The Carlton Pantry

A little shop with heaps of Italian goodies on offer. Lunch sees focaccias, salads, sweet treats, chocolates and coffee across the board. You’ll also find everything you need to make the perfect antipasto platter, as well as plenty of fresh pasta.

This is the joint I go to to get a coffee when I go to the movies at Nova. Yeah, I know there’s a café at the cinema and one directly below, but in all honesty I reckon this one is just better. Firstly, the staff at the café under the Nova don’t really grasp the fact that you are probably in a slight hurry to make the picture on time; this place gets that and will prioritise your coffee to help you get there on time. Similarly, the Nova bar/​café is generally a bit under staffed so coffee can take a while, plus they may employ bar staff, but they ain’t no coffee experts.
The other benefit Carlton Pantry is the selection of awesome continental sweets and delights for sale. You can get super quality liquorice and biscotti-​type stuff. It’s sweet to surprise your sick-​of-​endlessly-​waiting-​for-​you-​to-​get-​coffee other half with a treat for waiting once again. It’ll sweeten the fact you’re late (again).

This place has got to have the cheapest lunches in Carlton. You can get a mini roll filled with deli-​fresh deliciousness for $ 4.00, or a full sized roll for $ 6.00. Bargain! My pick is the prosciutto, olive and feta; toasting is no extra charge. They also do home made bureks that hit the spot, too.
Primarily, Carlton Pantry is a deli/​food store and what they do best is CHOCOLATE. They have heaps of imported varieties in pretty packaging — I’m not sure of the brand, but there’s one variety that has Art Nouveau inspired packaging which is pretty amazing. There’s also Phillippa’s Bread and many cheeses and other treats. Yum!
The Carlton Pantry is inside Lygon Court shopping centre just opposite the chemist. It’s an easy spot to get take-​away before heading to the movies at Nova, and there’s a few tables and chairs if you want to sit down and eat, although it’s not the most atmospheric spot in town!