Your Weekend in Collingwood
Collingwood weekends follow a reliable pattern: coffee, food, wander, drink. The suburb is 3km from the CBD in the City of Yarra (postcode 3066), connected by tram 86 on Smith Street and Collingwood station on the Hurstbridge/Mernda line. It is compact enough that you can walk between every venue mentioned here.
Saturday Morning
Start with coffee. Proud Mary (172 Oxford Street) is the standard-bearer — the weekend queue is part of the ritual, and the bottomless drip coffee justifies the wait. If you want to skip the line, Aunty Peg’s (200 Wellington Street) shares the same roastery but draws smaller crowds. The single-origin pour-over is excellent and the two-storey space has room to settle in.
Then walk Smith Street. The main strip between Johnston Street and Gertrude Street comes alive by 9am on Saturdays. Polyester Records (313 Smith Street) is worth an hour of browsing. The vintage shops and op shops along the strip are inconsistent but occasionally brilliant. Hi Fi Collingwood (316 Smith Street) does chef-made sandwiches and has a vinyl selection if you want to combine breakfast with record shopping.
Saturday Afternoon
Head south toward the Yarra. A 15-minute walk from Smith Street through Abbotsford takes you to the Abbotsford Convent (1 St Heliers Street) — galleries, artist studios, gardens, and weekend markets. Continue another 10 minutes to Collingwood Children’s Farm (70 St Heliers Street) for the farmers’ market on the second Saturday of each month.
Or stay local. Johnston Street heading east has a different pace — more residential, more dogs being walked, fewer people performing for an audience. The cafes are quieter and the tables are available. Easey Street is worth a detour for Easey’s burgers, served in converted train carriages on a rooftop with views over Collingwood.
Victoria Park (the former Collingwood Football Club ground) is a short walk and worth a lap for the green space and the sporting history.
Saturday Evening
The transition from afternoon to evening happens naturally on Smith Street. The cafes close, the bars warm up, and the restaurants start seating.
Le Bon Ton (51 Gipps Street) is a New Orleans-inspired smokehouse with a beer garden that runs until 1am on weekends. The smoked brisket is the main event, and the bourbon cocktail list is deep. Exposed brick, dripping candles, and a mood that escalates as the night goes on.
Stomping Ground (Gipps Street) is one of Collingwood’s best breweries. The taproom is relaxed, the beer range covers everything from lagers to IPAs, and the food goes beyond typical brewery fare. Good for groups or a quieter evening.
For something low-key, grab charcuterie and natural wine at a deli on Smith Street, or find a corner at one of the smaller bars on Langridge Street.
Getting home: Tram 86 runs along Smith Street until around 1am on weekends. Collingwood station is a short walk from the Gipps Street venues. Rideshare pickups work well around the Johnston Street and Smith Street intersection.
Sunday
Sunday starts slower. The cafes know this — service is relaxed, tables turn at half the Saturday pace, and nobody is in a rush.
Late breakfast at Proud Mary or Aunty Peg’s works just as well on Sunday, with shorter queues. Then walk — loop through Collingwood’s residential streets between Wellington Street and Hoddle Street, past the terraces and warehouse conversions that give the suburb its character.
Sunday pub sessions are a Collingwood tradition. Find a pub on Smith Street or Johnston Street doing a relaxed afternoon with a beer garden and, if you are lucky, live music.
The Yarra Trail is quieter on Sunday mornings. Walk or cycle from Collingwood south toward Dights Falls — the autumn light in March makes this stretch genuinely beautiful.
Weekend Tips
- Book dinner on Saturday night if you want a specific restaurant. Walk-ins work at 6pm but get harder after 7:30pm.
- Parking along Smith Street is limited on weekends. Use tram 86 or park on the quieter streets east of Smith Street.
- Sunday grocery run — do it mid-morning before the afternoon crowds. The shops on Smith Street and Johnston Street cover basics.
- Weather backup — if it rains (this is Melbourne), retreat to Polyester Records, a cafe, or the Abbotsford Convent galleries.
FAQ
What is the best thing to do on a Saturday in Collingwood? Start with coffee at Proud Mary or Aunty Peg’s, browse Smith Street, then head to Abbotsford Convent or along the Yarra Trail. Finish with dinner and drinks on Gipps Street.
Where should I go on a Saturday night in Collingwood? Le Bon Ton on Gipps Street for dinner and drinks, Stomping Ground for craft beer, or the bars along Smith Street for something more casual.
Is Collingwood good for a Sunday outing? Yes. Sunday brunch, a walk along the Yarra, and a pub session in the afternoon is a solid day. The pace is slower than Saturday and the crowds are smaller.
How do I get to Collingwood on the weekend? Tram 86 from the CBD along Smith Street. Collingwood station on the Hurstbridge/Mernda line. Tram 12 along Victoria Parade.
Verdict
Collingwood weekends are reliably excellent. The suburb has enough depth in food, drink, culture, and outdoor space that you can spend every weekend here without exhausting the options. Smith Street is the spine, but the side streets — Gipps, Easey, Wellington, Johnston — are where the personality lives. Saturday is for doing, Sunday is for recovering, and both work well here.
More on Collingwood: Collingwood suburb guide | Things to do in Collingwood | [Collingwood nightlife guide](/collingwood/nightlife-guide/)
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