Restaurant Adventures - New to Northcote

One of the major benefits of being an academic over the summer period in Melbourne, is the flexibility of working from home. Despite marking and researching, I have greatly enjoyed being able to explore the new cafes and restaurants on High Street, Northcote.

First up is Bicycle Thieves, a large cafe offering a light and airy atmosphere, serving modern breakfast and lunch options that really do taste delicious. If you're lucky, they'll also draw a picture in your coffee, my latest was a monkey. What I thoroughly enjoyed the most was the standard of service and politeness of their staff, and of course the refreshing quality of their coffee.

A brand new restaurant in Northcote is Unique Asian and owner Vince, makes the perfect host. Not only will he make the effort to have a lovely conversation with you and remember your name for the next time you visit, he will suggest dishes that he knows you'll love. The best aspect about Unique Asian is the freshness of the ingredients. It is clear that each vegetable and piece of meat is hand-selected and hand-cut, rather than coming in pre-cut packaging. The freshness of the food is obvious for two reasons, the flavour, and the vibrancy of each dish when it's presented to you. Having tried numerous entrees and mains, and for someone who isn't usually a huge fan of beef, you must try the any of the marinated beef dishes. I must say however, everything is super tasty, so try as much as you can eat! Oh, it's also very reasonably priced and it's open on Mondays!

Ginger & Chives is a must try if you love your pho and noodle soups! The broth is tasty, unlike some restaurants where it can be little bland. Similarly to Unique Asian, the ingredients are also super fresh, making for tasty meals and colourful dishes. This is the perfect place to go to when you're wanting a very reasonably priced meal that is healthy - perfect for university students. The service from the staff is also lovely, and they are very attentive.

Primo has been in Northcote for a little while now, but it is seriously worth the mention because their pizzas and pastas are delicious! They also have a lovely selection of wines. We have always been well-looked after when we've been there for a meal with friends and family. My favourite part about Primo (apart from their delicious dishes) is the fact that they're opposite Westgarth Cinemas, making it a perfect pre-movie dinner location. It therefore, also makes for the perfect date. Okay, so my favourite dish is the Tagliatelle which contains a seafood bisque of squid, prawns, mussels, cherry tomato, parsley. I also love their Margherita pizza. The restaurant itself is always busy, and has a warm atmosphere.

Little Local is so new to Northcote, Robbie hasn't even finished the interior, but he is serving fantastic coffee through the window of his shop. He's always happy to have a conversation with you as you wait for your well-balanced coffee, which makes for a really friendly and 'local' vibe. I'm very excited to see what the cafe looks like when all the renovations are finished! Robbie opens up early in the morning (7:30am) and due to the location being right next to a tram stop, Little Local is the perfect place to drop by on your way to work to pick up your much needed morning caffeine fix.

Hope you have enjoyed this blog. Stay tuned for more posts on good food and fine wine.