Inside The Standard Hotel,which has been serving pots of beer and meals for over 150 years.

The Standard

Seemingly unchanged over its long life,this retreat still reps kitsch cricket memorabilia and sticky carpets,and has one of the best beer gardens around.

The go-to dish:Oxtail lends heft to the spring roll filling.
12.5/20

Bang or a whimper? The verdict on Fitzroy’s much-hyped StandardX hotel’s restaurant

It has boho-glam looks and backing from a luxury international hotel chain. But does the street-level restaurant deliver the goods?

  • Besha Rodell
Kangaroo schnitzel at the Punters Club.

Punters Club

The music plays on at this Fitzroy icon,recently revived after a 22-year pause.

The Builders Arms Hotel in Fitzroy.

Builders Arms Hotel

The Builders is the frequent conclusion to “where should we meet?” debates,and with good reason.

The Punters Club drinks list is pub-appropriate but with better wine.
13.5/20

‘How good are pubs?’:The return of a legendary Fitzroy favourite feels like a triumph

The revival of this Brunswick Street landmark also raises the question:Why isn’t kangaroo schnitzel an Aussie staple?

  • Besha Rodell
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The “killer” cauliflower dish.

Why this ‘killer’ charred cauliflower stopped our reviewer in her tracks

It didn’t look that different from a hundred other vegan offerings around town. Eating it was a different story.

  • Dani Valent
Barbacoa estilo Hidalgo (lamb barbacoa tacos with chilli consommé).

‘The best tacos Melbourne has ever seen’:This inexpensive Fitzroy diner is changing the game

The most memorable,soul-quenching single bite of food I’ve had in weeks was at modest shopfront diner El Columpio.

  • Besha Rodell
Carnation Canteen is a glowing beacon on a Fitzroy corner.
14.5/20

Daffodils,olive oil,custard cake:This tiny restaurant in a corner store is a pot of gold

Lovely,light and almost ethereal,Carnation Canteen glows like a beacon in Fitzroy’s backstreets.

  • Dani Valent
The sushi course at Shusai Mijo includes miso soup made with chef Jun Oya’s signature dashi.
Good Food hat15.5/20

‘One of the more affordable omakase restaurants,up there with those that cost double’

Shusai Mijo’s midweek “cut and cook” menu is a hot proposition,no wonder it’s booked out through May already.

  • Besha Rodell
Profiteroles come bursting with spanner crab and creamy cod roe.
14.5/20

‘This place is a vibe’ but wildly popular Fitzroy restaurant Poodle isn’t for everyone

Poodle Bar& Bistro has all the energy of another restaurant’s Friday night on a Tuesday. But how does the service and food under a new chef stack up?

  • Besha Rodell