Coastal Crawl: Where to Beat the Heat Near the Beach in Kingston

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Summer is just around the corner. If you're looking for the perfect day trip to celebrate in your dusted-off swimmers, Kingston could be the place for your summer plans. It's only 15-kilometres south of the CBD and packed with hot spots, local favourites and beaches as far as the eye can see.

We've teamed up with Kingston to design the perfect coastal crawl to keep you busy this summer.

Mentone Beach

We're starting at the northern end of Kingston's coastline at Mentone Beach. This spot is one of Melbourne's most popular dog beaches year-round — so be sure to bring your furry friend. If you're looking for a snack, head inland to Mentone Parade to Bromley's Bread.

This local bakery is passionate about all things artisanal baking, including sourdough and croissants that rank among the top patisseries in the entire city, from the humble pain au choc to the hearty vegemite and cheddar croissant. For lunch or dinner, Sunnyside Sliced is a New York-style pizzeria that uses long-fermented, hand-stretched, stone-baked dough for pizza that would knock everyone from your nephew to your nonna off their feet.

Parkdale Beach

Next is Parkdale Beach, a one-and-a-half kilometre stretch of peaceful coastline where you can set up on the uphill grassy area or on the sand to take in the ambience and unwind properly.  Parkdale Beach Cafe and Kiosk, located up on the grassy bluff is the closest you can get to the water while ordering a coffee around here.

Directly overlooking the water, there's a seasonally rotating selection of gourmet feeds here. Still, certain classics, like a steak sandwich with beetroot and fries with whipped mustard mayo, remain year-round. If you've got time to kill after your meal, you can make your way over to Shirley Burke Theatre and catch a performance from the Mordialloc Theatre Company.

Mordialloc Beach

Speaking of Mordialloc, that happens to be the next stop on our adventure. Beyond the picturesque shorefront and its 300-metre boardwalk, it is one of the oldest coastal towns in Melbourne, with a rich First Nations history and several local sporting traditions. However, the food in Mordialloc is anything but traditional. There's the recently opened Southeast Asian fusion restaurant, Chiki Chan, which admits to breaking all the rules alongside its brand new sibling, Hiki Bar.

There's also Bang Bang, a Hawker-style southeast Asian restaurant that deals in dishes the team has eaten on their own travels, bringing a mix of international flavours to the table. And it wouldn't be a beach town without a chicken joint, so that's where Bruno's Chicken Shop comes in, dishing out chargrilled and fried chicken by the half, quarter, burger or roll.

Aspendale Beach

Continuing south, the next three-kilometre stretch of sand is Aspendale Beach. The immediately eye-catching feature of this next destination isn't the rolling dunes or waves. It's those brightly coloured historic boatsheds and bathing boxes you've no doubt seen photos of across social media. These sheds are used to store the boats and belongings of their owners.

If you're stopping in for a feed as well as a swim, head just past the Surf Life Saving Club, and you'll find Mama Nuoi. This is a step up from your neighbourhood Vietnamese spot, with a sophisticated take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine like green salad with freshly shredded papaya and a slow-roasted lamb shank served with sweet potatoes.

Edithvale Beach

Keep walking along the sand or the foreshore, and you'll find yourself at a local favourite beach, Edithvale, with its own collection of beach huts, a shiny brand-new Surf Life Saving Club, and its own offering of seaside feeds.

One of the most popular spots in Edithvale for dinner is Tamam Tacos, easily missed in its tucked-away corner off the Nepean Highway. There are no bookings here, and Tamam only takes walk-ins and phone orders for its unpretentious and delicious tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more. Across that same parking lot is another beach town classic — Beachside Fish & Chips Edithvale, perfect for grabbing an easy takeaway feed to eat by the water.

Chelsea Beach

Chelsea Beach is the name of the next stretch of sand, with rolling dunes and a sizeable playground if you've got any kids (or kidults) in tow. Inti Gourmet Fine Peruvian is a local gem here. It immerses you in Peruvian hospitality with its dining and decor along with regular specials and community events.

If you need a break from the beach by now, take a turn inland to Chelsea Heights, where you'll find Tomboy's Canteen. It's a cafe owned and operated by two Chelsea locals, who invite you to bring dogs, mates and dates alike to tuck into cafe classics like granola bowls, waffles and oh-so-cheesy melts.

Bonbeach Beach

The final section which stretches from Chelsea Beach to Patterson River is broken by Bonbeach. So if you've been enjoying a walk on the lovely white sand, you're going to have to take a quick pause and head onto the boardwalk instead.

While you do, visit The Corner Hideout, a family-run cafe on the border of Chelsea that is a perfect spot for a refuel. If you're on the hunt for breakfast, it serves up large and small plates alike. Tuck into loaded pancakes, stacked Turkish roll sandwiches and more. If you're here at lunchtime, there is plenty to pick from, including sandwiches, loaded fries and homemade lasagne.

Carrum Beach

The final stop on our Kingston tour, the pristine Carrum Beach, sees white sand and calm waters running from the mouth of the Patterson River to Keast Park. There's plenty to find in and around the beach itself, with the Beauty Spot Park and the Dandenong Creek Trail being two sights you can find within the two-kilometre area of the beach.

And on the dining front, you don't need to go much further than The Kitchen Container. In the morning, this cafe and restaurant offers fresh juice, coffee and freshly made brekkie sandwiches. Come night-time, the team goes all in on pizza subs. Choose from twelve flavours of pizza, served on a footlong sub instead of typical pizza bread.

It's the tip of the coastal iceberg in Kingston since the fun goes far beyond the beach. Be it a slice of scenery and natural ambience, a night out of fine dining and culture or a good old fashioned figure it-out adventure, you'll find it in Kingston.

Find out more and start planning your Kingston adventure at This is Kingston's Instagram or website.