Open to close: Fitzroy, Melbourne
The Melbourne suburb has world class cocktailing, smart wine bars, and the best pubs in Australia.
Fred Siggins’ Drink Melbourne newsletter is off this week (you can sign up for it here); below, a piece from Cara Devine, which ran in print in Bottled magazine last year.
Fitzroy offers an eclectic blend of Victorian-era terrace houses and edgy street art, high-end homeware boutiques and vintage bazaars — and all the avocado toast and flat whites your heart desires.
Originally a mixture of residences for the wealthy merchant class and industrial warehouses during the ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ era of the late 1800s, the area suffered during the following economic downturn where poverty and a smattering of gangster-related crime lead to it being dubbed ‘Notorious Fitzroy’. But, one person’s slum is another’s low rent haven, and it began to pull in the kind of creative crowd that allowed art spaces, live music and independently owned shops, bars, cafés and restaurants to flourish.
The rents might have risen but Fitzroy is still at the cutting edge of the city’s wining and dining scene. From world-class cocktail spots to quirky wine bars and the crème de la crème of neighbourhood pubs, there is something for everyone to be found within the Fitzroy grid. So, here’s how we suggest spending a day and night eating and drinking in Melbourne’s oldest suburb.
The Catfish. Opening at 12pm everyday with one of the best Bloody Marys in the city (they’re $12 until 5pm on a Sunday) and the Sparrows kitchen pumping out Philly cheesesteaks, there are few better places to dust off any cobwebs acquired the night before. Pay your respects to Muddy, the eponymous catfish who watches all the shenanigans from his tank at the bar, and delve into the rotating beer list full of craft bangers. If you come later in the day you might catch some live music, comedy or trivia in the upstairs bandroom.
thecatfish.com.au; 30 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.
Napier Quarter. We’ve all been there — slept in a little late, the cafés are putting the chairs on the tables and the restaurants are still shuttered. It is in this afternoon twilight zone that Napier Quarter comes into its own. This tiny, euro inspired wine bar is open all day: you can get a glass of minimal intervention riesling at 11am or a perfectly poured espresso at 4pm. The food menu suggests the kind of small plates that are welcome at any time; the anchovy and hard boiled egg toast is a thing of beauty which is often imitated, never duplicated. napierquarter.com.au; 359 Napier St, Fitzroy.
The Standard Hotel. This was a tough call, because Fitzroy is especially blessed with wonderfully cosy pubs. But, every northside resident has to have a favourite and the Standard is mine. It’s the perfect neighbourhood pub, a heritage building that functions as a community gathering place. The front bar is full of long-time regulars discussing the footy, kids are treated to a bowl of chippies and an LLB in the dining room and many a round has been carried out to the covered beer garden to cheers a birthday or leaving do. How good’s the pub? thestandardhotel.com.au; 293 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy.
Lola Belle. In a nod to the city’s gold rush era, when Melbournians were drinking more champagne than les Parisiens, this new kid on the block is all about sugarcane and champagne. The room’s Venetian blinds and slow-spinning ceiling fans capture the elegance of the time period, and provide the ideal backdrop to sip on a perfectly balanced, ice cold Daiquiri while deciding which glass of bubbles to pair with your oysters. Owner Huw Griffiths, who also owns Union Electric, is determined to give rum the respect it deserves and the back bar reflects this. Choose a nip and they might even swing open the painting behind the bar to reveal a secret stash of special bottles. lolabelle.com.au; 233 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
The Elysian Whisky Bar. Tiny but mighty, the Elysian has one of the best whisky collections in the country. With a focus on hard to find bottles, a lot of them from independent bottlers, even the most ardent whisky fans will find something new to get excited about. It’s not stuffy though; professional but friendly guidance from owners Kelvin Low and Yao Wong will put anyone at ease. If you want to put some pep in your step for the rest of the night, try their whisky and Milo spiked espresso martini — it’s the bomb. theelysianwhiskybar.com.au; 113 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
Tamura Sake Bar. Guests sit shoulder to shoulder around a wooden bar in a traditional izakaya set up, while the staff spin records and sling yuzu cocktails and ‘third wave’ sake — minimal intervention drops from a new generation of producers which cover the whole flavour spectrum. The menu is Japanese tapas, so you can pop by for a snack of yakitori and sashimi, or settle in for a hearty bowl of ramen. tamurasakebar.com; 43 Gertrude St, Fitzroy.
Black Pearl. The word institution is bandied around a lot, but after over twenty years reigning supreme on Brunswick St, the Pearl has earned the title. It has never rested on its laurels though, with drinks and service remaining on point. Mingle with the local hospo and have a Guinness or a perfectly made classic cocktail - or both. If you’re lucky, they might be hosting a takeover from another world renowned bar. Open until 3am every night except Tuesday, it’s true what they say: all roads lead to the Pearl. blackpearlbar.com.au; 304 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
Around the Bars
As Fred wrote about last week, a new addition to Fitzroy this way comes: Hands Down. The new bar — from Dominic Xavier (ex-Bar Liberty), Alex Boon (Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters), and Above Board co-owners Hayden Lambert and Manu Potoi — is set to open before the month is out. Read more about it at the link below.
Fred Siggins
And the next bar from the award-winning team behind Caretaker’s Cottage in the Melbourne CBD is on the way, and expected to open later this month. You can read our chat with co-owner Rob Libecans at the link below.
Sam Bygrave