Babka III

May 9, 2026 

   

 

Babka is still open on Brunswick St for twenty-years-on coverage, though we've missed the cafe's founder by about 3 years. It seems to have lost most of the Eastern European features it was once known for:  borscht, potato dumplings, and - most devastatingly for me - the blintzes. Instead there's the more predictable Aussie cafe run of chilli scrambled eggs, smashed avo, chicken and avocado toasties, and egg and bacon rolls. (There are no markings for vegans or gluten-free folks, and I wouldn't especially recommend the menu to either.)

   

 

The overflowing sweets cabinet still reigns, and there were plenty of customers queuing for takeaway coffee, bread and baked sweets, rather than the sit-down menu.

 

   

 

Michael ordered the aforementioned chilli scramble ($21.50), a likeable, decently proportioned plate with a choice of bread (sourdough here), fresh herbs, chilli slices, grated cheese and a house-made chilli sauce from yesteryear.

 

   

 

Blintzless, I pivoted to French toast ($21.50). I was perfectly happy with one slice - it was nicely battered without being too eggy. The accompanying 'fresh fruits' were mostly tasteless strawberries, and the scoop of mascarpone was great. I didn't need any of the maple syrup on offer. 

 

   

 

We picked out a lil' something from the dessert case to take home for later. Michael rated his plum frangipane tart ($9) highly. I was even happier with the lemon tart ($9) - while I though the pastry was average, the lemon filling was exceptional, with a gorgeous wafer-thin crust of burnt sugar.

 

   

 

The Babka menu clearly isn't what it once was, but there's still a comfort to the place. The classic cafe fit-out feels just right. We were perched near the coffee machine and noticed the manager cheerfully chatting with everyone, with many clearly being regulars. The customers spanned generations and Brunswick St subcultures. I'm glad Babka has found a form it can sustain. 

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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to Babka. Since then, it's received generally positive reviews on Multicultural Melbourne, Almost Always Ravenous, Spoonful of Sugar, and Vanilla Slice (Snot) Blog.

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Babka

358 Brunswick St, Fitzroy 

9416 0091 

menu: one, two 

instagram page 

 

Accessibility: There is a step up on entry and a crowded interior. Furniture is densely arranged regular height small tables and backed chairs. We ordered and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets. 

Fitz Curry Cafe III

May 8, 2026 

 

   

 

The next stop in our 20 year anniversary tour of the 2006 Cheap Eats guide is the 25-year-old Fitz Curry Cafe. It's well over a decade (perhaps nearing two!) since we last visited, but Fitz Curry was an early front-runner in Michael's search for a favourite Melbourne Indian restaurant. The Cheap Eats review highlighted their organic ingredients; these seem to be less of a selling point in 2026, although the cafe's website mentions organic flour roti.

 

   

 

Eating in at Fitz Curry includes that touch of Indian restaurant hospitality we love: a basket of papadams with a light yoghurt-based mint chutney. Having had one cocktail and little food in the preceding hours, I fell upon these enthusiastically.

 

   

 

We ordered as we did so many years ago: navaratan korma ($8-10 in 2006, $23.99 in 2026), malai kofta ($8-10 in 2007, $24.99 in 2026), garlic naan ($4.99), and steamed basmati rice ($4.99). The curries were quite mild and sweet (we requested medium heat), the kind we've known and enjoyed many times from family Indian restaurants. We're more excited about the likes of Horn Please, Bhang and Masti these days, but Fitz Curry Cafe hit the mark for a nostalgia tour such as this.

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You can read about one, two of our previous Fitz Curry experiences. 

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Fitz Curry Cafe

44 Johnston St, Fitzroy

9495 6119 

banquets, mains page 1, mains page 2, sides & desserts 

https://fitzcurrycafe.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There are two shallow steps up on entry and a clear, flat corridor through the middle of the restaurant. Furniture is densely packed, consisting of regular height tables and backed chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Trippy Taco V

May 2, 2026 

 

   

 

Trippy Taco does not actually appear in the 2006 Cheap Eats guide, but it's entrenched in where's the beef? lore, opening on Smith St in that first year we lived in Melbourne and instantly becoming Michael's favourite place for a workday lunch, as well as a semi-regular nighttime hang-out with friends. It's now been on Gertrude St much longer than it was ever on Smith, and most recently we walked across from the VAS Gallery with some friends for a weekend lunch. 

 

While the menu's not strictly the same, changes to the spread of casual Mexican-inspired foods are subtle: there are no longer sultanas in the salads, and they now offer something called 'heart attack fries'. Everything's vegetarian; vegan and gluten-free options are plentiful; and there's more dietary information than most places on the printed menu. 

 

   

 

A large basket of trippy fries ($9) for the table was essential. (The smaller serving was $4 in 2008 and is now $7 in 2026.) Their seasoning has always been heavy on the smoked paprika and that's how everyone likes it.

 

   

 

Michael returned to an old fave, the tofu asada burrito ($9 in 2008 and now $17 in 2026). It's precisely as it's always been, from his memory: chunky and full of flavour, with bright salad and guacamole, and even better when doused in something from TT's hot sauce collection. 

 

   

 

I've always had a soft spot for the Trippy Taco tamale ($8.50 for a more elaborate version in 2008, now $13 in 2026 + $3 for guacamole + $2.50 for salsa) - so sweet and tender and carby! I still haven't had the dessert version, once a special and now a menu fixture. Twenty years later, Trippy Taco still has a little more to offer us. 

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You can read about one, two, three, four of our past visits to Trippy Taco. Since then, it's appeared on veg*n blogs melbourne with the rocket, Green Gourmet Giraffe, I Spy Plum Pie, Veggo Melburnian, and I Travel For Vegan Food. It's also appeared on omni blogs They Call Me Maggie, FOOD CHEE, Sweet & Sour Fork, Ms I-Hua, The Epicurean of Southbank, and Melbourne Vita.  

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Trippy Taco

234 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

9415 7711 

menu: one, two 

https://www.trippytaco.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There's one step on entry, and there's a clear flat pathway through the centre. Furniture is densely arranged, regular height tables and backed chairs. We ordered and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets. 

Masses Bagels

April 11, 2026 

 

   

 

Michael's been visiting Masses Bagels regularly with his run club and telling me, often, how much he thinks I'd like it. It took many months before we made use of an errand in Richmond to breakfast at Masses together on the way through.

 

The setting is a little stark, with brushed metal surfaces, concrete floors, and low-height backless seating. At least the staff make up for it in warmth! The bagels distinguish themselves by being wild fermented, and they're probably the thinnest, crispiest bagels I've experienced. There are also gluten-free bagels available (acknowledging the flour contamination risk), quark-based cream cheese and a cashew-based vegan alternative.

 

For eating in, there's an array of 'bagel tartines', most of which have a vegetarian option, and a few of which have vegan options. Michael loved the balance of the egg gribiche topping ($17), which is richly dressed, and cut through with gherkins, tarragon, chive and capers.  

   

 

After considering the couple of sweet options (honey, peach and lemon verbena jam with quark), I swerved savoury and ordered the pickled green tomato ($18.50), which comes with parmesan cream, fermented hot honey and mustard leaves. The acidity of the tomatoes offset the bagels nicely, but the parmesan cream that I was eagerly anticipating didn't really shine through. My choice to drink an orange juice ($8) just dialled up the acidity further.

 

Masses Bagels wasn't precisely what I expected, but it was a nice time and I'm curious to try more. Given his frequency of visits, you'll be better off asking Michael for tartine recommendations in the meantime. 

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Masses Bagels

5 Smith St, Fitzroy

menu 

https://www.massesbagels.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There is a flat entry and clear path to the low counter. Furniture is a mixture of low tables with backless small stools and milk crates. We ordered and paid at the counter. We couldn't see any sign of a toilet.  

Good Daze Canteen

February 27, 2026 

   

Since Nyala no longer serves tafach mooz, we had room for dessert on Brunswick St and I had a back-up plan. I've been following Good Daze Canteen on instagram for a while and we were both ready to try their cheery icecream menu. It was tough to choose across their flavours of the world (peaches cream cornbread! dulce de leche chocolate alfajor! guava chilli!), and we were impressed that a third of the menu seemed to be vegan. They also keep a cheeky little bowl of Lacteeze tablets by the register.

Michael ordered a double scoop ($9.50) of the very Australian Cherry Ripe and the Viet ice coffee*leche flan. Both were excellent: look at that swoon-worthy swirl on the Cherry Ripe!  

   

 

I went for a single scoop ($7) of the miso peanut butter caramel, credited jointly to Japan and the USA, and added Nutella on top ($1.50). Perhaps not the most adventurous choice in the year 2026, but an excellent combination: nutty, with a complex saltiness, gooey and rich.

 

This capped off our meal perfectly; we agreed that we'd welcome all future excuses to come back and try more. 

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Good Daze Canteen

316 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

menu 

https://www.gooddazecanteen.com/

 

Accessibility: There is a small lip on the door and a flat corridor through the canteen. There is a regular-height communal table with backed chairs inside, and a bench on the street. We ordered and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Nyala II

February 27, 2026

 

   

We're back for another Cheap Eats 2006 two decades on post, with a visit to Nyala African Restaurant in Fitzroy. We first visited Nyala in about 2004, before we even lived in Melbourne and we loved it so much that we revisited very early in our where's the beef era - October 2006. According to their website, Nyala was the first Ethiopian place in Melbourne and has been trading since 1987 - pretty impressive!

Since our 2006 visit Nyala has moved down the street, to a lovely, airy space above Masti on Brunswick Street, but otherwise things are pretty similar: Ethiopian food, friendly service and some delicious African beers. 

    

   

We started out with a dip combo plate: small serves of lentil dip, tahini dip and eggplant/turmeric dip served with mountain bread ($15). This is a great way to try all Nyala's dipping options - I think the red lentil one was my favourite, but you really can't go wrong with any of these, especially alongside a St George's Ethiopian beer.

   

We followed up with the classic Ethiopian veg combo plate with injera - beyaynetu ($28). This comes with serves of each of their four vego mains: futari (Tanzanian cabbage with veggies in coconut cream), keek woet (Ethiopian style rich brown lentils), defen meser (yellow split peas, seasoned and cooked Ethiopian style) and gomen (steamed silverbeet and spinach with garlic and ginger). They happily kept our injera supplies topped up as we messily dug our way through these excellent dishes - there's something about the sour bread and the rich earthy flavours of these stews that just works. 

 

   

 

Prices at Nyala have just about kept up with inflation - mains in 2006 cost $14, up to $28 this year, while entrees have approximately doubled as well ($7 to $15). The menu has changed a little, but the only notable shift is the absence of the banana and brown sugar dessert Cindy enjoyed in 2006.  I'm so glad Nyala has survived, although things were pretty quiet the night we visited. We had such a lovely dinner - the staff were super friendly, the space gorgeous and the food excellent - a great reminder not to wait 20 years to visit again.

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You can read about our 2006 Nyala visit (and admire our 2006 photos) here. 

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Nyala African Restaurant

Level 1, 356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

9419 9128

food, drinks  

https://nyalarestaurant.com.au/

Accessibility: Nyala is up a flight of stairs, we didn't notice a lift but there might be one tucked away somewhere. Tables are nicely spaced out and we paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Elektra II

February 15, 2025

   

It's hard to believe that Elektra is well over five years old! I've popped in again a few times since our first visit and blog post, though not as often as they deserve. It was the perfect spot for a long catch-up weekend brunch with a friend, colourful and cosy, and we arrived early enough to nab a booth. I tried the Namaste porridge (~$22) for the first time - it features the tender bite of black rice (plus quinoa), it's creamy with coconut milk, there's abundant fruitiness and colour from rhubarb, poached pear and pomegranate, and it's finished off with the nuttiness of toasted coconut, slivered almonds and pepitas. It's comforting, yet not too heavy for summer.

Elektra are proud of their chai options and I would have been remiss not to order the Himalayan sticky chai (~$6) - it was a lovely as always, and well insulated for slow sipping throughout my visit.

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You can read about our first visit to Elektra here. There are past positive reviews for Elektra on THEYCALLMEMAGGIE, Suzie Scribbles and Gastrology, though one is self-reported as a freebie and I suspect all three might be.

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Elektra 

268 Brunswick St, Fitzroy 

9417 4255 

https://elektrafitzroy.com.au/

Accessibility: Furniture is densely arranged! There are stools out front and mostly chairs with backs inside. We ordered at our table and paid at a regular-height counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

HaTiNA / Vegan Heaven

October 10, 2024

   

We were sad to receive news that Vegie Mum closed its Fitzroy restaurant back in May. Happily, the premises have become a sibling to another beloved veg*n restaurant! At the same address, HaTiNa was announced as a second restaurant from the Huong Viet Vegetarian crew. We visited in October, and since then they have undergone rapid renovations and reopened as Vegan Heaven, and remain associated with Huong Viet. The menu remains largely unchanged, running to dozens of vegan dishes. Gluten-free foods are marked and reside primarily in the tofu, mushroom and stir-fry sections of the menu. There are a few chilli warnings scattered about too. Thankfully we had a crew of six hungry veg*ns ready to try as much as we could during the restaurant's brief phase as HaTiNa.

We began by carefully sharing out Lion's Mane Mushroom skewers ($15, pictured above) - these were really meaty and thickly coated in a savoury sauce that had us all appetised for more. 

   

Likewise, the Crispy Fish Salt and Pepper ($16) was very well seasoned and had us eager for the more substantive dishes ahead; it was nestled amongst some colourful, barely-dressed salad.

   

The Authentic Viet Broken Rice ($25) offered welcome variety and heartiness. Similar to the one I've enjoyed at Easy Vegan, it's centred on a mound of rice and a complex dressing, then surrounded by grilled mock meats and shredded vegetables, a mock fried egg, pickles and salad veges.

   

If you thought broken rice might be awkward to share among six, it's easier than laksa! The Zesty Laksa Bowl ($25) was a reasonably spicy rendition containing varied mock meats.

   

The Thai glass noodle salad ($25) was a balancing, fresh contribution to the meal but ultimately didn't rate as anyone's favouite.

   

For me, it was the mini savoury pancakes ($26) that ruled the night. I probably haven't eaten them in a decade, and I was thrilled to have the chance again. These little rice flour pucks are sweet with coconut, fried with crisp savoury toppings (often prawns if not vegetarian) then teamed with a dressing a fresh green herbs.

   

For several others, the Tom Yum Flounder Sweet & Sour Fish ($35) was the pick, and deservedly so. The fish pieces were kept separate from the tangy sauce long enough to retain a crisp, delicate skin and there was just the right medley of fresh vegetables to offset the mock meat richness.

   

Drinks are worth a mention too - there are plenty of non-alcoholic options to choose from, including juices and smoothies. The coconut juice ($10) is served in a coconut and there's vegan condensed milk available for Vietnamese iced coffees ($12)!

This was a really fun, casual meal with lots of dishes we'd gladly eat again. The challenge ahead will be trading off between revisiting their known delights and the potential new favourites that still lie untasted within such an expansive menu. I think we're up to the task.

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HaTiNa / Vegan Heaven

72 Johnston St, Fitzroy

0432 468 538

menu pages one and two 

facebook page

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry. The interior is flat with moderately crowded regular-height tables and backed chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Two:Bob

April 15, 2023

   

We were in the mood for an autumn walk with breakfast at the end of it and decided that Two:Bob cafe was the right distance and menu to aim for. It's nestled within the cute shopping strip on Queens Parade in an old bank building. We've failed to really pay any attention to it for the decade it's been there! I just had an old bookmarked blog review from Fitzroyalty to recommend it. 

That's on us, because the menu is very appealing and has clear dietary markings - lots of vegetarian and gluten-free options, while vegans will be weighing up the avo toast and the roast vegetable winter salad. Porridge comes with pecan crumble, the mushroom toast looks fancy, there are multiple rich eggy dishes, and there's a breakfast plate for those who want a bit of everything.

   

After a little "hmmpf!" about the inconveniently stacked toast, Michael was won over by the Two:Bob take on avocado toast ($21.50) - the smashed peas, spicy chickpeas and house-made chilli jam added lots of flavour.

I had to try out the waffles (pictured top, $21.50). They had that all-white-flour-and-sugar cakiness to them, and the plate as a whole hit all my sweet-breakfast criteria: a bit of crispness to the waffles, a bit of crunch (roast almonds), lots of juicy fruit (blueberry compote and poached pear), and a spoonful of something creamy (lemon mascarpone).

   

The Two:Bob staff were great and even on a day of showers, the natural light filtering into the cafe was gorgeous. As the weather cools our Saturday mornings are more often spent on the couch with rage, but it's worth getting up and out for a breakfast this good.

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Two:Bob received long-ago positive reviews on Accidental Encounters, Fitzroyalty and Eat & Be Merry.

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Two:Bob

270 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North

9482 5444

food, drinks

https://twobobcafe.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry. Furniture is medium-crowded, a mixture of low and high tables, backless stools, backed chairs and benches with a wide clear way from the entry to the counter. We ordered at our table, paid at a low counter and didn't visit the toilets.

Louis

Update 15/06/2023: Louis has been replaced by Zetta's Pantry.

December 16, 2021

   

I was able to access a COVID vaccination booster at the Royal Exhibition Building earlier this month. It was a lovely day, the queue was short, and I had plenty of time to wander the neighbourhood and get some lunch. As I browsed Brunswick St, I noticed cafe seating on a side street and saw a sign for Louis. Friend of the blog Steph had recently recommended Louis and I was glad to have stumbled upon it!

Louis has been open 2-3 years, but quietly shifted to an all-vegetarian menu about a year ago - there are numerous, well-marked vegan and gluten-free options. It's full of fun brunch dishes and a couple of burgers with a 'more is more' philosophy. For example, the smashed avo is actualy a 'smooth yuzu avocado mousse' that comes with balsamic marinated cherry tomatoes, sriracha popping balls, feta, dukkah, lotus chips, beetroot tuile, and herb infused oil.

   

As I read the menu, I recalled that Steph especially recommended Louis to me for its sweet vegan brunches - there are equally over-the-top Lotus Biscoff French Toast and Spilt Tiramisu Garden Cup dishes! Alas, on this day I really did just want something more contained and savoury. The plant-based fish bao ($24) served that purpose nicely. They were stuffed so generously that it was impossible to eat them entirely by hand, with lots of pickly Asian slaw, cucumber and coriander giving freshness, a single seared, salty slice of mock-fish and a spoonful of sriracha mayonnaise in each bun.

This seemed like a nice little entrée to what Louis offers - I'm keen to return, hungrier, in the future.

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Most reviews of Louis seem to be freebies from 2018-2019, before the cafe was vegetarian, e.g. WHATEPIEATS, Suzie Scribbles, THEYCALLMEMAGGIE, Linnie Eats All The Food and A Chronicle of Gastronomy.

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Louis

93 Moor St, Fitzroy

9427 2423

menu

https://www.cafelouis.com.au/

Accessibility: Louis has a flat, wide entry. Furniture (low tables, chairs with backs, and benches) is variously spaced across the cafe. I ordered and paid at a low counter (see left side of top photo). Toilets are narrow, ungendered cubicles with a single shared basin. 

Wolfhound on Brunswick

Edit 30/01/2025: Wolfhound now operates as a function venue, not a cafe.

March 28, 2021

   

My fondness for sweet breakfasts is well documented on this blog, but I've been finding fewer and fewer options around town that really match my tastes. Pancakes, waffles and French toast are still out there but their accompaniments are escalating, while my preferences are scaling back. Icecream, fairy floss, chocolate soil, and big honeycomb chunks look like children's parties on a plate, and are more than I really want to take on in my first meal of the day. A little scoop of (mock or real) dairy, some seasonal fruits, and a scattering of nuts or seeds is more my mode. Tootsie Roller's coconut waffles have emerged as my benchmark.

The new-ish Wolfhound on Brunswick has the kind of sweet breakfast I think I'm complaining about (buckwheat waffles with summer berries, cornflake crunch, cherries, peanut butter powder, mint and lime labne - I haven't actually ordered it and I might even like it). But they also have Dr Marty's crumpets in an arrangement that appeals more ($16): they're served with coconut yoghurt and a roasted peach, then garnished with pepita granola and caramel popcorn. The popcorn and edible flowers are beyond my needs, but they don't spoil the main features and the proportions of this dish. It's sweet and carby-comforting, but also offers some freshness and crunch.

More generally, Wolfhound's brunch menu does its best to cover all bases - there's meat and eggs, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and potential conversions. The cafe is relaxed and spacious, and has a dog-friendly back garden I haven't visited yet. For now, I'm just grateful for their peach crumpets.

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Wolfhound on Brunswick
386 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
9417 0217

menu
https://wolfhoundonbrunswick.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a lip on the door. Furniture is a mixture of couches, regular-height tables with back chairs, and high tables with stools. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. I didn't visit the toilets.

Masti

 February 23, 2021

   

We owe Steph for pointing out Masti's Vegan Tuesdays to us, and for booking us and a couple of friends in to give it a whirl. It's a set menu, served as a thali, with a wine or soft drink ($39 per person). We were treated to a curled papadum and eensy salad, two curries (which change from week to week), a dal that charmed everyone at the table, saffron rice, and the fluffiest vegan naan I've ever encountered. For dessert, there was a rich and dense scoop of dark chocolate mousse garnished with neon-coloured popping candy (it looks like this gets changed up with fresh fruit on occasion too).

The Masti staff couldn't have been friendlier; eager to share their dishes and hear our feedback. This sample across their menu has us all wanting to return and order more à la carte.

   

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Messy Veggies are already fans of Masti's vegan night.

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Masti

354-356 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

9427 2121

appetisers, curries, tandoor, biryani & rice, salads & sides, sweet talk

https://www.eatdrinkmasti.com/

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry. Furniture is medium-spaced throughout the restaurant, primarily low tables and seats with backs. We paid at a high counter, and didn't visit the toilets.

The Workers Club

February 9, 2021

   

Pub trivia is back, and we signed up for a reunion round with friends at the Workers Club. They've had a bunch of different things going on in their kitchen over the years; at the moment it's a fairly standard Melbourne pub menu with four very welcome vegan mains listed at the bottom. There's tacos, a burrito, a parma and... a "Where's the beef?" burger ($24).

There's no official affiliation here. I assume the menu writer is making the same jokey pop culture reference that we are in our blog title, without any intended rivalry or endorsement. But we'll endorse this burger! The Workers Club are claiming this mock-beef patty to be house-made and it's a good 'un; gluteny without being too dense, with a salty, slightly earthy taste. There are also major flavour boosts from mock-bacon, mock-cheese, pickles and a double-down condiment mix of mustard and tomato sauce. The vegan buns are clearly different from the regular ones, but they're not a disappointment.

Happily we won the trivia night and earned a voucher for our troubles, so I reckon there'll be a couple more "Where's the Beef?" burgers in our future.

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Most past blog posts about The Workers Club cover free meals and outdated kitchen incarnations. An exception is Parma Daze, who enjoyed their parma options in 2018.

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The Workers Club

51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

9415 6558

menu

http://www.theworkersclub.com.au/

Accessibility: There's one step up on entry and a medium-high station to check in and sanitise just inside the door. The front room, laid out for trivia bookings, had both low tables with backed chairs and high tables with backless stools. There were wide corridors through the middle of the room but tables were densely backed near each other. We ordered and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Elektra

 January 16, 2021

   

Several of our friends have been recommending Elektra to us and among them, Lisa had time for a spontaneous Saturday lunch trip. Elektra's food centres on Nepalese flavours, and well-marked vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options abound. 

   

A familiar Nepalese favourite for us is momos, and we eagerly ordered a plate of the vegan ones ($19.50) to share. They're lovely, dotted with a traditional tomato sauce and garnished with salad leaves - they'd work just as well as a meal for one.

   

Lisa ordered the green lentil-based Mandala pancake ($21), which comes with hummus, spiced chickpeas, tomato, avocado, mushrooms, and coconut yoghurt. She most appreciated the abundant greenery.

   

Michael was a fan of the Gurkhali fritters ($20) - they're filling eggplant and zucchini-based fritters, served with fried tofu (not tempeh as stated on the menu), avocado, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, pickled vegetables and coconut yoghurt-garlic sauce.

   

After my share of the momos, I was content to dispense with savoury foods and try the Chocolate Stacktacular ($19.50). The cacao chocolate pancakes were thick and gorgeous, with a satisfying texture that's made from more than just regular white flour. They were festooned with raspberry coulis, coconut cream, vegan chocolate icecream and fresh strawberries. Elektra also served me an excellent chai ($5) - their menu communicates their pride in this particular tea blend and they offer several variants on the menu.

I liked the colourful, slightly cluttered atmosphere of Elektra very much. It's cheerful and welcoming and doesn't seem designed primarily for the instagram era. Even better that there are still a dozen more veg*n menu items for us to try!

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Elektra

268 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

9417 4255

food, drinks

facebook, instagram

Accessibility: Furniture is densely arranged! There are stools out front and mostly chairs with backs inside. We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Billy van Creamy

November 5, 2019

Billy van Creamy is a lovely icecream business. They've got a food truck, and I've seen tubs of their staple flavours here and there. For a little while now they've had a shop front in Fitzroy North, between Piedemonte's and Edinburgh Gardens. (These neighbours are my best excuses to stop by.) Billy van Creamy do shakes and fancy sundaes as well as simple scoops, and they've got proper cutlery and crockery if you want to eat in at one of their benches.

Importantly, the vegan options here extend much further than fruit sorbets. They've developed a cashew and coconut base that just quietly, creamily supports their feature flavours like it's no big deal. (I think it is a big deal.) Chocolate, salted caramel, and peanut butter choc chip are in regular rotation and high demand. I was just as pleased with the vegan peppermint fudge special they offered last time I was in (pictured above; $5). 

I keep telling myself that next time I'll get some extra honeycomb or fudge sauce or a whole smores sundae, but I keep finding that there's pleasure enough in just the icecreams themselves.

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Billy van Creamy is well known to the mummy set: the only blog posts I found about this Fitzroy shopfront are on TOT: HOT OR NOT and mamma knows north.

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Billy van Creamy

27/29 Best St, Fitzroy North

menu

https://www.billyvancreamy.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a shallow ramp on entry. Tables are low and seating is low benches and stools, with decent spacing between them. I ordered, paid and picked up my food from a low counter.

Mary Miller

Edit 11/07/2021: Mary Miller has since moved to Brunswick East.

November 5, 2019

We cycle past the cafe Mary Miller on our way home from work most days. We know the spot well from its previous incarnation as Julio, and even spent the 2007 federal election night there. As Mary Miller it has received plenty of sponsored blog attention (see links at end of post), which I didn't really bother with... until Cruella deVegan posted about its vegan options, including a kaleidoscopic bibimbap. 

I stopped in for a quiet solo lunch on a public holiday. The menu had a lot to linger over: that bibimbap, a vegan chicken burger, French toast and pancakes, fritters, eggs, and veges. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and adaptable dishes are abundant and clearly marked. The vegan B.L.A.T. ($16) had the right balance of mock meat and fresh greens for me: the Turkish bread was unusually fluffy and light, and it was generously layered with vegan bacon, vegan feta, spinach, avocado, tomato and mayonnaise.

The menu covers so many of my meal moods, from fruit-and-yoghurt to rice-based bowls and burgers, that I'm seeking any excuse I can to go back for more. 

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I've gotta thank Cruella deVegan for getting me through the Mary Miller door!

Otherwise in blog-land, Mary Miller seems to have given out a zillion freebies, most of them declared, with predictably positive reviews: A Chronicle of Gastronomy, The Penguin Eats, Lips Temptations, fo0die (twice), Love at First Bite, thelittlehungrylife, Suzie Scribbles, 2WO FAT GIRLS, WHATEPIEATS and Gastrology.

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Mary Miller

171 Miller St, Fitzroy North

9489 6740

meals, kids' menu & drinks
https://www.marymiller.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry (see top pic). The indoor furniture consists of reasonably spaced low tables and chairs with backs. I ordered at the table and paid at a low counter. I didn't visit the toilets.

Evie's Disco Diner

October 1, 2019

A couple of our vegan friends have recommended Evie's Disco Diner to us in the year or two that it's been open. It's as garishly lit as the name would suggest, with pink-cushioned booths around its edge and tall, flimsy stools in a space that you might assume is a dance-floor, but is definitely a covered-over skate pool from the burrito business that was here a couple of years earlier. We made a point of visiting on a Tuesday, when they host a free drag-themed trivia night.

The reason our mates are so keen on Evie's is that there are vegan options on every dish on its junky American menu, from hot wings and loaded fries through to hot dogs, burgers and chocolate mousse. (Gluten-free options are more like fried appetisers than full meals but also seem to include the apple pie!) A quick run-down of the terribly lit food photographed above: 

• The spiced tots ($5, top right) were heavy with smoked paprika, just like the fries down the street at Trippy Taco,
• Michael's Tex Mex burrito ($18, bottom right) was pleasant but a bit homogeneous, and
• my chicken and waffles ($18, left) had a similar 'pretty good but gets samey' vibe, although I tip my hat to their garnishing sprinkle of icing sugar - my tablemates were appalled but I thought it worked. 

By chance, I managed to capture my dessert in better light. At trivia half-time, I ordered a Reeces Pieces shake ($10). The bartender apologised that they were out of chocolate syrup, then on a whim offered to improvise a version with Oreos - and it was great! The shake was thick, plenty chocolatey, and I loved the wide, reusable glass straws they're going with. 

We felt a little out of step with Evie's Disco Diner - while the bar staff and trivia team made us feel welcome, the lighting and furniture were for younger eyes and bodies than ours. Their vegan junk food is fun, and we'd be up for ordering another round.

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Evie's Disco Diner has garnered a positive review from Suzie Scribbles and a mixed review from The Penguin Eats. 

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Evie's Disco Diner
230-232 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
9419 4192
menu
https://www.evies.net.au/

Accessibility: The entry is flat and wide. Seats are a mixture of narrow booths and high tables and stools, not particularly comfortable, although there's lot's of clear space through the bar (see top photo). The coloured flashing lights and loud music could feel overwhelming. We ordered and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.