A guide to Carlton: Melbourne’s trendy Italian neighbourhood

Carlton is one of Melbourne’s most polished and charismatic inner-city suburbs, with a strong cultural heart.

Carlton made a name for itself as Melbourne’s Little Italy from the 1950s, known for its abundant pizza and pasta joints along its main artery, Lygon Street.

When Italian migrants arrived in the area (then a Jewish enclave) post-World War II, they brought with them espresso, olive oil and a way of good living that laid the foundations for the stellar food and wine scene that Melbourne has since gained glowing international recognition for.

While a portion of the area is still made up of proudly family-run businesses that are generations deep, including Italian restaurants that have waitstaff hustling on the footpath to draw in passers-by, there are now countless cafes in Carlton, along with cute shops and trendy restaurants, offering a range of cuisines.

Here are some of the best places to eat and drink, places to stay, and things to do in Carlton.

Carlton restaurants and cafes

As the suburb that has served as the cultural heartland of Melbourne’s Italian community for decades, it’s no surprise that Carlton is renowned for its food scene.

Carlton Wine Room

This charming corner wine bar occupies three levels and has a classic bistro vibe.

Run by an all-star cast of Melbourne hospo pros (who have experience working at Melbourne institutions like Coda, Cutler & Co, Marion and Tonka), this place knows how to draw Melbourne’s foodies.

Carlton Wine Room’s seasonal Euro-accented menu is designed to enhance the stellar wine offering.

Brunetti Classico

Brunetti is a Carlton classic that still draws the masses – day and night, seven days a week.

Much like the steps of Flinders Street Station, Brunetti has been the default meeting place for generations of uni students, old friends, suburban families, and anyone needing time to kill either side of seeing a film at the Nova.

Along with old-school coffee, you’ll find a trove of traditional Italian cakes, pastries and biscotti.

Brunetti also has a smaller boutique cafe on the other side of the block on Drummond Street.

Beku Gelato

Beku Gelato came into being further up Lygon Street in neighbouring Brunswick East, but migrated south along the suburb-crossing street into Carlton after the pandemic.

This Asian-style gelateria deviates from your usual ice cream flavours, with a rotating menu that could include pandan rice pudding, malted barley corn, cendol and durian gelato. The less adventurous will be able to find familiar comfort in flavours like chocolate and coconut. All gelato is hand-crafted with love.

Hareruya Pantry

Beku isn’t the only place serving up creative gelato flavours. Across from leafy Lincoln Square, crowds flock to Hareruya Pantry for house-made gelato infused with Japanese flavours like black sesame, genmaicha (brown rice green tea) and pickled ginger, which can be wrapped in a chewy mochi case for even more of a Japanese twist.

There’s also a selection of bento boxes and pre-made sandwiches in the fridge, reminiscent of a Japanese ‘konbini’ (convenience store), and fluffy pork and noodle buns.

Baker D. Chirico

Known to fans simply as ‘Baker D’, Daniel Chirico is considered a god for lovers of exceptional baked goods. Following traditional methods, his sourdough breads are among Melbourne’s best and at his handsome, timber-lined Carlton outpost, there’s little chance of leaving with a loaf of bread alone. Choose from flaky French pastries and Italian classics like cannoli and biscotti.

Hakata Gensuke

If you want a table at Hakata Gensuke in Melbourne’s CBD, you’ll likely be affronted by a long line snaking down the block. But, hot tip, you can get the same ramen in Carlton and likely walk straight in. Hakata Gensuke was founded by Chef Kousuke Yoshimura, a lauded ‘ramen champion’ from Japan who brought his culinary skills to Melbourne.

This simple cafe serves Fukuoka’s signature Hakata tonkotsu ramen, which is based on a rich pork bone broth. They serve house-made noodles and will tailor noodle firmness to your liking.

The Heart of Carlton

Amid cost-of-living pressures, a sign in a cafe that advertises ‘1970s prices’ is a welcome sight. At The Heart of Carlton, it’s no joke – you can pick up a bowl of steaming pasta or soup, or a toasted sanga, for just $4 – a price drop (gasp) from their previous $5 because ‘the world is cruel’ – making it a popular spot for a mish-mash of locals and students from the nearby University of Melbourne.

Pleasingly, the place doesn’t feel cheap, with the tiny cafe decked out with artwork, postcards and various knick-knacks to create a cosy vibe.

D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar

At this casual yet elegant corner restaurant, tucked off the main drag of Lygon Street, you’ll find mozzarella and salumi of honourable provenance plus a great Italian-leaning wine list.

Simplicity and tradition are key here, so don’t expect complicated toppings. The San Daniele with DOP buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto is a signature, while the Pizza ai Porcini with wild mushrooms, mozzarella, pecorino and truffle oil is irresistible.

Pidapipó

Lygon Street’s original purveyor of continental wine, food and deli items, King & Godfree, spawned a precocious new offspring in the shape of artisan gelateria Pidapipó in 2014. On a warm day, this is the place to indulge in a scoop or two of Italian gelato.

Lagoon Dining

Moody and intimate Lagoon Dining was on Jamie Oliver’s hit list during his Melbourne visit in 2023, when he lauded the Chinese-style restaurant’s hot and sour shredded potato as a creative culinary masterpiece. Though the menu leans towards Chinese cuisine and cooking techniques, inspiration is drawn from other parts of Asia, making this a crowning example of Asian fusion done well.

Bossa Nova

Melbourne’s Brazilian community has a little piece of home in Carlton by way of Bossa Nova, which serves traditional Brazilian dishes like feijoada (black bean stew) and Bobó de Camarão (prawn chowder). The chunky churrasco steak sandwiches are always a hit, and make sure you try the creamy bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish croquettes).

Good Measure

Good Measure is identified by an unnamed sign with an image of a long-legged magpie and likely a long line snaking out the door as keen punters queue for speciality coffees and sandwiches by day and smooth tunes and cocktails by night. The Mont Blanc is a signature caffeinated brew – filter coffee topped with cream and sprinkled with orange zest and nutmeg. Yum.

Tiamo

In a suburb rooted in Italian history, you need a classic and reliable Italian restaurant to turn to, and Tiamo has been dishing up pizza and pasta on Lygon Street since the 1970s – testament to its popularity as a meeting point for locals and travellers alike. Expect the usual suspects like homemade pasta dressed in pesto and Bolognese sauce, crispy woodfired pizzas and rich tiramisu.

Carlton bars and pubs

Carlton isn’t just about food (well, not quite) – there are plenty of trendy bars and pubs where you can absorb the suburb’s atmosphere and satiate your thirst.

Green Man’s Arms

Green Man’s Arms is peak Melbourne in the sense that it serves an exclusively vegetarian menu and proudly caters to all kinds of dietary requirements. The menu changes with the season, but you can expect to see dishes like a mushroom ‘short-rib steak’, hearty curries bulked out with sweet potato, and chunky eggplant schnitzels.

The pub, which looks like a trendy version of your grandma’s house, complete with floral wallpaper and ruffled lampshades, supports local food producers and has a good range of local craft beer.

Bar Holiday

Wedged into a narrow, unassuming space near Lincoln Square park, Bar Holiday is a buzzing red-brick watering hole that serves bar snacks and satisfying main meals, so you can turn your afternoon session into dinner if you please. Pull up a wooden stool on the footpath and sip cocktails to a soundtrack of smooth tunes, emanating from the double-decks on the front bar.

Snack Monster

Snack Monster celebrates the conviviality that comes from a tapas and pintxos-style menu, which supports a generous cocktail and local and international wine list.

Let the friendly staff sort you out with a platter of tasty morsels from a hand-written specials menu and enjoy the ambience of the long and colourful bar, which is reminiscent of a restrained, high-end antique shop. There’s a cute rooftop bar, too.

Jimmy Watson’s

James Calexte Watson, better known as Jimmy, established his namesake wine bar in 1935, making it a city leader in the boutique bar scene. As a wine merchant, Jimmy is credited for helping to introduce table wine to Aussies, who, at the time, favoured beer and fortified wine.

The two-storey establishment is European in style, with al fresco and indoor dining, and there’s a display of collectible wines, with dusty bottles dating back to the early 1900s. Out the back is a leafy courtyard – the perfect spot to sip an Aperol Spritz on a warm day.

Jimmy passed away in 1962, but Jimmy Watson’s restaurant and wine bar lives on, as strong as ever.

Johnny’s Green Room

Nice day? Feeling a rooftop sesh? Johnny’s Green Room is your spot to soak up the sun with a 360-degree view across greater Carlton and the city. Designer Dion Hall was inspired by the terraces of Tuscany and breezy Italian summers, and celebrity chef Karen Martini drew on her Italian roots when creating the menu, so this is a place to live la dolce vita in the heart of Melbourne.

Things to do in Carlton

Between meals, you can spend hours wandering around Carlton, with plenty of things to see and do.

Carlton Gardens

Carlton Gardens were designed for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880 and sprawl across an impressive 64 acres.

Towering elm trees line a criss-cross of walking paths, and bright flower beds, lily pad-laden ponds, and the 10-metre-high Hochgurtel Fountain sit in the foreground of the city’s skyscrapers, making this park a favourite spot for Instagrammers and anyone who wants to enjoy a peaceful paradise right near the CBD. The iconic domed Royal Exhibition Building is here too – Melbourne’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.

Readings Carlton

Aside from the leafy lawns of nearby Carlton Gardens, there is perhaps no finer place to while away a spare Carlton hour than at this enduring Lygon Street icon.

A local fixture since 1969, Readings Carlton is a well-stocked independent bookshop that has long drawn lovers of literature, film, poetry and music with regular readings, signings and in-house performances and erudite specialist staff. Pop next door to the children’s bookstore if you want to pick up a classic.

Cinema Nova

With 16 screens, Cinema Nova is one of the biggest independent cinemas in the southern hemisphere. As well as blockbuster movies, Nova champions international and arthouse films and is a key location for many of Melbourne’s film festivals.

The cinema is fully licensed and has a decent wine list, so you can enjoy a drink before kicking on at one of the many surrounding bars and restaurants in Carlton. You can get cheap tickets on Mondays, and keep an eye out for ‘meet the filmmaker’ sessions.

Melbourne Museum

The Melbourne Museum provides insight into Victoria’s multifaceted history and culture through permanent and temporary exhibitions. Inside, you can find a forest gallery, which shares information and stories about trees and wildlife; the Melbourne gallery, which tells the city’s story; the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which showcases the traditions and knowledge of Koorie people and other Indigenous cultures in Australia, plus much more. There’s also a dedicated gallery for kids.

Rathdowne Village

Stretching into Carlton North, Rathdowne Village is a section of a beautiful tree-lined street of the same name. Go for a meander past boutique shops, pretty cafes, and tightly packed Victorian terrace houses. The 150-year-old precinct, once served by a cable tram to St Kilda, brims with charm.

Ballers Clubhouse

In the mood for some fun? Ballers Clubhouse has games galore, including ball pit ping pong, karaoke, pool, shuffleboard and social darts. A DJ and quirky cocktail menu keeps the energy pumping.

Carlton accommodation

If you need somewhere to rest your head at the end of the day, there’s a selection of comfortable accommodation in Carlton. 

Zagame’s House

Zagame’s House is a luxury, 97-room hotel at the city end of Carlton. There are five room types, all with king beds, oversized robes, and luxe Mr Smith toiletries, and you’ll have access to 24-hour room service.

The chic hotel was established by brothers Victor and Robert Zagame, who bring sustainable practices to their property where possible through energy and water conservation and bio-based oil cleaning products. Got a pooch? Zagame’s House is a dog-friendly hotel.

169 Drummond Street

To immerse yourself in the heritage of the suburb, book a room at this 19th-century terrace house. 169 Drummond Street’s original features include polished floors, cedar staircases and marble fireplaces, and these are complemented by a collection of antiques and curated artworks. This B&B feels more house than hotel, so expect it to feel warm and homely.

The Eminence Apartments by CLLIX

The Eminence Apartments are located on the fringe of the CBD, a 10-minute walk from the Queen Victoria Market, and offer modern one- and two-bedroom apartments. They are a solid option if you want a spacious abode and your own kitchen.