A suburb so close to the CBD you can look directly at it as you inhale a hot jam donut from the Queen Vic Market, North Melbourne is an inner-city pocket with small-town charm. A little bit unassuming with a whole lot of character—and if being well connected to PT is a flex (it is), North Melbourne has that on lock.
Victorian-era buildings, hints of an industrial past, leafy residential streets and casually backing onto 180 hectares of parkland? It’s no surprise it's become a highly coveted place to call home. A suburb that suits everyone from city slickers and young families to uni students, North Melbourne is a diverse cultural precinct with a rock solid sense of community.
With so much to do in this sought-after suburb, we’ve teamed up with our mates at Aussie to unpack everything you need to eat, drink and do in 2025.
Check out our complete guide to North Melbourne below, covering everything from the long-standing icons to the latest kids on the block.
Know what you want? Skip to:
- The Best Restaurants In North Melbourne
- The Best Cafes In North Melbourne
- The Best Bars And Pubs In North Melbourne
- The Best Things To Do In Melbourne
The Best Restaurants In North Melbourne
Manzé
Shop 2/1/5 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Mauritian wine bar Manzé is the little spot doing big things. Chef and owner Nagesh Seethiah showcases bold flavours—grounded in the foundations of family recipes and executed through a contemporary lens. With just 24 seats, Manzé has all the fixings of a cosy, intimate wine bar with ingredients that pack a punch. Come here for the rotating set menus (3-course, $65, 4-course, $80), natty wine selection and excellent hospitality.
Yeonga
1 Cobden St, North Melbourne
North Melbourne is known for good KBBQ, and Yeonga delivers. Find your spot in one of the spacious booths and prepare to cook your dinner over 100% genuine charcoal. Four set menus take the guesswork out of ordering, making it the perfect spot for a group outing—just be sure to book ahead. Alongside your rotation of grilled pork, beef, seafood and chicken, throw in some tempura to start, plenty of banchan on the side and a jug of mango rice wine cocktail, and you’re all set for a complete Korean feast.
Bar Taralli
12 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Newly opened Italian wine bar and eatery Bar Taralli is the latest venture by chef Salvatore Giorgio (of Scopri and Bar Bambi fame). Bringing the bold flavours of Southern Italy to the streets of North Melbourne, this is simple food, done well. Expect all the Southern Italian classics like handmade pasta with spicy nduja or bombette, and stuffed pork neck wrapped in pancetta and cooked over coals. If you’re in the area for lunch, nab a table for the $25 pasta and vino special every Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm–3pm.
Little Africa
223 Victoria Street West-North Melbourne
Haters may say this spot is technically in West Melbourne, and they may be right. But no matter which side of Victoria street you’re standing on, everyone knows Little Africa is one of the greats. Serving up generous combo platters loaded with homestyle Ethiopian stews, curries and injera, this is a local legend for a reason—where you’re invited in, treated like family and fed like royalty.
The Best Cafes In North Melbourne
Udom House
343 Victoria Street, West-North Melbourne
If you’re after something a little more exciting for the tastebuds than classic eggs on toast, Udom House is the spot for brunch. A cosy Thai-style cafe slinging pandan kaya toast, curry-filled savoury pies and other flavoursome treats you won’t often see on a breakfast menu, Udom House is the kind of place locals keep to themselves, and for good reason. Try Chiang Mai style coffee or Jum Ba—sweet syrup over ice and topped with a shot of Thai black coffee.
Rosso Coffee Roasters
117 Dryburgh St, North Melbourne
Nestled inside a converted warehouse, Rosso Coffee is part cafe, part roastery, and part hands-on coffee lab. Watch beans being roasted before your very eyes, level up your home coffee game with short private sessions on barista techniques for just $20, or if you’re just there for a perfectly poured brew, sit back and leave it to the experts. As for food, the hot buttered lobster and tiger prawn roll slaps, as do the elite rotation of toasties, pastries and cakes.
Bread Club
558 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
You'd expect a bakery run by two French citizens with impressive culinary creds to be top notch, right? Thankfully, Bread Club proves our assumptions right. A little bakery with a big reputation, they serve up endless loaves of fresh bread and decadent pastries worth lining the block for. Their beans are from Coburg micro-roastery, Inglewood Coffee, and the saffron bun is a non-negotiable. And if there’s a line? Wait in it.
Austro Bakery
39 Lothian St, North Melbourne
After closing up shop in South Melbourne and crossing the river, Austro Bakery have settled into their new digs on Lothian Street. Only open Friday and Saturday mornings 8am–1pm, this tiny spot serves up baked goods with a uniquely Central European flair.
Expect Austrian baking with a Melbourne edge; think Kapatka (eclair cake), Maritozzi (filled brioche buns) and flaky, buttery croissants. Supplying cafes around Melbourne like Florian, Marketlane, Auction Rooms and Elio’s Place—chances are you’ve eaten one of Austro’s treats before. Now you know you can get it straight from the source.
The Best Bars And Pubs In North Melbourne
The Courthouse Hotel
86-90 Errol Street, North Melbourne
This Art‑Deco gem was given new life by the team behind Naughton’s in 2023, fast becoming a neighbourhood favourite. A dream combination of heritage charm and modern gastropub, The Courthouse Hotel's cosy timber‑panelled rooms, leather banquettes and excellent wine list are calling your name—loudly. With weekly specials like $26 steak night on a Tuesday and $36 Sunday roasts, there's a solid reason to visit every night of the week. Don’t believe us? Do us a favour and just order the schnitzel.
Bobbie Peels
351 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Another lovingly restored corner pub sitting pretty on Queensberry Street, at the current iteration of Bobbie Peels, you’ll find a cosy, moody vibe with a generous wine list. Come for the elevated pub grub and stay for the free wine tastings on Wednesdays 5pm–7pm. On the menu, you'll find snackable small plates like Jerusalem artichoke with buttermilk and fig, mussels braised in white wine, and juicy chicken skewers with leek and thyme dip, along with larger mains like Shepherd's pie and crab linguini.
Whitebark Wine
Ground Floor/313 Victoria Street, West Melbourne
Another Victoria Street establishment worth claiming for North Melbourne is Whitebark Wine. A cosy shopfront wine bar, here you'll find an excellent rotation of Aussie and Aotearoa drops and sustainable, seasonal bites like rare sliced emu, bush tomato and butter topped with pickled green mango and chilli sounds. Cold beers, great wine, good yarns and community vibes? It doesn't get much better.
The Best Things To Do In North Melbourne
The Comics Lounge
A celebrated institution when it comes to Melbourne’s comedy scene, this iconic spot hosts comedy six nights a week—so if you need a laugh, you know where to find one. With a stacked calendar of rising stand-up stars, seasoned comedy pros, trivia and sketch shows, this is the perfect spot for a laid-back night out with a side of belly laughs.
EziStreat
Home to over 10 street food vendors, North Melbourne’s hidden food hall is tucked away inside a neon-lit warehouse, serving up everything from ramen to arepas. You won’t just find food trucks at EziStreat either, with craft beer, cocktails, live music and a pet-friendly beer garden on offer.
Queen Victoria Market
An icon—need we say more? Sprawling across two city blocks, the Queen Victoria Market has been a bustling hub for Melburnians since the early days. With over 600 stalls, you’ll find everything you need and plenty of things you don’t—but just buy the cheese anyway.
Royal Park
The largest open space in the entire City of Melbourne, Royal Park's 180 hectares of land are protected under the Victorian Heritage Register. Snuggled right up to the edge of North Melbourne, it's situated on land of importance to the people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. A welcome slice of nature right on the edge of the city, it's the perfect spot to walk your dog, have a picnic, or simply park up on the grass on sunny afternoons.
Keen to make North Melbourne home? With a new property search tool, suburb insights, personalised property reports and over 140,000 listings, Aussie now has everything you need to find, buy and own.
Editor's note: This article was produced in partnership with Aussie. Thank you for supporting the partners who make Urban List possible. To read our editorial policy, click here.
Image: Supplied.