Now Open: Robin's Deli Is Feeding Melbourne's Obsession with Loaded Sangas Down in Cheltenham

The team behind Merrymen cafe in Hampton has launched into the sandwich game with its latest bayside venture: Robin's Deli.

Here, only eight stacked sandwiches are up for grabs, plus some chips and hash browns for good measure. But don't let the small menu fool you. Robin's Deli isn't playing it safe — nor is it making things simple and easy for itself.

The limited menu and smaller site give Chef Cristina Kelly the opportunity to be super creative, abandoning classic sanga combos and opting for way more fun and brave creations.

For the moment, the options are divided into brekkie baps, fresh sandwiches and toasties. For an easy $10, locals can nab the breakfast muffin loaded with pork sausage, a fried egg, American cheese, chilli jam and Robin's secret sauce. Or they can start the day with a souped-up Vegemite toastie made with mozzarella, gruyere, cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

The fresh offerings lean more into the healthy side of things, with the salad sandwich chock-full of local veg and a punchy green sauce, while the roasted chicken option is kept more classic with just a herbed aioli, pickled onion and shredded lettuce.

Then we get to the four toasties. These are for those wanting a more gluttonous lunch. There's the mortadella toastie that's also filled with stracciatella, sundried tomato pesto, fermented hot honey and pistachios. And the meatball sub consists of a baguette stuffed with pork and beef meatballs, Napoli sauce, honey cumin yoghurt and chimichurri.

We could go on with listing the whole menu, or you could just head down to Robin's Deli in Cheltenham yourself — either getting something to take away or planting yourself in a seat out on the small deck out front.

If you drop by for lunch, beers will be on offer. But you can also get around classic cafe staples like coffee (from Inglewood Coffee Roasters), chai, hot chocolate, juices and sodas. Bevs are kept simple, so the sangas shine.

You'll find Robin's Deli at 123 Keys Road, Cheltenham, open from 6.30am–2.30pm from Monday to Friday and 7am–1pm on Saturdays. For more details, head to the venue's website.