Groove

Basic Info:

Name: Groove
Address: 56 Wallington Road, Ocean Grove
Phone: 03 5256 3094
Website: NA

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday - 7am - 6pm

Saturday & Sunday - 7.30am - 3pm

Little Eats ‘soundbite review’:

If you’ve got that holiday spirit in your stride then pulling up a pew at Groove is sure to satisfy. It’s a help-yourself-takeaway-kinda-place but they’ll wait your table if you stop a while. Grab a house made pastry, ice cold drink or a take home meal and soak up the rays. Groove has all your summer bases covered.

Highchair: No
Change table: No
Pram access: Yes
Separate kids menu: No
Normal menu suitable for kids: Yes
Friendly staff: Yes
Play area for kids: No
Activities provided for kids (eg: crayons): No
Vibe/atmosphere: Coastal casual

Prices: Standard

Little Eats detailed review:

Sometimes there are places that I visit that don’t necessarily tick all the ‘Little Eats’ boxes but there is something about them that I think will appeal to parents. Groove is one of those places. So let me set it straight from the outset, this is essentially a milk bar. But the folks have thought things through a little more and what you have is a gorgeous little spot to stop a while en route to and from the beach.

Groove positions itself as ‘food with spirit’. It is cute little place with mismatched furniture in the front and the requisite people-watching bar at the window. There are retro Peter’s ice-cream metal signs adorning the walls and a casual simplicity that oozes relaxation. You can grab a newspaper, a litre of milk and a cold drink and mosey on your merry way or pull up a seat on one of the outdoor tables and take in the sunshine and soak up some more of that Bellarine vibe.

A big drawcard to the Groove scene is that all their pies, pasties and sausage rolls are made daily on site. Along with their cakes, slices and take home meals it makes for a simple but wholesome menu. Try an egg, bacon and cheese toastie on plain white bread or a bowl of their daily changing soup. For us, it has been a regular inhaling of the steamed South Melbourne market dim sims that are as big as your head but super delicious. And what would an Aussie milk bar be without a steaming hot dimmie?

The kids and I took respite in the Groove Garden one hot January day. It is a cute shaded spot protected from the road by a bank of olive trees and quirkily decorated with bikes on the walls and plant filled watering cans on the tables. There is access to a toilet via the kitchen but no baby change facility so it is definitely a quick-stop-kinda-shop. After lunch the girls were treated to a Ben & Jerry’s pot of ice cream goodness. There is also the standard Street’s option if a rainbow Paddlepop is more your go. The coffee is Piazza d’Oro and whilst the long black was made well, I’m not a big fan of the brand in general. The gluten free brownie is decadent but moreish – exactly how a brownie should be and the apple teacake is lovely. There are also bags of mixed lollies and a few basic household items that you would expect from an old school milk bar.

If you’re heading back from the beach with the sand in your shoes and that post wave hunger then Groove has got what you need. Grab a milkshake and a dim sim to satisfy the immediate hunger and then select a Thai Green Curry or a Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni for the road from their excellent range of take home meals. The Groove in Grove will hit the spot.

This special guest review was written by Anna Spurling - fellow foodie, Geelong local, Mamma of 3 gorgeous girls and a baby boy, and co-owner of artisan bread company La Madre.