The home suburb of billionaires

The august suburb five kilometres east of the city is home to the billionaire Pratt family’s high-walled compound Raheen, endless stately homes and a fair smattering of Melbourne’s top private schools.

However, recent years have seen it lifting its game in terms of the things that make a place attractive to mere mortals, such as shopping, cafes and bars.

“It’s a suburb that has plenty going for it,” says Kay & Burton’s Scott Patterson. “Demand is strong, with good quality family homes going for $4 to $6 million.”

As Patterson points out, Kew is a big ‘burb with different personalities. The central part, close to schools such as MLC and Genazzano College, is popular with Chinese buyers, while Kew East has a slightly different demographic and a cheaper price tag.

“Because of the topography, certain parts of Kew also have fantastic views, whether that’s of the CBD or over the Yarra Bend parklands and golf course,” he says.

The growing number of rusted-on residents keen to downsize from their large family homes to upmarket apartments in the area is ensuring boutique developments will be in the pipeline.

As Patterson says, “If you’ve made your life here, there’s no reason to want to leave.”

Eat & drink

Kick off the day at Pakington Street’s Ora Cafe, where the specialty coffee is reliably good and the eggs and toasties hit the early-morning spot. Later, lunch and a glass of wine take a Mediterranean theme at the old world-styled cafe and wine bar CRU in Glenferrie Road, or head to the ‘burb’s favourite celebration spot, the two-storey Centonove, for great Italian food and acres of white linen. Keeping it casual? For a parma and a pot, the Skinny Dog Hotel on High Street near the Kew Junction has a welcoming vibe and a great beer garden.

See & do

Get your arts fix at the unique Lyon Housemuseum, the architecturally stunning residence and contemporary art museum of architect Corbett Lyon, his wife Yueji and their daughters, who run tours of their art collection. (Make sure you book ahead.) For outdoor fun, the Studley Park Boathouse rents old-fashioned rowing boats for a genteel journey along the Yarra River, with the added attraction of a colony of grey-headed flying foxes sleeping off their nightly exertions.