Vanilla Dessert Bar Opens in Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall
Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall has always felt like a trip to old Europe without the airfare. Families linger over souvlaki, nonnas gossip over Greek coffee, and there is always a sense of festival in the air. Now the precinct has something new to add to the mix: Vanilla Dessert Bar
Vanilla Lounge
The Spanos family, already known for Vanilla Lounge
, have launched a playful new offshoot just across the way at 18–20 Eaton Mall. It is less sit-down café and more build-your-own fantasy, where croissants, cronuts and waffle cones become the blank canvas for soft serve, frozen yoghurt and a mountain of toppings.
Design that Feels Like a Holiday
Architect Rodney Eggleston of March Studio
has turned the space into a kind of retro-European dreamland. Italian marble counters gleam under pastel lighting, and a hand-built floral installation sprawls across the ceiling. It is part Milanese café, part sweet shop, and entirely Oakleigh.
Soft Serve, Fro-yo and Sixty Ways to Top It
The bar is set up like a choose-your-own adventure. Pick a base, add a swirl of soft serve or Greek frozen yoghurt, then take on the topping station. With over sixty options, the list reads like a mash-up of Greek tradition and Willy Wonka eccentricity. There is kataifi crumble, baklava nut mix, honey walnut, chocolate-coated Smith’s chips, cinnamon-dusted gnocchi and fudge fountains streaming Belgian chocolate or Biscoff. Seasonal specials rotate in, keeping things lively.
For the health-minded, there are vegan, low-fat and low-sugar choices that make it possible to join the party without compromise.
Cakes for Every Occasion
Beyond the cones and cronuts, the new hub doubles as a celebration cake destination. More than one hundred whole cakes, including ice cream cakes, are ready to take home or customise. Birthdays, weddings and baptisms are all covered, and a connected bakery opening soon will expand the offering further.
A Sweet New Chapter for Eaton Mall
The arrival of Vanilla Dessert Bar feels like a natural extension of the Spanos family’s hospitality legacy. They have already turned Vanilla Lounge into a fixture of Melbourne dining, and now they are giving Oakleigh another reason to gather, linger and indulge.
Oakleigh has always been a slice of Europe in suburban Melbourne. With Vanilla Dessert Bar now open, it is also a playground for anyone who thinks dessert should be fun, colourful and unapologetically over the top.
Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall has always felt like a trip to old Europe without the airfare. Families linger over souvlaki, nonnas gossip over Greek coffee, and there is always a sense of festival in the air. Now the precinct has something new to add to the mix: Vanilla Dessert Bar
