MELBOURNE | North Melbourne is an interesting neighbourhood. It often gets overlooked in favour of trendy inner-city suburbs like Fitzroy, Collingwood, and Brunswick. It’s a shame, as there’s a great community vibe here, and lots of quality and diversity for lovers of good food and drink.
Having spent plenty of time eating and drinking my way through the area, I’ve pulled together a guide covering everything from specialty coffee spots and authentic Japanese sake bars to Mauritian wine bars, Cornish pasty bakeries, and proper neighbourhood pubs.
To help you plan your next food and drink adventure, here is my local’s guide to the best spots to eat and drink in North Melbourne.
Exploring Closer to the City?
Directly west of Queen Vic Market is North Melbourne’s neighbour. Check out my guide to Where To Eat & Drink In West Melbourne for more local favourites.
At-A-Glance: North Melbourne Highlights
| Venue | Suburb & Street | Category | Highlight / Must-Order |
| Path | 362 Victoria St, North Melbourne | Specialty Coffee | Black Coffee, Filter & Espresso |
| Sakedokoro Namara | 360 Victoria St, North Melbourne | Japanese Sake Bar | 100+ Sakes, Tasting Flights & Small Plates |
| Baguette Studios | 15-27 Wreckyn St, North Melbourne | Bakery & Cafe | Laugencroissants & Bulgogi Koagies |
| Manzé & Boire | 1-5 & 8 Errol St, North Melbourne | Mauritian Dining & Wine Bar | Rotating Set Menu & Natural Wines |
| ccwok | 464 Victoria St, North Melbourne | Malaysian Restaurant | Fragrant Curry Mee & Assam Laksa |
| Gai Wong | 5-17 Flemington Rd, North Melbourne | Malaysian Hawker | Hainanese Chicken Rice |
| Pour Diane | 472 Victoria St, North Melbourne | Wine Bar | 1970s Vibe, Minimal Intervention Wines & Snacks |
| Mörk Chocolate Brew House | 150 Errol St, North Melbourne | Specialty Chocolate | Bean-to-Cup Hot Chocolate & Native Infusions |
| Bobby’s Bakery | 207 Dryburgh St, North Melbourne | Bakery | Traditional Cornish Pasties & Viennoiserie |
| Bear’s Wine Bar | 502 Queensbury St, North Melbourne | Wine Bar | Independent Wines & Creative Cocktails |
| Cafe Tomi | 11 Wreckyn St, North Melbourne | Japanese-Inspired Cafe | Klim Coffee, Vinyl Records & Panna Cotta |
| Rosso Coffee Experience | 117 Dryburgh St, North Melbourne | Roastery & Cafe | DIY Coffee Bar & Seasonal Brunch |
| Palette. At Night | 610 Queensbury St, North Melbourne | Late-Night Dessert Bar | Croffles & Honey Mascarpone Brioche |
| The Courthouse Hotel | 86 Errol St, North Melbourne | Neighbourhood Pub | Classic Pub Food & Independent Drinks |
| Town Hall Hotel | 33 Errol St, North Melbourne | Neighbourhood Pub | Zero-Pretence Pub Fare & Lively Atmosphere |
| 279 Victoria St | 279 Victoria St, North Melbourne | Neighbourhood Hub | Unique Takes on Japanese Musubi |
Path
At Path, the focus is very much on the coffee. Black coffee, filter and espresso, to be precise. The small space is focused around the long, open bar in which all of the coffee equipment is installed, encouraging customers to take a seat at the bar and watch their brew being made while chatting to owners Ash and Josh.
362 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Sakedokoro Namara
Sakedokoro Namara is a small bar in North Melbourne that’s dedicated to showcasing and educating visitors about the world of Japanese sake, featuring over 100 bottles on the menu, rotating taps, tasting flights, and delicate small plates.
360 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Baguette Studios
Down a North Melbourne side street near Melbourne University, Baguette Studios is a family-run bakery blending continental European baking with Korean heritage flavours. Be sure to try the laugencroissants and bulgogi koagies.
15-27 Wreckyn Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Manzé & Boire
Manzé is an exceptional modern Mauritian restaurant and wine bar from chef Nagesh Seethiah, offering a rotating set menu of vibrant, spice-driven dishes. Right across the road is its sibling venue, Boire, a natural wine bar pouring interesting low-intervention drops alongside daytime sandwiches and pasté.
Shop 2, 1-5 Errol Street & 8 Errol Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
ccwok
Run by home cook Cecilia Chuah and her family, ccwok serves honest, homestyle Kedah and Penang dishes like fragrant curry mee, assam laksa, and traditional kuih.
464 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Gai Wong
Opened by Philip and Shirley Leong, Gai Wong serves some of the best tender four-hour poached Hainanese chicken rice in Melbourne, bringing authentic Malaysian hawker centre flavours to life.
5-17 Flemington Road, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Pour Diane
Pour Diane is a unique 1970s-inspired wine bar. Visit for theme appropriate tunes, retro TV shows and movies on the screen, a massive rotating tiger-print bed, minimal intervention wines, and a small selection of snacks.
472 Victoria St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Mörk Chocolate Brew House
Founded by Josefin Zernell and Kiril Shaginov, Mörk Chocolate Brew House applies specialty coffee principles to artisanal drinking chocolate, offering incredible bean-to-cup creations and Australian native infusions.
150 Errol Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Bobby’s Bakery
Set in a former mechanic’s workshop, Bobby’s Bakery by Sam Iverson serves up outstanding traditional Cornish pasties, flaky viennoiserie, and brilliant house-baked breads.
207 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Bear’s Wine Bar
Owned by Austin Kangket and Nathan Schofield, Bear’s Wine Bar is a charming heritage local serving independent wines, creative house cocktails, and shareable wine-bar plates.
502 Queensbury Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Cafe Tomi
Taking over the old Wreckyn St space, Cafe Tomi by Sean Then pairs minimalist Japanese aesthetics with rare vinyl records playing on a vintage Technics player, exceptional Klim coffee, and refined house desserts.
11 Wreckyn Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Rosso Coffee Experience
Pioneer Ramez Abdulnour’s Rosso Coffee Experience is a concept cafe and roastery featuring a unique DIY coffee bar where you can learn to brew your own cup under expert guidance.
117 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Palette. At Night
By day a Korean-inspired lifestyle cafe, Palette. At Night transforms into a late-night dessert bar serving croffles, honey mascarpone brioche, and fruity lattes under low lighting.
610 Queensbury Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
The Courthouse Hotel
A classic historic North Melbourne local, The Courthouse Hotel recently underwent renovations. It’s a welcoming neighbourhood pub serving up top quality pub food, and great drinks with a focus on local, independent producers.
86 Errol Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Town Hall Hotel North Melbourne
The Town Hall Hotel is a local’s favourite, that’s exactly what a Melbourne pub should be. Zero pretence, a lived-in, authentic space, solid pub food, great music, and a lively atmosphere.
33 Errol St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
279 Victoria St
279 Victoria St is a brilliant neighbourhood space which offers unique take on Japanese Musubi. Flavour combinations reflect traditional Japanese food, along with options that put an Aussie spin on things.
279 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
My Top North Melbourne Dining Tips
- Plan Your Route by Vibe: Start your morning with specialty coffee at Path or a pastry from Baguette Studios, spend the afternoon browsing Errol Street, and finish your evening with drinks at Bear’s Wine Bar, Sakedokoro Namara, or a meal at Manzé.
- Bookings vs. Walk-ins: Intimate spots like Manzé and Sakedokoro Namara have limited seating and book out well in advance. Lock them in early or drop by neighbourhood pubs like The Courthouse or Town Hall for an easy walk-in feed.
- Getting Around: North Melbourne is easily walkable, and trams like the 57 (running up Errol Street) and the 59 (along Flemington Road) make getting in from the CBD effortless.
Exploring More of the Inner North?
Explore more of Melbourne’s best food destinations with my guides to Brunswick & Brunswick East and my Fitzroy & Collingwood picks.