-pleaser, and the menu rotates regularly enough that you won’t get bored on repeat visits. The vibe is warm and buzzy without being pretentious. Brunch runs $16–22 per head.
Grab a seat outside if the weather cooperates. Melbourne in autumn means you might get 28 degrees and sunshine, or you might get sideways rain by lunch. Dress in layers and hope for the best.
Late Morning: The Bagel Run
No weekend in Balaclava is complete without a bagel stop. Lenz Bagels (next to Balaclava Station on Carlisle Street) has been the neighbourhood’s go-to for cream cheese-slathered carbs since the days when Balaclava was first becoming Melbourne’s unofficial bagel capital. The smoked salmon with dill cream cheese is the classic, but don’t skip the egg and hash brown bagel if you want something more substantial. Get it to go and eat on the platform while you wait for the Sandringham line — that’s peak Balaclava Saturday energy.
If you’re more of a sweet tooth, the doughnuts at Lenz are worth the trip alone. Fresh, not too sweet, and about $3.50 each. You’ll tell yourself you’re buying one. You’ll eat two.
Midday: Saturday Market Stroll and Neighbourhood Wander
Carlisle Street on a Saturday mid-morning has a proper community feel. The fruit and veg shops are doing brisk business, the kosher bakeries are fresh out of the oven, and the mix of young families, university students (Caufield uni is a 10-minute walk), and long-time locals gives the strip a demographic blend that most of Melbourne’s gentrified strips have lost.
Walk east along Carlisle Street towards the Balaclava Hotel (built 1887, renovated a few years back with a proper indoor-outdoor rooftop bar). Even if you’re not stopping for a drink yet, it’s worth a look — the building itself is a beauty, and the rooftop catches a surprising amount of afternoon sun.
If you want to extend the wander, head south on Hotham Street into St Kilda East. The residential streets here are gorgeous — wide, tree-lined, full of Victorian and Edwardian houses in various states of loving renovation. The St Kilda Botanical Gardens on Blessington Street are free, peaceful, and home to some impressive old glasshouses. It’s a proper Melbourne hidden-in-plain-sight spot. Fifteen minutes there, fifteen minutes back, and you’ve earned your afternoon coffee.
Afternoon: Coffee, Shopping, or Sport
For coffee snobs: Head back to Carlisle Street and hit Neighbours Cafe — a veteran of the strip that’s been serving Balaclava longer than most of the new-wave cafes have been open. The flat white here is $4.50 and consistently good. No frills, no oat milk theatre, just solid coffee and a table by the window.
For shopping: Carlisle Street has a clutch of independent boutiques, op shops, and homewares that make it worth a browse. It’s not Chapel Street — and that’s exactly the point. Prices are gentler, the shop owners remember your name after visit two, and you’ll find things that haven’t been mass-produced for Instagram.
For sport: If it’s AFL season, check whether the Caulfield Bears or local footy is on at the nearby grounds. Melbourne’s obsession with weekend footy is real, and watching a local game at a suburban ground is a far more authentic experience than the MCG. Walk or tram up to Caulfield — the racecourse precinct also has a public park that’s great for a kick-around if the kids are in tow.
Late Afternoon: Drinks
Ilona Staller (282 Carlisle Street) is the move for a late arvo drink that transitions into evening. This Italian-inspired restaurant has a wine list that leans natural and Italian, and the vibe shifts from family-friendly lunch to dimly-lit date territory as the afternoon wears on. A spritz here while the sun’s still up is one of Balaclava’s quiet pleasures.
Alternatively, the Balaclava Hotel rooftop is the local’s spot for a beer in the sun. It’s not fancy — the beer list is Carlton Draught and friends — but the rooftop catches light perfectly on Saturday afternoons and the crowd is a healthy mix of post-race punters, pre-dinner locals, and anyone who just wants a cold one without the wankery of St Kilda.
If you want something with more energy, Pause Bar (268 Carlisle Street) does DJs some nights and has a neighbourhood bar feel that doesn’t try too hard. Check their socials for what’s on — Saturday nights can range from low-key acoustic sets to proper dance floor vibes.
Evening: Dinner
Balaclava’s dinner scene is an underrated patchwork of cultures. You’ve got:
- Ilona Staller for Italian done properly — the pasta changes seasonally and the ragù is the real deal. Expect $28–40 for a main.
- Las Tapas for Spanish small plates that work perfectly for groups. Share a jug of sangria and work through the menu. Budget about $45–55 per head with drinks.
- Tulum Turkish for a more substantial feed — the lamb kleftiko is outstanding, and the pide is the kind of carb-loading that justifies a weekend splurge. Around $30–40 per head.
- Saigon Street Eats for Vietnamese that punches well above its price point. A pho for $16, bun cha for $18, and you’ll be full. This is proper neighbourhood Vietnamese — not a laneway concept.
For something a bit different, wander into Elsternwick (15-minute walk west, or one tram stop). The Glen Huntly Road strip has picked up significantly in the last year, with new openings adding to the existing Greek and Italian backbone. Elsternwick is having a moment — and it’s close enough that Balaclava locals treat it like an extension of their own backyard.
Sunday: Slow It Down
Sunday in Balaclava is a slower beast. The kosher bakeries do a roaring trade for Sunday morning challah and pastries. Monk Bodhi Dharma is less hectic (aim for 10am rather than 9). The Carlisle Street strip empties out by early afternoon as families retreat for the day.
If you’ve got kids, the St Kilda Botanical Gardens are worth a return visit on Sunday morning — the playground is decent, the paths are pram-friendly, and there’s enough green space to let small humans run free without feeling like you’re in a dog park.
For the solo wanderers or couples, walk south to St Kilda Beach via Alma Road. It’s a 20-minute walk from Carlisle Street, and the route takes you through the grand residential streets of St Kilda East before dumping you onto the foreshore. A sunset walk along the pier, fish and chips from the pier shops, and a final drink at one of the Esplanade hotels is a classic Melbourne Sunday ritual.
Getting There and Getting Home
Balaclava Station sits on the Sandringham line — direct from the CBD in about 25 minutes. Trams run along Hotham Street andCarlisle Street connects to the Route 16 tram to the city via St Kilda and Malvern.
Getting home late on Saturday? Night Network trains run on the Sandringham line, or you’re a short Uber from St Kilda’s nightlife strip if you’ve had one too many rooftop beers at the Balaclava Hotel.
Safety note: Carlisle Street itself is well-lit and safe at night, but the quieter residential streets east of Hotham Street can feel isolated after 11pm. Stick to main roads if you’re walking, and keep your wits about you near Balaclava Station late at night — the station is reasonably busy but the surrounding streets empty out quickly.
Cross-Links
- Date Night in Balaclava — 2026 Local Guide
- Neighbourhood Guide to Balaclava — 2026 Local Guide
- New Openings in Balaclava — 2026 Local Guide
- St Kilda East — 2026 Local Guide
- Caulfield — 2026 Local Guide
- Elsternwick — 2026 Local Guide
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