Fitzrovia

Overview

Local, seasonal and sustainable is the name of the game at Fitzrovia. As St Kilda's answer to the freshest Victorian produce you can find, ingredients at this all-day diner are especially sourced from fine estate suppliers from within 100 kilometres of Melbourne. You'll be hard pressed to find greater quality elsewhere. At the very least, be prepared to start harbouring dreams of harvesting all your own food forevermore once you visit.

Where possible, all produce has free range and organic origins; Fitzrovia makes it easy to see why fresh is best. Non-homogenised milk from Jonsey's, salt, olives and oil from Mount Zero, butter from The Myrtleford Butter Factory, buffalo mozzarella from Shaw River, Romsey Range beef, free range chicken and duck from Milawa and St Ali single estate coffee are all used regularly and only just scrape the surface of a veritable pie of foodie goodness. It's no question then that the menu at Fitzrovia changes seasonally, with modern European influences tying it all together.

Overlooking Albert Park at the idyllic end of Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia will draw you in with its expansive glass facade and homely touches. A light-filled atrium extends to a cosy dining room that feels like a slice of the country in the middle of the city. With wooden crates of fruit and vegetables and freshly cut flowers abounding, it's hard not to feel like you've just walked in from the paddock.

Big, rough comfort food runs out of the open kitchen regardless of the time of day (take note: it truly is open). A selection of house made breads and mueslis kick things into gear, with breakfast served until 3pm for sleepy souls. Come lunchtime, baked pies, tarts, seafood and pasta enter the equation, and extend to the evening where mains feature quality local meat cuts, inventive salads and some truly stellar polenta chips ($11.50). And Wednesday through Saturday, the lunch menu rolls into the evening — so you can have dinner (and a cocktail) at Fitzrovia too.

Thanks to its thoughtful approach to produce, Fitzrovia is the kind of place that pleases visit after visit. If you're hankering for some fresh, local delights and a little contemplation with your meal, this is the place to do it.