Mentone

Lifestyle & dining

Mentone's foreshore is the suburb's biggest drawcard, with a wide stretch of bay beach, the historic Mentone Life Saving Club and a foreshore path that connects walkers and cyclists through to Parkdale and Beaumaris. Inland, the Mentone Village shopping strip along Como Parade East and West has grown into a genuine dining destination, with cafes, bakeries and restaurants that give the suburb a relaxed, unhurried feel without losing its everyday practicality.

The mix of beachside recreation and cafe culture suits young families, professionals commuting to the city, and retirees who want lifestyle without giving up convenience. It's a suburb that rewards a slower pace — weekend markets, bay swims and long lunches are all part of the appeal.

Shopping

Beyond the Como Parade village strip, Mentone residents have easy access to the larger retail precincts at nearby Cheltenham and Southland Shopping Centre, one of Melbourne's biggest regional malls, just a short drive or bus ride away. This combination of an intimate local strip and a major shopping centre nearby means residents rarely need to leave the area for day-to-day needs or bigger retail therapy.

Getting around

Mentone railway station sits on the Frankston line, giving direct access into the city and making it a genuinely practical commuter suburb. The Nepean Highway runs along the suburb's western edge, providing a straightforward road route north to the city or south towards the Mornington Peninsula, while local bus routes link Mentone to Cheltenham, Highett and other neighbouring suburbs for those without a direct rail connection to their destination.

Schools & families

Education is one of Mentone's defining features, with a concentration of well-regarded schools rarely matched in a suburb of this size. Mentone Grammar School and Mentone Girls' Grammar School anchor the private school offering, alongside Kilbreda College, while Mentone Girls Secondary College caters to government secondary students. Younger families are well served by Mentone Primary School and Mentone Park Primary School, making the suburb a genuine drawcard for parents planning their children's schooling years in advance.

Housing & architecture

Mentone's housing stock reflects its long history as a bayside suburb, with older weatherboard and brick beach houses sitting alongside newer townhouse developments and apartment blocks. Current listings show a dwelling mix tilted towards higher-density living, with apartments and units making up 46 percent of stock, townhouses 30 percent and standalone houses the remaining 24 percent — a sign of the infill development that has reshaped many streets within walking distance of the station and village.

The property market

Mentone's median house price sits at $1.13 million, with units and apartments considerably more accessible at a median of $651,000. Median rent across the suburb is $825 per week, reflecting solid demand from tenants wanting proximity to the beach, schools and train line.

House prices have eased recently, down 2.8 percent, which may present an opening for buyers who've watched this tightly held bayside pocket from the sidelines. With such a strong skew towards apartments and townhouses in current listings, buyers chasing a traditional house on a full block will find competition remains firm even as broader price growth cools.