Lygon Street’s Future May Be Less Italian, But It’s Still Packed with Flavour

Few streets are as deeply intertwined with Melbourne’s cultural fabric as Lygon Street, but traders are concerned about its current appeal.

Lygon Street, once known as Little Italy, is the very essence of Melbourne’s rich Italian culture and the unofficial epicentre of some of the oldest Italian cafés and pizzerias in Australia.

The street established itself as a safe haven for alienated Italian immigrants during the 1950s, giving them an oasis to immerse themselves in the comforts of home—whether it was a properly brewed coffee or a hearty meal.

Without its longstanding mainstay diners established during the Italian immigration of the mid-1900s, Lygon Street would be far from what it is today.

From one of the first lever-style espresso machines in Australia at University Cafe, to the very birthplace of the now-iconic Aussie-style pizza created at the first established pizzeria down under, Toto’s Pizza House, Lygon Street’s history is nothing short of vast.

Stephanie Alleri, Director at Eat Marketing Concepts and member of Carlton Inc, says, “There’s been a slump in foot traffic since COVID, so we try to give businesses as much support as possible [...] Carlton Inc is there for the traders.”

Carlton Inc., a traders' body, is involved with many businesses along the south of Lygon Street, including University Cafe and Universal Restaurant, two of the oldest standing Italian restaurants in Carlton.

“People come to Lygon Street for the culture [...], there’s still good representation, and we don’t want to lose that culture, we just want to make it better and bring people back to the street,” Alleri says.

“There are a lot of restaurants in Carlton, and people come specifically for them [...] but a lot of businesses have moved out of Carlton, so we’re trying to drive people back.”

Part-owner of University Cafe, Paul Ferraro, says Carlton Inc. does a lot of work to help out Lygon Street, but ongoing infrastructure issues plague the street.

“Our footpath has been the same for 50 years, we’ve been arguing for bluestone but nothing has happened, the trees are making a mess [...] and there are more loading zones than parking spots.”

“We’re the face of the street; we want it to be cleaned more often, and I want to change the parking,” he says.

Ferraro and University Cafe aren’t the only ones on Lygon Street with big aspirations for the businesses lining its path.

Owner of Universal Restaurant and GLO Gelato, Alfie Mercuri, says he wants to see Lygon Street embrace the multicultural direction it’s heading in a bit more.

As universities and student housing continue to pop up around Lygon Street, the demand for a taste of home grows, along with the street’s multicultural hospitality scene.

“It'd be great if everyone was on the same page about the direction of the street [...], the multicultural, the international cuisines—they’re here now, so we should embrace it,” Mercuri says.

“If people got off the plane from the airport, they should know that Lygon Street is a place to go to get good food, regardless of cuisine.”

For where to eat and enjoy yourself on Lygon Street, hit our guide over here and if you're after the city's best Italian, we've also got you.