The insider's guide to eating in Yarraville, Melbourne

Yarraville's gentrification and transformation has happened at warp speed. What was once a fairly desolate elbow of the western suburbs is now an ultra-quaint village of organic grocers, cafes, yoga centres and the pretty Art Deco Sun Theatre. Some chains have infiltrated the narrow streets but the main hub of Yarraville is still small enough to retain that community vibe.

Andrew's Choice

The son of a butcher, Andrew Vourvahakis began learning the trade at 15. Andrew's Choice, which he started in 1989, flies the flag for the fine art of charcuterie. Spotless and aromatic, with a dizzying range of handmade smallgoods and deli products, this is where you come for award-winning sausages and equally applauded bacons and hams, which he smokes himself.

24 Anderson Street, Yarraville, 03 9687 2419, andrewschoice.com.au

Acqua e Vino

Ascend the narrow stairs to Acqua e Vino, a sprawling speakeasy-style bar with chunky leather and velvet couches, ornate chandeliers, an open fireplace and a sprawling wine and cocktail list, AKA The Bible. Get a suite near the windows to watch the sun go down and get an expertly made manhattan or go a bit left field with a smoky cinnamon martini. Food options lean to tapas and snacks.

18a Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9687 9006, acquaevino.com.au

Barkley Johnson Deli & Wine

This tiny, restful deli and wine shop feels like a little piece of Italy, with its tiled courtyard, wall of bottles and cabinets of alluring antipasti, pies, hams, cheeses, pickles, dolmades and dips. It's both the perfect escape and the ideal provedore. Dine in on excellent cold cuts and cheese with bread or get a good wine recommendation for a bottle to go.

11 Anderson Street, Yarraville, 03 9687 6663

Bopha Devi

Bopha Devi has been delighting locals with their spirited Cambodian cuisine for many years. Beyond the saffron-coloured frontage, you'll find a slim dining room with Cambodian artworks against a simple white brick backdrop. Try a lovely banana blossom salad, zesty with mint and lime, perhaps a hearty tossed noodle dish, or their signature fish amok, a curry perfumed with turmeric, lime leaves and lemongrass.

27 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9362 0941, bophadeviyarraville.com

Cafe Terroni

Look for Pinocchio presiding over bottles of Aperol in the window and you'll find Cafe Terroni, a gorgeous, relaxed southern Italian restaurant run by a husband and wife team. The interior is a warm blend of bricks and wood, and the menu concentrates on pastas – the house-made gnocchi is the specialty – but there are lush risottos and a small selection of meat dishes such as cotoletta, too.

18 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9687 8011, cafeterroni.com.au

Cobb Lane

This stylish cafe-bakery is home base for baker Matt Forbes (famous for his outstanding doughnuts, pictured above). Coffee is espresso: Dukes for white and a rotating seasonal for black. A short yet refined menu reflects Forbes' British heritage: think scotch eggs and black pudding, alongside more delicate options like tomato consomme with samphire, cold-smoked trout and a side of rye.

13 Anderson Street, Yarraville, 9687 1538, cobblane.com.au

Cornershop

Light and airy, with whitewashed bricks and a laidback courtyard, Cornershop delivers contemporary cafe fare with an occasional wink to the Middle East. Try a breakfast hash of spice cauliflower and potato with beetroot raita, or crumpets with figs, mascarpone and vincotto. The dinner menu includes sticky roast chicken on freekeh. Get a window seat to admire the Deco architecture of the Sun Theatre opposite.

9 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9689 0052

L'Uccellino

This ever-popular Italian pizza place is a charmer – a diminutive dining room with wooden tables and high-backed wooden chairs, occasional ones painted a distressed pistachio for a subtle pep. Pizzas are thin-based and judiciously scattered with combinations like fior di latte, broccoli, lemon and chilli or porcini mushrooms and pancetta. Check the specials board for daily specials such as baked gnocchi in napoli or chicken salad.

20 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9689 9788, luccellino.com.au

Plump

Organic grocer Plump was a trailblazer when it opened in 2002, before Yarraville boomed, and it's still going strong, with loaves of artisan bread on rustic wooden shelves in the window and a cornucopia of organic fruit, vegetables and herbs tumbling from wooden crates inside. It also stocks dry goods, dairy products and blended teas. Staff are good with advice, too.

24 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, 03 9687 6422, plump.com.au

Woven

Most of Yarraville's action centres around the Village at Ballarat and Anderson streets, but you'll find the spacious Woven in a factory space off-piste. It has outdoor seating, an industrial, bare brick interior, Code Black coffee and a zesty cafe menu that runs from lovely five-grain porridge and tofu and kale gratin to fried chicken and waffles and burgers that double-down on the mac cheese.

175b Stephen Street, Yarraville, 03 9973 5926

Yarraville Gardens food trucks

The four-wheeled food revolution is alive and well at Yarraville Gardens, a lovely, sprawling patch of green in the somewhat more industrial pocket of Yarraville. Check their Facebook page to see who's truckin', bring a rug and head on down for a truck-fed picnic in the park, courtesy of operations such as Smokin' Barrys, Mr Burger, Dos Diablos, Greek Street Food and Happy Camper Pizza.

Corner Somerville Road and Hyde Street, Yarraville

The Age Good Food Guide 2017 is on sale in newsagents and bookstores, with all book purchases receiving free access to the new Good Food app.