Flinders: The Mornington Peninsula’s low-key foodie haven

It takes 327 metres to get a feel for Flinders.

Jutting exactly that far into Western Port, the pier, dating back to the mid-1860s, is busy in every weather with anglers trying their luck and walkers enjoying the view. Laid-back, unpretentious and dog-friendly, it’s a microcosm of a town that eschews the shoutiness of the “other” side of the Mornington Peninsula (Sorrento and friends, we’re looking at you) for a more down-to-earth appreciation of natural beauty – and expensive real estate.

Upward mobility is a thing in these parts, but Flinders is in many respects the polar opposite of the townships on the peninsula’s Port Phillip Bay side. Green, calm and peaceful, it’s the home of wide-open spaces rather than dense semi-suburban living. If that means there are fewer options after dark, then so be it.

It’s easy to have such a cavalier approach when your town is home to the Flinders Hotel. A nostalgia-hued dictionary definition of the ideal seaside pub, it has kept the townsfolk in beer since 1866, but a comprehensive rejig in 2009 by the latest in a long line of more than 30 licensees across its history has brought it into the modern age. There’s live sport on the big screens, a dining room dishing up salt and pepperberry calamari, padron peppers and a seafood linguini featuring local mussels.

A short saunter away on Cook Street, Moke Dining has perfected the relaxed fine dining that suits its beachy destination. Book early for a table at this cottage-core destination diner that boasts a hat in the Good Food Guide. Chef Michael Cole, a Flinders Hotel alum, dishes up a weekly (sometimes daily) changing set menu that’s all about a taste of the region, whether in the form of Main Ridge goats cheese profiteroles or baked ocean trout with Shoreham yuzu sauce. File under “fancy Flinders night out”.

The organic artisan bread at Flinders Sourdough on Cook Street is a thing of rare beauty, while good coffee and scrambled eggs can be found nearby at Pier Provedore Flinders. Their house-made pies (hello, beef and burgundy) make a good case for eating lunch at tradies’ hours, while a savoury tart tatin plays to the area’s well-heeled KPIs.

If you need an extra reason to take the 99-kilometre drive from Melbourne while the weather is still chilly, the words “truffle toastie” ought to be persuasive. Open in winter, the Flinders Truffles farmgate shop turns their black gold into a range of snacks and pantry products. You can even sign up for a truffle hunt among the oak trees, an activity we recommend heartily, especially for the truffle soup by the fire at the end. But if rustling through the forest isn’t your cup of tea, you can take home truffled chilli oil, honey and butter to pretend that you did.

Agent lens

with Jake Egan from Marshall White

Why do people love Flinders?

Flinders has a real attraction that’s hard to put into words. I think that, where some suburbs on the peninsula have changed and evolved so much over the years, Flinders has managed to maintain its small-town, coastal charm. From a real estate perspective, it’s a very slow-moving suburb, with so many properties staying with families for generations. The property we’re selling at 27 Spindrift Avenue has been held within the family for 50 years, and I expect it’ll be a similar story for the next purchaser.

For sale in Flinders

$8,500,000 - $9,300,000

27 Spindrift Avenue, Flinders VIC 3929

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View property

Perched directly above the beach with 180-degree views across the coastline, this striking pole house capitalises on its position with soaring cathedral ceilings and broad decks. The protected courtyard entrance gives more al fresco living opportunities, while an art studio can be converted into a two-bedroom, self-contained apartment.