Fitzrovia

We enjoyed the chorizo and prawn omelette and crème brûlée french toast. Bacon was really, really yummy. Our coffees were divine, and the service was very good. While staying in St. Kilda, we also walked down the street for breakfast at the Banff. The food there was also very good, but we found the prices much more reasonable.

I come here for business a couple times a year and stay next door at the adina every breakfast is here at Fitzrovia great food all day!!! Fresh juices too!

One of the best places in Melbourne for breakfast.
Three words: THICK CUT BACON.
Everything is always fresh and the flavours amazing.
Make sure you book ahead on weekends to nab a table.
The service is always great and I love being able to peek into the open plan kitchen from where you’re sitting and watch the action. Also has really good counter food if you’re looking for something to take away quick, (go for the Croque Monsieur!)

The Good: Fitzrovia has excellent food. The flavours are well selected to complement one another, and the portion sizes are huge. I ordered the Sweet Potato Fritters, and they were perfectly seasoned to bring out the delicate sweetness of the potato. Fluffy in the middle and crunchy on the out, the fritters paired perfectly with the poached eggs and buttery mushrooms. I ordered a side of oak-​smoked bacon, and it rounded out the flavours well. The fried Saganaki added a crispy saltiness to the meal, and I cleaned up the plate.
My girlfriend ordered the Thick Cut Ham, and although she thought it could have been warmer, demolished the plate.
The Bad: We waited 20 minutes for a table (10 minutes was spent without our names on the waiting list, and others were placed ahead of us). This could be easily solved with a hostess specifically for managing the queue, but unfortunately this role has been given to the overworked barista. We also waited another 25 minutes for our food to arrive, and the coffee we ordered whilst in the queue didn’t arrive until we were already seated. I was also charged for top quality almond milk in my latte, but was told later that it was long-​life instead as the supplier hadn’t delivered. No refund was offered.
The Ugly: Probably the fake flowers collecting dust on top of the bookcase.
Overall: Unless you’re starving or in a rush, Fitzrovia is a great place to wile away your Sunday morning.

The crème brûlée french toast was delectable. Fluffy bread, crunchy toffee & bacon cooked to perfection. The chai latte was absolutely astounding; real chai herbs, creamy milk. Comes in a pot & makes two cups. The staff were polite & efficient. The atmosphere was lovely & relaxing. I was fond of the open kitchen, where you could watch the magic happen as your dish was prepared. I would definitely dine there again. It was an experience of a life time.

Will return simply for the service. It was a full house when we visited for brunch on Sunday (as expected I guess)! We were promptly served and although two in our party arrived late, all meals arrived together.
Excellent coffee but I was disappointed with my baked eggs. Eggs had very little sauce and together with the pesto, parmesan (or some sort of super salty cheese), seasoning and rocket, it was overseasoned and very salty. Just when you reach for your bread for some relief, that too is seasoned haha. Others at our table complained of the same (too salty, too oily, too much butter), but all in all a nice place for breaky for groups — seemed like lots of families there at the time. Not kid-​friendly, it’s split level and there wouldn’t be room for prams etc.

Feeling famished and looking for a feed full of fresh wholesome ingredients then Fitzrovia should be your port of call.
I ate here this morning with my son. He devoured the freshly made apple juice and jam laden croissant. Ok so his wasn’t as wholesome as mine…
Sweet potato and caramelised onion fritters with poached eggs, mushrooms and spinach. YUM. Washed down with smooth silky mocha.
A great start to the day.

Sunday breakfast. Needed an outside table for the pooch. Waited for five minutes with no acknowledgement from the hyperactive staff. Two guys grabbed a table before we could get it. Staff oblivious… Next!!!

This place is fancy. There’s an up sell for your coffee beans. I was here for a client meeting and apparently it’s the Parisian of at kinda. Pretty funky. Really cool furniture. Very hipster. Coffee was great although I can’t comment on the food. I would go back and try something on the menu.

What a hidden little gem. Fitzrovia is an unexpected find in the busy St. Kilda district. This charming restaurant looks like a page out of the 50’s with it’s cozy décor. The food however is page from the future. I had the crème brûlée french toast. Yummy! The sugar that is brulee’d on top adds a fantastic crunch while the bread is soft and delicious. The wait staff is attentive and friendly. Nothing bad to say here, only positive experiences. Have been twice now and not let down. A must try for brekky or lunch.

Fitzrovia knocked me off my seat! I have been here 3 mornings in a row, this is one of the best spots I have ever visited!
From the food, to the décor everything is just spot on!
I have have not had lunch but iVe sampled the whole breakfast menu. Every dish has a twist to it that makes it so different from what every other place is doing that I have seen. The thick cut bacon breakfast and crème brûlée french toast were stand outs, so was the sandwich with mozzarella and pair… unreal!
This place is a must for anyone, the quality of the food is top notch and the pricing is cheaper than what would expect considering the creations and presentation these guys have.
absolute Favorite this is, every other coffee shop/​restaurant will need to step in here to see how a real bossy joint serves it up!
–also, peep the cake selection in the front window and counter, puts most bakeries to shame!

The design of this place is very eclectic in a sophisticated modern way. Service, food and coffee all great and the location is awesome with a view over the park and in street parking. The cake and pastry selection is original and amazing as well as great value.

The food was great. The service, even though they tried, didn’t suffice. There were only 4 – 5 other tables taken. It wasn’t busy and it seemed to take forever to have one of the servers tend to us for drinks or other needs.
The polenta app along with mussels and the thrice cheese soufflé is a must. I had the veal which was fantastic and a large portion. I’d have given this 5-​stars of the attentiveness was better.

Fitzrovia is a gem of a restaurant that appears to be created from a home. It has a beautiful display of ready-​made sandwiches and salads along with pies, cakes, and other baked goodies. The décor is truly a marvel.
It is a bit noisy in here so be prepared if you are planning an intimate date or something of the sort.
We were having a late breakfast so we decided to order big. We got a delicious almond and bean salad with some sort of lentil-​like grains, scrambled eggs on toast with «an amazing salsa», and the sweet potato hash that I would not recommend. My favorite was the salad and D loved his eggs on gluten free toast.
Overall I would say Fitzrovia is a great place to have breakfast or brunch or lunch, especially for the gluten-​sensitive population. It’s a nice change of scenery from the typical St. Kilda joint.

Dang. Best breakfast award from me. From the fresh squeezed OJ to the bacon & gruyère potato cake to the nice outdoor seating to the good service to my sweetie’s heavenly french toast, it was número uno.

As a local I’ve been told over and over how great this place is. I tend to not venture very close to it because it does tend to be overly busy and doesn’t seem to be very toddler friendly. If you have a pram then you have to sit outside (near the very busy street) or climb up the stairs with the pram.
I have been going by there more recently just to get a quick coffee which is always nice and easy to do but their coffee isn’t the best available on Fitzroy St. Their pastries do seem to be quite good, although I’ve never actually had a proper breakfast there, I’ve been told they are amazingly fresh. The most recent time I was there with 3 other people, the coffees weren’t made to order and the muffin that was ordered wasn’t brought out until I actually asked for it. I wasn’t very impressed with their lack of enthusiasm for being on top of their customers orders. When the muffin was brought out after I asked for it, it was rudely plopped down on the table and the waitress walked away with nothing said.
I can honestly say that I won’t be going back there any time soon unless the attitude of their waitresses change.

Came here for a fam dinner once, it may have also been my welcome back to Australia dinner again. We got beyond excellent service, but that might have been because my brother works there.
That aside, the selection of food that we got was great. The polenta chips weren’t the best that I had ever had, but the lamb shanks certainly rank. And that was easily the best non-​Asian crispy pork belly ever. Great greens, not-​too-​indulgent desserts.
I also feel like we sampled everything on the menu… So I can safely recommend is place!

Extra thick bacon with avocado mash: D
But of course the freshly squeezed juice makes this breakfast a healthy (er) one.
Coffee by seven seeds.

Fitzrovia is an all-​day café-​restaurant from chef Paul Jewson and his partner Marco Pugnaloni, a welcome new addition to the hit-​and-​miss strip that is Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. Their most recent collaboration was Outpost Café in South Yarra (reviewed here). The restaurant has installed itself in the neighbourhood of Golden Fields and Baker D. Chirico. Just having these couple of places open up along Fitzroy Street shows that the area is turning itself around from being a grungy backpacker hangout /​tourist hotspot to an exciting home of new and upcoming restaurants.
It is amazing what the team has been able to do with the space they have. As you enter and make you way through it seems like you arrive in the front garden, walk up the stairs to the balcony or front porch, move into the elevated dining room and from there you have a clear view of the very open kitchen. And by open I mean you could accidentally wander in, no fault of your own and start cooking yourself. I don’t suggest doing this as they have everything pretty much down-​pat as it is.
The front room of Fitzrovia has all kinds of sweets, pastries and pretty much anything you need to accompany the coffee that is a prerequisite when visiting. On both occasions we visited there was a small throng of people gathered just inside the doorway, which you could initially interpret as a waiting line — but as this is still relatively secret spot you can usually find yourself seated in a jiffy.
Fitzrovia’s coffee offerings are single estate coffees handcrafted by those blokes down at St ALi in South Melbourne. Head barista Cian Evans is a master of the craft and every coffee that we and our friends have ordered has been consistent in its top quality. If you fancy yourself the home barista they have retail packs to takeaway as well.
On our first visit we got there during the brunch/​lunch crossover. I have slowly whittled down WordMonkey’s aversion to pork by getting her to only try the best and tastiest morsels of pig flesh. And when she opts for the pulled-​pork sandwich over any number of eggy choices, you know you have not just won the battle but also won the war. And to make matters worse, when discussing what is the best pork sandwich in Melbourne, she has no second place. So that first visit was simply a pigfest. The flavours were all on-​song, the pork juicy and flavoursome, the tangy salad exhibiting just the right balance of Asian herbs and apple-​fennel crunch.
We returned last week as a precursor to one of the biggest race meets on Melbourne’s calendar — the Cox Plate — in conjunction with WordMonkey’s birthday celebrations. Her and our Bondi buddy got the fizz flowing and it was up to me to ensure the quality of the coffee was still up to scratch — which it was.
Showing up much earlier than our previous visit we had less of a selection but this was a blessing in disguise and we were able to hit a few more dishes rather than reverting to the old pork favourite. WordMonkey decided on asparagus, poached eggs, Daylesford dry-​cured bacon crumble and creamy goat’s cheese, with a punchy fennel salad.
While visiting friend had house-​smoked Tasmanian ocean trout and toasted quinoa with poached eggs and salad. Rave reviews on all fronts — the only complaint being that the portions were a little small for the price and that we had to order toast to bulk up the brunch. It would have been nice to get toast included. In the end, the toast we did order didn’t turn up until right at the end of the meal. But no dramas, removed from the bill, life goes on.
I opted for the Istra Daylesford dry-​cured bacon, smoked mozzarella and pear relish toasted doorstop sandwich. If anything in that last sentence is not deemed heaven on a plate then I don’t want to know you. It is the equivalent pork belly sandwich served at St ALi — same dreamy bread and all. But the bomb was the addition of that gorgeous chewy cheese and the added element of the pear relish.
Fitzrovia is a special little place in a part of the city most people only head to if the weather entices them. The hook that will have people returning to this neck of the woods is that Fitzrovia is also open for dinner. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner being catered for, the team has acknowledged that with spring here and summer around the corner you may not want to be cooped up inside. So taking advantage of the proximity of both St Kilda beach and Albert Park on their doorstep they are offering ‘the ultimate picnic lunch… made fresh on the day using the finest in Victorian produce’. They will even arrange chilled wine or champagne to be waiting for you to pick up at Prince Wine Cellars just down the road.

I know this is probably wrong, but I was happily satisfied with this café until I found out who owned it. He was the man who topped up our glasses with water and who, for some reason, pretended that he didn’t take coffee orders. «No, my only job here is to pour water.» He proceeded to break into a creepy smile that only made us feel even more uncomfortable. ‘When did I last feel this uncomfortable?’ I asked myself. ‘And why does he look so familiar?’ Well, children of the corn, it’s because he once owned Outpost Café in South Yarra, and he scared me away from that establishment as well.
Alas, onto bigger and better things. The elevated dining room separated the café superbly between a sleek concreted area downstairs for casual diners and a more homely exposed brick, wooden floorboards charm upstairs. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t rush you out the door once you’ve inhaled your last bite.
The food is pretty decent, fresh and simple flavours are the name of the game. There’s even the choice of extra truffles for $ 12. I’d like to meet the person who orders that.
All in all it’s a good little spot, and the afternoon menu that promised mezze plates and cured meats admittedly tickled my fancy.