It's not easy to land on a single choice for the best restaurants in Fitzroy, and that's because there are simply too many. The previously working-class inner-city suburb has blossomed through the renaissance of Melbourne’s cultural boom and is now home to some of the highest-rated diners in the entire city.
So, read on, and tick off the best Fitzroy restaurants for 2024:
Toddy Shop By Marthanden Hotel
191 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Toddy Shop | Ashley Ludkin
Mischa Tropp’s Toddy Shop landed in Fitzroy earlier this year, and it’s a no-brainer to include it on the best restaurants list. Boasting tried and tested Keralan dishes, the South Indian-inspired diner sits an intimate 20-people. It walks the line of wearing the bar label with its extensive cocktail and wine list, and they’ve always got Indian disco records on the spin.
Marion
53 Gertrude Street, Fitzory
Image credit: Marion | Parker Blain
Part neighbourhood wine bar, part fine diner, Marion is all the things that we’ve come to love from Andrew McConnell’s restaurants. The next-door neighbour to Cutler & Co, Marion has a much more accessible and laid-back feel to it. The menu is meant for sharing and consists of a range of small and large plates and has a 20+ page wine list.
North Fitzroy Arms Hotel
296 Rae Street, North Fitzroy
Image credit: North Fitzroy Arms Hotel | Jana Langhorst
A charming old-school pub. After pouring pints for 150 years, the North Fitzroy Arms recently got a refresh. The TVs are back on the wall, pie floaters on the menu, and the wine is no longer an afterthought. The design brief was “classic, but not high-brow” and that perfectly encapsulates everything that is North Fitzroy Arms. Make sure you get the bangers and mash, and don’t pass up on trying the Guiness-spiked espresso martini.
Bar Liberty
234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Bar Liberty | Supplied
Bar Liberty is this irreverent diner on Johnston Street. Helmed by a team whose collective experience includes Cutler & Co, Rockwell & Sons, and Attica, this Fitzroy restaurant has it finely dialled. The menu has a seasonal focus and incorporates contemporary dishes with an inventive flair—from torched kingfish to wood-grilled hanger steak with sauce Robert, capers, and parsley.
Poodle Bar & Bistro
81-83 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Poodle Bar & Bistro | Supplied
Poodle Bar & Bistro launched over three years ago and in 2024, it's still got a buzz unlike anywhere else in Fitzroy, with a modern-style dining menu that fuses classic French, with Australian and Asian flavours. With checkered floors and white-washed brick walls, there’s a laid laid-back vibe at Poodle making it a top choic for comfortable yet elevated dining.
Maven By Morgan
402 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Maven By Morgan | Supplied
After a year when Rustia up and left Fitzroy, Maven By Morgan swooped in to snag the spot. The menu boasts shared-style dishes that embrace a modern European vibe. Headed up by 22yo Morgan Hipworth after making waves in the industry with his bakehouse Bistro Morgan, we’re going here for the daily baked focaccia and the Biscoff tiramisu served tableside.
Naked For Satan
285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Naked For Satan | Instagram
You all knew Naked For Satan was making the list of Fitzroy's best restaurants. Where else can you take in panoramic views of the city as you knock back cocktails? The upstairs bar and diner have created iconic dishes from their baked camembert, herb-crusted lamb wrack; and their passionfruit and blackberry pavlova to finish things off.
Alta Trattoria
274 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Alta Trattoria | Instagram
Bringing more of a Northern lense to Melbourne's Italian restaurant community, Alta on Brunswick Street Fitzroy celebrates the form and flavours of the Piedmont region.In the part of the country where the tomato is less frequently found, dishes take zesty and rich combinations like mussels with an anchovy and parsley sauce to roasted lamb rump with lentils and pancetta.
Belles Hot Chicken
150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Belles Hot Chicken | Supplied
A cult favourite for northsiders, Belles Hot Chicken opened a few years back now by two ex-fine-dining chefs who lived and worked in Nashville and knew they had to bring the signature fried chicken to Melbourne. There are four cuts of chicken and six levels of spice — perfect to create your own Hot Wings with your mates.
Builders Arms Hotel
211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Builders Arms Hotel | Ben Moynihan
Smack bang on the corner of Gertrude and Gore Street. The Builders Arms Hotel is a dyed-in-the-wool Melbourne pub. Inside the corner resting hotel, the space has been split into three sections: the front bar, a fancy bistro-style restaurant and a secluded beer garden. With Andrew McConnel at the helm, the menu is always on point.
Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca
15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Rocco's Bologna Discoteca | Supplied
Now a beloved Italian bistro, Rocco's Bologna Discoteca and ‘Italian Maccas’ aesthetic burst onto the scene, winning hearts and filling stomachs all over town with its hefty meatball sub and accompaniment. Just a few years later in 2023, Rocco’s is easily considered one of the best Fitzroy restaurants on rotation.
Neighbourhood Wine
1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North
Image credit: Neighbourhood Wine | Supplied
Neighbourhood Wine is one of our favourite wine bars and restaurants in Fitzroy North—combining great local wines and a fantastic seasonal menu in one of the quaintest spaces in Melbourne. The former Fitzroy club room has been transformed into a sleek space with plenty of charm with a set menu that focuses on local produce and accommodates the wine perfectly.
Flint
199 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Flint | Annika Kafcaloudis
Centred around fire and flame, the charcoal-grilled dishes of Flint have championed this quaint diner into a fully-fledged Fitzroy restaurant favourite. Here Australian ingredients are highlighted in a mixture of smokey and flame-kissed menu options from the standout charred carrots to cuts of wagyu skirt steak.
The Royal Oak Hotel
442 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North
Image credit: Royal Oak Hotel | Supplied
Technically in the northern end of the suburb, this Fitzroy restaurant is one of the region's oldest institutions and has been lovingly restored to glory to the same team behind Marquis Of Lorne. The familiar green facade has been torn away—making way for bold red and burgundy colouring and striped awnings. The dining room has a Euro-bistro-influenced menu while still retaining the traditional counter meals.
Frankie’s Tortas And Tacos
30 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Frankie's Torta & Tacos | Supplied
From its humble origins operating out of a caravan on Smith Street to its new digs on Johnston Street, Frankie's Tortas & Tacos has been a staple destination. Awash in their signature white and red-painted aesthetic, the restaurant in Fitzroy features their sizable Tortas, a Mexican-style sandwich that comes in the form of the Pollo Millanesa (chicken) and Al Pastor tortas (beef) which both take centre stage, as well as the legendary tacos.
Cutler & Co.
55/57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Cutler & Co | Earl Carter
Another Fitzroy icon, Cutler & Co pretty much set the scene for what Gertrude Street was going to become. Andrew McConnell opened this almost 15 years ago, and the idea was to celebrate local produce and execute with flair and sophistication—what's resulted over the years later is one of Fitzroy's best restaurants.
Transformer
382 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Transformer | Supplied
Many will argue this is the best restaurant in Fitzroy. Owned by the Team of Vegie Bar, Transformer focuses on innovative plant-based dining, with treats like slow-roasted tomato tartrate or sweet corn fritter fries with chipotle mayonnaise.
Mukka
366 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Mukka | Instagram
Many a cracking night has been had at this Fitzroy favourite. Mukka keeps the menu pretty authentic, an Indian restaurant with a focus on solid flavour and an abundance of gluten free plates. Their banana leaf fish fry is a revelation, while you can never go from their selection of curries, small plates and even drinks including the spiked mango lassi.
Marquis of Lorne
411 George Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Marquis of Lorne | Supplied
This ain’t your ordinary pub, the Marquis Of Lorne on Kerr and George Street in Fitzroy has a lot to offer. A special nod to dishes like the now-iconic rockling burger, a complete game-changer with a dill-infused aioli, shallots cos lettuce and a hearty serving of chips as well as the humble chicken schnitzel, truly one of the best in town.
Vegie Bar
380 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Vegie Bar | Instagram
Sitting on Brunswick Street for over three decades is one of the best vegetarian restaurants you'll come across in all of Melbourne. Yep, it's Vegie Bar, offering an array of divine vego dishes encompassing noodles, Buddha bowls, and pizzas thoughtfully crafted with vegan cheese alternatives. Adjacent to this establishment, you'll find their sister eatery, Girls & Boys, which specializes in vegan ice cream and confectioneries. While firmly rooted in a plant-based culinary ethos, Vegie Bar undeniably ranks among Fitzroy's best restaurants.
Trippy Taco
234 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Trippy Taco | Supplied
Nestled on Gertrude Street Fitzroy is Trippy Taco, Melbourne's entirely vegetarian Mexican restaurant. Open for a late breakfast and well into the evening, Trippy is the hotspot for many devoted local northerners, but in no way should that deter you.
Masti
354-356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Masti | Supplied
Part restaurant, part cocktail bar, Masti is the Indian restaurant from the acclaimed 'curry queen' Manpreet Sekhon. She’s put together the ultimate sharing menu with loads of vegetarian and vegan items on there. For those who like to play it safe, the butter chicken here is next level, while anyone venturing further down the menu will relish in the scallop coconut curry.
Gogyo
413 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
As far as the best restaurants in Fitzroy go, Gogyo is up there. Their signature charred miso ramen dish is like nothing else found here, and their spicier dishes pack some heat (try the karaka-men bowl for a real punch in the tastebuds).
Panama Dining Room
231 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Panama Dining Room | Instagram
You could walk down Smith Street your whole life and miss this place. It’s perched up high, a New York-style loft space with views over Melbourne. Panama Dining Room is pretty much a Fitzroy institution. With a worldly menu designed by Danny Parreno, the dishes highlight supreme quality produce with a contemporary flare that draws from classic French, Japanese, Australian and more.
Rice, Paper, Scissors
307 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Rice, Paper, Scissors | Instagram
Rice Paper Scissors is a red-hot destination Fitzroy restaurant, the Asian-fusion diner has some of the best rice paper rolls and southern Asian share plates in town. Order up the Thai fried chicken, crispy barramundi and steamed pork buns. Even better, there’s a shared menu that includes five dishes for two people. Dessert-wise, it’s gotta be the Terrarium; Vietnamese coffee mousse with peanut and chocolate soil.
Tamura Sake Bar
1/43 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Fumi Tamura is bringing modern, casual Japanese dining to Fitzroy with Tamura Sake Bar. The dishes are paired with classic highballs, shochu and sake while the fresh salmon sashimi and Japanese fried chicken (JFC) adds to some of the most authentic and best ramen in Fitzroy, all served up in a charming, authentic atmosphere.
The Best Italian Restaurants In Melbourne For 2025
It's a tough gig narrowing down the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne/Naarm. We’re home to some of the best osterias and trattorias in the world outside of Italy; you can take a culinary tour around town tasting regional specialities, crowd favourites, as well as modern takes on the timeless classics. If you've come here to build out your Italian restaurant Melbourne bucket list, you're in the right spot.
Your Guide To The Best Cocktail Bars In Melbourne For 2025
When the clock hits cocktail hour you don't want to be messing around, it's time for a crisp martini or meaty negroni. Thanks to Melbourne's stellar culinary and bar scene there are some seriously good spots around the city to get a glass in hand. From hidden watering holes to some serious first-class swank here are Urban List's picks for the best cocktail bars Melbourne has to offer in 2025.
The Best Japanese Melbourne Restaurants, 2025 Edition
Want to relive that Japanese holiday, or get your eye in before you head overseas? You're in luck, because Melbourne is full of top-tier Japanese restaurants. Whether you’re craving sushi, ramen, sashimi, or donburi, there’s no shortage of authentic Japanese eateries to dive into. From cozy ramen joints like Little Ramen Bar to upscale sushi experiences at Kisumé, Melbourne’s Japanese food scene is unmatched... except for, you know, Japan.
Leading image credit: Marion | Kristoffe Paulsen
Urban List Best Of: has our highest stamp of approval—curated lists of the very best recommendations for you to eat, do, see, buy or book, carefully chosen by our Editors.