The original hipsters' paradise, Fitzroy is one of the best wining and dining hot spots. Photo / Getty Images
The original hipsters' paradise, Fitzroy is one of the best wining and dining hot spots. Photo / Getty Images
Once the original hipsters' paradise, these days Fitzroy is fully gentrified, offering some of the city's best wining and dining experiences. Book yourself a central terrace through Airbnb and live your best Melbourne life.
Brunch
Gabriel is located on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. Photo / Instagram
You could brunch every day for a fortnight in Fitzroy and still not work your way through everything the suburb has to offer. But if you're on a limited timeframe, head straight for the best on Gertrude St and visit Gabriel.
The fully licenced cafe offers all-day brunch and excellent cocktails in stylish surrounds, reminiscent of 1930s Paris.
The menu, however, is totally contemporary with options including crisp saganaki with poached eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, kasundi and dukkah (a cheese-lovers dream start to the day) and sriracha scrambled eggs with feta.
Wine time
The dishes at Marion are designed for flexible dining - serving smaller morsels or larger plates to share. Photo / Instagram
Fitzroy's Cutler and Co has long been renowned as one of Melbourne's best restaurants, but if you're not in the mood for a fine dining splurge, its little sister Marion offers a more casual (and affordable) alternative.
Next door to Cutler and Co on Gertrude St, Marion is a European-inspired wine bar which offers a diverse selection of wines along with deliciously moreish morsels.
Their pan-fried garlic bread (which comes complimentary with your drinks) is the stuff of local legend. Whether you pop in for a quick drink or settle in for an evening, Marion is a must-visit when you're in the Fitzroy hood.
Pub life
The Napier Hotel is a legendary Melbourne landmark. Photo / Instagram
Melbourne's pub culture is some of the world's best and Fitzroy certainly plays its part in keeping it alive and kicking, no matter the season.
Though The Standard's beer garden is one of Fitzroy's most coveted in summer, for a winter session, you can't go past the warm embrace of the Napier Hotel and its open fireplace.
With original pressed tin walls and faded vintage posters, there's nothing shiny or new about The Napier (which first opened in 1866), and it remains steadfastly unpretentious in a suburb obsessed with hot new things.
Rooftop
Naked in the sky serves up killer cocktails, epic bar food and offers some of the best views of Melbourne. Photo / Instagram
Hidden bars and speakeasies may have replaced rooftops as the hot new trend in hospo but you still can't beat the freedom of enjoying your favourite tipple while soaking in the panoramic view of a bustling city.
Naked in the Sky – the rooftop of Naked for Satan – remains Fitzroy's go-to destination for a drink with a view, serving up top-notch cocktails along with carefully crafted sharing plates.
The menu underwent an overhaul in 2018 and no longer serves the Spanish pintxos it was once famed for, instead focusing on modern Australian flavours with a Basque influence. Make the most of the sunshine and head up before 4pm, when all plates are just $11.
