Having spent the last few months living in Fitzroy I have certainly scoped it out and thought I should share some of the highlights. The hyperlocal web market in Australia is still very young – but every Fitzroy local should definitely be subscribed to Fitzroyalty (I suggest doing it with FeedMyInbox to get a managable daily email update) to keep in touch with the best local reporting.
Another good avenue to explore what is happening is a tailored Twitter search on the area – again using FeedMyInbox is a good way to subscribe to daily updates.
Where are the hotspots? Here we go:
Min Lokal
Two communal dining tables and a menu that reflects their sister cafe, New York Tomato. The specials are usually awesome, and the sandwiches make a good lunch. The coffee here is the best in Fitzroy, by a huge margin. It’s on George St so you lose the masses of tourists from Smith St and Brunswick St – since I was living 2 minutes away this place quickly became My Local.
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Newtown S.C.
Another very intimate space that is great to catch up with people, the Newtown social club lives up to its name with a very regular set of customers. I have only been here for breakfasts but they were all amazing – from the muesli and fresh fruit to the special baked eggs. The coffee is outstanding and the aromas are amazing.
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Little Creatures
The Dining Hall is a sight to behold. The open kitchen up the back delivers a good array of snacks or more thorough meals depending on the hour, and the bar that lines the left side of the hall has as much beer as you need to quench your thirst. If you’re new to Little Creatures ask for the “pony round” where you get a pony of each of the 6 drinks they brew – it’s a good way to get started and then you can order something larger of the winner. Great place for a warm afternoon session, and it gets really busy at night.
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Lamb on Brunswick Street
There’s quite a selection of souvlaki shops on Brunswick St but this one comes out on top. $2.50 pizza slices are great, and they’re by far the most welcoming slices that you’ll see in the windows. The souvlaki’s are great too – traditional but awesome. This is where you go for your lamb after a few beers down the street!
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Houndstooth
Long communal tables as standard in Fitzroy. Houndstooth has a great simple menu on the wall – you pay for one, two or three meals and then select from the chalkboard. The Kangaroo fillet was excellent with a rather unique beetroot side. The tiramisu dessert is also a spectacular way to end the meal. It’s a warm atmosphere with a good selection of beer, a good place to meet with friends during the week.
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Retro Cafe
The bright yellow restaurant and bar down the end of the Brunswick St strip, Retro is good for a fast but decent meal. They often have a $13 beer and pizza deal which is obviously a winner.
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Dr Folicles
No appointments, beer on arrival, loud vinyl and a $27.50 cut. Do yourself a favour and see the good Doctor when the hair gets out of control!
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Gus at Haul
If you continue down the road into North Fitzroy be sure to stop in and say hi to @GusTheBoxer. He guards the haul shop, where you can find some awesome MacBook Pro laptop sleeves – I picked up a Coca Cola cover for my new 13″ and it’s awesome. The products are all made of recycled billboards, number plates, and other cool materials. Gus will help you find something awesome.
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Please share your thoughts on each place and if I have missed anything in the area let me know!
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