Napier Quarter

Updated July 24, 2026,first published November 18, 2024 You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. European$$$$ By day, you’re savouring the city’s most famous anchovy toast at a sunny table out front.

Come evening, cafe morphs into candlelit wine bar, one with European leanings and a distinctly Melbourne soul. Lightly pickled and fermented vegetables – maybe cucumber, beetroot and radish, depending on the week – make a bright opening act. The menu pleasantly surprises with the pairing of saffron and bottarga in a golden risotto: rich, floral, saline.

Thin slices of lamb leg are draped over a velvety tahini sauce that’s offset by the tang of pickled red onion and anchovy. You can’t go wrong on a wine list that highlights small and local producers, including Central Victorian drops from Little Reddie. You might stop in for just a glass and a snack, but odds are you’ll soon find yourself sighing over a ginger cake with mont blanc-style frosting.

Good to know: Stay at the minimalist guest house upstairs for the full experience. Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Last visited: May 2025 Continue this series A heartwarming tribute to Euro comfort cooking. An upstanding member of Melbourne’s reborn corner boozer club.

A cosy spot offering a full vocabulary of classic comfort. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more.

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