High Street is jam-packed with bars, cafes and restaurants – but this is its best section
Start at one end of a street you think you know, and take a virtual walk with restaurant reviewer Dani Valent. In this series, she tells you exactly where you should go to eat and drink.
When he walks along Thornbury’s High Street today, 1800 Lasagne owner Joey Kellock is reminded of Fitzroy in its 1980s heyday. “I was lucky to grow up along Brunswick Street in the golden era when restaurants and cafes were opening there for the first time,” he says, pointing to Marios and Rhumbarallas, among other iconic hangouts. “That same purity and freshness is what I’m seeing in Thornbury now,” he says. “It’s exciting to be part of a fresh wave for Melbourne.”
High Street runs for about 18 kilometres, beginning in village-like Westgarth and trundling through busy Northcote before arriving in hip Thornbury for a brief – but rich – kilometre. The artery then continues through up-and-coming Preston all the way north to Epping. Each suburb has its charms but Thornbury is arguably the most energised and creative strip for eating along High Street right now. “Thornbury can look a little sleepier than Northcote, but there’s a lot of energy just below the surface,” says Kellock. “On the map, it’s just a thin rectangle of land but it’s got a special feeling.”
Historically, there’s a strong Greek and Italian presence in Thornbury, with the Hellenic heritage still in evidence today. “The original post-war migrants opened groceries, social clubs, radio stations, theatres and delis in the 1950s,” says Christian Evripidou, co-owner of cool new Greek bar Capers.
“Some of them are still in the clubs today, playing backgammon, the Cypriot card game, Pilotta, and Diloti, a Greek card game. There’s also a second and third generation − like us − who want to celebrate their Greekness, plus Greek-speaking migrants that have come since the financial crisis of 2009. It’s layered, with everything happening all at once.”
Thornbury is part of Darebin City Council, which references the suburb’s alternative culture on its website, as well as a higher proportion of LGBTQ people compared to the rest of the municipality. “It’s one of the nicest and friendliest streets in the world,” says Kellock.
“On the map, it’s just a thin rectangle of land but it’s got a special feeling.”Joey Kellock, 1800 Lasagne
Eliza Sparvell, a bartender at Capers, feels the same. “I’ve worked on High Street since I was 16, moving my way up the tram line at six different places over the past six years. It’s low-key and casual, a very, very, very lovely spot for hopping from place to place. Everyone knows one another and you can’t walk 50 metres without running into a mate.”
Louise Zelencich has owned Pallino for 10 years. “It’s definitely a vibe around here,” she says. The business owner feels she’s been supported by the community, but she’s nurtured it too. When the old Italian social club next door seemed set to close, she took it on because she couldn’t stand the idea that the suburb’s old Italians wouldn’t have a place to play cards and chat. “We open three days a week for them and use the space for functions and events on the weekends.”
That kind of connection is classic Thornbury, says Kellock. “I’ve lived in 10 or 12 houses in Northcote and Thornbury in my life,” he says. “It’s really special to me and I just want to contribute. I see history, opportunity and an amazing future here. I think High Street could become the best ‘eat street’ in Melbourne.”
Mali Bakes
Chef Patchanida Chimkire focuses mainly on whole layer cakes with retro styling, extravagant frosting and bespoke messages, but serves single slices on Saturdays direct from the bakeshop. You might luck on to vegan vanilla cake with roasted strawberry; olive oil ricotta cake with blackberry and fennel jam; or featherlight matcha chiffon roll with sake-soaked cherries. All are made with premium ingredients such as Gippsland Jersey butter. Some people say cake isn’t the answer to all woes. Come and prove them wrong.
627 High Street, Thornbury, malibakes.com
The Thornbury Local
There’s nowhere else on the strip that has such a “local lounge room” feel to it. You might think you’re coming for the po’ boys, fried pickles, poutine and pizza from an unabashedly American menu, but you’ll stay for the great vibes and cheery staff. Hangout spaces include the upstairs balcony overlooking the street and a rear courtyard with its own cosy fireplace. There’s live music on weekends, along with open mic nights and trivia during the week.
635 High Street, Thornbury, thethornburylocal.com
Lan Coffee Thornbury
Lan offers possibly the best coffee on the strip with its selection of locally roasted beans tweaked regularly, and every coffee made with care and focus. The kitchen offers Asian-ish brunches: consider delights such as char siu pork in a charcoal bun, kimchi fried rice and prawn pasta with Sichuan chilli relish. The mood is cruisy and quiet: this is a pleasant place to bring your laptop or a book.
640 High Street, Thornbury, lancoffee.orderup.com.au
Franklin’s Bar
The warehouse frontage can look a bit foreboding, but it’s all smiles once you come inside and explore the indoor-outdoor spaces. The house cocktails are all about fun spins on classics − for example, the pandan colada which includes coconut-washed dark rum and toasted pineapple cordial. Drinkers need ballast: ciabatta-style pizzas have classic toppings you can jazz up with hot sauce.
646 High Street, Thornbury, franklinsbar.com
1800 Lasagne
The namesake pasta bake is rightly the focus but there’s so much else to love at this Thornbury restaurant, a fixture as soon as it took over this old pizza shop in 2020. The staff deliver smart-casual dining with flair and aplomb, and the decor channels the northside’s hippest nonnas. Of course, you’ll eat lasagne, but consider too the “perfect clouds” gnocchi, spaghetti with pipis, and specials that feature seasonal vegetables. There’s music on vinyl, except when there’s “jazzagne” on Sundays.
653 High Street, Thornbury, 1800lasagne.com.au
Crosta D’Oro Hot Bread
This large family-run bakery is an easy place to pick up a ciabatta or lamington, as well as a killer banh mi on a fresh, crusty roll. Which filling? The pork crackling is so loud, it’s almost violent. But the more shy and retiring tofu version is a lovely partner for the secret spicy sauce each roll is doused in. The owners are often known to give away doughnuts, so you have dessert sorted, too.
656 High Street, Thornbury, 03 9484 0519
Psarakos Market
It’s easy to miss this off-Broadway shopping complex with a supermarket, continental deli and specialty traders but once you know, you’ll never look back. The Psarakos siblings first opened in the ’hood in the early 1970s and the family has been a fixture ever since. Expect a feast of feta, all the olives, gorgeous Greek wine and an excellent and well-priced range of fruit and vegetables.
2/8 Clarendon Street, Thornbury, instagram.com/psarakos_market
Northern Git
Clocking up a decade on the strip this year, the Git is an easygoing restaurant with a meat focus. There’s house-made salami, rillettes and bresaola, and the steak is aged in-house for 80 days. The name references the no-nonsense north of England, which is given culinary life in dishes like the daily pie with suet pastry and a Sunday roast with Yorkshire pud. Vegetarians are showered with love too.
757 High Street, Thornbury, northerngit.com.au
Pallino
Crafted and detailed 10 years ago, this drinking den has more than stood the test of time. The bar is appealing, the long bench interspersed with small, round tables that make it both cosy and convivial, and the courtyard is a fun, sunny hangout (and bocce court, if you book ahead). Mostly a drinking place, there’s also a short snack menu and you’re welcome to order in from local restaurants: ask for menus at the bar. Want proof of community? Pallino’s owner took over the old-school cafe next door so local zios (uncles) could keep meeting there to play cards.
790 High Street, Thornbury, pallino.com.au
Street Dogz
Sanitise your hands and grab a handful of napkins. Things are about to get messy! Loaded hot dogs and fries are served from a faux food truck frontage in a bustling shop: it’s a family operation spilling with positive vibes, as well as tomato sauce and mustard. The specialty is the Paco, a Colombian-style hot dog with cabbage salad, quail eggs and tiny potato chips.
825 High Street, Thornbury, instagram.com/streetdogzthornbury
Wolf & Swill
Open for lavish sandwiches by day (caramelised leek-and-onion muffin, yes please) and pizza by night, this wolf is relaxed and friendly. Slide in for cosy booth catch-ups, cheersing with a cocktail, a bunch of mates and a honey-roasted garlic pizza, or roll up solo for a glass of wine at the bar.
826 High Street, Thornbury, wolfandswill.com
Joanie’s Baretto
We could have included any or all of the Umberto Group’s Italian-accented Thornbury businesses: they’re all good. Umberto Espresso Bar and its rooftop Gigi are always nice, Pastificio Sandro does pasta and groceries and there’s also Prova, the dinner-party-style restaurant that pops up in Sandro by night. We do have a soft spot for little Joanie though, a fun, no-nonsense bar with a focus on Italian drinks. It’s never the wrong time for a birra here, and you can build out your time with lovely little plates, maybe stuffed olives or orecchiette with broccoli.
832a High Street, Thornbury, joaniesbaretto.com.au
Capers
Tapping into Thornbury’s Greek heritage, Capers is a next-gen expression of Hellenic flavours and style. The retro interior channels yiayia and the menu pays fond homage to the honest, simple food of Greece and Cyprus, mostly as you’d eat it in homes. There’s wine from the old country but the Greek Salad Martini is a cute way to kick off an evening.
843 High Street, Thornbury, capersthornbury.com
Carwyn Tuck Shop
It’s a bottle shop that feels a bit like a pub that works a bit like a restaurant, and adds up to a very cool way of experiencing Thornbury. That might mean sitting on the pavement with a “boozy zooper” (alcoholic icy pole made in collaboration with ace ice-cream parlour Kenny Lover over the road) or hanging in the courtyard with a craft beer and chicken ribs with spicy tahini.
877 High Street, Thornbury, carwyncellars.com.au
All Are Welcome
One of the most Thornbury things about Thornbury is the fact that sourdough bakery All Are Welcome did not paint over the ancient bakery signage that pre-dated it in this location and still promises sausage rolls and “rice and curry” in an old blocky font. You actually can still get a fantastic sausy roll here, made with Italian spiced pork and served with smoky chipotle, as well as excellent viennoiserie with seasonal fruit. Most people take their loot home, but you can sit down and enjoy a steaming mug of filter coffee with your bakery treats.
887 High Street, Thornbury, all-are-welcome.com
Ballard’s
Come for vegan dining in a cosy room that makes you wonder why you would ever bother with animal products again. The creative menu might include six-hour braised cabbage, beer-battered artichokes and lion’s mane mushroom steak with peppercorn gravy. Weekly roasts make it even clearer that meat-free dining doesn’t mean missing out.
915 High Street, Thornbury, carrot-jellyfish-7mgz.squarespace.com